Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This was a horrifying boink fest! I do love a good horror, with the essence of Richard Laymon, completely bat-shit crazy but still entertaining at the same time. It’s also one that makes you wonder just how far will the author go and believe me he goes far. My favourite type of horror is more the ghosty side, but I do love to dip into the more gore, cult, 80s camp fun horror. This was all that and more!!

I liked Austin, loveable, down on his luck gullible Austin. If only he hadn’t gone to the pub that night, things would have been a lot LOT different.

His marriage isn’t great, he’s fed up and he’s seduced. Once his life changes and he’s introduced to Equinox, well, wowzers I had to make sure my audiobook wasn’t blasting too loudly. It may have excited some people 🤣 it was rude, exciting but the underlying threat of what was to come seemed to make it more fun for these characters.

Plus, gullible Austin when he meets someone who he saves, I screamed at him to run and leave him. Men never listen *sigh*

A thoroughly entertaining sadistic read to get me through some hot spring days. I do love Flame tree press, they definitely publish some awesome authors and John is definitely one of them.

I have a few more Laymon-esk 80s romp horrors on my TBR list which I am looking forward to!

I enjoyed this one. I wasn’t wowed by it but I had a good time. Took a while before things really started going, though, but once it did, it was bloody enough fun.

Everson is one of my favorite authors in the horror genre. This is another wild ride full of witchiness and all the sex and blood you should expect in one of the author's novels. If you haven't tried Everson, get ready for some horrific fun!

I received a copy from Netgalley.

This one was immensely enjoyable. Even though the main character was a bit of a moron. It was modern day set but reminded me of 70s style horror films. It would have worked really well in that setting.

However, it was a bit of a silly story but still fun (in a dark and twisted sorted of what the fuck is going on and why am I reading this???way). Despite how ridiculous the plot got it was hard to tear your eyes away and made for a good page turner. I think I read this one in a few sittings.

The story starts with the main character Aidan sat in a bar drowning his sorrows over a stale marriage. He and his wife have just had their first child but they’re not getting along. Bemoaning his woes to a beautiful stranger he accidentally voices he wishes his wife was dead. The beautiful woman just happens to be their new neighbour Regina, who has just moved in the house next door.

Regina worms her way into the life and Aidan and his wife, even befriending the wife to a point, becoming comfortable enough with them to even babysit their child. Before long Aidan is utterly entranced by Regina and falls deeper and deeper under her beguiling spell. After tragedy strikes Regina is there for comfort and before long has started to open Aidan’s eyes to a world of sexual pleasure he never knew.

She introduces him to a secret sex club she’s part of and each “level” of the club things get darker, more twisted and more depraved. All coalescing around a certain black magic ritual on a certain date and a certain time requiring one big ass sacrifice Aidan has unwittingly become a part of.

It’s all quite moronic and the more stupid things Aidan does, he gets in too deep and finally realises he needs help but the reach of the secret club is goes higher than he could have ever imagined. He’s over his head and trying to figure things out before time runs out.

Despite the bizarreness and disturbing nature of the plot I kind of loved Regina as a character. She was wicked and unapologetic about it once she had Aidan in her claws. Aidan was likeable enough just kind of dim. It did get a bit bloody towards the end and more and more stupid as the novel went on.

However, regardless of the ridiculousness of the story as I said earlier once you get into it it’s impossible to put it down. There was a fairly amusing twist at the end of the last chapter. (Very reminiscent of a certain Stephen King book).

This is the third book I’ve read by this author and certainly one I will be continuing to read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for approving my request to view the title.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2020 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2020/01/2020-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

So have you ever secretly wished for something horrible. If so, read this book and never do it again. If not, don't. "The Devil's Equinox" is a fast-paced, blood and sex filled novel not for the weak at heart. Austin makes a horrible wish which eventually comes true. And things kind of go downhill from there if you can imagine.

I went into this novel not knowing a lot about it. Sometimes it's fun to go into things blindly. This was a quick read and I did like getting to know Austin, but don't mistake that for liking him. I really didn't care much for any of the characters in this novel but I didn't find that necessary to enjoy it. I do think Regina was quite intriguing and rather scary - I don't think I would befriend her in a bar.

