Face Your Fears Day 1: Red Fox, The Benson, and Dead Sky Morning by Karina Halle Mini-Reviews

For those of you that don't know me well, I'm a HUGE scaredy cat.  I mean...seriously. I blame my older brother. As a kid, I was traumatized by movies like The Shining and Poltergeist. I can't look at a clown today without cringing. I typically steer clear of books that are spooky. However, I've decided to face my fears this week. In honor of Halloween, I decided to pick some books from my review pile that have ghosts, vampires, wolves, and demons. Each day this week I will post either mini-reviews or full reviews for your scary enjoyment. Enjoy!

Red Fox (Experiment in Terror 2) by Karina Halle-NA Horror/Suspense

Kindle format given by author for review

With Book Two of the Experiment in Terror Series, Perry Palomino and Dex Foray trade in the stormy Oregon coast for the unforgiving deserts of New Mexico.
In the for­got­ten town of Red Fox, a Navajo cou­ple is tor­tured by things unseen and by motives unknown. Wild ani­mals slink through their house in the dark, a bar­rage of stones pound their roof nightly, and muti­lated sheep car­casses are turn­ing up on their prop­erty. Armed with a cam­era and just enough to go on, Perry and Dex travel to the des­o­late locale, hop­ing to film the super­nat­ural occur­rences and add cred­i­bil­ity to their flail­ing web­cast. Only their show has a lot more work­ing against them than just grow­ing pains. Tested by dubi­ous ranch hands, a ghost from Dex’s past, and shapeshift­ing decep­tion, the ama­teur ghost hunters must learn to trust each other in order to fight the most ancient of myths…or die trying.

My Take:

Red Fox took me on another mind-bending journey. I liked how the Navajo culture and myths were brought into the story.  In college I studied Native American cultures and always found it fascinating. 

I love Perry even more in this book than I did the first book. She's just such a great character. She's likable and easy to connect with. Now Dex....I still want to slap him, then bone him. He's just so frustrating. You have to love him though. We get introduced to Maximus in this book as well. I believe he will play a bigger role in one of the books later on in the series. I actually kind of liked him. He's a bit goofy, but what do expect from a  friend of Dex's?

Overall, I loved this story and was really proud of myself. There are some truly creeptastic parts to the story, but I held my ground and pulled through. Red Fox gave me another reason to continue on with the series. 

~He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Unbelievable. I leave you alone for two hours and you fall off a cliff, get attacked by a crow, and a snake explodes all over you."-Loc 2235

~"I don't know what's going to happen but after the lighthouse it's pretty obvious you're partly responsible for attracting weirdos. You're like a ghost magnet. Why do you think I like having you around?'

My mouth dropped momentarily. "Because I'm awesome."

"Oh, well, that too."-Loc 3178

The Benson (Experiement in Terror 2.5) by Karina Halle-NA Horror/Suspense

Kindle format given by author for review

An Experiment in Terror Novella (#2.5).
This short story/novella sees amateur Youtube ghost-hunters, Perry Palomino and Dex Foray, investigating the real-life hauntings of Portland's infamous Benson Hotel. It occurs between books #2 (Red Fox) and #3 (Dead Sky Morning) and is the perfect primer for anyone interested in the EIT series.

My Take:

This book is a novella, so it only took me about 30 minutes to read.   What I liked the most about it was that it gave us an idea of what Perry and Dex work on in between big tapings. 

The Benson is about a haunted hotel. Perry and Dex go to get footage for an upcoming show. Of course, Dex leaves Perry ALONE and that's when the magic happens. Despite the creepiness of the story, I liked how Perry actually helped the ghosts move on and find peace. 

That's really about all I have to say on that. I liked it. It's worth reading as part of the series. 

~"Leave the lights on," I tell him. 

"I think we should turn them off."

I knew it. "Why do you even bother consulting me if you're just going to do what you want anyway?"

"I like you to feel like this is a partnership," he says, and sounds strangely sincere. He tucks the key into his cargo pants and gives me a quick smile. "And you know that shooting in the dark adds to the tension."

"It also adds to my ever-building threat of dying young," I point out. -Loc 466

Dead Sky Morning (Experiment in Terror 3) by Karina Halle-NA Horror/Suspense

Kindle format given by author for review

With the Experiment in Terror show finding some success, amateur ghost hunters Perry Palomino and Dex Foray embark on their most terrifying investigation yet. A tiny, fog-shrouded island in the rough strait between British Columbia and Washington State has held a dark secret for decades: It was a former leper colony where over forty souls were left to rot, die and bury each other. Now a functioning campground, Perry and Dex spend an isolated weekend there to investigate potential hauntings but as the duo quickly find out, there is more to fear on D’Arcy Island than just ghosts. The island quickly pits partner against partner, spiraling the pair into madness that serves to destroy their sanity, their relationship and their very lives.

My Take:

In my opinion, this is the scariest one so far. I think it's because I have an intense fear of being buried alive. Not that it's likely to happen to me personally, but you know what I mean. Scary. Then to be buried alive in water! Horrifying. 

So, in Dead Sky Morning, Perry and Dex set off to film on an island. The island has become a camp ground, but was once a leper colony. This leper colony was managed by a Christian, who was pretty creepy. Anyway, as Perry and Dex settle in, the weirdness begins. At least for Perry. She begins seeing the ghosts on the island, but is nervous about telling Dex about it. She's beginning to worry that he will start to think she's crazy. But, Dex can sense that something isn't right on the island. They experience some pretty creepy stuff with ghosts, deer, raccoons, and the impending storm. I can't really say too much else about the story, without ruining it. Just trust me, it's freaky. 

I have to say that what I liked the most about this book was the character building. We're still learning about Perry and Dex. I feel like I'm really starting to "get" them more. In fact, nearly the first half of the book is about Perry and Dex. They have a very complicated relationship. There is no denying their chemistry and attraction. (If only that stupid Jenn would take a hike.) There were some really steamy moments in this book too. 

This series is addictive and I'm ready to move on to Lying Season. As the tension between Perry and Dex builds, the more anxious I am to keep reading. Even though, I'm truly freaked out at times, I love these characters and can't recommend this series enough. 

Karina Halle is a magnificent story teller. She gives you a vivid and realistic vision of the story. In fact, I think this series would make a great TV series. I'd love to see Perry and Dex come to life!

~He took my face in his comforting hands and gazed at me, closer, deeper. My heart started to jump around sporadically, my nerves were on fire. I loved and hated it at the same time. I hated what he was doing to me, but I loved him. I hated my feelings, but...I loved him. I hated that he could just look at me like that and I couldn't think of anything else.

"I'm still me," I said heavily.

"I know. But you know you're acting...spazzier than normal."-Loc 3573

~"I'm so scared. I don't want to see these things anymore. It makes me want to tear my brain out. I don't know what's real. How can I tell what's real anymore? What's real Dex? Tell me what's real."

He put his hand on my face and looked at me with the most magnetic, imapssioned spark in his dark eyes. "I'm real. This is real."-Loc 5636

All three books received

Dark House and The Benson are both FREE! The rest of the series is only $.99 on Amazon. Also available on B&N.