Oh, this one was fun.

I do warn you: if you're a content warning sort of person, there are all sorts of triggers here.

This a dark and violent story of good versus evil in a small town.

Now, I was a bit surprised by how quickly people accepted what was happening. I mean, if someone came to me with this sort of thing, I'd be skeptical. These folks just seem to immediately accept things. Otherwise, though, the story is eerie, our characters terrific, and our evil is iconic.

Definitely a good story!

A fine and entertaining story. Moves quickly. But in the end, it was predictable and the characters were not engaging enough. I would consider reading subsequent work by the author.

Another good read from Russell James! I hadn't expected to like Milo as much as I did, nor dislike the chief to the extent I did. Russell James did a great job with his characters, as he so well does. The mystery of the portal and the history surrounding it was well thought out. The story takes several good turns and I thought the ending was just what it should have been

4 Stars!

Russell James has not disappointed me yet. From the moment I was introduced to him with Q Island, I was hooked. The Portal promised to pack the same punch I found the first time I picked up one of his books so I looked forward to his latest offering.



A long time ago on a small island in Long Island Sound, the war for humanity raged although no one knew it. The time was right for the devil to try to take over the world and all that stood between him and world domination was a small band of god-fearing islanders. Now, 300 years later, the time is right again and a small black speedboat arrives on the island. Anyone who sees the driver, Joey Oates, is instantly struck by his evil presence. Oates is the devil incarnate, and his evil quickly spreads through the town of Stone Harbor. He is determined to succeed this time. First, though, he must find the portal.



Allie Layton had just returned to Stone Harbor to escape the past of a failed career and tragedy in Hollywood. Her ex-boyfriend, Scott Tackett, never left the island after taking over his father's business. The two begin to reconnect and discover the spark that once existed between them when all hell breaks loose. The two lovers now find themselves in a race with the devil and the prize is all of humanity. They may not survive the battle to start their lives new and, even if they live, the sins of the past that have to be dredged up may be too much for them to bear. Is there a future for Scott and Allie and all of mankind as well or will the devil have his day?



The Portal starts off with a bang, taking the reader into the past when the portal between the world and hell was last available, and it never really slows down. There is a little bit of character development following the opening chapter but only just enough to flesh out the story. Make no mistake about it: this is an action/horror novel and James knows what he is doing. It does not take long for the action to kick back in and then ramp up to a whole new level. The novel is sprint into terror as Allie and Scott face threats at every turn as they battle for the fate of the world.



I could not read this novel without thinking of another novel that I liked a lot as well: Needful Things by Stephen King. There are a lot of similarities between the two stories even though the premise is a bit different. James does a good job of capturing a small town feel to the story that keeps it almost simple even though it is actually a battle for domination of the world. This is not a bad thing. It keeps the story grounded and allows the reader to get into the narrative as it rockets along. This is what allows The Portal to shine. There is a lot of action and horror in the novel but there is also the simple heart of humanity that is beating beneath it all. This is very good stuff and further proof that James is a writer that deserves a wider audience.



I would like to thank Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for this review copy. The Portal is available now.

A new chapter in the eternal fight between good and evil.
This book has a plot like something taken from an action movie. It's got it all: good guys vs bad guys, explosions, magic, blood and violence, and some romance on the side.
As a book, however, it lacks something to keep a sense of suspense. The pacing is occasionally slowed by unnecessary scenes, whereas in other parts things seem to happen too quickly. Some characters felt somewhat amorphous, or made decisions/conclusions that were too neatly fitting into the plot. I also feel the witches were hard done by. For characters that should have had a staring role, they were effectively sexy window dressing.
Overall it's not a bad book for some escapism.

The Portal is a supernatural thriller which focuses on a literal portal to Hell. 300 years ago, a ritual to open the portal and bring the denizens of Hell to the surface in Stone Harbor was thwarted by some of the elders of the village. Satan, in the form of Joey Oates, has been waiting since then to get the chance to finish what he couldn't so many years ago. Two people, Scott Tackett and Allie Layton, once a teenaged couple in Stone Harbor, have reunited and are the town's only chance to stop Lucifer.
From the time Joey Oates landed and started trading favors, I was reminded of Needful Things by Stephen King. He oozed of malevolence, however nobody could refuse him. The author described the aura that came with him so well that I felt it.
The love story between Allie and Scott served to make them even more likeable, especially with their background of teen lovers. However, my favorite character of all was Milo, the policeman who helped them save the town. The character development of this book was done quite well so I got to bond with the characters early and know who I liked and disliked.
There was a very disturbing scene of pedophilia, which was quite graphic. As a parent, it was really difficult to read and this definitely may be a trigger for some readers.
This was my first time trying Russell James but I can tell it won't be my last. I truly enjoyed this book

Due to the pedophilia along with some very adult themes, this book should be read by adults.

