Gabino Iglesias is a writer, editor, journalist, and book reviewer living in Austin, Texas. He is the author of COYOTE SONGS, ZERO SAINTS (both from Broken River Books), and GUTMOUTH (Eraserhead Press). He is the book reviews editor at PANK Magazine, the TV/film editor at Entropy Magazine, and a columnist for LitReactor and CLASH Media. His nonfiction has appeared in places like The New York Times, the Los Angeles Review of Books, the LA Times, El Nuevo Día, and other venues. The stuff that's made up has been published in places like Red Fez, Flash Fiction Offensive, Drunk Monkeys, Bizarro Central, Paragraph Line, Divergent Magazine, Cease, Cows, and many horror, crime, surrealist, and bizarro anthologies. When not writing or reading, he has worked as a dog whisperer, witty communications professor, and ballerina assassin. His reviews are published in places like NPR, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, Criminal Element, The Rumpus, Heavy Feather Review, Atticus Review, Entropy, HorrorTalk, Necessary Fiction, Crimespree, and other print and online venues. He teaches at SNHU's MFA program. You can find him on Twitter at @Gabino_Iglesias.
Memorials (2024) Richard Chizmar "Memorials is a twisty, dark tale with an undeniable sense of place and a creepy atmosphere that pulls you in and never lets go. This story about friendship and youthful adventure quickly spirals into mayhem and paranoia, and the journey is an absolute blast. As heartfelt as it is chilling, this nostalgic, diverse, wildly entertaining novel proves, once again, that Richard Chizmar is one of the best."
Guillotine (2024) Delilah S Dawson "Reading Delilah S. Dawson's Guillotine is like watching poetry smash a bottle against someone's face. Fast, stylish, very bloody, and unapologetically brutal, this is a straight razor of a novel that slices to the core of class resentment with power and grace. This novel will leave a slug trail of blood in your brain, and you'll be happy it did."
Small Town Horror (2024) Ronald Malfi "Malfi is horror's Faulkner, and Small Town Horror might be his best novel yet. Stylish, dark, and with a haunting, salty atmosphere, this is a superb novel about how the ghosts of the past always dance with those of the present."
Indian Burial Ground (2024) Nick Medina "Indian Burial Ground is wonderfully creepy and relentlessly dark. Part adventure narrative, part supernatural horror story, and part eerie mystery, this novel slithers under your skin and makes you wish you knew less with every step it brings you closer to the truth. Nick Medina is waiting in the dark to whisper in your ear about dead things, about the tamahka, about blood and Native mythology. You should let him."
Almost Surely Dead (2024) Amina Akhtar "Amina Akhtar isn't a writer; she's a word magician, a wonderful comedian who juggles the darkest themes and the ugly things that make us human, the young, smart, fashion-savvy auntie who knows where the bodies are buried and reminds you to call your mom. And she keeps getting better with every book. Almost Surely Dead is a witty, wildly entertaining novel that dips its toes in the supernatural while delivering social commentary, highlighting the realities of the Pakistani diaspora, and dancing with the ghosts and superstitions we all carry in our blood. Don't miss it."
Sweet Thing (2023) David Swinson "Sweet Thing is fast, dark, and flat-out wonderful. The dialogue cuts like a scalpel and the action would outpace a greyhound. This thing smells like burnt coffee, cigarette smoke, and the pure, unfiltered authenticity only a retired detective who's seen it all could tattoo on the page. Don't miss it."
The Devil's Promise (2023) (San Antonio Supernatural Detective Agency, book 2) Celso Hurtado "A wonderfully entertaining YA horror novel [that] inhabits the interstitial space between YA stories and full-blown adult literature about horrible things. A great reminder that one of the best things about horror fiction is its ability to twist our guts like a rollercoaster ride and make us ask for more."
Black River Orchard (2023) Chuck Wendig "Dark. Visceral. Creepy. Smart. Deep. So red it's dark brown. Chuck Wendig's Black River Orchard slithers and shines, its dangerous belly full of dark magic and accusations. I've been a fan of Wendig for years, and this is his best novel yet."
Whalefall (2023) Daniel Kraus "Unexpectedly emotional and wildly entertaining, Whalefall is the tense revamp of Jonah's tale you didn't know you needed."
