i really enjoyed reading this, this had what I was looking for in a horror genre. It had great characters and a great plot.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a copy of this book to review.

Sins Of The Father
by Anthony Hains

Cole is an orphaned boy recovering from an attack at Saint Edwards mental hospital, while other children have been taken into foster homes he is alone with little hope. Luckily he meets a new friend that turns out to be a distant relative and after alerting his parents, they offer Cole a home. Just when life starts looking up, Cole meets another relative that wants him to help with a 'job', this is when things start to go sideways.
A supernatural coming of age story with some twists and turns.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This author is started to be on my radar more often. Really good, suspenseful read. Look forward to more

Haven't read the first one, but this book pulled me in from the outset. A solid, middle of the road read.

Twelve year old Cole is recovering from an attack by a nurse in St. Edwards mental asylum. During his stay at the hospital, Cole discovers that he has an aunt and cousin he never knew about. His aunts decides to take him home to live with them. How did Cole find out about his relatives? Cole is glad to have a home though he knows that when he goes to school the new kids may ask questions about him as they will know he was in a mental asylum. His cousin Josiah warns him that there is one bad bully that he needs to stay away from. When Cole meets the bully in the schoolyard, he defeats the bully and gains the approval of the school kids and a teacher. Why? What did he do to defeat the bully? Cole is talked into his cousin’s father to do some work for him. Cole learns it to rob a grave.. when Cole is in the grave, he can’t open the coffin. When the Josiah’s father has his partner jump in the grave to help open the coffin. Cole is told to duck down which he does. The coffin explodes and kills the partner and injures Josiah’s father. Cole didn’t get hurt as he had ducked down when told. Who told Cole to duck down? Cole learned about his own father who suddenly disappeared and was never seen again. Cole discovers that a mysterious man he sees is his dead father. Cole worries because he is back from being dead and knows he is evil. What will Cole do?

The story captivated me as I read it. I wanted to know what, where and how Cole next experience would be. It it scary at times because what you think will happen is entirely different. It’s an excellently written horror story.
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I had not read Unfortunate Adventures, prior to this one so I wasn’t privy to the info that made Cole a member of the Mental Asylum that he was in. Cole is recovering in the hospital when he finds that he has unexpected family that is willing to let him stay with them as a way out of becoming a ward of the state.

Being a new kid in school is hard enough, throw in a ghoulish past, being related to the town’s dead black sheep, Cole’s father, crutches and you have the recipe for the worst first day of school.

Despite being only 12y/o Cole does a great job of keeping his head in the game even when weird stuff starts happening that is scaring the daylights out of him.

For the most part the pacing of the book is pretty rapid with only a few spots that get a little boggy. There are also places where the plot gets a bit spongy but not so bad that it throws you out of the dark world the author is creating.

Cole and his small band of cohorts do keep things light and a little ghoulish at the same time. The supernatural bent to the story reminded me of a magical young man in another well-known book.

The story drew me in and I was hoping not too many lives would be sacrificed before they were able to piece it all together.

I received an advance reader copy and I am leaving a voluntary review.

A definite winner in the horror genre. The 2nd in the series finds the young man where the 1st book left him. As the story begins to look as if this young boy will finally find peace....well, it is a horror book....he is pulled into the release of a demon that has one in thing in common with this boy. They both want to find out what happened to his father. This book is best read with the lights on!!!

I was sucked into this book from the first page. I wish it had been longer. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

This was a brief but enjoyable read. Best read if you read the first book of this series. This is a book which I would recommend to others.