I am a huge fan of Russell James's stories. The Portal showcases his particular brand of horror - supernatural, demonic and downright scary. Here we have a small island, and Lucifer in the form of a man called Joey Oates whose malevolence oozes out of him, leaving a trail of stinking sulfur and death in its wake. There are three hundred year scores to settle, witches, and souls that Oates has come to claim. In among it all is the portal...

The main characters - Allie and Scott - each have their challenges. Allie, in particular, has a terrible secret. But this is Stone Harbor, an apparently quiet little backwater, where almost everyone we meet has something murky in their past, or present, all of which adds to the compelling nature of this story. The author combines familiar horror tropes with his own original twists and creates lots of unexpected twists and turns that kept me glued to each page. Full of mystery, suspense, murder and the macabre, this is a perfect story for a dark night. Highly recommended.

There is so much I loved about this book. The depiction of the devil is creepy. The evil is well described and chilling. I loved the set up of Stone Harbor and it’s inhabitants. Allie and her addiction are well portrayed. Scottie was likeable. I loved Milo, the earnest young police man. There are lots of wonderful set pieces in this.
Unfortunately, the element that I liked best about this book is what ultimately led me to rate it three stars.
This is a book about good and evil. The evil is described very well, has rules and the people involved are believable. You can see the steps they took to get where they are. Five stars.
However, when it comes to the good, it’s ultimately disappointing.
The fact there are good people in the book, people willing to sacrifice themselves for others, who wish to stand up and speak the truth - yay! Five stars. I loved how the good people had their struggles too, and their temptations.
While the evil has solid world building, the good is a muddled mess of contradictions and inconsistencies. A major plot point in the novel doesn’t make sense.
I deducted one star each for both Allie and Scottie condoning different evil actions, with both supporting said actions because they meant the best.
There is also pedophilia in this book, which some people might find too disturbing to read about.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Portal

Would you make a deal with the devil to get what you want?


When I saw this book, I was intrigued because it reminded me of my favorite Stephen King book, Needful Things.


Allie Layton, tired of the L.A rat race, returns to Stone Harbor expecting a stress free new start on life. Allie rekindles her friendship with Scott Tackett, who runs his father’s hardware store. Joey Oates, man so dark and creepy that he could possibly be the Devil, also returns to Shore Harbor.

The story of lost love between Allie and Scott was a side story to the horror that was taking place in Stone harbor, which helps make them more lovable to the reader.

The author has developed a story about a small town with well-written characters. One thing I appreciated was that the characters were introduced early on in the book so that the reader can appreciate their development throughout the story.

There were a good amount of action scenes and carnage in the book. It definitely held my attention from beginning to end.

3..5

Even if it's well written the story didn't keep my attention and it fell flat.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Three hundred years ago, Satan's plan to open a doorway to Hell was thwarted. Now he's back to try again, and this time he's determined to succeed!

Being a resident of Long Island, I was excited to see that not only is The Portal set on Long Island, but the author is from Long Island as well! Taking place on a small, isolated island in the Long Island Sound, Stone Harbor becomes the battleground for a fight between good and evil.

The author does a great job setting up the premise and ratcheting up the tension as the story progresses. Populated with believable, well-written characters, Stone Harbor feels like a real place with a great small-town vibe. The reader can feel the terror as the town is slowly taken over by Joey Oates – the Devil incarnate – and his band of goons. The action is fast-paced, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat.

The story has a horror movie feel to it, and I could easily picture a Hollywood studio adapting this for the big screen. However, unlike Hollywood, the author successfully avoids several horror movie cliches; the narrative doesn't suffer from bad decision-making on the main characters' part, nor do we get the 'final girl' trope.

Allie and Scott were both compelling characters, and it was interesting to watch them come to terms with events from their past that had repercussions in the present. Given the story's outcome, I'd be interested to see what happens next to these characters and the little island of Stone Harbor.

