Horror and romance aren’t two things that go together very often. At least not the hide-behind-your-pillow-and-hope-the-bad-thing-goes-away kind of horror. But Karina Halle has managed to marry together some genuinely terrifying story lines with an angsty will-they-won’t-they romance in the Experiment in Terror series. It’s birthed something both beautiful and horrifying: the horror romance. A happily ever after where you need to change your knickers for two very different reasons.

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The Experiment in Terror Series by Karina Halle

In this guide the Experiment in Terror series we are going to cover everything you need to know no matter where you are in the reading process. Perhaps you’ve read it already and want to see who we imagine as the key character. If so, check out our fantasy cast. Uncertain whether it’s your cup of tea? Have a quick peek at the series synopsis, it will give you the jist of the series without giving anything away. Or perhaps you aren’t sure which novella or book comes next? Well, we have the Experiment in Terror series reading order laid out for you.

Experiment in Terror Series Synopsis

A (very) mature new adult urban fan­tasy series that is scary, sexy and relat­able, filled with the super­nat­ural and things that go bump in the night.

In a large, flaky nut­shell, the Exper­i­ment in Ter­ror series is an eight-part sci-fi/fantasy/horror series that revolves around a pair of ghost hunters. Well, aspir­ing ghost hunters, any­way. After film­ing a creepy expe­ri­ence in her uncle’s dilap­i­dated light­house, 22-year old Perry Palomino becomes a YouTube and inter­net star overnight. She attracts the atten­tion of Dex Foray, a pro­ducer and cam­era­man for a site that spe­cial­izes in var­i­ous webisodes, who con­vinces her to be a host for a low-budget ghost hunt­ing series. The only prob­lem is, nei­ther Perry or Dex are entirely “with it” — I mean, they see ghosts, after all.

And when the duo isn’t wrestling with their very notion of real­ity, they’re grap­pling with a work­ing rela­tion­ship that’s deep-cut with sex­ual ten­sion. As the series moves on, lead­ing Perry and Dex to new locales and super­nat­ural sit­u­a­tions, their lives become more and more inter­twined, where they dis­cover that ghosts aren’t the only things that can haunt them.

Excerpt from Karina Halle’s Experiment in Terror series website.

YouTube video

Read Experiment in Terror series if you like…

  • Horror romance
  • Ghosts and ghouls
  • A romantic relationship full of sexual tension with a will-the-won’t-they vibe
  • Some creepy and scary moments
  • A plus sized heroine
  • Age gap – the heroine is early 20s, hero is early 30s
Book Quote from Dust to Dust by Karina Halle

The Horror

I now consider myself properly seduced by Karina Halle. She did a fantastic job of wrapping horror and romance together in a terrifying and sexy package. Then daring her readers to step into this surreal and scary world. There are some genuinely tense and creepy moments in these books. I know studios have a habit of picking up book series to translate into TV shows, if this happened with EIT I am not sure I would have the wherewithal to watch it. Like I said, I am big ol’ scardy cat. 

The Romance

But, lets move on to the romance. The at times: 

  • elating
  • frustrating
  • heartbreaking
  • frustrating
  • sexy
  • frustrating

Wait, did I mention frustrating…romance between Dex and Perry our hero and heroine. This series keeps you on the edge of exasperation and desperation and I know, I know, it sounds awful (and dare I say…frustrating?)! But it isn’t. It’s wonderful. I loved it. I had to keep reading. Sometimes it was because of what was happening in the story line. Sometimes it was because I wanted to get beyond the scary bit. And sometimes it was because I needed to know what the hell the situation was between Dex and Perry. 

My Horror Romance Confession

I’ve been reading for a long time. Over that time I have read books from every genre. So, although I experimented in my youth with what all those genres had to offer, I am now well and truly settled into the romance genre. My days of dallying with non-fiction and having hot steamy nights with a saucy little classic number are (more less) over. Horror wasn’t ever a genre I got that into and for one and only one reason. I am a scardy cat. 

Then Karina Halle came strolling into my life with her Experiment in Terror series. Bewitching me with her murmurs of a steamy, yet angst ridden romance. With a plus sized heroine. With a dog called Rabbit. A girl only has so much willpower. Plus, the first book was free. 

Our thoughts on the Experiment in Terror series

The month of August 2013 will forever remain the month that the Experiment in Terror series by Karina Halle took over our lives’. We couldn’t rest until we had consumed every single book in the series; we were women possessed. The whole month went by with all our texts focussed entirely on the Experiment in Terror series. To give a flavour of the texts in question…

“OMG have you gotten to this part yet…”
“I can’t BELIEVE Dex/Perry did that…”
“Hands off bitch, Dex is mine!”

We couldn’t help it! Karina Halle has done a fantastic job of wrapping horror and romance together in a terrifying and sexy package then throwing it at us for our delight and enjoyment. There are some genuinely scary and creepy moments in these books. In fact, there were points in these books where I had to put them down, take a deep breath, remind myself that ghosts aren’t real, then go back in.

Then there were moments when our hero or heroine, Dex or Perry, had done something that made me wanna sigh like a teenager or throttle them for acting like teenagers. I had to put the book down and take a few moments to calm myself down for that as well! The Experiment in Terror series engages your attention and sucks you in. Even when you are annoyed at the characters, you still have to read on! And I loved it. Dex and Perry are human and make very human mistakes making them feel real and relatable.

The races you’ll find in the series

Every book is so unique. You never know what kind of horrifying mystery Dex and Perry will be looking into next.

There is so much to look forward to in the series. As well more sexual tension than you can shake a stick at, brilliant one liners and emotional moments that rip your tear ducts wide open there are also the monsters. Lots and lots of monsters. Don’t be fooled into thinking that the Experiment in Terror series is fully of the evil-Casper types, although they appear in terrifying and twisted abundance. Karina Halle also explores other monsters that may lurk under our covers (hehe see what I did there?!). So here is a glimpse of the creatures you can expect to pop up in the series ready to scare you into sleeping with the lights on.

We all know what ghosts are, right? Well kind of. There is a lot of lore about ghosts and hauntings in books and on the internet. And that’s just the written word, you then have TV programmes, films and documentaries as well. But, what everyone seems to agree on is that ghosts are the spirit of the living who stayed on this plane of existence for a variety of different reasons, mainly focused on unfinished business. In the context of the Experiment in Terror series that unfinished business is generally deadly and terrifying! Because that’s the case we recommend that you keep your salt/holy water/silver depending on hand! You never know you may need it.

Unlike ghosts the information on Skinwalkers is quite specific and comes from Native American culture. A Skinwalker is a man or a woman who through supernatural powers can turn themselves into an animal. This is generally done by using the pelt of the animal they wish to transform into. According to the Navajo the witches able to do this are evil and derive power from the terror they inspire in others. Another power a Skinwalker has is the ability to possess your body if you look them directly in the eyes. A Skinwalker is definitely not the sort of person you would like to run into! But, if you do just make sure you have a bullet dipped in white ash as this could be the only way to kill them.

Oh my, Demons. Where do we begin? Are they fallen angels? Twisted spirits? Or maybe they are something else entirely. But, what is interesting to know is that originally demons (or daimons) weren’t evil at all. The ancient Greeks believed daimons were spirits or divine powers with no malevolence implied at all. In fact it was the opposite. Of course, this was very much lost in translation and now there are so many different origins and legends about demons. The legends will depend on what part of the world you live in and what religion you ascribe to. It would be impossible to relay them all to you here, but it is fascinating to read about.

They wantsss your brainsss! According to zombies they are good eats. What are zombies? Popular culture has them as human beings that have risen from their graves to come back and snack on your cranium. A zombie is grotesque and mindless, walking at a slow shuffle yet somehow are always just a step behind you. We can have two routes for zombies.

Route one. It’s a virus! Humankind have unleashed a their own destruction in their pursuit of knowledge. An experiment goes wrong and unleashes a supervirus on the world that has the dead rising and snacking on the living.

Route two. Zombies are merely the puppets of a witch or magic practitioner. The zombie itself has no mind of its own and is merely a weapon in witchy hands. The most well documented zombie lore I could find was in African culture and related to Vodou where a bokor (a sorcerer) can raise the dead. H

There is one thing I know for sure: no matter what the route is, I certainly don’t want to be on the menu!

