PRAISE FOR DEAD HARVEST
“This gripping supernatural adventure gives a whole new meaning to ‘possession is nine-tenths of the law.’”
-Edgar Award-winning author Charles Ardai
"Can you afford to get lost in a good book this week? No? Then I strongly suggest you avoid Chris F. Holm’s debut DEAD HARVEST. Seriously, back away from the book, 'cause it’ll grab you."
-Barnes and Noble’s Ransom Notes
“Get a nicotine patch ‘cause you’ll be smokin’ by the end of DEAD HARVEST. A surreal page-turner where crime meets goth meets fantasy meets horror, strips the elements of everything you knew about storytelling, and creates a new genre called Chris F. Holm!”
-Frank Bill, author of CRIMES IN SOUTHERN INDIANA
"...this page turner will rivet fans of the thriller/crime genre as well as those whose normal staple is fantasy/horror giving both an expanded reading horizon that is sorely lacking in genre fiction..."
-Bitesize Books
“The fight between heaven and hell takes a turn for the hardboiled in Chris F. Holm's fantastic debut novel, DEAD HARVEST, where he's created a character as pulpy and tough as anything Chandler or Hammett dreamed up in his doomed Soul Collector. Holm's writing is sharp, powerful, and packs a wallop.”
-Stephen Blackmoore, author of CITY OF THE LOST
"Holm’s perfectly pitched and finely tuned prose sets the rapid pace of unceasing action... you need not be a fan of gumshoe to get the most out of this read."
-BookFetish (Spotlight Review)
"DEAD HARVEST is a great story. Original, fascinating and absorbing from the onset, it captures the reader and describes an interesting supernatural world that sits alongside our own. If you like supernatural ‘who-dunnits’ then this is the book for you."
-The British Fantasy Society
“A stellar debut. Really, a total blast, so much fun.”
-Shamus, Gumshoe, Crimespree, Lovey, and Dilys Award-winning author Sean Chercover
"Chris F. Holm clearly loves dime store pulp. And supernatural stories. And chase thrillers. So he took them all, threw them into a giant blender, turned it on 'high,' and poured the chunky, soupy mess into DEAD HARVEST. And the result is pure awesome."
-Crimespree
"DEAD HARVEST by Chris F. Holm is a shit storm of soul-ripping, chain smoking, anti-hero bad-assedness. From the gritty looking pulp fiction style cover right to the very last page, Holm delivers a knuckle-dusting blow to the solar plexus in his protagonist Sam Thornton."
-Dark Central Station
"Chris F. Holm clearly had both angels and devils watching over him as he wrote DEAD HARVEST. Thrilling, riveting and hardboiled as hell, this stunning debut still manages to be incredibly soulful. If I could recommend one book to everyone this year, this would be it."
-Anthony Award-winning author Hilary Davidson
"DEAD HARVEST is exactly what the urban fantasy genre needs. It’s an action-packed thrill ride that blends elements of the best urban fantasy, pulp crime, and adventure novels have to offer. The follow-up book, THE WRONG GOODBYE, hits shelves and electronic devices later this year. It can’t get here soon enough."
-The Debut Review
"A talented debut; this will keep you reading late into the night - and possibly beyond."
-Drying Ink
"Fast paced dark fantasy that is likely to leave you wanting more. Be warned though, this is the literary equivalent of crack, and it is entirely possible that if you aren’t already, you are going to get hooked."
-The Eloquent Page
“DEAD HARVEST is a phenomenal debut novel with a cracking plot and amazing characters...”
-A Fantastical Librarian
"Chris F. Holm’s first novel, DEAD HARVEST, is supernatural noir at its best."
-Fantasy Literature
“Fans of the Harry Dresden series and those who like their modern-day fantasy with a twist of hardboiled detective story will love this (as will fans of GOOD OMENS and IN NOMINE). I firmly expect this page-turner to do well, and am pleased to hear that a sequel is already in the works.”
-Book blogger Ed Fortune
“A fantastic, page-turning and awesome debut that certainly makes an impression. Highly recommended, and a must for any Urban Fantasy fans. Verdict: 5/5"
-The Founding Fields
“Many writers are capable of creating a fantasy world, but there are only a few who have the gift of making us believe in it... Dark fantasy? Horror fiction? An occult mystery? DEAD HARVEST is all of those. Making it a hard book to categorize. But an even harder one to put down.”
-Leighton Gage, acclaimed author of the Chief Inspector Mario Silva series
“...a genre-smashing hybrid that succeeds because of the strong story at its core.”
-Grift Magazine
"Not since reading John Connolly’s debut novel EVERY DEAD THING have I encountered a writer’s debut that so successfully combines crime fiction and the supernatural."
