Nightmare Abbey 4 Edited by Tom English

Nightmare Abby 4 is a delight to behold. I'm going to confess something to you that I have never admitted in the bookish world before...

I often skim or skip the introductions to books. (I'm sorry but it's true.) But I never skip the introductions here because Tom English is a hoot in the Dear Abbey section, which tells you what to expect and is a damn sight clever in the process.

The artwork is gorgeous and every volume contains top-notch fiction, and of course, the stories are my favorite part but I also learn something new every time. Nightmare Abbey is informative as well as entertaining. This volume contains an interview with Paul Finch, in which is mentioned an old TV show from the 70's called Beasts. I had never heard of it before and I love all those old spooky series so I immediately had to search it out and grab a copy on DVD.

As for the stories I enjoyed them all, but the ones that stood out the most to me were Finding The Hollow Man by David Surface about the sole survivor in a group of kids who entered a cave 50 years ago. She has never told anyone the whole truth of what happened until now. You can be the first to hear it.

Another favorite was Devils of Lakeland by Paul Finch in which a man traces his deceased brother's last steps in an attempt to answer whether his death was a suicide or an accident. The answer he finds is shocking and unexpected. The ending shook me a bit.

Invasive Species by Helen Grant also deals with deceased relatives, this time as a woman who has been estranged from her father tries to reach him before his death. Finding out she would be too late didn't stop her but she would have been better off if it had. This was one of the creepier stories and not the first I have enjoyed by this author. I think it's time for me to look into her full length novels because she is adept at building tension and spine-tingly suspense.

The Brightest Heaven by John Llewellyn Probert a weekend writing course and a chance meeting lead two writers on a hunt for a muse. Consequences await.

Two couples meet by chance or proximity on their vacations in paradise in Get Away by Ray Cluley. You may have heard that beauty is in the eye of the beholder but in this story, the same can be said for the sea. Don't look too long or too deep you may not like what you see.

Last but not least in my favorites was Sundown In Duffield by Steve Rasnic Tem.This was a frightening and emotional story about a man with dementia who convinces his grandson to take him to visit his childhood home. He can't remember why he and his family had to flee but he should have stayed away.

If you like short horror stories, and learning about classic horror movies you may have missed, along with gorgeous still shots from the films and amazing artwork you need all 4 volumes of Nightmare Abbey.

My thanks to Dead Letter Press.

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