Swapped from a local little library recently, the descriptions are kinda long so sorry in advance:
Lupe by Gene Thompson
is a spellbinding novel of terror and the supernatural that tells the story of Emily Blake, who literally fights for her life when she is put on trial for murder...by witchcraft. the only person who can exonerate Emily is an eleven year old boy named Lupe. Lupe, by turns angelic and obscene. Lupe, who has hounded Emily from the beginning. Lupe, who--everyone tells her--is dead. What makes Lupe so terrifyingly believable is that every detail is based on painstakingly researched, documented evidence. Such a trial could actually occur in this country today. And twice, in recent times, it almost did. (oh boy one of these stories. from dust jacket sleeve.)
The Wolfen by Whitley Strieber
"We are being hunted down by whatever has these claws. They exist, don't forget that. They have for thousands of years. We have seen them, gentlemen, and they are very ugly. They are also very fast, and very, very smart. People used to call them werewolves. Now they don't call them anything because they've gotten so damn good at covering their tracks that there are no legends left. But they're here. They damn well are here."
The Wolfen are here (ok we get it lol), and they have finally been discovered in the midst of men, because they have made a mistake: the unbelievably savage killing of two New York City policeman. And so they are hunted: by Detective George Wilson and his partner, Detective Becky Neff, who hate and love one another with a strange passion. And when the Wolfen realize that their existence is known by these two "dangerous ones," then the Wolfen begin to hunt them in return. The fight for survival between the animals and the humans makes for one of the most gripping and terrifying novels in years. (dust jacket sleeve)
One-Eyed Cat by Paula Fox
Ned Wallis knows he's forbidden to touch the rifle in the attic. But he can't resist sneaking it out of the house, just once. Before he realizes it, Ned takes a shot at a dark shadow. When Ned returns home, he's sure he sees a face looking down at him from the attic window. who has seen and heard him? Ned's feelings of guilt and fear only get worse when one day, while helping an elderly neighbor, he spots a wild cat with one eye missing. Could this be the thing Ned shot at that night? How can Ned bring himself to reveal his painful secret? (back cover)
Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen
An eco-terrorist with a trust fund, Twilly Spree is a litterbug in a purple Range Rover with plates that read "cojones." Before he knows it, Spree is up to his cojones in corrupt Florida politicos and some very sick puppes, including a Toyota salesman turned governor, w Republicans-only hooker, and a millionaire developer with a fetish for Barbies. But when Spree learns that the fate of an unspoiled island is at stake, he's determined not to be outdone. While defending the toads of Toad Island--not to mention one cheerfully oblivious Labrador--he'll steal a man's wife, gouge out the eyes of big game trophies, and even risk his life two or three times in this, Hiaasen's most gleeful muckraking story yet... (back cover. this is actually the fourth book in the author's Skink series.)
Speak Softly, She Can Hear by Pam Lewis
New York City, 1965: Two Manhattan prep school students, Carole and Naomi, make a pact to lose their virginity before graduation. Eddie, a slick Upper East Side dropout, is handsome, fatally charming, and more than willing to help the girls accomplish their goal. But one one bitterly old holiday weekend in an isolated cabin deep in the Vermont woods, a horrifying twist develops in the plan. Before the night is over, a stomach-turning secret is sealed between friends, setting in motion a series of events that will have dire and far-reaching consequences. Sweeping across decades, moving from New York to Vermont to California and back again, Lewis tells an utterly gripping, psychologically nuanced tale of friendo between two very different women, of the life-changing burden of a secret, the lies we tell others to save ourselves, and the lies we tell ourselves when the truth is too painful to accept. (back cover)
Eye of the Gargoyle by Wendy Webb
At the end of a metaphysical conference, reluctant attendee Camille Dare discovers an envelope with her name on it. Filled with travel documents, a photograph, and bloody scarf material, the source of the envelope and its contents remain anonymous, but the directive is clear: Find the missing person in this very unusual case.
The missing person, Katherine Agurre, comes from a high profile, influential and wealthy family who has long since become estranged from her. Although they've never met, Camille is worried about Katherine's wellbeing, as are others in the metaphysical community, including a tarot reader, an astrologer, a retired world traveler, and an internationally known psychic.
A growing obsession with the missing person came and her own quest for self-understanding compel Camille to begin a trip to meet people she never knew and locations she never expected to visit.
Inside the Munster cathedral in the Old Town square of Freiburg, Germany, Camille meets a strange man who wears a collection of religious icons. India is an assault not only to the senses but to everything Camille finds comfortable and safe (this book was published in 2019, why are there still lines like this ugh). She doesn't know anyone in Asheville, North Carolina, but drives toward the small mountain city with little more than the cryptic astrological chart that has led her there.
Who is the anonymous source of these travels, and why was Camille the target? If she's real, if she's alive, can anyone find Katherine Agurre if she doesn't want to be found?
Camille started her travels by choice until there is no choice anymore. Each step of the way raises the stakes, not just for Katherine but for Camille as well. (back cover)
