Grimm Woods by D. Melhoff
ISBN: 9780992133139 (paperback)
ASIN: B01NAKIHI9 (Kindle edition)
Publisher: Bellwoods Publishing
Publication Date: December 17, 2016

A remote summer camp becomes a lurid crime scene when the bodies of two teenagers are found in a bloody, real-life rendering of a classic Grimm’s fairy tale. Trapped in the wilderness, the remaining counsellors must follow a trail of dark children’s fables in order to outwit a psychopath and save the dwindling survivors before falling prey to their own gruesome endings.

Drawing on the grisly, uncensored details of history’s most famous fairy tales, Grimm Woods is a heart-pounding thriller about a deranged killer who uses traditional children’s stories as tropes in elaborate murders. Set against the backdrop of modern-day Michigan, it’s a journey through the mind of a dangerous zealot and a shocking glimpse into the bedtime stories you thought you knew.

Camp Crownheart, bordered by Grimm Woods, is an idyllic, rural summer camp offering one week away from the trials and tribulations of dysfunctional families and bad foster homes. Each week during the summer, a busload of children are brought to frolic in a camp modeled on fairytales of old. The camp counselors are young adults and most are former graduates from the camp. A camp filled with kids from the city, counselors with their own sets of problems, a rural location, no cell phone coverage, and miles away from anyone, what could possibly go wrong?

Grimm Woods is a — dare I say it, yes I must — grim and often horrifying story of just what can and does go wrong at a remote camp location. The first night reveals the murder of two counselors. The next night, two more are found murdered and the radio has apparently been sabotaged. There’s no way to contact the authorities and the only option is to wait for the bus to arrive on Friday. Scott Mamer is a new counselor at Camp Crownheart and he’s one of the few adults left standing and fighting to protect the kids at the camp. As he and a fellow counselor attempt to find out who is killing the other adults and why, they must also find ways to keep over 50 kids occupied throughout the day, as well as safe and fed until the bus arrives to take them home. Grimm Woods is part horror tale, part moral tale, and part suspense-thriller. It was difficult for me to relate to most of the characters, namely the counselors, as they all seemed too immature and self-absorbed to my liking. I did, however, like the few kids that are presented, such as Tyrell, Marshall, and Stephanie. For those of you that enjoy a bit of blood, guts, and gore mixed with your mystery, Grimm Woods may be just the book for you. After reading this book I’ll never be able to watch another Disneyfied fairy tale quite the same ever again.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of this book from the author via Partners In Crime Virtual Tours for review purposes. I was not paid, required, or otherwise obligated to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Grimm Woods

by D. Melhoff

on Tour April 1 – May 31, 2017

Book Details:

Genre: Thriller
Published by: Bellwoods Publishing
Publication Date: December 2016
Number of Pages: 384
ISBN: 0992133130 (ISBN13: 9780992133139)
Purchase Links: Amazon | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

July 7th, 5:44 a.m.

One hacksaw. One hammer, six boxes of nails. Twelve Mason jars, four hunting knives, two pairs of handcuffs. Fifteen gallons of gasoline divided evenly among three dented jerry cans.

It’s time.

A work glove hovered over the table where the objects were laid out side by side and began ticking the air as though marking off an invisible checklist. The chamber reeked of mildew, and the walls had no windows or electrical sockets—no lamps, no wires, no switch covers. A single red candle provided the only light, its crimson wax dripping down its shaft like blood.

The hand picked up a piece of paper from the table and slipped it into a blank envelope. Below, a beetle scuttled across the floorboards. The insect—its gangly antennae tuned to some foul frequency in the gloom—raced past the sole of a giant boot just as a drop of liquid fell through the air and struck it dead center, engulfing its body in a hot, gelatinous blob that filled its orifices and burned it from the inside out. Another droplet tumbled from the candle, plopping onto the envelope this time, and then a brass stamp came down and pressed the wax into a hardened seal.

Drawing in heavier, raspier breaths, the figure held the envelope up to a corkboard that was bolted to the wall. More than a dozen pictures of young men and women were tacked to the panel by their throats and foreheads, smiling in the shadows.

The figure pinned the envelope to the board and stepped back to take in the room again.

The table and the switchblade.

The book of matches.

The iron rods, the hatchet, the .22 Smith & Wesson.

The smiling faces.

Now, the figure mused, watching the photographs flicker in the bloodred light. Who’s the nicest, Who’s the worst, who wants to hear a story first?

Author Bio:

D. Melhoff was born in a prairie ghost town that few people have heard of and even fewer have visited. While most of his stories are for adults, he also enjoys terrifying younger audiences from time to time, as seen in his series of twisted picture books for children. He credits King, Poe, Hitchcock, Harris, Stoker, and his second-grade school teacher, Mrs. Lake, for turning him to horror.

Catch Up with Mr. Melhoff on his Website, Twitter, & Facebook.

Tour Participants:

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Author: thebookdivasreads

I'm a reader, an avid reader, or perhaps a rabid reader (at least according to my family). I enjoy reading from a variety of different genres but particularly enjoy fiction, mystery, suspense, thrillers, ChickLit, romance and classics. I also enjoy reading about numerous non-fiction subjects including aromatherapy, comparative religions, herbalism, naturopathic medicine, and tea. View all posts by thebookdivasreads