I kept turning the pages to find out what happens next and before I knew it, the book was finished. I would kind of compare it to a B-horror movie which is okay, because sometimes you just want to immerse yourself in something that isn't reality-based. If you like that kind of book, then Iverson is definitely an author you want to check out.

I still remember when I first read John Everson years ago and was immediately drawn in by his hard-edged horror and sharp storytelling. I have enjoyed every book I have every read from him and was happy to get a copy of The Devil’s Equinox to review. I read the book almost immediately but then something happened and I never posted a review. It is time to fix this oversight and help spread the word for this talented horror writer.

Austin had never thought about how much his life could change from a drunken conversation with a stranger in the bar. That is what happened, however, when he told the sexy stranger that he wished his wife was dead. When he finds out the stranger is his new neighbor, Regina, he is worried that she will pass his confession along to his wife. Instead, his wife dies shortly after Regina moves into the neighbor hood and Regina is quick to take her place. It seemed like Austin had passed from an unhappy relationship into one of his dreams. Regina was everything he had ever dreamed off. He had no way of knowing the nightmare that she held within.

After Regina works her way into Austin’s life, she begins to introduce him to a world of rituals that she is intimately intertwined in. At first, Austin thinks that it is nothing more than a way in which the participants can live out their fetishes. He soon learns that it is much more than that. Regina is a witch with a much darker purpose than fulfillment of her sexual fantasies. Austin quickly finds himself drawn into the dark world and his infant daughter becomes a bargaining chip for the devil’s plan in infiltrate the world.

Having read many of Everson’s books in the past, I had a good idea of what to expect with this novel and it did not take long for him to hit his stride. The almost idyllic beginning of the novel with Austin’s wife dying and the woman of his dreams quickly moving into his life was too good to be true and the reader can feel the dark underside of the story waiting to be unleashed. Austin is not exactly a good guy. There really is a lot not to like about him starting with the way in which he views his life and his wife. He is, however, relatively easy to relate with as he reflects the darkest thoughts that many have experienced before. It is all too easy for Regina to assert herself over him and take control of his life so that the events of the story become much more important than the characters. When Austin’s true character is put to the test, he finally comes through with flying colors and learns that his life as a father is not so much about him as it is about his young daughter. This redeeming revelation makes him more sympathetic and allows he reader to align with him.

The novel quickly turns into a work of fairly hard horror much as I had anticipated as Everson throws in a lot of extreme violence mixed with sex to craft a story that successfully walks the fine line between gratuitous violence and strong storytelling. This is Everson at his finest as the reader is sure to be shocked at some of the events yet always waiting to find out what is going to happen next. The novel may not be for everyone, and is definitely not for the weak of heart of stomach, but it is an entertaining read for those who have the intestinal fortitude to read the entire book. The Devil’s Equinox is not Everson’s best novel but it is still a fun read filled with action and violence. This is the reason why I have been a fan of Everson’s for a long time and continue to look forward to every new book from this master of hardcore horror.

I would like to thank Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for this review copy. The Devil’s Equinox is available now.

‘The Devil’s Equinox’ is a horror novel with a lot of sex in it. I’m not sure I’d describe it as erotic, but it’s certainly dirty. The plot is slight, protagonist Austin has a shrewish wife and a newborn baby. He meets a sexy woman in a bar, who grants him his most longed for wish, freedom from his wife. Naturally this comes at a cost, but not before Austin gets indicted into the mysterious club his new friend is a member of.
It’s all a bit like on of Dennis Wheatley’s books, but set in contemporary America. There’s lots of bad sex and devil worship and human sacrifice and blah blah blah.
The book is readable but never really interesting, the sex takes up too many of the pages and with a couple of exceptions the horror is dull. I did like the ending though.

Content Warnings: A lot of sex (definitely NSFW), Pedophilia/Child Molestation

The Devil’s Equinox by John Everson is a book that, once I finished, I had to let sit for a day to figure out exactly how I felt. It, without a doubt, did it’s job in terms of being disturbing & causing me to cringe. & I mean that in the best & horrific way possible. Seeing as this is a novel in the horror genre, I 100% want to cringe while reading.

