Dark Screams: Volume Ten

Simon Clark, Clive Barker, Heather Herrman, Wrath James White, Marc Rains, Lisa Tuttle, and Kristine Kathryn Rusch unleash the terrifying truths behind love, loyalty, and obsession in a sextet of twisted tales presented by preeminent horror editors Brian James Freeman and Richard Chizmar.

BASTION by Simon Clark
The Bastion boys were the perfect soldiers: courageous in the face of a fearsome enemy, unwaveringly devoted to each other—and young enough not to ask any questions.

ON AMEN’S SHORE by Clive Barker
Beisho Fie and Rutaluka make their living off of legends and poems, fantasies and rumors. But on the shores of Joom’s harbor, they come face-to-face with the horrifying reality behind the myth.

THE WOMAN IN THE BLUE DRESS by Heather Herrman
Natalie moved to a small Minnesota lake town to relax, heal, and start a family. A chance encounter with a strange old woman shouldn’t change that—even if the woman has something Natalie would do anything to get.

SEVEN YEARS by Wrath James White
Every seven years, all the cells in our bodies regenerate, so we’re barely even the same person anymore. And yet we can’t change our past—or escape repercussions for the things we’ve done.

DARK WATER by Marc Rains and Lisa Tuttle
A chance meeting in a coffee shop. A smile shared over a book. They say the soul of a poet holds unseen depths . . . but certain truths are hidden for a reason.

THE TRENDY BAR SIDE OF LIFE by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
In a back-alley saloon, D tends bar for others like her. She’s been there since the night she stumbled in, broken and alone—just like the man who stumbles in tonight.



The first story "Bastion" by Simon Clark was my favorite, even though to me it was more of a Sci-Fi than a horror. It was also the longest story, taking up 49% of the book. A young boy is suddenly thrust into a strange and dangerous world where children are soldiers. He has no memory of how he got there or even what his own name is. It seems to be a world made up of only young boys, no parents, no memories, and deadly enemies to fight.

The Woman in the Blue Dress by Heather Herrman  was  more along the lines of the horror I was expecting. As Natalie is eating alone in a restaurant one night a strange woman intrudes on her dinner. She is quite insistent and seems to know more about Natalie than she would if this were really just a chance encounter. This was a spine tingler for me.

Dark Water by Marc Rains and Lisa Tuttle concerns another chance meeting, but this beautiful woman isn't exactly looking for love when she invites a stranger home from the coffee shop.


I received an advance copy for review.

The Tracker by John Hunt

Taylor is being hunted. A sinister shadow trails him playing a game of hide and seek. If Taylor is caught, a cruel death awaits him. There are rules for this game. To break them would mean dire consequences for Taylor and anyone close to him. Taylor must outwit and outlast the fiend for forty-eight hours.


Taylor is an overweight guy who mostly keeps to himself. He has no real friends to speak of and his time is split between work and taking care of his morbidly obese mother. When she passes away he is totally alone... or maybe not. There's a strange man in a fedora stalking him. A shadowy figure who likes to play games, and the stakes are life or death.
This was a fast paced gruesome tale with a really fun twist that I didn't see coming.
4 out of 5 stars.

I received an advance copy for review.

The Angry Ghost and Other Stories by Peter Spokes

A collection of spooky ghost stories and dark tales based on the classic style of horror/supernatural writing, The Angry Ghost and Other Stories introduces a return to classic form with a fresh perspective. A man journeying to Cornwall seeking a Ghost - and flowers, an obnoxious bully being welcomed to spend the evening at an old museum, and an author of fictional horror unable to take his friend seriously when he’s told of the Werewolf roaming around his village are just three of a collection that will have you reading with every light on.

The stories have a chilling undertone, a sense of unease without outright horror which is matched by its cast of characters that run the gamut from the ordinary to the undead. These characters share the same fate, a confrontation with something unearthly and should not exist - that is, except in a world where creatures of darkness can still, occasionally, break through. The book also features a mix of voices, from first person to third, and from past to present tense which keeps the pace fast, exciting and varied. With descriptive language, the tales bring with them an atmosphere not easily shrugged off.