-The House of Crime and Mystery
"I found it nearly impossible to believe that this is Holm’s debut novel. It is a perfect marriage between urban fantasy and crime fiction... I’m thrilled that this book isn’t the last we’ll read of Sam, for Holm has created a completely engaging and addictive character. I simply cannot wait for more. Highly, Highly recommended."
-Jenn’s Bookshelves
"This is an action packed book with a story line that powers along... Well written, and well paced, this was a book it was easy to lose myself in."
-Just One More Page
"Chris F. Holm’s genre-transmogrifying debut, DEAD HARVEST, is among the most adventurous crime titles to appear this year. It’s sort of a supernatural hit-man story, with a wrong-guy, lovers-on-the-run, end-of-the-world, action sci-fi twist — an ambitious mash-up that twists, contorts, recasts, and revives umpteen different archetypes. The only thing crazier than Holm’s vision is the fact that he actually pulls it off."
-Los Angeles Review of Books
"Blending urban fantasy with noir mystery, Holm's debut is a dark, moody tale of fallen heroes in the modern world. Fans of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files books, Tanya Huff's Blood novels, and Larry Correia's Monster Hunter series should enjoy discovering a promising new author."
-Library Journal
"DEAD HARVEST by Chris F. Holm will grab your attention and drag you from the heights of Heaven to the depths of Hell in this divine little tale."
-Lightsaber Rattling
“Holm’s touch is deft and his language surefooted, a rare feat in the realm of dark fantasy. DEAD HARVEST blends backstory just wrenching enough, victims just pitiable enough, villains just ambiguous enough to keep everything on the thrummingly interesting side of noir, never bogging down in cliche. And the white-knuckle action is an indulgent pleasure – this book practically turns its own pages. The best books combine the smart with the careening, and Holm does that so well.”
-Anthony Award-winning author Sophie Littlefield
"DEAD HARVEST by Chris F. Holm is a slick, fast paced, supernatural thriller, but not so slick that it lacks depth... Plenty of action, plenty of violence, with at least one supernatural femme fatale and a story that keeps you on your toes and turning the page until the denouement... extremely entertaining..."
-Morpheus Tales
"4.5/5 ...DEAD HARVEST reads like a smooth shot of bourbon..."
-My Bookish Ways
"...damned or not, I’d let Sam Thornton snatch the soul from mychest any day of the week."
-My Friends Call Me Kate
"With DEAD HARVEST, Chris F. Holm splices genres in a way few authors can pull off, in the process delivering an action-packed roller-coaster of a novel that will enthrall thriller and fantasy readers alike. A superb debut from a talent to watch."
-Los Angeles Times Book Prize-winning author Stuart Neville
". . . urban fantasy treasure . . . With a candid style that exhibits solid confidence and finesse, Chris Holm pulls readers in and pins us to the edge of our seats with a cleverly conceived story that is flawlessly executed.”
-New York Journal of Books
“If you are an urban fantasy fan, then DEAD HARVEST is sure to be a new favorite. But even if you’re not, I encourage you to give it a shot."
-Dan O’Shea, author of OLD SCHOOL
"I found this novel difficult to put down... For those who are tired of the same old thing in urban fantasy, Dead Harvest should be the next title on your reading list. It is engaging, original, and sets a high standard for storytelling. I’ll be waiting eagerly for the next installment."
-Owlcat Mountain
"Wow! Is DEAD HARVEST really a debut novel? This book was such a fantastic read that I finished the book in no time at all. I was extremely impressed with the tension throughout the story and also with the cinematic quality feel that this book creates. To top it off, the protagonist Sam Thornton is a brilliant anti-hero that you can't help but love."
-Paperless Reading
"A war is brewing between angels and demons in this twisty, fast-paced, and thoroughly enjoyable urban fantasy debut."
-Publishers Weekly
"Chris F. Holm's writing is assured and the world building is outstanding... The Collector series is on my must buy list. 5 [of 5] Qwills."
-The Qwillery
"Chris F. Holm’s first novel in The Collector series hits the ground running, and keeps the reader engrossed throughout all three hundred pages... A clever urban fantasy that deserves a wide audience. 8/10"
-Sci-Fi Bulletin
"With his debut novel, Holm's managed to do something that not many authors have been able to do in the span of an entire career, let alone with their debut novel: flawlessly mesh urban fantasy with a darker, grittier sub-genre that urban fantasy demands. Although not the first to do so, Holm has certainly managed to set himself apart from authors who preceded him."
-The Sci-Fi Guys
"In a crowded world of urban fantasy, it’s difficult to make an impression amongst the many, many tales out there. However, as far as urban fantasy goes, this is one of the most assured debuts I’ve read since first reading Jim Butcher’s first Dresden... Its sequel, THE WRONG GOODBYE, follows in November. Can’t wait. Recommended."
-SFFWorld.com (reviewer Mark Yon)
"The breakneck pace of the narrative, and the world Holm creates, make for a thrillingly brutal ride."