Experiment in Terror Series Reading Order

  1. Darkhouse (Experiment in Terror #1)
  2. Red Fox (Experiment in Terror #2)
  3. The Benson (Experiment in Terror #2.5)
  4. Dead Sky Morning (Experiment in Terror #3)
  5. Lying Season (Experiment in Terror #4)
  6. On Demon Wings (Experiment in Terror #5)
  7. Old Blood (Experiment in Terror #5.5)
  8. And With Madness Comes the Light (Experiment in Terror #5.7)
  9. Into the Hollow (Experiment in Terror #6)
  10. The Dex Files (Experiment in Terror #6.5)
  11. Come Alive (Experiment in Terror #7)
  12. Ashes to Ashes (Experiment in Terror #8)
  13. Dust to Dust (Experiment in Terror #9)
  14. Veiled (Ada Palomino #1)
  15. The Devil’s Metal (Devils #1)
  16. The Devil’s Reprise (Devils #2)
  17. Ghosted (Experiment in Terror #9.5)
  18. Came Back Haunted (Experiment in Terror #10)
  19. Song for the Dead (Ada Palomino #2)

Experiment in Terror Playlist

The playlist was taken from author Karina Halle’s website.

Experiment in Terror Book List and Reviews

Dive into Experiment in Terror for a series that’s as much about hauntings as it is about the messy, magnetic pull between Perry Palomino and Dex Foray. From haunted lighthouses to eerie caves, their ghost-hunting missions are just the start. But it’s their complex, fiery relationship that truly keeps the pages turning. Curious to see how they handle the supernatural—and each other? Keep on reading to dive deep into each book and check out our reviews to see why this series is a must-read for any thrill-seeker with a soft spot for romance.

Darkhouse by Karina Halle

Darkhouse

available on kindle unlimited

For a something a little bit creepy try Darkhouse by Karina Halle, a new adult horror romance. It’s the start of the Experiment in Terror series, so strap in for some ghosts, romantic drama and prepare to be scared!

read this is you want:

  • Ghosts and creepy
  • Will they won’t they romance
  • Plus size heroine

There’s always been something a bit off about Perry Palomino. Though she’s been dealing with a quarter-life crisis and post-college syndrome like any other twenty-something, she’s still not what you would call “ordinary.” For one thing, there’s her past which she likes to pretend never happened, and then there’s the fact that she sees ghosts. 

Luckily for her, that all comes in handy when she stumbles across Dex Foray, an eccentric producer for an upcoming webcast on ghost hunters. Even though the show’s budget is non-existent and Dex himself is a maddening enigma, Perry is instantly drawn into a world that both threatens her life and seduces her with a sense of importance. 

Her uncle’s haunted lighthouse provides the perfect catalyst and backdrop for a horrific mystery that unravels the threads of Perry’s fragile sanity and causes her to fall for a man, who, like the most dangerous of ghosts, may not be all that he seems.

Book Review Darkhouse by Karina Halle

initial thoughts

I’ve been hearing praises for this series ever since I finished reading The Artists Trilogy.  I’ve fallen in love with Karina Halle’s writing over the last few months and I couldn’t wait to read more from her.

Darkhouse by Karina Halle had a lot of the feel I found in The Devil’s Metal.  Obviously this was written before so it was the original, and it’s set in today’s world instead of the past.  But a lot of the same elements and “scare tactics” appear in both books.

synopsis

Darkhouse is the story of Perry.  A 22 year old who has confidence issues because she’s a bit overweight and well…she sees things.  Her entire life she’s had episodes where she can see and talk to people, when to everyone else no body was there.  She still lives at home with her parents and younger sister and is trying to move up at her company and get a better job.  Even though she hates it.  Did I also mention that she drives a motorbike?  Anyway, I fell in love with Perry from the very beginning.  She has a silent strength to her and a core that needs to come out.  What she experiences in this book are bound to do that and I can’t wait to see it all happen.

review

But Darkhouse is not all about Perry.  This book really begins when Perry goes on a family trip to visit her uncle who just happens to have an unused lighthouse on his land. Feeling reckless and curious Perry goes off in the night, alone and drunk, to explore the lighthouse.  Things quickly turn creepy in there. But it turns out she’s not alone. There’s also a cute guy with a camera there trying to document any paranormal activity.  This is where we meet Dex for the first time.  

Dex is a little scraggly and, frankly, a little psycho. But he does offer Perry an opportunity to be the star of the paranormal web-show he was trying to pitch to his boss.  For that, they have to go back to the lighthouse and shoot some good footage.

Going back to the lighthouse is when things really get creepy.  I’m not going to lie, I was reading this at night and kept looking over my shoulder until finally I flipped on my back and made sure my feet and hands were under the covers as I read. Karina Halle doesn’t pull any punches and she doesn’t leave you wondering about what might be there. You get the full on terrifying, technicolor detail.

But, this is just the beginning of Perry and Dex working together and I’m very excited to see what other trouble they get into next.

For the romance lovers, there is a connection between Perry and Dex and I’m sure we’ll see more of that in the future.  In this book, Dex is unavailable, however, the tension and chemistry between them is off the scales. But, I’m happy the author kept things the way she did as it also shows respect between the characters, doing it any other way would have been complicated would have hurt other people.

in conclusion

If you want a book that is refreshingly creepy with a dash of scary, then this is the one for you.  Karina Halle’s writing made this story and this book totally unputdownable. Literally.

Reviewed by Francesca on Under the Covers Book Blog on April 15, 2013

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Red Fox by Karina Halle

Red Fox

available on kindle unlimited

Red Fox by Karina Halle is a new adult horror romance and the second in the Experiment in Terror series. If you want something filled with tension, of both the sexual and terrifying kind, then this is the book for you!

read this is you want:

  • Something scary
  • Sexual tension
  • Nail biting action

With Book Two of the Experiment in Terror Series, Perry Palomino and Dex Foray trade in the stormy Oregon coast for the unforgiving deserts of New Mexico. 

In the for­got­ten town of Red Fox, New Mex­ico, a Navajo cou­ple is tor­tured by things unseen and by motives unknown. Wild ani­mals slink through their house in the dark, a bar­rage of stones pound their roof nightly, and muti­lated sheep car­casses are turn­ing up on their prop­erty. Armed with a cam­era and just enough to go on, Perry and Dex travel to the des­o­late locale, hop­ing to film the super­nat­ural occur­rences and add cred­i­bil­ity to their flail­ing web­cast. Only their show has a lot more work­ing against them than just grow­ing pains. Tested by dubi­ous ranch hands, a ghost from Dex’s past, and shapeshift­ing decep­tion, the ama­teur ghost hunters must learn to trust each other in order to fight the most ancient of myths…or die trying.

Book review Red Fox by Karina Halle

synopsis

Perry and Dex now have a chance at filming their show with a bit more support from their Internet TV Network. Dex’s old friend and ex-bandmate Maximus, is a sort of ghost whisperer and has ran into a “haunted house” situation that he thinks would be perfect for Dex’s show.  But because the couple that owns the so-called haunted house is religious, Dex and Perry have to pretend to be married to stay with them.

review

I’m not sure why I waited so long to get back into reading this series.  Well, I do know I was trying to be responsible and read my review books but…I was missing out!

Red Fox escalates the level of creepy horror just a notch from what we experienced in Darkhouse by mixing in Native American legends and skinwalkers. No ghosts here.

The weirdness starts from the beginning in this book.  Foxes are found on Dex and Perry’s bed in the middle of the night and rocks and birds are mysteriously attacking them. On top of this we also have Perry’s ominous dreams painting a very grim future. Add all of this together and you have the recipe for a creepy story.

Even though what Dex and Perry were there to film and research was interesting and creeptastic, what had me enthralled was Perry and Dex themselves.  We learn so much more about Dex in this book, helped by the fact that he was off his meds. And wow. Without pharmaceutical help Dex was a mess!  But, it also showed a softer more vulnerable side to him, which needs to come out more often. And for the Perry and Dex lovers you will be very happy with their relationship growth in this book. Perry herself has already had a lot of character growth in comparison to Darkhouse it was just shocking.

in conclusion

Red Fox ups the ante in the Experiment in Terror saga, the dangers are high and the emotions even more so.  I can’t wait for what’s to come!