Right off the bat, I was intrigued by Austin & his want for his wife’s death. This is definitely a be careful what you wish for tale, and I’ve always been a sucker for those. I’ve read a few reviews saying that it starts off slow & I do agree, but it’s actually the beginning that held my attention.

The Devil’s Equinox takes you into Club Equinox; a place where people indulge in their pleasures. Some participate in gluttony, while others are participating in very sexual acts. The Devil’s Equinox definitely had Hellraiser vibes & I kept imagining the characters saying, “What’s your pleasure, sir?”

I didn’t feel too uncomfortable reading these scenes, but at times, it did feel like some were written just for shock value. Such as a certain reveal in the last quarter of the read.

For me, I had more enjoyment reading this book for the first half & then I just wanted it to end. Austin’s journey to get to his daughter felt like a drag. Once I headed closer to the conclusion, my attention & enjoyment did make a return.

If you don’t get uncomfortable easy & can handle sexual themes, you may absolutely love this book. For me, The Devil’s Equinox was just average. I didn’t dislike it, but I wouldn’t consider it a favorite.

A cautionary tale of being careful what you wish for. Austin sure learns this lesson the hard way in this witchy satantic novel.
I have to say it too me a while with this one, wasn't gripping form the outset and the characters fell a bit flat for me. It's not awful though.
It's a decent enough story, a tale of a man who off-handily wishes his wife dead one night and well of course he gets what he asked for.
For me, the plot was a little thin and the characters just didn't feel very rounded out. It felt a little like an effort for me which makes me sad as I really loved the authors last FTP novel. As always it's subjective and fingers crossed the next one will hit the right notes. The Devils Equinox sadly just plodded along a little slow with no payoff.
One thing for sure, it won't me off the author or Flame Tree Press.
⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received a copy The Devil’s Equinox by John Everson from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I first became acquainted with the writing of John Everson with his early works—Sacrifice and Covenant, both of which I enjoyed very much. If Everson were in a high school English class he would be sitting in the back row with Brian Keene and Edward Lee and other edgy horror writers. The rough crowd. He is not fully splatter punk but he isn’t main stream either. You need to know that going in before you read The Devil’s Equinox because if you are a person who gets offended then you WILL get offended, triggered, or whatever they call it nowadays—especially if sacrilegious imagery is offensive to you. Everson is R rated horror—not made for TV/PG-13 “safe-zone” supernatural material.

Ok, you have been warned, so let’s proceed.

Reviews are all over the map with this one, which is to be expected. This novel has its fans to be sure. I didn’t enjoy The Devil’s Equinox as much as either Covenant or Sacrifice. Those stories were cursed town stories and I just love those. I also found the characters more compelling. I also may be a different reader than I was years ago when I read those earlier works. I like Everson—he is a talented writer—but this one just didn’t do it for me. The story was too linear, involving only a few characters and locations, and was really a very simple plot driven novel with no real depth. I found the characters, with one exception which I will get to later, to be very one dimensional and not realistic at all. The protagonist was particularly weak. The story line has been told many times and didn’t have anything new going on until the very end, which saved this novel for me and added a point to bring it up to 3 stars.

There was one character that I really enjoyed but I don’t want to spoil it for the reader. She is the only really supernatural character in the novel, because she is dead, and provides a similar role of spirit guide as Griffin Dunne’s character in American Werewolf in London. She steals every scene she is in and creates a really good ending. That’s all I will say.

3 stars.

This took me longer to read than I was expecting, and that was because I found it such a slog for the most part.

I love a good horror book, and I do have a soft spot for books on cults/occults. Judging from the blurb to this, I was expecting an occult style book perhaps on par with 'Rosemary's Baby'. Instead, this book spends the first half of the story describing several orgies in a goth style nightclub, and the second half where the protagonist runs around like an idiot.