-SFX Magazine
"Chris F. Holm has crafted a nicely dark urban fantasy with a truly unique protagonist, whose personality engages you no matter whose face he’s wearing."
-She Never Slept
"Sam Spade meets The Matrix. Punchy, fast-paced and finely plotted."
-Mike Shevdon, acclaimed author of THE ROAD TO BEDLAM
“I was tickled by the cover, which appears for all the world to be a well-read golden-age pulp paperback complete with scratches, smudges and the marks of many fingerprints. I was even more impressed by what was inside. It was a hell of a read.”
-New York Times bestselling author Julia Spencer-Fleming
"DEAD HARVEST is a triumphant debut that felt like the book I’d been waiting on for years without knowing it."
-Spinetingler Magazine
"...so sharp that I suspect Chris may have cut himself while writing it..."
-Spoiler Alert
“...a gritty, hardboiled detective story that skillfully blends creepy supernatural drama with hardboiled hi-jinks.”
-Starburst Magazine
“Angry Robot has again released another corker of a novel and I eagerly await book two in The Collector series. This is quite simply, dead good!”
-Terror Tree
"...this was an effortless and thoroughly enjoyable read and I will certainly be reading the second Collector novel when it comes out."
-Tony’s Thoughts
“Holm created a world that feels real enough and a story epic enough that you have a hard time believing this is his first published novel... Highly recommended.”
-Unsquare Dance
"From the clever packaging to the devilishly clever cross-pollination of urban fantasy and noir crime, this first novel bodes well for a long career."
-World Fantasy Award-winning author Jeff VanderMeer
"Holm writes in an assured style with engaging prose... an enjoyable read that excels on premise and contextual construction. 4/5 Stars"
-The View From The Blue House
"In the hands of a less skilled author an attempt to mesh as many different genres as are represented in DEAD HARVEST would undoubtedly have ended up a jumbled, rudderless mess. Not so here. No, Holm takes a pinch of fantasy, a little supernatural, a dash of hardboiled crime fiction, and blends them into a pitch-perfect adventure in a way that is nothing short of authorial alchemy."
-Elizabeth A. White
"Events come thick and fast, nothing is predictable, and the ride takes your breath away. In short, I loved it and I can’t wait to read the next one!"
-Stephen West
PRAISE FOR 8 POUNDS
"This set of dark tales has an unparalleled sense of place... Of special note here is the story The World Behind. It is the best single short story I have read in years.”
-Crime Fiction Lover
“The best of these eight tales, one from EQMM and the others from a variety of online magazines, are “A Better Life,” an unforgettable gem of non-supernatural horror, and two stories of grim childhood experiences recalled years later, “Seven Days of Rain” and “The World Behind.”
-Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine
“I can’t sleep because of Chris F. Holm. Seriously. The guy’s messed up.”
-KindleObsessed
“Holm understands that unrelenting darkness is just that: Unrelenting. You need light to be scared of the dark. You need to laugh to open up your chest for the suckerpunch. You need to believe that there is the possibility of making it out alive to really be scared for the characters. Holm gives us all of this, and in every story.”
-Spinetingler Magazine
“In 8 POUNDS: EIGHT TALES OF CRIME, HORROR, & SUSPENSE Holm serves up eight wonderfully entertaining short stories that will have you up late into the night reading, and leave you hungry for more.”
-Elizabeth A. White
“You will never get such a wonderful collection of gems again at such a bargain price, so what are you waiting for? Hit that button and download it now...”
-I Meant to Read That
“When you’re twenty-seven deep in line at his ninth signing, you’ll still remember these stories. They’re that good.”
-Steve Weddle, Editor of Needle Magazine
“...reading this provided more entertainment than the last movie I saw... no matter how and where he ends up publishing his next work, I’ll be paying attention.”
-John Kenyon
“...give a look to Chris F. Holm’s terrific collection of stories, 8 POUNDS... if the events in A Better Life don’t result in your freaking out the next time you hear a mouse in the house, it’s time to take your Sensitivity Zone for an oil change.”
-Naomi Johnson at The Drowning Machine
“...a must have for your Kindle collection.”
-Sabrina Ogden
PRAISE FOR “A RIP THROUGH TIME: THE DAME, THE DOCTOR, AND THE DEVICE”
“...the most fun you can have with your clothes on. Anybody who claims reading is boring clearly hasn’t read A Rip Through Time.”
-Death By Killing
PRAISE FOR “THE HITTER”
“...hard-boiled proof that Holm will be very, very big one day.”
-Paul D. Brazill
PRAISE FOR “THE TOLL COLLECTORS”
“Holm at the height of his talents... the perfect blend of crime and horror.”
-Death by Killing
PRAISE FOR “SEVEN DAYS OF RAIN”
“Absolutely fantastic, from start to (chilling) finish.”
-Anthony Award-winning author Hilary Davidson