Reviewed by Francesca on Under the Covers Book Blog on August 17, 2013

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Dead Sky Morning

available on kindle unlimited

Dead Sky Morning by Karina Halle, a new adult horror romance full of nail biting action and one of our recommended reads.

read this is you want:

  • Spicy read
  • Ghosts and scary
  • Nail biting action

With Book Two of the Experiment in Terror Series, Perry Palomino and Dex Foray trade in the stormy Oregon coast for the unforgiving deserts of New Mexico. 

In the for­got­ten town of Red Fox, New Mex­ico, a Navajo cou­ple is tor­tured by things unseen and by motives unknown. Wild ani­mals slink through their house in the dark, a bar­rage of stones pound their roof nightly, and muti­lated sheep car­casses are turn­ing up on their prop­erty. Armed with a cam­era and just enough to go on, Perry and Dex travel to the des­o­late locale, hop­ing to film the super­nat­ural occur­rences and add cred­i­bil­ity to their flail­ing web­cast. Only their show has a lot more work­ing against them than just grow­ing pains. Tested by dubi­ous ranch hands, a ghost from Dex’s past, and shapeshift­ing decep­tion, the ama­teur ghost hunters must learn to trust each other in order to fight the most ancient of myths…or die trying.

Book review Dead Sky Morning by Karina Halle

review

BE WARNED!!  Fangirl gushing is about to begin!

OMG OMG OMG If I could just write a review with OMG and F****cking Awesome then that would be it for this book. Because it was OMG F*****cking awesome! Dead Sky Morning is full of nail biting suspense, mixed in with just the right amount of forbidden love.  But it’s all wrapped up in creepily awesome story that completely blew my mind!

Dex and Perry go to D’Arcy Island to investigate a leper colony that is on island and is said to be full of ghosts. And, as if leper ghosts aren’t enough, there were also missionaries who died on the island and whose stories haven’t quite been told.

But, of course Dex and Perry attract the ghosts on the island right away. Dead Sky Morning went from gross, to creepy, to plain out scary , it was a complete mind f*ck. As I was reading, it had me constantly questioning my own suspicions about what was happening. Is Perry really crazy? Is Dex trustworthy? I felt like there was no safe haven for me in this book, and the unstable feeling I got from it was awesome.

I read this book in one night while curled up on the couch. Obviously I had to make sure I was in the corner, with my back to the wall with no windows allowed behind me. Just in case the ghosts came. And, I don’t think I could’ve done without the support of my friends, who got plenty of creepy text messages from me as sh*t was hitting the fan.

Then there’s Dex and Perry’s relationship.  I’m on pins and needles with them! We were thrown a curve ball at the beginning of this book and it left me completely flummoxed. I love these two with a passion and I can’t wait for them to see they love each other. The chemistry between them is just off the charts.

in conclusion

Dead Sky Morning is by far my favorite book in the series so far, maybe because it’s also the scariest.  I predict that I will become completely addicted to this series. Actually, I think I already am!

Reviewed by Francesca on Under the Covers Book Blog on September 12, 2013

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Lying Season by Karina Halle

Lying Season

available on kindle unlimited

Lying Season by Karina Halle, a new adult horror romance, book 4 of the Experiment in Terror series. It’s a nail biting read perfect if you enjoy ghost stories and love triangles.

read this is you want:

  • Love triangle
  • Ghosts and scary
  • Nail biting action

Ama­teur ghost-hunter Perry Palomino has bat­tled ghosts, fought off skin­walk­ers and skirted the fine line between life and death. But can she sur­vive bunk­ing down in Seat­tle for a week with her partner (and man she secretly loves) Dex and his perfect girl­friend, Jennifer? And can she do so while being tor­mented by a mali­cious spirit from Dex’s increas­ingly shady past? With love and life in the bal­ance, Perry must dis­cover the truth among the lies or risk los­ing every­thing she’s ever cared about.

Note: Lying Season is book #4 in the Experiment in Terror Series and must be read in order. These books contain gore, horror, crude language and graphic sex scenes, particularly as the series progresses. Reader discretion is advised.

review

We have finally come to THAT book.  I was once told that this would end up being my favorite book in this series. Of course, I would have to overcome my initial reaction of wanting to throw the damn books against a wall when I read THE ENDING first though.  To say I was anxious and a bit scared to start reading this is an understatement.

The reality of it was that I loved this book.  For completely different reasons than why I loved the previous book.  Lying Season is a killer book when it comes to the Dex and Perry drama.  The sh*t these two have put me through!  All the will-they-won’t-they finally hits a wall in Lying Season.  Perry goes to Seattle to work on an episode of their web show and attend Shownet’s Christmas party.  Of course, she stays with Dex.  Dex and Jenn that is.  Oh and let’s not forget their cute little puppy.  Oh and yeah, he’s off his meds!  Could Perry subject herself to any more torture?

While there is a show to film and ghosts to be spooked by (especially creepy is the ghost of Dex’s ex-girlfriend), Lying Season lacked the edge of horror and the scare tactics that Karina Halle used in Dead Sky Morning (which I absolutely loved by the way!) and she focused more on the love triangle.  If you can call it a triangle when there’s never been a doubt that Dex is all about Perry.

We’ve all been on pins and needles to see what happens with Dex.  Is he really interested?  Is the attraction one sided?  Does he have the guts to step out of his comfort zone (aka Jenn) and take a risk on Perry?  Lets just all these questions are answered in Lying Season…and then those answers are stomped on. Karina Halle doesn’t do anything the easy way, does she?

in conclusion

Lying Season was just perfect in every way.  It’s an absolute edge of your seat read!  Dex and Perry are my FAVORITE couple, as well as characters, this year and this whole book was like crack to my addict brain.  And yeah, the ending….I don’t want to talk about it.  I’ll just say this.  After you read this book, you won’t be able to read anything else until you’ve devoured the series!

Reviewed by Francesca on Under the Covers Book Blog on October 16, 2013

It’s not magic, Perry.  You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known and before you say anything, you’ve always been that way to me.

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On Demon Wings by Karina Halle

On Demon Wings

available on kindle unlimited

On Demon Wings by Karina Halle, the fifth book in the Experiment in Terror series. It is a nail biting book packed with angsty romance and ghosts!

read this is you want:

  • Nail biting horror
  • Angsty romance
  • A tear jerker

When the life you wanted has crumbled beneath your fingers, there’s nothing left to do but pick up the pieces and soldier on. You’ve done this before.

But what happens when you no longer feel like yourself anymore? When fires spontaneously start-up around you, when you hear growling coming from underneath your bed, and you no longer recognize your face in the mirror. What happens then?

Ghost-hunter Perry Palomino doesn’t have much time to find out. Now, the evil she used to hunt is a lot closer to home. It’s inside of her, taking over her life bit-by-terrifying bit, and there’s only one person who can help her.

If part of her doesn’t kill him first.

NOTE: This book contains several trigger warnings. Please approach with caution. It also contains gore, horror, & crude language. Reader discretion is advised

Book review ON DEMON WINGS by Karina Halle

my thoughts going in

The addiction continues, and after the explosive and mind blowing ending of Lying Season you can’t help but pick this one up RIGHT AWAY.  And on a side note I give you a warning, once you’ve reached this point in the series you won’t be able to read anything else until you’ve gotten to the current book.  You’ve been warned.

review

On Demon Wings brings us a depressed Perry.  She was thrown out and stomped on and her heart is broken.  She goes back home to lick her wounds, but home is not a safe haven for her.  Always the outsider, and suffering from her broken heart, she doesn’t see what’s been happening to her.  Prepare yourselves to be completely freaked out and creeped out.  The ride Perry is on in this book is an intense one.  One that doesn’t let up until we’ve read the last page.  Oh wait, no it doesn’t let up there either.

Family betrayals and new romances.  This book will have your gut turning with the decisions that Perry makes and the path she takes.  Although I wasn’t always a fan of what she was doing, and even pissed me off a couple of times, it all made for an adrenaline filled story.  Ms. Halle definitely amped up the fear factor with this one!