Reminiscent of Stephen King's Needful Things, Russell James creates a believable story of small-town horror perfect for the Halloween season.

I wanted to like this book. The premise sounds awesome, right? The devil invades a small island town intent on opening a portal that will literally let hell break loose on earth, and a few brave townspeople must stop him.

But I could not get into this story. At no point did it hold my attention and make me anxious to know what happened next. In fact, at points I felt like it read more like a tactical manual than a story. SO much time is spent on what Oates (AKA the devil) and his goons are doing, details we don't need to know about characters we never feel any connection to.

And the pedophilia, child torture and killing stained the story from the beginning and turned me off from it. Like, hey, I get that it's horror but there's a line and this story crossed it. All it really made me want to do was go make sure my seven year old daughter was still safe in bed.

The book is written in such a way that we spend at least 2/3 of it following the (very detailed and time consuming) actions of the bad guys, seeing things from their point of view, and not nearly enough time following (and therefore caring about) the good guys.

I ended up having to force myself to sit and read this book each day with no real desire to do so. It may appeal strongly to others, but it just didn't do anything good for me.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley in return for an honest review.

Satan arrives on the island of Stone Harbor after three hundred years to resume his search for a portal that will allow him to reign over Hell and Earth. It falls to an unlikely trio to battle against imposing odds to foil his plans.


I hate to say it, but the antagonist stole the show in this book. Satan, in his human form of Mr. Oates, radiates pure power and menace at every turn. He’s not cool in the way Negan is in The Walking Dead, throwing out one-liners and outrageous statements. He’s more of a blunt instrument of evil, killing those who stand in his way and corrupting whoever he needs to in order to achieve his aims.

I gave The Portal five stars on Goodreads, even though it ended on a downbeat. The characterizations were excellent, with even the role players being given rational motivations for their behaviors.

Don't come expecting Lucifer as historically portrayed, nor witches practicing oneness with Nature. Lucifer here is still the deceptive Father of Lies, Collector of Souls, but he's stuck on Earth and not omnipotent. He needs assistance (!) and he only gets a chance at The Portal every three centuries.
Also these five contemporary witches are actually sorcerers. I empathize with the head witch's need to belong and her miserable early life. but the path she chose to power....not recommended.


Stone Harbor is a quiet island in the Atlantic, thirty miles from Long Island and from Massachusetts. A tourist haven in summer, the townspeople experience long winters, but they're survivors. Now the third century is up and Lucifer comes to town, expecting to open the Portal to his realm, from which he has been blocked. The founding families faced this in 1720; will their descendants be able to again stop him?


High gore level and obscenity/profanity, lots of violence. Some readers may find the choice of Lucifer as Antagonist to be offensive.

Allie Layton returns to Stone Harbor. She expects her return to be a great place to restart her life away from the pressures and rat-race of LA and Hollywood. Scott Tackett -- part of her past -- is there, too. He now runs his father's hardware store. Just as it appears they are going to rekindle their old friendship, a strange man comes to the island. Joey Oates. He's more than just dark, creepy and disturbing....he might just be the devil himself. And, he's there to finish a ritual that was interrupted 300 years ago. A ritual that will open the portal to hell.....

Oh my! This book definitely kept my attention from start to finish. The characters, plot and descriptions are well-crafted. This story has some rather disturbing elements and touches on some heavy topics -- rape, death of children, etc. But....if the devil was present tempting an island of unsuspecting people in preparation to open the gate to hell....bad, bad things would go down. So, definitely disturbing....but not overdone.

This is the first book by Russell James that I've read. I'm definitely going to read more! This story creeped me out! Very entertaining!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Flame Tree Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own. No deals with the devil were made in the writing of this review. Honest.**

I had high hopes for this book but for me it did not deliver. The Devil is back, turns up in a quiet town surely he would be in a busy metropolis just saying. This book is so busy, personally i think that this author threw everything into this story including the kitchen sink. The story was unbelievable, the characters were flat and why did the Devil spend so much time changing his wardrobe?. Another new author for me and I really hope his next book is better.
Thanks to Flame Tree Press and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

The premise behind The Portal is an easy horror grab - the devil has returned to open his doorway to Hell. It also flows with potential for a gruesome and wild ride, even if we never see the devil’s demons feast upon the Earth. He, alone, should be enough for carnage.