Don't get me wrong. This book had promise and started out strong, but I soon found myself verging on bored or incredulous.
I disliked every character, and the writing just didn't do it for me. With the version I had, Everson kept mixing up Regina and Angie at the beginning and hopefully that has been caught and rectified in the final version. Generally though, there was far too much repetition and a lot could have been edited out - how many times can you have the same person explain what the Devil's Equinox is and why they are doing the ritual, and what the ritual entails? Turns out, far too bloody much where once would suffice. I also found it hilarious just how often Everson would avoid saying the word vagina or any kind of synonym. It was always "her sex". I mean, for fuck's sake.

I was hoping for a decent occult book with a 70s style feel but instead was given a book with too much repetition as a ways for explanation, ridiculous plot, horror cliches and subpar-erotica.

"Be Careful What You Wish For"

This is a dark and visceral story that will have horror fans sitting back and clapping their hands by the end of this story. John Everson never fails to weave his dark humor into his writing and for that reason among others this book will not disappoint!

The book centers around Austin and Angie who are are married and the proud parents of infant Ceili. Their marriage has been rocky since the birth of Ceili due to all the hormone changes and exhaustion that come with the responsibility of caring for a newborn. One night Austin is out at his favorite pub after having another argument with Angie and a strikingly attractive woman sits next to him and they end up having a fun and light conversation and Austin complains about Angie but he is not looking to pick up this woman because he loves his wife but he is enjoying her company and the carefree banter. Close to midnight, Regina tells him to make a wish and he laughingly says he wishes his wife was dead as a bad joke. Austin later finds out that Regina has moved into the house next door and the three of them quickly become friends. Soon after Austin's world falls apart and unbeknownst to him he finds himself being driven down a road of dangerous madness that leads to an ultimately evil climax!

I enjoyed this book. John Everson has a way of bringing back 80's horror films in his writing and making it fun and current. Austin is a great character, although seemingly shallow he has good intentions and a profound love for his daughter but he has a terrible track record for making very poor decisions which results in some very bad consequences.I

Warning! This book does contain explicit sexual and violent content and may not be suitable for those readers who are easily offended or squeamish!

I want to thank the publisher "Flame Tree Press" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I highly recommend "The Devil's Equinox" to any horror reader or dark thriller lovers out there!
I have given this book a rating of 4 Devilish 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!

if you're a lover of Stephen King then you'll love this book. It wasn't my usual choice of the genre but the idea behind it was amazing and the story its self was really well written .

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was a creepy read for me. I enjoyed it alot and definitely recommend.

Be careful what you wish for. Not because you just might get it, but because you may not have the stomach to fork over the price of that wish being granted.
Austin is miserable in his marriage. Half the time his wife is giving him the silent treatment and the rest of the time he probably wishes she would instead of picking at everything he does. Who could blame him for spending more time at the bar since he dreads gong home?
When he meets Regina, a seductive stranger on one such night and tells her he wishes his wife would die, he doesn't really expect it to happen. When it does, his wildest nightmares could not have conjured the price he is expected to pay for this favor. Regina has friends in low places and Austin will have a hell of a time when they come to collect.

With the witching hour approaching Austin is angrily stewing in his favourite drinking establishment after yet another argument with his wife Angie. Since the arrival of their baby daughter all the couple seem to do is fight and whilst deciding whether to order a final drink for the road a sultry woman sits beside him and they start to chat. As the pub clock is about to strike midnight she asks Austin to make a wish and he responds with an off-hand comment: “I wish my wife was dead. How’s that for romantic?” You just know he’s going to regret it…

The next day when Austin has returned home from work the mysterious woman has introduced herself to Angie and is apparently living next door. Austin brushes this off as a coincidence. As she is also looking for a job, before you know it, she is their new babysitter. But remember that wish? Surprise, surprise, very soon it comes true and before Angie is cold in her grave Austin is shacked up with the lovely Regina in what became an incredibly predictable, one-dimensional and very dull horror novel peppered with 1970s style bondage softcore sex scenes.

