As always I want to thank Netgalley and Steak House Books for giving me an E-arc of this title in exchange for a fair and honest review. I also want to say I will try and keep my review free of spoilers baring perhaps some character names. Originally the cover and genre of this book drew me in and I am so glad it did.
Our protagonist Joey is a mechanic. After receiving a call from her best friend one night asking for his car to be picked up from the infamous body dumping grounds of Baltimore; Leakin Park things start to turn weird. When she arrives, there’s nothing more than a stalled-out car and a couple of ravens (another point in my book for loving this!) so she leaves with only the car, hoping her friend found his own way out. Back at the body shop it doesn’t take long to find there’s something in a trunk, a rotting corpse. The cops, as usual, believe it’s case closed. Joey’s friend did the deed, ran and tried to implicate her and the body shop, the fact no one has seen him since just confirms this. Joey knows different. She will fine her friend and prove her innocence. Even with opposition from Jagger and the police.
But this is a fairytale-esque horror so things are never that easy. Something isn’t right in Baltimore. It’s not just the feeling of someone watching from the abandoned buildings or increasing sightings of ravens, it isn’t even the several deaths. In fact as we learn early on death is common place in Bodymore. It’s something much worse is below Baltimore. A ghost town, a reaper, regret. Suddenly, everything about Bodymore makes more sense and also no sense at all.
The writing style and narration is gripping and fast-paced. It’s also realistic. Joey speaks her mind and handles the situations she finds herself in rather well. The story is fast-paced and keeps you hooked. The descriptions are beautiful, vivid and sometimes visceral. The characters were all generally likable, I particularly liked Val as a supporting character. I would highly recommend this to any fans of fairy tale – esque stories, horror and imaginative settings. It’s definitely not one to be missed.
Bleed More, Bodymore will be out from 31st October and will be a perfect read for the spooky season!
A Reader Lives a Thousand Lives 
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