Not a whole lot of Dex, but he was always a presence in this book.  And when he does show, he makes it count!  And like I said at the beginning…once you get to that last page you will be compelled to read the next one!

Reviewed by Francesca on Under the Covers Book Blog on November 23, 2013

“Perry,” he said quietly, his fingers trailing down the side of my face, “you’ll never have to save my life.  You gave me life.  I never lived a single day until the day I first met you.”

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Experiment in Terror Series by Karina Halle - Series Reading Guide and Reviews

Into the Hollow

available on kindle unlimited

Into the Follow by Karina Halle, the sixth book in the Experiment in Terror series, was the perfect blend of suspense and a whole lot of my favorite addiction…Dex & Perry.

read this is you want:

  • Nail biting horror
  • Angsty romance
  • Laugh-out-loud moments

Perry Palomino has fought her demons – and won – but the battle is far from over. She’s now left broken and on her own, leaving behind her life and family in Portland to focus on giving Dex Foray – and the Experiment in Terror show – a second chance. But their past mistakes continue to tease and test their relationship, as does the wild and desolate terrain of the Canadian Rockies. The snow-covered peaks and ravenous forests hide an urban legend too unbelievably frightening to be true and the only way the duo has a chance of surviving is if Perry can let in the very man who sent her to hell and back.

review

INTO THE HOLLOW is a turning point book. Can Dex and Perry make it as a couple or not? Can she forgive him for what he’s put her through? Can they make it out alive from a mountain filled with danger? This was the perfect blend of suspense and a whole lot of my favorite addiction…Dex & Perry.

We start off where ON DEMON WINGS left off. Perry is a bit of a confused, hot mess and I don’t blame the girl. She’s been through the ringer, betrayed at every corner, and had some major revelations to deal with. Now she has to deal with Dex who wants to go back to how things used to be, and that means back to doing their show. This time, they are headed for the Canadian Rockies to investigate some possible Big Foot sightings. This is where they will face not only a possible monster, but human monsters as well and biggest of all….their feelings and their past.

As much as I thought the story and the monster were interesting, what kept me turning the pages faster than an addict getting a fix was Dex & Perry. OMG I loved Dex in this book. He’s come full circle and he wants Perry. And he’s willing to suffer everything she puts him through to get her because he realizes only she will do. She is it. Gahhhhh just when I thought I couldn’t love this man more. And then there’s Perry, who fights that instead of falling like a dud at his feet. I love that girl! Exactly the way this had to play out. But I was also happy that Ms. Halle didn’t drag their suffering forever, oh no. We get some sexy times and boy did they steamed up my e-reader! *fans self*

But even after all that, my favorite thing about this book was the humor. I kept laughing out loud at the one liners that kept coming out of nowhere. Especially the introduction to new and all-around awesome words like “Twatwaffle”. I need to see more of this!

Again, as usual with the books in this series, you are FORCED to read the next book in the series. But please be sure you are reading in order, and don’t even think of skipping the novellas! That is all, my public service announcement.

Reviewed by Francesca on Under the Covers Book Blog on November 28, 2013

“Perry, when I fuck you, you’re going to want it.  And you’re going to be sober.  I don’t want just your body in all of this.  I want everything.  Your soul too.”


“You,” he said slowly.  “You’re the light.  You’re my light.”

“I’m sure this particular llama was on many a hit list.” “I don’t trust you with a shovel, Dex.” “I want to feel like this for the rest of my life.”

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Come Alive by Karina Halle

Come Alive

available on kindle unlimited

COME ALIVE tops all the others!

read this is you want:

  • Set in New Orleans
  • Zombies and voodoo a
  • Scary and nail biting

It’s one thing to bring the woman you love back into your life. It’s another to try and keep her there. For Dex Foray, con­vinc­ing Perry Palomino to open her­self to their bur­geon­ing rela­tion­ship has been more chal­leng­ing than hunt­ing ghosts, bat­tling demons and stalk­ing Sasquatch com­bined. Add in the fact that the only way they can keep their Exper­i­ment in Ter­ror show run­ning is to take on a third part­ner in the form of the mys­te­ri­ous Max­imus Jacobs — all while inves­ti­gat­ing a sin­is­ter voodoo sect in New Orleans — and you’ve got the per­fect South­ern storm and a recipe for dis­as­ter. Luck­ily, Dex has never been one to back down, even when his life –and heart — are on the line.

NOTE: Come Alive is told from Dex’s POV. It is crude, rude, and very salacious. Graphic sex scenes and foul language abound. Reader discretion is advised!

review

Before I committed myself to reading this series earlier this year, I kept thinking that all the fangirl reviews were probably all hype.  I mean, it’s not possible to gush over every single book and be so in love with a character, right?  After experiencing the addiction, I can only just be one more of those fangirls.  Squeeing and oohhhhhing and aahhhhhing.

Karina Halle gave us an amazing treat with COME ALIVE.  For all of us starving Dex lovers, this was PERFECT!  All Dex, all the time.  I was on Dex overload.  Well, actually not because there is no such thing.  But experiencing this book from his perspective was different and amazing.  I love being in his screwed up head!

As I’ve said time and time again, this series just gets better and better with each book and I really don’t know how Karina Halle does it.  COME ALIVE tops all the others!  While Dex & Perry are together, their relationship isn’t on solid ground.  There are important reasons why they shouldn’t be together.  And things are starting to be more about them, their powers and their mission than just about filming the show.  But the show takes them to NOLA.

If there’s one thing that I’ve always enjoyed about this series is how Ms. Halle keeps things interesting by changing the big bad in each book.  And in NOLA she does to zombies in her own creepy way mixed in with all the voodoo feel of the setting.  Loved it!

I won’t give any spoilers but Dex & Perry have decisions to make about their future and about what’s to come in their relationship, if there is to be one.  But they also have to know how to protect themselves to face their future, their fate.

Maximus comes back in this book, NOLA is his home front, and we find out more about his past and his love.  I couldn’t help but sympathize.  He added a great dynamic to the show though and I was happy that we got to see that side of him.

Oh and be warned!  It is possible to fall in love with Dex even more.  I just did!  Now would it be really greedy to ask for a novella based on COME ALIVE from Perry’s POV? I need more. More! MORE!!!!!  Never satisfied, even when I am.

Reviewed by Francesca on Under the Covers Book Blog on December 11, 2013

“You’re my home, Perry.  And I will be yours.”

…death by relaxation, preceded by death by pussy.

“What a bunch of fucked up, lovelorn, ghost-seeing shitburgers we are,” I said. Fuck. I needed to get out of the room before I started having my period.

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Ashes to Ashes by Karina Halle

Ashes to Ashes

available on kindle unlimited

ASHES TO ASHES went above and beyond any expectations I had for this book in both scare tactics and romance…..Karina Halle nails another one!

read this is you want:

  • Angsty romance
  • Haunted sanitorium
  • Scary and nail biting

It’s been two months since Perry Palomino and Dex Foray’s relationship reached a new turning point, two months since Perry started a new life in Seattle, and two months since their Experiment in Terror show took on a new partner, ex-Wine Babe Rebecca Sims, and found a new level of success. But whenever there is light in their lives, the madness still has a way of coming back in.

When the team is sent back to the stormy Oregon coast to investigate a haunted school, Perry wants to use the opportunity to reconnect with her family and reintroduce Dex into their lives. Only Perry’s not the only one who’s reaching out – her grandmother Pippa has started appearing to her with disturbing warnings and Perry’s presence at the school has ignited a chilling new wave of supernatural phenomenon. Once used a century ago as a sanatorium to house children dying of tuberculosis, the school’s past residents are slowly coming back to life and with one thing on their mind. They want someone to play with, someone to join them. Forever.

Even when dead, some children get whatever they want.

And they want Perry

review

I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Just when I thought Karina Halle couldn’t scare the crap out of me anymore!  ASHES TO ASHES went above and beyond any expectations I had for this book in both scare tactics and romance.  WOW!  I really don’t know how it’s possible that every book is better than the last.  And that’s a tough act to follow!  But Karina Halle nails another one!

