Sebastian by P.D. Cacek

 

The son of a world-renowned photographer, Morgan Riley is familiar with his mother’s creative eccentricities. Having been the subject of one of her photographic series, he knows all too well how focused she can become with a new project. So he’s not overly concerned when his mother shows him her newest series that spotlights a small, featureless white plastic manikin the size of a two-year-old child that his mother has named Sebastian. However, as Morgan watches his mother’s obsession with the manikin grow, he begins to question her sanity and fear for her safety…

Morgan has always had a complicated relationship with his famous photographer mom. There is love there, but there is also the camera, always present and intruding on personal events and what should have been private moments.

Now suddenly, there is Sebastian, the manikin his mother claims is just for a series of photos but has become another intrusive presence in Morgan's life.

This was more of a psychological/family drama than the actual horror I was expecting.  Not to say it wasn't a good story although it did move a little slowly in the middle. It kind of bothered me every time the word manikin was used since it was specifically mentioned that it had been purchased at a children's clothing store that was going out of business, and to me that would be a mannequin which is what department stores use to display clothing and not a manikin which is what you get from a medical supply company to practice CPR and such. But that could just be my OCD kicking in. 

Anyway, it was a decent story in which an obsession leads to an unexpected outcome, but there are no scares involved.

3 out of 5 stars

I received an advance copy for review.

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Close to Midnight Edited by Mark Morris

 

An exceptional third book in the horror anthology series which Publishers Weekly highlighted as “Beautifully written pieces that lean into the intuitive and fantastic.”

Close to Midnight is the third 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.

This is the first time I have had a chance to sit down and read since before we moved to our new home. I'm so glad I picked this anthology to start with. I'm going to keep this short and sweet because we are still getting settled in here.

           This book contains stories by some of my favorite writers as well as some authors I was not familiar with. There are tales of the strange and spooky, darkly humorous stories, a bit of body horror, and even a thriller about revenge thrown in for good measure.

You will read about an easy cure for whatever ails you, A woman who just wants a break from her heavy load of responsibilities, A son caring for his father as the end of his life quickly approaches, bizarre neighbors, a remarkably affordable and effective home security system, and more. A few of the endings were more vague than I'd like but that is my only complaint.

Close to Midnight is an entertaining read for anyone who enjoys short horror stories.

4 out of 5 stars

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My thanks to Flame Tree Press.

Ghosts of Gannaway by Stuart R. West

 

Evil lives deep within the mines of Gannaway.

Born of hate, it preys on the miners, feeds off their superstitions. It gathers strength from the dead and drives the living insane. And it has survived for decades.

It's up to one man to put an end to the evil and lay the ghosts of Gannaway to rest, but can he allay his own fears and conquer his own demons long enough to get the job done?

Horror is and has always been my favorite genre, closely followed by historical fiction, particularly set in or around the Great Depression. Stuart R. West combines them both in Ghosts of Gannaway. Two great tastes that taste great together if you will.

Told on two timelines, this historical horror is set in a small mining town, where in the 1930s you could basically work in the mine or go hungry. Not that Gannaway paid well, greedy selfish man that he was. Tommy, the well respected boss of the mine wants safer working conditions for his crew, but there is more to fear than gas explosions or cave ins. There is the curse of the yellow eyed fever to contend with. Not all will believe in it but Tommy's wife Claire discovers the origin and hopes to put an end to it. The second timeline is in the late 60's when a scientist comes to test samples for pollution and contaminants. The mine is supposed to have been shut down by then, but something strange is still going on deep in the earth.

There are some genuine scares in this book, and I believe the dangers not only of mining but of attempting to start a union in those days was accurately portrayed. Another main attraction for me was the fierce love that Claire and Tommy share. Claire was portrayed as such a strong woman in a time when women's opinions did not count for much she was not afraid to speak up when she needed to. 

I loved these characters so much.

The ending was beyond perfect, I wouldn't change a thing!

If you are looking for a great story, not just scares but horror with some heart and soul this is it.

5 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Grinning Skull Press.

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Devil's Creek by Todd Keisling

 

GIVE US THAT OLD-TIME RELIGION

About fifteen miles west of Stauford, Kentucky lies Devil’s Creek. According to local legend, there used to be a church out there, home to the Lord’s Church of Holy Voices—a death cult where Jacob Masters preached the gospel of a nameless god.
And like most legends, there’s truth buried among the roots and bones.

In 1983, the church burned to the ground following a mass suicide. Among the survivors were Jacob’s six children and their grandparents, who banded together to defy their former minister. Dubbed the “Stauford Six,” these children grew up amid scrutiny and ridicule, but their infamy has faded over the last thirty years.

Now their ordeal is all but forgotten, and Jacob Masters is nothing more than a scary story told around campfires.

For Jack Tremly, one of the Six, memories of that fateful night have fueled a successful art career—and a lifetime of nightmares. When his grandmother Imogene dies, Jack returns to Stauford to settle her estate. What he finds waiting for him are secrets Imogene kept in his youth, secrets about his father and the church. Secrets that can no longer stay buried.
The roots of Jacob’s buried god run deep, and within the heart of Devil’s Creek, something is beginning to stir…



Jacob Masters was a child molesting cult leader who demanded human sacrifice in worship of his nameless god. Fire may be cleansing, but when the Church Of Holy Voices burned after the dramatic rescue of 6 children, the evil did not die. The 6 children grew up, and as children do, some flourished and some flailed. These days, some people think the old stories of Jacob Masters and his church are just  empty tales of the boogie man to scare each other with over s'mores around the campfire. Now that Jack Tremly has come home the town is about to find out there's more truth than legend to the old stories. I love small town horror, and Devil's Creek delivers it's share of villains among the few brave heroes. It's graphic and gory with huge helpings of anxiety inducing suspense, and supernatural terror. I would recommend it to all horror fans.

I received an advance copy for review


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TODD KEISLING is the author of Devil’s Creek, The Final Reconciliation, and Ugly Little Things: Collected Horrors, among other shorter works. He lives somewhere in the wilds of Pennsylvania with his family where he is at work on his next novel.