You Only Get One Shot by Kevin J. Kennedy and J. C. Michael

This was a clever novella that not only showcased these two authors’ story-telling ability, but their short-story ability too.

Four authors are sent the most chilling email ever: my friend’s suicide was all your fault, so you will pay. Post a short story on the internet…the best story will mean its author survives. The other three, alas, won’t be so lucky. Cue four short horror stories. I’ll be honest, horror really isn’t my thing…I find myself doing some heavy-duty eye-rolling with this genre…but I did recognise very competent writing and actually found this rather good.

The totally unexpected final twist was an excellent ending. I’ll certainly look out for more work by these two authors—separately or together—as long, of course, it isn’t horror.

 

Beware the Night by A. Kale

This wasn’t a very long book—a novella, in fact, so imagine my surprise when I got to about seventy-three percent and I’d reached the epilogue. Good grief, I thought. This is going to be a mighty long epilogue. It wasn’t, of course. It only took up about two percent. The remaining twenty-five percent was dedicated to excerpts from other books (the author's). So I felt a tad cheated, if not just a little disgruntled by this.

That said, it’s not a bad YA horror novel. Horror isn’t up there amongst my favourite genres, but I did actually find myself rather glued to the pages. Adam and his father, Dr Alfred Novello, lead a rather nomadic existence, never staying in one town for very long. Crofton is where they find themselves, after the death of Adam’s mother. Their new apartment, Adam’s new school, his new friend, Macs, and an unpleasant group of bullies called The Ghosts all combine to make Adam’s arrival eventful, frightening, revealing and dangerous.

A few editing errors, yes, but on the whole quite well written. My reservations centre mainly on the somewhat stilted dialogue between Adam and Macs (who became BFFs incredibly quickly, I thought), and their lack of character development. If I had to describe either of them, I’d be desperately short of words. 

It was a slightly skinny story. It needed more meat on its bones. However, if you like horror and a quick read of a decently written shortish story, it won’t disappoint.

Buoyant Mary by Steven Stafford

I rather enjoyed this short story that falls under ‘horror’, despite the genre being quite a long way down my order of preferences.  I love it when that happens.  But…it isn’t the normally perceived type of horror.  It's a little bit different.

The story starts off with an air of being just a crime thriller, but there’s a subtle and clever twist at the end which leaves you thinking, ‘What was that…?’

Well-written and deftly constructed: the brevity of the story didn’t mean that any shortcuts were taken.  The portrayal of the main character was economically, but carefully executed and the well-chosen words gave you all the information required.

Well worth a half hour’s read.

When Darkness Falls by Robyn Porter

This was a chilling tale about a group of friends involved in a car crash.  The survivors are not those who receive the least injuries however………..the 'decision' on who lives and who dies is made by quite a different judge and jury……

A newly-graduated group of childhood friends deem a camping trip a good idea not only to celebrate the end of their college days, but also to help out one of their circle, Gwen, whose twin sister, Lisa, was tragically killed 12 months previously.  Gwen is not that keen, but decides that to agree is easier than trying to resist.  The journey in two cars to their campsite is cut short by a road accident with an oncoming car.  The driver of this car and the friends find themselves in a very strange hotel, owned by an even stranger man.  Incredulous at finding themselves with fewer injuries than the accident warranted, though grateful to their saviour, they are nevertheless keen to continue with their trip.  The weather, however, is too inclement to allow their departure and their host suggests they stay a little while.  He provides his guests with somewhere to sleep, food and rules…..rules they are to follow or bear the consequences.

Things are not quite what they seem, however.  It's hard to put the finger on the mystery of this strange hotel and while events take a sometimes violent and gruesome turn, the key to survival is actually quite simple…'Reap and you will sow'.

There was clearly a moral in this story – gluttony has its price – and it was illustrated in a chilling, original and gripping way.   The author portrayed most of the group of friends as slightly unpleasant characters, but this was necessary to convey the message. All but Gwen and her sister's ex-boyfriend are not friends you would particularly care to have, for example: Brittney is a rich kid who places little value on people and their feelings and has an easy-come-easy-go attitude;  Rachel is a dark and brooding character; Casey is Brittney's puppy dog boyfriend.

Just desserts are dished out and the ending is curiously satisfying.  The hotelkeeper's words provide lessons to be learnt: "When a person is hurt in such a way that their bodies are not yet dead, their souls come to me. It is then that you are logged in. While in my care, it is by the choices you make that determine if your soul may return or not."

Wise words if you want to stay out of trouble.  An enjoyable book.

The Eyes of the Dead by G R Yeates

Not my favourite genre at all, but it is evident that the author is a very gifted writer;  he has an outstanding command of the English language – his narrative is vivid, no detail is left to the imagination, the scene is set for you with every element described right down to minutiae and to complete perfection.

The story is set in the First World War – horrors of war alone are enough to shock, appal and disgust – but when three soldiers take refuge in a deserted, bombed church, what they find in the crypt is beyond a nightmare: it's chilling, frightening and abominable.  As you eagerly turn the pages, absorbing the rich, abundant vocabulary that depicts every imaginable horror, you are periodically suddenly stopped in your tracks when you are brought into the parallel of reality.

And just as you think you're on the even keel of real life when the scene shifts to a war hospital which houses the senselessness and destruction of war and the appalling physical injuries and mental torture of brave young men who fought for their country, you are plunged back into merciless vampire terror.

The ending is one you race towards.  The final curtain falls, not totally unexpectedly, but utterly satisfyingly.