Calling back to the first entry in the Rewind or Die series, The Midnight Exhibit Vol. 1, Dead and Breakfast is a short story collection hiding within a novella. Eddie and Banksy arrive at a Bed and Breakfast after getting a flat tire, where everything seems just a bit...off. The proprietor entices them with a series of strange and increasingly more terrifying stories.

The strength in this quartet of stories is the range they span. The first story, “Cords”, is a tale that could fit neatly into Science Fiction, telling the tale of a dystopian future. “The Brace” uses a bit of surrealism to distort an abusive father-son relationship. An emotionally complex story that might be the strongest in the collection.

“The Weight of Nostalgia” sets up an unsettling feeling, keeping the reader a bit off kilter. It succeeds in the Twilight Zone-esque atmosphere, but didn’t work for me. “The Greyfriars Transcript” is another favorite from the collection, heavier with an atmosphere of dread than any other. It’s creepy and makes great use of sensory description.

Rather than a thin thread that links these stories, the overlying narrative gives us an intro, a few pages between each story, and a truly creepy culmination. Eddie and Banksy, who we check in on periodically, have their stories properly wrapped up rather than just being casual observers to the stories being told to the readers. This wasn’t my favorite entry in this series, but credit where credit is due. It took a concept, ran with it, and had some fun with it.