Dex and Perry have been doing the show with Rebecca and taking it easy a bit after what Perry went through.  I wish we would’ve seen the show they mentioned they just did in St. Augustine (because I used to live there and the place is spooky!) but instead they are staying close to home for this one.  Going to the coast and where it all began and sort of coming full circle.  By Perry’s uncle’s house and close by the lighthouse from Darkhouse.  I LOVE that!  But this time, it’s a school for art students that used to be a sanitorium that seems to be haunted.  A place that many years ago served as a house for kids with TB where they basically went to die.  And to say that the ghosts of kids and creepy kids at that scares the crap out of me is saying it lightly.  This place gave me the creeps and literally had me not wanting to leave the safety of my couch to venture alone to my bedroom.

But if that was all maybe I could deal (ha! just maybe).  This series has come a long way and it’s now always more than just filming the show.  Dex & Perry have stirred the fabric of the “otherworld”, the demons are out and forces are really out to get them.  If only Perry would just listen to Pippa!  Pippa knows best!

But that’s all I’m going to say about that, you have to read the book and get spooked right along with me.  Lets talk about Dex & Perry.  I went through a ringer of emotions in this book with them as well.  Maybe a little less than in the past, but just when I thought everything was roses there has to be thorn.

I don’t want to repeat myself anymore though.  I continue falling in love with Dex more and more.  I am attracted to his intensity like a moth to the light.  I can’t say these two are right, but they are so right for each other.  And when they come together sparks really do fly and I’m caught up in the aftermath.  And while being caught in that, they scorched the pages of this one with one smexy scene after another!

Be warned of another ending that will leave you trying to flip the pages and find out what happens only to realize you have to wait until next year.  Just like Dex said about losing Perry…I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself when there are no more EiT books.  But I’ll enjoy the ride for as long as Ms. Halle wants to grace us with it because this is crack perfection!

Reviewed by Francesca on Under the Covers Book Blog on December 12, 2013

“Once a pervert, always a pervert.”

“You…make me feel sane in this crazy world. You give me hope. You give me life. When I’m with you…I can’t even believe I’m with you. I’t slike that every morning. Like I’m dreaming, but I’m not.”

“I’m just…I’m your fucking man, baby. That’s all there is to it, I’m your fucking man. That is never going to change.” He looked at me and grinned, his hair falling in his face. “And now I’m going to fuck you till we embraass ourselves.”

“And you, I loved you in the Sasquatch episode. But poor Twatwaffle.” He stuck out his lower lip in mock sympathy then sighed. “Yes. Thank god all good llamas go to heaven.”

“This place is like its own entity. I swear if you listen hard enough, you can hear the walls breathing.”

“Duckspunk comes up everywhere. You should watch where you step next time you’re by a pond.”

“What we have – it consumes me. It devours me. And it scares me more than anything we have ever encountered, because if I ever lost you, if I ever had to live without, I wouldn’t be whole. You, Perry have my heart. You are my heart.”

Amazon GoodReads
Dust to Dust by Karina Halle

Dust to Dust

available on kindle unlimited

Do I think this is the strongest book in the series?  Not by far.  Did I want it to go out with a bang that rocked my socks off.  Absolutely.  But I think this wasn’t it.  I do think all the major threads I wanted wrapped up were addressed.  But overall, I’m happy with how things finished and where our favorite couple ended up.  They will be missed.

read this is you want:

  • A good scare
  • Lovable characters
  • Shocking revelations

New to this angsty, sexy, scary romance series? Start with book #1, Darkhouse

Perry Palomino and Dex Foray.

On their own, they’re uniquely brilliant. Together, they’re an unstoppable team.

Until now.

Because after everything the duo has encountered, they haven’t come across an evil quite like this. An evil that has been years in the making, an evil that will stop at nothing until they, and everyone they care for, are destroyed.

Dex and Perry’s love has survived a multitude of sins.

But can it survive the end?

Warning: this series contains harsh language, violence, gore and sexual scenes of a graphic nature – reader discretion is advised

review

It’s the end of an era for me.  The Experiment in Terror took over my life for a while when I was binging on reading and catching up.  And I loved every second of it.  Since then, I’ve become a rabid fan and can’t recommend it enough to anyone I talk to.  Dex and Perry are now part of my life.  I was both sad and happy to see the series end.  In a way sad because I really don’t want to let them go, I could read about their dilemmas forever!  But happy because I love seeing a series end on a high note and not when I’ve lost my love and interest.

That being said, I was petrified to read this.  I had come to all kinds of conclusions of where this book had to go based on events leading up to it.  I had talked to friends and we had plots made out in which there would be bloodshed and death.  And I carefully faced cracking this open.

My thoughts?  Let me try to break them up.

Dex

Dex is as always one sexy pervert.  I wish my sexy pervert.  He’s going through a lot in this book as this final installment is all about him going back to his past and dealing with his demons.  Quite literally.  It was tough to see him crumble.  But there were still moments when he would shine through and be his adorable self.  I laughed with him, I cried a little for him.  I definitely drooled over him quite a bit.  Dex will forever be one of my top book boyfriends.

Perry

I admit I started off this book wanting to slap a bitch.  She’s still kickass but she was turning into a teenager with the way she was thinking, acting and speaking.  Throwing tantrums at times.  She did managed to snap out of that stage and I was all glad for it.  It’s amazing to see how far she’s really come from the girl we started reading about.  Kudos to you, Perry on still being one of my favorite chicks!

The Shock

Wow.  Did Karina Halle go there?  Yes, she did!  I was surprised about one scene in this book, that I won’t say what it is so as to not spoil anything.  I kept thinking it would stop.  But I also see how it was necessary for it to happen so that there would be a moment of clear thinking and realization.  I hurt with Perry, and with Dex for it.  I wanted this further addressed and discussed in the end.

After I got over that shock, there was another….then another. Gah!  My poor heart.

The Horror

After ASHES TO ASHES I was expecting to get be in a fetal position in the corner of my couch with a safety blanket wrapped all around me while I read this and had good view of every angle of the room to make sure nothing was coming at me.  Not quite.  This was a little scary at times, but not nearly as scary as this series has been in the past.

The Smexy

I wanted more, good, hard sexy times!  That is all.

The Words

Karina Halle can sometimes create magic with just words.  And especially the words that come out of Dex’s mouth.  That broken man that has given everything he has, his soul, to Perry. But his words make me fall harder and harder for him every time.

Satisfied with the ending of the series?

Yes.  Overall I am.  Do I think this is the strongest book in the series?  Not by far.  Did I want it to go out with a bang that rocked my socks off.  Absolutely.  But I think this wasn’t it.  I do think all the major threads I wanted wrapped up were addressed.  But overall, I’m happy with how things finished and where our favorite couple ended up.  They will be missed.  And I will recommend this series to anyone who wants a good scare and an adorable set of characters to absolutely fall in love.  And because I’m greedy and not really ready to let go, now I’m ready to continue the saga with Ada!

Reviewed by Francesca on Under the Covers Book Blog on September 20, 2014

“I love you. Always. Beyond death.”

“Underneath the flashy lights and the slick streets and the throngs of people passing in the warm night, there was an undertone to the city that reeked of madness.”

“This love just is.  It exists, and because it exists, I exist.”

Amazon GoodReads
Came Back Haunted by Karina Halle

Came Back Haunted

available on kindle unlimited

Perry and Dex are back and tangled up in a ghost-hunting gig that’s creepier than ever. As they try to figure out their complicated feelings for each other, they’re faced with a haunting that could tear them apart for good. It’s a story full of spooky moments, real emotions, and the kind of banter that’s made them a favorite duo.

read this is you want:

  • Haunted house
  • Spooky and epically romantic
  • Will-they-won’t-they

Dex & Perry are back in an all-new Experiment in Terror novel, by New York Times Bestselling author Karina Halle

A lot can change in three years.
For Perry and Dex Foray, it’s been a step in the right direction, a step toward living a normal life. They’re happily married, they have their own media company, they’ve done what they can to leave their sordid and scary past behind them.
But something has changed recently.
Perry’s biological clock is ticking.
Her sister, Ada, is going down the same path she once did.
And the Thin Veil between the living and the dead has weakened, letting an old friend walk back into their lives.
Only he may not be who he seems, and he might not be alone.
Sometimes the past won’t let you go.
And it turns out those three years of peace and happiness for the Forays were just the calm before the storm.

