All Things Deadly: Salem Stories by E.C. Hanson

 

Salem, Massachusetts. A town with a rich history of spirits and witches. It’s a place Adam Frost, a former paranormal investigator, never intended to visit again. But his teenage daughter is troubled and shows early signs of self-harm. Can the trip save their fractured relationship? Only time, and a haunted house, will tell.

All Things Deadly (Salem Stories) is Hanson’s debut horror collection. Surrounding the Frost storyline is a series of tales that utilize the coastal city to ratchet up the chills. Read if you dare.

I try not to compare or contrast authors or their story collections but the foremost thought in my mind after reading this is that it shares a similarity to Goblin by Malerman except that E.C. Hanson didn't forget to connect the stories together at the end.

The main story features a father and his  daughter who barely speaks to him on a road trip to Salem. There they will meet someone who used to be a friend but now seems to be a frenemy. Interspersed are short stories set in or around Salem with a diverse cast of characters, some of who will suffer grisly deaths, or cause the demise of others. There is some dark humor mixed in and some very bizarre situations.  In between these stories we head back to the father/daughter road trip and eventually reach their destination. The reason for this trip is bittersweet and may be what is needed to heal their broken relationship.

This was a quick read, perfect for October or really any time of year you're in the mood to visit Salem.

4 out of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy from the author with no obligation to write a review.

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Beyond the Veil by Mark Morris (Editor)

 

Beyond the Veil is the second volume in an annual, non-themed horror series of entirely original stories, showcasing the very best short fiction that the genre has to offer, and edited by Mark Morris. This new anthology contains 20 original horror stories, 16 of which have been commissioned from some of the top names in the genre, and 4 of which have been selected from the 100s of stories sent to Flame Tree during a 2-week open submissions window.

I love short horror stories. Anthologies are my addiction and I pick them up whenever I can. I read and enjoyed last year's anthology from Flame Tree Press  (After Sundown) and I was so excited to see that they will continue this annual tradition. This year's offering, Beyond The Veil may be even spookier and darker than the first volume.

The first story The God Bag by Christopher Golden is about a woman near the end of her days, who has managed to keep a secret from her family until now. It raises the bar pretty high for those that have to follow, and yet the majority of these tales managed to keep up the deliciously grim tone that blasts off from the beginning, leading us through a procession of the macabre.  Another story in the same vein was The Care And Feeding of Household Gods by Frank J. Oreto in which a happily married stay at home dad finds a bit of otherworldly help to get through his daily chores. I was holding my breath at the end of this one, afraid of where it was going to take me. Caker's Man by Matthew Holness was downright scary. A neighbor who has never bothered to introduce himself in the year since he's moved in suddenly becomes extremely pushy in very creepy ways. The Dark Bit by Toby Litt is a gruesome work of body horror not for the squeamish. For All The Dead by Angeline B Adams and Remco Van Straten takes place in a small coastal village where the women know that their men may not always return from the sea. This was suspenseful, sad, and spooky all at once. Away Day by Lisa Tuttle is about a woman who is always left out of everything, until at last she finds a place to belong. 

These are just a few of what for me were 5 star reads. If you enjoy short horror stories you are going to want to add this to your collection.

5 out of 5 stars

I received an advance copy from Flame Tree Press under no obligation to write a review.

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Contents List:

THE GOD BAG by Christopher Golden

CAKER’S MAN by Matthew Holness

THE BEECHFIELD MIRACLES by Priya Sharma

CLOCKWORK by Dan Coxon

SOAPSTONE by Aliya Whiteley

THE DARK BIT by Toby Litt

PROVENANCE POND by Josh Malerman

FOR ALL THE DEAD by Angeline B. Adams and Remco van Straten

THE GIRL IN THE POOL by Bracken MacLeod

NURSE VARDEN by Jeremy Dyson
IF, THEN by Lisa L. Hannett

AQUARIUM WARD by Karter Mycroft

A MYSTERY FOR JULIE CHU by Stephen Gallagher

AWAY DAY by Lisa Tuttle

POLAROID AND SEAWEED by Peter Harness

DER GEISTERBAHNHOF by Lynda E. Rucker

ARNIE’S ASHES by John Everson

A BRIEF TOUR OF THE NIGHT by Nathan Ballingrud

THE CARE AND FEEDING OF HOUSEHOLD GODS by Frank J. Oreto

YELLOWBACK by Gemma Files

Whisper Down the Lane by Clay McLeod Chapman

Inspired by the McMartin preschool trials and the Satanic Panic of the ‘80s, the critically acclaimed author of The Remaking delivers another pulse pounding, true-crime-based horror novel.