“Ultimately, the storyteller weaves his tale of dark possibilities to coax out and into the light creatures that may occasionally intrude upon the living, but never encroach upon or breach the shield of safety of the listener. For the listener is always safe from ghosts…almost always.”
A Note From the Publisher
Born in 1961, Peter Spokes has dedicated his working life to a career in the servicing of electronic test equipment. His love of literature - particularly classical horror and supernatural authors - has inspired him towards the creation of tales that he hopes are of a similar ilk


This collection had a very old fashioned vibe to it (which for me was not a bad thing.) It felt more like a screen play and in my mind I could picture the roles that Vincent Price and  Boris Karloff  would have been pleased to portray..
It is overflowing with beautifully crafted tales, a few of which were reminiscent of Poe.
There is a little suspense and a lot of sorrow here. Tales of ghosts and those who mourn for them, and tales of the dead who mourn for the living. Some had more modern touches of humor (wait until you meet Tommy the Tumor)
Not all are ghost stories. There are some monsters, and stories that venture into fantasy (I have a new appreciation for Seagulls now.)  A few were just not my cup of tea but that is the joy of short stories, there is something for everyone so take what you like and leave the rest.
4.5 out of 5 stars from me

I received a complimentary copy for review.

Better Off Dead by Michael Fleeman

Better Off Dead: A Sordid True Story Of Sex, Sin and Murder

A frustrated, unhappy wife. Her much younger, attentive lover. A husband who degrades and ignores her. The stage is set for a love-triangle murder that shatters family illusions and lays bare a quiet family community's seedy secret world of sex, sin and swinging.


BETTER OFF DEAD, the latest true crime book from New York Times bestselling author Michael Fleeman, strips away the pleasant veneer of the Silver Lakes neighborhood in California's high desert to tell a shocking story about a headline-grabbing crime.


Sabrina Limon, a vivacious blond mother of two and part-time "sample girl" at Costco, is handing out free food samples one day when in walks handsome young firefighter Jonathan Hearn shopping for the station.


Their conversation leads to a flirtation that leads to a steamy affair that has them hooking up once and twice a week at her home, his home, and out in hidden spots in the vast Mojave.

Sabrina finds in Jonathan's embrace the love and understanding she lacks at home. To the outside world, husband Robert is a big tattooed teddy bear of a man, a hard-working railroad mechanic, loved by all. This gregarious couple seemed matched by their love of family, friends and good times.
But the partying had gotten out of control for Sabrina. There was boozing and wife-swapping and group sex. Once a turn-on, it now left Sabrina feeling debased, dehumanized, spiritually adrift. Robert won't talk about it, consumed by his work, boat, truck and porn.


With Jonathan showering Sabrina with poetry, gifts, religious insights and, of course, illicit sex, a devious plan is hatched; one hot August night Robert Limon is found dead of two gunshots in a pool of blood
False leads send police into dead-ends until a tip arrives from a most unexpected place. For Sabrina, it's a stunning betrayal that hurtles the case back to a perfect little place in the desert. With informants, undercover cops and wiretaps, investigators discover a romance fueled by lies and dangerous fantasies.
But are Sabrina and Jonathan merely covering up an affair? Or are they hiding a conspiracy that led to murder?

You may or may not recall this trial, it was not that many years ago. I do remember hearing a bit about it myself in the news. Happy family man Robert Limon was killed in cold blood while at work one day. His poor wife devastated, and left to raise their two young children on her own. But was she as lost and alone without her husband as she wanted to appear? Gradually the story spilled out, of the church going but hard partying couple who liked to get drunk and swap sexual partners on their weekend getaways. When Sabrina Limon went from stay at home mom to part time Costco sample girl she wasn't plotting to kill her husband. But sometime shortly after beginning a flirtatious relationship with a young fireman she met there, their ponderings on how nice it would be to have her husband out of the way transformed from fantasy to cold blooded murder. This was a fascinating fact based account of the events before and during the murder trial.
4 out of 5 stars
I received a complimentary copy for review