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Experiment in Terror Novellas and Reviews

The Experiment in Terror novellas offer you behind the scenes access of Perry and Dex’s life, filling in the gaps and adding layers to their ghostly adventures. Want the lowdown on these bite-sized insights into their world? Keep on reading to explore each novella and find our takes on these essential additions to the main storyline. They’re short, they’re sweet, and they pack a punch that’ll leave you craving even more. And you don’t want to miss them as they are essential parts of the overall story.

The Benson by Karina Halle

The Benson

available on kindle unlimited

The Experiment in Terror series novella The Benson by Karina Halle, is a new adult horror romance. A nail biting haunted house mystery!

read this is you want:

  • Haunted house
  • Scary
  • Nail biting action

The Benson hotel in Portland, Oregon might look like your ordinary, swanky turn-of-the century hotel, but deep in the heart of this historic icon, lie a few restless souls with secrets that won’t stay buried.

Amateur ghost hunters (and your favorite “will they or won’t they” pair) Perry Palomino and Dex Foray spend an evening exploring the hotel for their Internet show “Experiment in Terror” – but this is no ordinary hotel and this is no ordinary episode. There’s someone here in the Benson, someone dead, who will push the boundaries of what the duo know about ghosts and challenge Perry’s very notion of the truth.

The Benson is a short novella in the Experiment in Terror Series. It occurs between books #2 (Red Fox) and #3 (Dead Sky Morning) but can also be read as a standalone and is the perfect primer for anyone interested in the best-selling series (currently optioned for television).

Book review THE BENSON by Karina Halle

review

The Benson is a quick story about Dex and Perry that takes place shortly after the crazy events of the previous book Red Fox.  Their relationship is on shaky ground because of the feelings that stirred and have now gone back into hiding.

Dex brings Perry to Portland to film at the famously haunted Benson Hotel.  Management thinks they won’t find anything, so they are ok with letting them run around the hotel looking hunting ghosts and hoping to be spooked.

Of course, Dex, as usual, has some wonderful ideas that involve getting our beloved Perry into trouble.  And this time, face to face with a ghost. Who knew they would be able to solve an unsolved mystery!

Although The Benson is a short read it’s always entertaining to read about Dex and Perry. We get to see them at their ghost hunting finest and having lots of mishaps. It’s also great to see them together. As, no matter what is currently happening in Dex and Perry’s relationship, I just love experiencing their chemistry.

in conclusion

I can’t wait to read more about Dex and Perry, they have completely captured my attention!

Reviewed by Francesca on Under the Covers Book Blog on August 17, 2013

But I can’t help the way I feel.  Stupid.  And in love with my partner.

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Old Blood by Karina Halle

Old Blood

available on kindle unlimited

OLD BLOOD is just the story to help you understand the ties that bind them together…Seeing her [Pippas’] story of love and use was heartbreaking.

read this is you want:

  • Creepy clown lady
  • Character backstory
  • A tear jerker

A haunting story from the Experiment in Terror Series…it is not a stand-alone novella and it is recommended you read books #1-5 before embarking on this tale.

From her harrowing introduction in Darkhouse, the spectre known as “Creepy Clown Lady” has been a constant fixture in Perry Palomino’s life. But beyond the horrid makeup and piercing stare lies Pippa, a woman just like everyone else.

Well, not quite.

When Perry discovered Pippa’s message to her and Dex on the EVP recordings, she thought she heard the last of the old woman’s message. She was wrong. In the novella Old Blood, Pippa relays the tale of her troubled and tortured past, revealing how an aspiring actress and loving mother fell into madness and how an unfathomable betrayal led to her untimely death.

For Perry, the repercussions of her message are life-shattering.

Old Blood is #5.5 in the series and occurs between books #5 On Demon Wings and #6 Into the Hollow.

review

OLD BLOOD takes us on a trip back in time, to understand more about Creepy Clown Lady.  We’ve all heard the rumors that she was crazy, but was she really?  And this was the perfect time in the reading order to give us this glimpse.  After the events in ON DEMON WINGS, there’s no better time than now to explain the past and know her story.

For as crazy as you think that old Pippa was, there was a reason she got there.  Family that betrayed her.  That didn’t understand what she was going through and what she was seeing.  Seeing her story of love and use was heartbreaking.  She did the best she could with the life she was dealt.  She trusted the wrong people, followed the wrong love.  But she always loved her family.  Right until the last betrayal.

Pippa didn’t have it easy, but she now has the opportunity of helping Perry.  And OLD BLOOD is just the story to help you understand the ties that bind them together.  The similarities, the connection.  The reasons that pull Dex and Perry apart just as they are being drawn together.

It is important to point out that the Experiment in Terror series must be read in order, and that includes all the novellas.  You should read them in the order of publication and don’t just jump ahead to the next book.  You would be missing out on some important piece of the puzzle.  And believe me, you won’t want to do that.

Reviewed by Francesca on Under the Covers Book Blog on November 23, 2013

Amazon GoodReads
And With Madness Comes the Light by Karina Halle

And With Madness Comes to Light

available on kindle unlimited

…this short story had me squeeing with joy and jumping up and down screaming “I knew it!!!” while at the same time falling more in love with Dex than is really healthy.

read this is you want:

  • Book boyfriend
  • Nail biting
  • Scary

The Man. The Mystery. The Madness.

Dex Foray has never been anyone’s fool – until he missed his chance for happiness with Perry Palomino. Broken and alone, Dex has no choice but to rise from the ashes Perry left behind and find his own path to redemption. But nothing in Dex’s life has ever come easily, especially when there’s a dark madness waiting in the wings.

Told from Dex’s POV, And With Madness Comes the Light is short story/novella that spans the time period from the end of Lying Season (Book #4) until the end of On Demon Wings (Book #5). If you were ever wondering what really happened to Dex while Perry was gone – his journey to Dex 2.0 – now is your chance.

review

At this point in the series, what you want more than anything is to get into Dex’s mind. Know what makes him tick and what makes him do the things he does. And this is the perfect little nugget of information to satisfy those cravings. Well, not satisfy, but appease.

I won’t lie, this short story had me squeeing with joy and jumping up and down screaming “I knew it!!!” while at the same time falling more in love with Dex than is really healthy. Especially considering that Dex really isn’t at his best and brightest points in this one. AND WITH MADNESS COMES THE LIGHT it’s Dex’s journey starting with the events in LYING SEASON. Why did he act like such an ass? It made so mad to read his behavior in the book but after reading HIS side of the story I can’t help but sympathize.

I repeat myself a lot but if you plan on reading this series, it is imperative that you read the novellas in the order they go because they are essential for your journey of understanding these characters and where they are at.

After reading this in Dex’s POV, my level of excitement to read COME ALIVE, the first full length book from Dex’s POV, is beyond any comprehension. CANNOT WAIT!

Reviewed by Francesca on Under the Covers Book Blog on December 9, 2013

“I love her, more than anyone should love anything. The kind of love that either fills you up or eats away at you. I love her at my own risk. I love her…dangerously.”

I didn’t want to be that guy anymore, the one that hurt her. I wanted to be me. Perhaps the same me she had seen underneath all this time.

Hello, agony. I’d been waiting for you. Finish me off. Please.

Amazon GoodReads
The Dex Files by Karina Halle

The Dex Files

available on kindle unlimited

THE DEX FILES is CRACK….that is all.

read this is you want:

  • Book boyfriend
  • Addictive, lovable character
  • Morally grey

The truth is out there…

The Dex-Files is a compilation novella that accompanies the Experiment in Terror Series, and the reader’s chance to look inside the smutty, brash, and beguiling mind of fan favorite Dex Foray. In The Dex-Files we find a variety of scenes and chapters from our enigmatic hero’s POV, taken from books #1-6 in the series. Some of these scenes have been previously published, albeit from our heroine’s POV, while other scenes are completely new.