While there was a well-structured plot at play here, I didn’t care for some of the lead characters. Scott is fine and all, but Allie wasn’t someone I could attach to it in any manner (especially once you learn what it is she’s done in her past that haunts her). Despite her last act being the right move, it was still stained by some comments she immediately makes that I can’t even mention without causing spoilers. But, obviously, I didn’t like them. Luckily, I did approve of Miles, Oates (aka the devil), and his right hand man. Everyone else … meh. That being said, the supporting cast was just that - supporting, and not necessarily at the front of things. Allie was the main kink in the lead cast.

I also had issue with the child death and rape. This seems to be the “in” thing to do in entertainment right now, and I absolutely despise it. It’s one thing to mention a child being killed, and another to describe it and give unnecessary details. It’s exactly why we never returned to Perry Mason after its first episode, and why I’m scared to watch season two of The Alienist. All this kid butchering is making me sick. Again, I’m not saying you can’t kill a kid in a story - I think I’ve possibly done it - but don’t go into detail. Please! It immediately puts people like me off on a book. (Then again, this is horror, and horror is expected to shock you or, at least, make you feel uncomfortable in some fashion.)

Lastly (well, not really, but I’m going to wrap up things here), I found a lot of what was going to feel skin-deep. I wasn’t entranced, in other words. I never felt “hooked” or thought, I need to read at least one more chapter before I stop for the night! And yet, I didn’t feel like reading the book was a chore either. The Portal was, essentially, a middle of the road kind of book for me. There were about as many positives as there were negatives, creating a wash. I could have been better won over with an explosive ending - I don’t feel like we got that, really - but it is what it is. I wouldn’t advise anyone to skip this book, but I probably wouldn’t feel the need to recommend it either. The Portal was just solid, nothing special.

Flame Tree Press continues to release high quality reads with even higher quality authors in their stable. When I saw Russell had been added and that his book 'The Portal' would be coming out through them, I was so excited. Russell has also been amazingly kind and supportive to me and seeing him continue to succeed warms my heart.

If you've not read a James book before, there are a few things you should know going in. 1) Action. James likes to write fantastic action scenes. 2) Carnage. See #1. 3) Characters. Russell has a way of making characters feel like you've known them forever and that they may just be walking down the street outside your house this very minute.

What I liked: What if the devil hung out in your town and made a bunch of deals with the people? That is the basic premise of 'The Portal.' Lucifer himself was called forth many years ago and now he's back, wanting to cash in on debts owed.

James takes this idea and runs with it, creating a story filled with darkness, dread and some fantastic characters. We get introduced to them at the beginning, which allows the reader to truly know just who they've decided to take this wild ride with.

I loved Scott and Allie's characters, seeing where they came from, and how they arrived at their current situation, but the character of Oates, Mr. Satan himself was a barrel of fun. 

What I didn't like: In the afterword, James tells a quick story of running into an incredibly well dressed man one night while with a female friend. This random moment inspired this story and I think if this was offered up as a foreword rather than in the afterword, it would've made Oates seem all that more unsettling.

Why you should buy it: 'The Portal' was a ton of fun. James gives us everything that horror fans love and at the end of the book you'll have a smile on your face. I loved how James layered the story, especially with the unfinished ritual and the town's role in how things played out. Great stuff from a great author!

** This review will feature on Kendall Reviews! **

Short review - Fantastic novel and a great read!

Slightly longer review - Remember Needful Things, the Stephen King novel set in a small town where the devil provides you with trinkets you feel you need? Well, this novel begins reminding me of that a lot, however, segues into a race against time to stop Satan from opening a portal to hell. The characters are great,. the baddies are well thought out and the premise works. A one-sitting novel for me that left me devouring pages and really enjoying the concerns that things may not go so well for everyone! Definitely a recommendation for those who enjoy a little satanic panic with their horror.

The publisher, Flame Tree Press, never fails to provide readers something that you'll either be too happy can't exist in the real world and take things out of hand (Voodoo Heart by James Everson) or has been kept dormant in the minds of creative writers like Russell James.

Authors often shy away from writing the occult because often it gets executed poorly or there are too many things that just don't make sense, some authors even try to take the piss with their readers by describing something so outlandish that it's evident some substance or other was involved in the process.

The Portal is a great example of how things should be done and, not to give anything away, James has done an excellent job in ensuring that I personally won't ever dabble with the forces of hell in any form.