Austin was one of the stupidest and most gullible characters I have come across in a long time and considering the majority of the book is based around him satisfying his lust there was not enough on offer to build a convincing horror novel. In the second half of the story the sexy Regina takes a blindfolded Austin (didn’t I say he was gullible?) to a dodgy S&M joint called Club Equinox where is all sorts of freaky goings on. Ranging from group sex, domination, fetish, whips and weirdos dressed up as nuns and priests. However, it has a much darker satanic side which the naive Austin is led straight into, penis first. As lead characters go, this guy was pitiful.

The softcore sex sequences were astonishingly tiresome and repetitive. Considering a fair bit of the story is set in Club Equinox is made a relatively short novel seem much longer than it was. I lost count of the number of very similar descriptions of female nether regions; shaved, bushy, partially shaved and so on. These images of the female form were never ending and the book came across as a bad porno from a bygone era. Before you know it Austin is getting a blow-job with an audience taking in all the action, it was that kind of book.

The Devil’s Equinox lacked any kind of subtlety and is as far away from Ira Levin’s masterpiece Rosemary’s Baby as can possibly be. If you enjoy supernatural horror, or similar stuff with an occult theme, I would suggest you try Adam Nevill or Ramsey Campbell who have the power to scare rather than dish out cheap thrills by endlessly describing fake nuns copulating.

At a certain point Austin’s baby daughter Ceili is targeted and the story does pick up slightly as it hurtles towards an ending you will see coming from a mile away. However, the very final couple of pages did raise a smile and Austin finds himself in a compromising position of a rather different kind! If you are looking for a trashy b-movie style horror novel which would have been perfect material for the Scream Queen 1980s era, Sybil Danning would have been a cool Regina, then you might find this a mildly diverting and sleazy read. But if you prefer something slightly more substantial The Devil’s Equinox is a rather shallow and empty experience.

The Devil´s Equinox
by John Everson
due June 13-2019
Flame Tree Press
4.0 / 5.0

Some say the devil is in the details.
Others say it walks the earth, only humans bring it life.
Both are true in this dark, graphic novel.
Austin´s details can be found in his secrets...the one where he wishes his wife, Angie, were dead. His mistake is sharing that secret with a devilish woman, a woman who decides she wants to make his wish come true, she wants Austin to be her next guest at the Club.
Then Angie is found dead and Regina has many details of her plan she wants to share with Austin....at the Club...
The violence and sex is graphic and detailed, and may not appeal to those with sensitivities to these subjects. Read this. Do it anyway. Take the plunge. Everson is a master of the genre, and has stories that draw you in right away.
Thanks to the publisher and author for this e-book ARC for review.
#TheDevilsEquinox #netgalley

A fast-paced, graphic and gory read featuring dark eroticism and other such perversions.

It is safe to say when I started this book that I wasn't expecting dark erotic fiction! That's what you get for blindly clicking request on books! Overall I was pretty well entertained.

The characters are okay. I wasn't a huge fan of our protagonist, Austin, he moans and whines all of the time and isn't responsible for any of his actions. He had me pretty much eye-rolling a lot of the way through, just take it on the chin and deal with the consequences buddy. It kind of made me happy when the tables turned on him and everything became too good to be true, the only thing standing in the way of that happiness was ensuring the safety of baby Ceili. Austin's background and job reference was fairly vague and only seemed to be relevant to show a passing of time.

On the other hand, Regina, the witch Austin falls for after his wife has died is a really solid character and is responsible for most of the intrigue within the book. I was always fascinated about what she might have been up to, and what she would do next. I think the book would have benefited had more of her history been described.

This book is full of blood and gore, and contains all kinds of potential triggers, for example: excessive violence, ritualistic sex, abuse, death, self-harm and kidnapping. It's one of those books you read and think you won't or shouldn't enjoy, but you can't really help it and you end up liking it anyway.

The book is written really well, there is great imagery and the pages fly by. It is certainly a quick and entertaining read. I wasn't surprised by any of the 'plot twists' however, I was just reading and waiting for them to happen. The longer they took to arise had me questioning whether or not I might have been wrong, but when they occurred I found myself nodding and saying 'I knew it'. I didn't find the book very scary at all, I found the sex and the expected 'twists' kept the fear away.

Overall I give this 3 blood sacrifices. I'm certainly interested in reading more by Everson.