Dex’s mind is a frightening place…enjoy the ride.

Warning – The Dex-Files contains harsh language and graphic sexual scenes suitable for readers 18 yrs of age and older. It also contains numerous spoilers for the Experiment in Terror Series and is recommended to those who have read books all the novels in the series (including Old Blood). This is not a standalone.

review

If I could pick one character to be the one that took over all my “favorites” spots and the one that shot straight to the top of my Book Boyfriends list in 2013, that would have to be Dex.  I’ve fallen hard for him and all throughout the series there’s always been one constant question: “What is going through Dex’s mind?”  Well look no further, this little gem right here answers all your questions up to now.  Bringing a great mix of my favorite moments so far in the series, THE DEX FILES lets you delve into Dex’s mind.  Why he acted the way he did, what his fears are, where his true love lies. I won’t sit here and tell you what happens because that would just do a disservice to your reading experience.  These books are not to be read, they really are experienced.  And you’ll want to peel back those Dex layers all by yourself. Heartbreaking to see him broken and all consuming when he falls in love.  This is CRACK….that is all.  I think that about sums up my love for this character as well as this series.  An addiction I welcome and I truly can’t get enough of.  Because no matter how much Dex I get, I always need more!

Reviewed by Francesca on Under the Covers Book Blog on November 28, 2013

The truth always sets my ass back.

Amazon GoodReads
Ghosted by Karina Halle

Ghosted

available on kindle unlimited

GHOSTED is an Experiment in Terror novella with characters from the Veiled and The Devil’s Duology series. Should be read after Dust to Dust and Veiled and before Came Back Haunted. Told from Dex’s POV.

read this is you want:

  • Married life for Dex and Perry
  • Thin veil between living and dead
  • Contacts from beyond

Every day is Halloween for married ghost-hunters Dex and Perry Foray. But this year, that thin veil between the living and the dead is more vulnerable than normal, and when they’re given the opportunity of a lifetime to contact the dead wife of a desperate man, they end up creating something they can’t undo. Told from Dex’s POV, and featuring characters from the Experiment in Terror Series, Veiled and The Devil’s Duology.
Ghosted is an EIT novella, #9.5, and must be read before Came Back Haunted (and after Dust to Dust and Veiled).
A digital version of this book is also available in the All the Love in the World Anthology.

Amazon GoodReads

Devils Duet Book List and Reviews

The Devils Duet series invites you into a world where the lines between love, music, and the supernatural blur. Technically set before the Experiment in Terror saga begins, it features a small cameo of Max. While you could dive into this series first to follow the chronological timeline, I recommend tackling it after Experiment in Terror. Reading it later as a side story offers a richer perspective, adding depth to the universe you’ve grown to love by then.

The Devil's Metal by Karina Halle

The Devil’s Metal

available on kindle unlimited

If you take ALMOST FAMOUS and you throw in a decent amount of QUEEN OF THE DAMNED, minus the vampires but keeping it paranormal, then you will get THE DEVIL’S METAL.  And if there is one author out there that can pull that off and make me want to read it and like it, then that’s Karina Halle.

read this is you want:

  • Slow burn romance
  • Music journalist joins rockstar tour
  • Nail biting

Almost Famous meets The Devil’s Advocate in this dark, spooky, slow-burn romance from the New York Times Bestselling author of Black Sunshine and The Royals Next Door.

My name is Dawn Emerson and I just scored the job of my dreams as a music journalist: going on the road and writing about my favorite rock band Hybrid as they tour across the USA. This means sleeping on the infamous tour bus, being backstage at every single show, and getting a rare interview with the enigmatic guitarist Sage Knightly (whose sexy poster has been on my bedroom wall for years).

Only things aren’t getting off to the best start. Sage may be a muscular legend of a rockstar but he’s grumpy and kind of an asshole (despite the intense sexual tension between us that he doesn’t seem to notice), and the band’s mysterious manager keeps thwarting my plans to publish an insightful piece of journalism.

Then things get dark and twisted when monsters start showing up in dressing rooms and some of Sage’s groupies become increasingly strange and dangerous.

You see, Hybrid is a band with a secret.

They’re not only going places – they’re going straight to Hell.
And I have a backstage pass.

The Devil’s Metal is the first book in the rock n’ roll horror romance The Devils Duet. It was previously published with a different cover and blurb.

review

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Let me start by saying that this book scared the bejesus out of me!  No, not all the time, but I did have to put it down for the night because it was not what I wanted to be reading at 1am while everything was dark and I was getting creeped out. LOL  But I enjoyed every bit of it!

If you take ALMOST FAMOUS and you throw in a decent amount of QUEEN OF THE DAMNED, minus the vampires but keeping it paranormal, then you will get THE DEVIL’S METAL.  And if there is one author out there that can pull that off and make me want to read it and like it, then that’s Karina Halle.

This is a unique story set in the 1970s of a young aspiring reporter and music reviewer who gets the chance of a lifetime… going on tour with her favorite band to write an article about them for Creem Magazine.  It’s a tough world out there for a female journalist and this is the piece that will make her known.  Of course, it helps she’s with the band.

Dawn is 21, her mother killed herself, her dad is an alcohol and her younger brother has Tourette Syndrome.  To say she’s had a tough life is an understatement.  She still has a great attitude and a lot of drive.  The love interest in this story is the dark and brooding guitarist of Hybrid, Sage Knightly.  I had an instant fascination with him but it wasn’t until closer to the end of the book that he started puling at the strings of my heart.  And then there’s the band.

The band has issues, and they don’t know it yet.  I won’t tell you what the book is about because it was fun to be surprised and spooked along while reading it, but I will say this… Be careful what you wish you.

This book had a bit of everything.  Crazy rockstar sex and drug antics, near death moments, creepy gross moments, and a whole lot of WTF?!?!?  Karina Halle didn’t pull any punches and dug in.  I’ve come to think of her books as MUST WATCH because, quite frankly, this would make a great horror movie!

The ending was not how I expected things to go down, and the twist (or would that be a cliffhanger) at the end was something I had seen coming for a little while.  The clues were there, but it still doesn’t make sense to me.  I just don’t think Dawn did the same as Sage, so how did she find herself in that position.  But that’s a story for the next book to explain. 🙂

On a side note…

From the blurb…”The Devil’s Metal is the first book in a two-part New Adult Horror/Paranormal Romance and very (very!) loosely based on the author’s exploits as a music journalist. Hell comes in different forms.”

What? Seriously!?  I just have to know which parts are the “loosely” based on…teehee.

Reviewed by Francesca on Under the Covers Book Blog on February 22, 2013

“Finding someone you truly love is much harder than finding someone to love you.”

“We all lost our souls when we joined this band.” 

Amazon GoodReads
The Devil's Reprise by Karina Halle

The Devil’s Reprise

available on kindle unlimited

This is a must read for fans of Karina Halle’s EIT and for readers who aren’t scared of being frightened a bit.  A well rounded story that delivers on the horror and the sex appeal.  Halle’s writing is addictive!

read this is you want:

  • Second chance romance
  • Rockstar
  • Nail biting

Given a second chance, music journalist Dawn Emerson and guitarist Sage Knightly are reunited, only to have their lives threatened again by a demonic bargain. The sequel to THE DEVIL’S METAL, from NYT bestselling author Karina Halle.

When Dawn Emerson got the chance to go on tour with her favorite metal band, Hybrid, she thought she landed the writing gig of the century. But what started off as a dream for the budding music journalist quickly turned into a nightmare that she and guitarist Sage Knightly barely escaped alive.

Now, months after they went their separate ways, Sage invites Dawn to accompany him on his first solo tour across Europe and write about it for Creem Magazine. But like the last tour, nothing is as easy as it seems. Sage is a broken man on the path to self-destruction and Dawn isn’t sure if she’s the right person to save him. And aside from having to pick up the pieces of their burgeoning relationship, they have to negotiate the mysterious new photographer assigned to Dawn’s story, as well as vindictive promoters and demonic groupies they thought they’d never see again.

Because this time, it’s Dawn who made a deal with the devil and the only thing worse than having to uphold a bargain with the prince of darkness is not remembering how you’re supposed to pay it back.