Richard doesn’t have a past. For him, there is only the present: a new marriage to Tamara, a first chance at fatherhood to her son Elijah, and a quiet but pleasant life as an art teacher at Elijah’s elementary school in Danvers, Virginia. Then the body of a rabbit, ritualistically murdered, appears on the school grounds with a birthday card for Richard tucked beneath it. Richard doesn’t have a birthday—but Sean does . . .

Sean is a five-year-old boy who has just moved to Greenfield, Virginia, with his mother. Like most mothers of the 1980s, she’s worried about bills, childcare, putting food on the table . . . and an encroaching threat to American life that can take the face of anyone: a politician, a friendly neighbor, or even a teacher. When Sean’s school sends a letter to the parents revealing that Sean’s favorite teacher is under investigation, a white lie from Sean lights a fire that engulfs the entire nation—and Sean and his mother are left holding the match.

Now, thirty years later, someone is here to remind Richard that they remember what Sean did. And though Sean doesn’t exist anymore, someone needs to pay the price for his lies.

Told on two timelines this story goes back and forth from a child of the 80s who became a media sensation after a psychologist "coached" him to recover memories that never happened, and the man he is today grappling with the guilt and consequences of the lies he told when he was five. 

This book has me trying to put myself in the shoes of younger readers. Would I have enjoyed this book as much if I was not old enough to remember the satanic panic of the 80s? If I were a younger person would I see a connection between the people who so wanted to believe that Satanists were munching on dead babies around every corner and the Qanon cult who believes that people are drinking the blood of children for political gain today? I just don't know the answer to that, because I do remember. I remember the media circus and my mother calling me to the tv to see various talk show hosts cashing in on the never ending parade of "satanic abuse survivors" and I remember we damned near believed it was real at the time. 

I can only give my own opinion, which is that this is a masterfully well written tale that will have you wondering whether guilt has caused Richard to lose his grip on reality or whether someone or something is out to get him.

5 out of 5 stars

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Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo

 

Andrew and Eddie did everything together, best friends bonded more deeply than brothers, until Eddie left Andrew behind to start his graduate program at Vanderbilt. Six months later, only days before Andrew was to join him in Nashville, Eddie dies of an apparent suicide. He leaves Andrew a horrible inheritance: a roommate he doesn’t know, friends he never asked for, and a gruesome phantom with bleeding wrists that mutters of revenge.

As Andrew searches for the truth of Eddie’s death, he uncovers the lies and secrets left behind by the person he trusted most, discovering a family history soaked in blood and death. Whirling between the backstabbing academic world where Eddie spent his days and the circle of hot boys, fast cars, and hard drugs that ruled Eddie’s nights, the walls Andrew has built against the world begin to crumble, letting in the phantom that hungers for him.

Andrew is getting ready to join his best friend, when he instead learns of his apparent suicide. Now everything Eddie owned belongs to Andrew except for the knowledge of what really happened. Andrew knew Eddie better than anyone else in the world and he is positive that he never would have killed himself.

It took me a while to get into this story. The pace was slow at first, although I was immediately knocked over by the depth of Andrew's grief at the loss of his friend Eddie. As Andrew moves into what was once Eddie's house and now belongs to him, I didn't really care for his inherited roommate Riley or really any of Eddie's crowd. They grew on me eventually and by the time I realized I was angry with Eddie for having shared what Andrew thought was private, I was pretty heavily invested in Andrew's search for the truth of what really led to Eddie's death and whether he really took his own life. There is a supernatural element involved but it felt secondary to Andrew's grief and repressed sexuality. If you enjoy a slow burn horror this is for you.

4 out of 5 stars

I read an e-copy through Netgalley with no obligation to write a review.

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