Bloody Good Horror
Edited by Theresa Scott-Matthews
This is a review I have written voluntarily and I received a copy of this anthology for free. The text was justified in a strange way in the .epub version I read, but it didn’t make it difficult to read. The stories were:
Fishing by Eddie Spohn — I liked the dark humour in this story. At first, I thought I had guessed the ending, but there was a twist after all.
The Scarlet Maple by John Ryland — This one could have done with more proofreading. I was impressed by the vivid description of Bradley’s comeuppance, but there wasn’t much backstory. I would have liked to know more about Scarlet and why he killed her.
Horrors of Howlett Manor by A. D. Graves -
This also needed more proofreading. At one point, there was a change from past to present tense which I think was accidental. The story was gripping and the narrative tone reminded me of something by Poe or Lovecraft, except for the grammatical errors. I liked the idea of the rhyme about crows instead of magpies.
The Death and Life of Doctor Hartford by Paul M. Clark - This one was well-written with excellently disturbing imagery. The main characters were easy to relate to and had convincing motives for their actions.
Stepmothers by Victoria Dalpe - This was also one of my favourites. I liked the way the author subverted the old tale of Bluebeard into something even more strange and unsettling, as well as sad. The relationship between Ariel and her father was odd and intriguing.
Marcy’s Diary by Gerry R Gray - This had almost tongue-in-cheek, surreal details. It reminded me of a Goosebumps story. The characters tended to say whatever they were thinking or feeling out loud, so the dialogue wasn’t always realistic. The author used a lot of adverbs.
The Ghost of Martha Brae by Robert Allen Lupton - This was a well-written story with a realistic setting. I could tell the author had done his research, but he used it in a subtle, unobtrusive way. There were a few run-on sentences.
Sweeter by Ariana Ferrante - This story read as if it was intended for children, and is a retelling of a popular nursery tale. I was confused as to why it had been included in a horror collection. By the end, I knew why!
The Way She Wrote by Janelle Seabock - This story was a monologue which was disjointed in the beginning, but soon drew me in and became ever more intriguing. It reminded me of Poe’s “Tell Tale Heart” and has a scene reminiscent of sleep paralysis, which is one of my obsessions.
Remnants of Worship by Marvin Brown - This was a strange story about the effects of a secret film that is supposedly the scariest one ever made. Cool idea. The characters were thoroughly believable and the twist at the ending slayed me (not literally, though there was plenty of slaying in the story.)
Confession by Lauren Jane Barnett - I loved the author’s turns of phrase and her vivid descriptions of what the main character was feeling, physically and mentally. I wasn’t sure I understood the reasons for the woman being locked up and tortured.
Treehouse by R. Wayne Gray - A criminal on the lam gets more than he bargained for when he decides to hole up in an old abandoned treehouse. I liked this story, especially because, (without giving any spoilers) it wasn’t certain what one of the characters wanted towards the end — whether it was affection or something sinister…
To My Beloved Cynthia, from Tanya by P. S. Traum - A story in the form of a letter, which is not something I often get to read. I liked the twist in the middle regarding what the main character is and what happened to her lover’s family. There were a lot of exclamatory sentences and rhetorical questions in this story, which added to the drama.
Breaking the Infinity Loop by Paul Lubaczewski - I don’t understand why this story is named Breaking the Infinity Loop. There isn’t any repetition of time in it. There are a lot of run-on sentences and it could have done with more proofreading. I found the motivations of the antagonist hard to believe, though I liked the idea of the murder being a reenactment of an older story.
Honeysuckle by J.A. Taylor - This was a good psychological horror tale. I was enthralled by this one and was disappointed when it ended.
A New Angle by Adam Armstrong - This had good usage of sensory descriptions (smells as well as visual details). I liked this one, especially Jude’s realisations about the other characters. His transformation at the end felt rushed, though.
A Crimson Portrait by D’Monic Boris Lee - This story didn’t have any scene breaks in it and needed more proofreading, though the story was absorbing and imaginative.
Strzyga: A Siren’s Tale by Spyder Collins - This was an interesting tale involving both witchcraft, siren song, and something like harpies. I liked the way the author mixed those elements.
Strange Fruits by Hugh McStay - This was another favourite. I loved the character of Nana Vash and Emily, and the putrid descriptions of Dennis had me both laughing and cringing. The idea behind the story put me in mind of “The Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti.
The Deception of Fairies by N. A. Battaglia - I loved the descriptions of the sky, light, and shadows in this tale. This one needed more proofreading.
Grandma by Kenneth Amenn - I liked the dark humour in this one. Zip and H reminded me of characters from an old Warner brothers cartoon. Grandma was simultaneously amusing, then plain disturbing!
Crust-acean by Craig Bullock - I liked this one for its zaniness as well as the horror. I don’t think I’ve ever read a story about pizza and murder before.
Public Display of Affliction by Davis Pratt - I liked the idea behind this story and the anti-hero was an intriguing character. The ending was a cliffhanger, which was frustrating, but only because I wanted to know what happened next.
Open Season by Tim Mendees - This was another tongue-in-cheek horror story that was Lovecraftian, which I liked.
Monk by Rizwan Asad - This one was simultaneously sorrowful and supernatural. I enjoyed how the author told the story and the imagery that was used, but I think the story ended too soon.
The Pond of Crawford House by Connie Lee - “The trees had learned an entire sinister language” - I loved the author’s phrasing in this story, the tale of the haunted house, and the protagonist’s horrific “nightmares”. I also found the character of Mrs. Crawford and her manic behaviour morbidly fascinating.
Said the Spider to the Fly by Paul Miller - Two men are lured to an abandoned warehouse by two femme fatales, only there’s a sticky twist at the end that made the story surprising.
Tracked by Shannon Hollinger - The author described the bodily sensations of fear vividly, and provided plenty of details to do with sound, smell and so on, which provided heightened realism.
You’ll Hear Her Knocking by Drew Nicks - I liked the character of Darius and his cat. I also liked the Lovecraftian elements. I wanted to know more about the strange girl, where she came from, and why she was tied in with the statue.
Casual Cruelty by J Louis Messina - What lengths would a bully go to in order to gain recognition from his victim? This story answers that question, and also has a supernatural twist to the ending.
Meet The Wife by Ken Goldman - This was the most depraved and unsettling story of the bunch. (For a horror story, that’s a compliment.)
Razor Blade Sandwich by Lamont A. Turner - I liked the idea of the artist who painted bizarre moments in a dull way. The twist at the end was perfect and devastating.
My Dreams Have Sharp Teeth by Carlton Herzog - This story had the best opening paragraph for a horror tale I’ve ever read. It also concerned weird dreams, which is another personal interest of mine. It was also Lovecraftian, which added a further je ne sais quoi.
Mr. Chocolate by Matt Martinek - Imagine Willy Wonka, but with an obsession with killing and dismembering dead bodies. This story was an unusual take on serial killing.
Paint by Numbers by Kevin Hollaway - Another one of my favourites. It was an unusual story with a mysteriously moving statue, odd paintings that were made of paint the like of which no one has ever used… a unique idea, and nice and grisly.