It may be with their souls.

review

I read the first book in this series before I had experienced Karina Halle’s Experiment in Terror series.  And it had originally creeped me out.  Just when I thought that would be a standalone, we go back in time with Dawn and Sage and all the creepy supernatural dealings around them.

I don’t want to give spoilers from the previous book, but suffice it to say Sage and Dawn have been apart.  While she’s been successful back home, Sage has been going on tour all over the world.  As with the previous story, this book reads like a dark and paranormal ALMOST FAMOUS.  We are back in the 70s and deep in the rock and roll culture.  Groupies, sex, drugs.  And creatures with sharp teeth.  THE DEVIL’S REPRISE brings us another deal with the devil, and another debt that has to be paid.  Be careful what you wish for.

While THE DEVIL’S REPRISE may seem to start off a bit slow, the build up of this story was perfect for me.  I got frustrated right along with Dawn at seeing some of the things that had been happening.  I enjoyed every concert.  And my heart rate sped up with every sex scene.  Because yes, this book was hot!

And then I had a really neat treat.  For Experiment of Terror fans, this book will tie into that story.  I didn’t realize it before and I’m not sure if it was explained in the previous book, but this series features the “Jacobs”.  And also brings us a glimpse of Max, pre EIT.  As soon as I made the connection with the cute redhead I squeee a little.

This is a must read for fans of Karina Halle’s EIT and for readers who aren’t scared of being frightened a bit.  A well rounded story that delivers on the horror and the sex appeal.  Halle’s writing is addictive!

Reviewed by Francesca on Under the Covers Book Blog on March 23, 2014

Amazon GoodReads

Ada Palomino Series Book List

Following the timeline of EIT, Ada’s series ramps up the action and the hauntings, showing us a younger perspective on a world filled with ghosts and mysteries. If you’re intrigued by Ada’s fearless spirit and want to see how she tackles the paranormal, keep on reading to discover more about each book in the Ada Palomino series. Dive into Ada’s story to see how she navigates the challenges of growing up with the ability to see the dead, all while stepping out of her sister Perry’s shadow.

Veiled by Karina Halle

Veiled

VEILED by Karina Halle takes you into Ada Palomino’s life, Perry’s sister from the Experiment in Terror series. Here, Ada steps into the ghost-hunting world, where she faces more than just spirits. Amidst the eerie encounters, she falls into a romance that’s as unexpected as it is forbidden.

read this is you want:

  • Confronting inner demons
  • Ghost hunting
  • Forbidden romance

Death.
It’s something that Ada Palomino has always known so well, having grown up in a house of horrors, surrounded by a family plagued by ghosts and demons and things that go bump in the night.
But after the sudden and tragic death of her mother two years ago, death has never felt so personal.
Or so close.
Now eighteen, Ada is trying to move on with her life and the last month of summer holds nothing but sunshine and promises with her first year at a Portland design school just around the bend.
That is until her increasingly violent and realistic dreams, dreams of other worlds, of portals and veils where her mother is tortured and souls bleed for mercy, start to blend into reality. Ada has to lean on her older sister, Perry, to try and make sense of it all but even then, she’s never felt more alone.
Then there’s Jay. Tall, handsome and deeply mysterious, Jay would be just another stranger, a familiar face on the bus, if it wasn’t for the fact that Ada has met him before.
Every night.
In every single dream.
And the more that Ada is drawn to him in both worlds, the more she’s in danger of losing everything.
Including her heart.
And her very soul.

Amazon GoodReads
Song for the Dead by Karina Halle

Song for the Dead

Song for the Dead” throws Ada Palomino into a whirlwind of design school by day and demon slaying by night. Things get even more complicated when Jay, her immortal guardian and now ex, can’t be with her, and she’s stuck road-tripping to New Orleans with a friend she brought back from the dead. They’re both trying to mend broken hearts, but there’s a demon on their tail with a score to settle.

read this is you want:

  • Demon slayer in training
  • Supernatural road trip
  • Nail biting and scary

My name is Ada Palomino.
By day, I’m studying my ass off at design school in Portland, Oregon.
By night, I’m slaying demons and ghosts who have dared to slip through the Veil.
Or at least, that’s what I should be doing.
The problem is Jay, who also happened to be my immortal guardian and now ex-boyfriend, was banished from being with me.
And now my new trainer is a previously dead friend of mine that I helped bring back to life.
With both of us nursing broken hearts, we embark on a road trip to New Orleans to help him win back his long lost love.
As if that’s not tricky enough, we’re also being hunted by a demon with a grudge, and I’m not sure if all the training in the world is going to help me.
One things for sure, the more complicated our relationship gets, the scarier things become.
Whoever said love is a battlefield, never had to fight demons at the same time.

Amazon GoodReads

Experiment in Terror series fantasy cast

Dex Foray - Experiment in Terror series by Karina Halle

Dex Foray

Age: 32
Profession: Ghost Hunter/Cameraman/Producer on the internet series Experiment in Terror
Medical History: He is on meds for seeing things that aren’t supposed to be there. He practically rattles when he walks. If you throw in mood swings and a very chequered past he is the poster boy for poor mental health.
Appearance: 5’7″, dark hair and dark eyes. Dex isn’t typically handsome, but he is very compelling
Fantasy Cast: Daniel Bruhl

Perry Palomino Experiment in Terror series by Karina Halle

Perry Palomino

Age: 22
Profession: Receptionist….Daydreamer….soon to be TV presenter of the internet series Experiment in Terror
Medical History: She has a history of drug and alcohol abuse, You can add in a dash of crazy dreams and a tendency to see things other people can’t. Low self esteem due to perceived weight issues and her general weirdness
Appearance: Long dark hair and blue eyes, short and curvy. Her fasion choices usually involve leggings and band t-shirts
Fantasy Cast: Kat Dennings

Max Jacobs Experiment in Terror series by Karina Halle

Maximus “Max” Jacobs

When we meet him: Red Fox (Experiment in Terror #2)
Profession: Ghost Whisperer
How do we know him? Max is an old friend of Dex’s. He used to be in Dex’s band Sing Swing Sinatra. Max always shows up at the right (or wrong) time and there may be more to him than meets the eye.
Appearance: Max is big and broad with fiery red hair
Fantasy Cast: Toby Stephens

Ada Palomino Experiment in Terror series by Karina Halle

Ada Palomino

Profession: Ada is still in school and she runs a very popular fashion blog
Who is Ada? Ada is the younger sister of Perry. She doesn’t seem to have inherited any of her elder sisters paranormal talents, but who knows what can happen in the future?
Appearance: Ada is slim with long blonde hair and an awesome fashion sense
Fantasy Cast: Elle Fanning

Jennifer Experiment in Terror series by Karina Halle

Jennifer

Profession: Jennifer is one of the two presenters of the successful internet show called Wine Babes. Wine Babes pair cheap wines with cheap meals and fast food
How do we know Jennifer? At the start of the Experiment in Terror series Jen is Dex’s girlfriend. They met Wine Babes as Dex used to be the cameraman and producer
Appearance: Jen is tall, blonde, svelte and beautiful. And damn does she know it.
Fantasy Cast: Diane Kruger

Rebecca Experiment in Terror series by Karina Halle

Rebecca Sims

Profession: Rebecca is one of the two presenters of the successful internet show called Wine Babes. Wine Babes pair cheap wines with cheap meals and fast food
Relationship History: Rebecca is a lesbian and has just started a new relationship. She is all loved up and head over heels
Appearance: Dark hair, with a wicked 50s style, always perfectly dressed and perfectly made up.
Fantasy Cast: Sophie Ellis Baxter

In conclusion

Read it. It’s a horror romance genre that keeps you gripped from beginning right till the end. You have to know what is going to happen. Will Dex and Perry survive this time? Will they finally get together? You have to read on to find out!

Have we convinced you yet?

Can’t Get Enough?

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Updated on 15 September 2022

Sharing our love for books as Under the Covers Book Blog since 2011 and Romanceopoly since 2019. Books have the power to unite people and that is exactly what happened with us! Our love for books have brought us together and we’ve become good friends in a short amount of time. We “met” online through Goodreads and decided to share our passion of books with fellow book lovers.

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