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Book Review: Estate Sale by Mia Dalia

Estate Sale by Mia Dalia cover art

Estate Sale by Mia Dalia

Lethe Press, 2025

ISBN-13: 9781590215579

Available: Paperback, Kindle ebook

 

After the passing of Lady Koshmaroff, an estate sale draws the attention of the community, who knew very little about her and her late husband. Once the locals start buying the everyday objects from the house, strange things start happening to the new owners of these possessions. A writer buys a rocking chair and, after a long stint of writer’s block, he begins to write…and write…and write. A teenager, aspiring to be a comic artist, finds the quill her grandfather bought at an estate sale before he died holds an amazing secret that frees her from the confines of an uncaring mother and a stepfather whose recent medical condition she feels guilty about… maybe. A man returns to his hometown after an adventurous life, and caters the wedding of the man who was his first kiss, leading to rekindled, conflicting feelings, that end with a dark secret revealed and a mysterious engraved cup. A wife purchases a magnifying glass for her discredited investigator husband in the hopes it will give him some confidence, which leads to obsession over his most recent case. These are only a fraction of the objects purchased from the estate.

 

Between tales of the objects and their buyers is the strange history of Russian couple Ana and Pavel Koshmaroff, who managed to escape numerous atrocities in Europe in the early 20th century, finally settling in the United States. Throughout their story, Pavel introduces Ana to friends made across the world, including the infamous Aleister Crowley and other practitioners of magick. He also collects a seemingly eclectic assortment of objects, which she inherits at Pavel’s death.

 

Dalia expertly weaves the couple’s travels through history with the stories of the buyers of objects from the estate sale. Her ability to turn what seems like an everyday object into something sinister, or a strange comfort, added to the suspense and mystery of the Koshmaroff line. Although there is a large cast of characters, Dalia provides each of them a distinct voice and personality, and sometimes they cross paths with each other. This effect makes the setting feel small, despite the fact that some characters have moved out the of community, only to be pulled back for various reasons, to come across the estate sale at the center of the book.

 

Estate Sale would be a great recommendation for readers who like historical horror, gothic horror, short story collections, and intricate yet simple world building. Highly recommended.

 

 

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Posted on May 10, 2026 by , Reply

Graphic Novel Review: Woodstake: Three Days of Peace, Music, and Blood Volume 1, by Darin S. Cape, art by Felipe Kroll, lettering by Stephen Kok

 

Woodstake bookcover

Woodstake: Three Days of Peace, Music and Blood by Darin S. Cape, art by Felipe Kroll; lettering by Stephen Kok
SHP Comics, 2025
ISBN-13: 979-8992749915
Available: paperback
Buy: Bookshop.org

 

Woodstake begins in March 1927, in upstate New York, in a lone cabin where Dracula awakens, feeding on the wildlife in the forest to regain his strength. Nearby, Jack Heyward and Lucy Westin are in love, but the latter is hunted and turned by Dracula.

 

Sheriff Obadiah Wood is investigating a strange murder, and Marius Van Helsing believes he has killed the creature that used to be Lucy. As time passes, Van Helsing’s son Alexandru takes on the mantle of the family legacy of hunting vampires, and Obadiah’s son Jim becomes the acting sheriff of Sullivan County.

 

The setting then changes to San Francsico in July 1969. Jonathan distributes his free music publication to interested readers, struggling to keep it going while his father gives him an ultimatum. Jon needs to turn a profit so he can make a living, or be cut off financially and return home to work for Boeing, something he is vehemently against, as he is opposed to the Vietnam War. He reaches out to his friend Artie, and they, along with Artie’s friend Nina, head to Woodstock with the hopes of getting a front-page interview with Jimi Hendrix. They receive a rude welcome at the diner from a couple of locals, one of whom has returned from Vietnam and the other who can’t wait to go fight. The situation escalates into a confrontation in the woods, where the sheriff does something that goes against his regular duties. When the trio get to the music festival, nobody expects that a vampire horde is about to descend on the crowd of festival-goers.