Those We Thought We Knew (2023) David Joy "Those We Thought We Knew is a screaming wound bleeding fiery poetry. This is a brilliant novel about racism, generational trauma, reckoning with the past, and the way awfulness tends to hide in the places you least expect it. A heartfelt, brutally honest portrait of the heart and roots of the North Carolina mountains that echoes the entire country. Powerful. Timely. Necessary. Read it."
A Likeable Woman (2023) May Cobb "Full of deceit, dark secrets, gossip, family drama, and murder... This novel is Texas to the core, smart, and so much fun you don't realize there's blood around you until it's too late."
Her Father's Daughter (2023) T M Dunn "At once a great serial killer narrative, a story about secrets and confessions, and an unexpectedly touching tale of a daughter looking for her missing father in the aftermath of a crime, T.M. Dunn's Her Father's Daughter is a fast, sharp, wildly engaging thriller delivered with impeccable economy of language and enough tension to keep even the most demanding readers glued to its pages."
Ozark Dogs (2023) Eli Cranor "Whatever darkness lives in the space between a finger and a trigger also lives in the pages of Ozark Dogs. A tale of blood, guilt, family, and murder, this one will move from the junkyard straight into your heart. Cranor is one of the South's best contemporary chroniclers, and his keen eye is on full display here."
The Haunting of Alejandra (2023) V Castro "Wonderfully heartfelt, relentlessly dark, and superbly written, The Haunting of Alejandra is folklore-infused horror that goes deep into the roots of La Llorona while telling a story of motherhood, fragmented identity, and autonomy. V. Castro is one of the most exciting voices in contemporary fiction, and this is her best outing yet. Don't miss it."
Cruz (2022) Nicolás Ferraro "Nicolas Ferraro is the kind of writer who understands how to use blood to tattoo a story on your soul. Cruz is a grimy, gritty, hyperviolent novel about debts, loyalty, and bad decisions that's as fast and brutal as a prison shanking, and you'll love every minute of it. Cruz says 'I love you' with its middle finger. Don't miss it."
Ghost Eaters (2022) Clay McLeod Chapman "Ghost Eaters is one of those rare horror novels that have everything: a dash of humor, real life demons, complex characters, a heavy dose of the supernatural, and the kind of ending you never forget. This is high-grade horror, and Clay McLeod Chapman is the real deal."
Manhunt (2022) Gretchen Felker-Martin "Manhunt is a celebration of trans people and a literary blitzkrieg against TERFocracy. Timely and necessary, this is extreme horror that says something. Listen to it."
Midnight, Water City (2021) (Water City Trilogy, book 1) Chris McKinney "Midnight, Water City is futuristic crime reinvented. A weird, smart blast of sci-fi noir, this narrative places readers in constantly shifting terrain. Politically engaged, environmentally conscious, and packed with action, this novel shows an all-too-plausible future. Chris McKinney has arrived, and his mixture of classic genre themes and innovation make his distinctive voice one that demands attention."
The Southland (2020) Johnny Shaw "Great frontera fiction, full of strong women, grief, hope, love, pain, humor, and a critique of our immigration system. It's also devoid of nonsense and white saviors. This is a novel about people chasing the American Dream and finding a nightmare, and Shaw's gigantic heart screams for change in every page."
Of Mice and Minestrone (2020) (Hap and Leonard Collections) Joe R Lansdale "Of Mice and Minestrone is the last bit of connective tissue missing from the Hap and Leonard Mythos, which is one of the most entertaining series in modern literature. This book, which deals with abuse, friendship, violence, growing up, race, food, and justice, is full of the wit that's made Lansdale a star."
Untamed Shore (2020) Silvia Moreno-Garcia "Silvia Moreno-Garcia's UNTAMED SHORE is a treat: the first thriller from a seasoned writer. This is a superb hybrid that's part classic whodunit, part sad love story, and part smart, pulpy noir packed with smiling snakes, a touch of mythology, and a strong female lead that's caught between her immediate reality and her dreams of escape, all inside the hermetic, oppressive hell of small-town gossip and oldfangled morality. This is a novel about greed, murder, and snowballing peccadilloes that moves forward with the power and grace of a shark. Don't miss it."
City of Margins (2020) William Boyle "Crime fiction usually stays within the confines of the genre, but Boyle breaks away from those restrictions."
