Midnight in the Pentagram Edited by Kenneth W. Cain

 As the clock’s pendulum steadily counts down towards the midnight hour, the growing scent of brimstone hangs heavy in the air. The universal symbol of all that is evil, the pentagram, or the inverted pentacle, has been carved in the hardwood floor. Its shape is often described as the goat of lust attacking the Heavens with its horns during the witches’ sabbat. Five obsidian candles flicker as the incantations begin. Who will be summoned during this unholy evening? Will it be Baphomet? Or Belial? Maybe even Lucifer himself? The roof timbers groan. Stressed plaster drops to the floor. The demon approaches, holding its ancient grimoire filled with evil stories, written in blood…and here they are.

From the depths of hell Midnight in the Pentagram has risen to entertain you with stories steeped in evil and simmered in fear. Demons frolic among humans, sometimes with their own purpose, or perhaps inadvertently summoned by middle school girls who never expected their ritual to wield such results. 

Demons are not the only beings looking to lead you astray, beware too the people who accept you into their twisted family when you are at your most vulnerable, such as occurs in one of my favorite stories in this book The Corn Maidens by Brian Moreland. I think I could best describe this as  Midsommar meets Dark Secret of Harvest Home but scarier. Father Macleod by Tony Tremblay was another of my favorites about a priest who attempts to rid his nephew of the demon that has possessed him. Another story of possession of a stranger type was Legion Cast Forth by Robert Ford in which demons are driven from their human hosts and into the swine belonging to Cletus the pig farmer. But Cletus is tired of this low paying deal and wants to strike a new bargain. Speaking of demonic possession Diminishing Returns by P.D. Casek takes a look at what may happen if a demon possessed someone with Alzheimer's disease.

Witches' Night by Owl Goingback was another of my favorites. When kids meet up in the cemetery with a spell book one night what could possibly go wrong?    The Other by Laurel Hightower was another possession story with a creepy twist.  Hellseed by Tim Curran was like a folktale, what happens when you bargain with witches and don't pay up? Babyteeth by Azzura Nox  begs the question, what could lead a mother to kill her baby? Was it only post partum depression? My Body by Wesley Southard features bloody good fun and delicious food with a dark side as one restaurant reviewer/critic discovers.  Discovering Mr Jones by Cameron Ulam is the story of  a junk hauling crew who discover an unexpected and unwelcome surprise in a hoarder's home . The Gods of our Fathers by Todd Keisling  Is the story of poor Mary who has lost her mother and does not belong in Christian school.

In Second Sight by Allan Leverone a blind woman has a most successful ocular transplant surgery and sees more than she ever wanted to, and perhaps more than she can stand.

All of these and more await you in the pentagram, enter if you dare.

5 out of 5 stars

I received an advance copy for review.

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