 

The publisher’s summary includes that this is a “darkly funny, genre-bending thrill ride.” Unfortunately, the humor doesn’t land for me, and for anyone who is a fan of 1960s and 1970s vampire horror flicks, this story is not genre-bending, as there are several films that combine hippies and vampires. Perhaps with the addition of music history, sure, but not when it comes to the merging of horror and counterculture movements. However, although there is so much going on in Woodstake that it is hard to track some of the plot, it is still a good read. The subplot of anti-war protests and two very different groups clashing reflects the period well. For music fans, look for musical references included in various scenes. Maybe dig those albums out, or access them via streaming, and give them a listen while reading. It does add atmosphere, so kudos to Cape for including them in the book.

 

While Kroll’s art style is unique and vivid for the most part, there are some shadows that do not seem to play well on the page, and sometimes expressions do not match the emotion in some panels. However, when he uses vibrant colors, his artwork really comes alive, where his shadow work is excellent. His chapter break pieces are phenomenal.

 

Another aspect of comics and graphic novels I have been tracking lately is lettering. Stephen Kok’s lettering in this book is clear, and it is obvious who is communicating, and how.

 

This book is recommended for those who like horror and music history, as well as for readers who are looking for a good vampire story. Libraries looking to grow their comics and graphic novels offerings should consider this for their collection. Recommended.

 

 

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Posted on April 28, 2026 by , Reply

Book Review: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

Berkley, 2025

ISBN-13: 978-0593548981

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook

Buy:   Bookshop.org | Amazon.com

 

It’s 1970. Neva is 15, pregnant, and lost. Her father leaves her at the Wellwood Home in St. Augusta, Florida, a maternity facility for pregnant teens. Miss Wellwood, the proprietor, runs her home with strict rules and reprimands the girls about their loose morals and poor decisions. the adults in charge include Diane, a social worker who guides the girls through their time in the Home;  Dr. Vincent, a cold elderly man with traditional views on women’s healthcare, who prescribes restrictions and other cures for the girls, with a focus on the babies; Nurse Kent, who minds the girls at night and when needed; Hagar, a Black woman who runs the kitchen; and Hagar’s sister Miriam, who instructs the girls on their domestic roles, such as proper cleaning of the Home.

 

The adults are not the focus of the story, of course. It is the girls, renamed by Miss Wellwood as flowers, as though she is tending a special garden. Neva is renamed Fern. Rose, a radical hippie who wants to keep her baby Blossom, is a force to be reckoned with in the Home. Always on strike, she fears nothing and no one… until she does. Holly has been through terrible trauma in her short life, at the hands of a powerful member of the community. She’s wild, refusing to allow people to get close to her, and remaining mute until she finds her voice. Zinnia is a musician who loves the father of her baby, swears they will marry upon her return home, and tries to ignore what she was put through at the hands of her mother when her parents found out she was pregnant. There are other girls, and as one leaves, she is replaced by another flower.

 

One hot summer day, the local library’s bookmobile arrives with librarian Miss Parcae at the wheel. She presents Fern with a book called How to Be a Groovy Witch, a powerful tome that opens a new world for Fern, Holly, Rose, and Zinnia. There is something special about this book, and it reveals more to them the deeper they go as they form their own small coven and cast their first spell. The unassuming librarian is more than she seems. As Fern and the girls become more involved with witchcraft and the librarian, they find their newfound power comes at a painful price.

 

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is powerful. I read the ARC, hardcover, and audiobook versions. Author Grady Hendrix opens the ARC with a letter to the reader, while the published version includes a statement in the acknowledgments, where he provides a brief history of these homes, and shares the experiences of his own family members. There are visceral depictions of body horror in terms of giving birth, which I had a difficult time getting through. Medical horror, especially regarding women’s health and trauma, is difficult for me to read.

 

Hendrix’s ability to write about and from the perspective of girls and women is incredibly effective and well-executed. Readers who enjoy this book may also enjoy his other books, especially The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, My Best Friend’s Exorcism, and We Sold Our Souls.  Highly recommended.

 

 

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Posted on November 24, 2025 by , Reply
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