Chills and Creeps is another great collection of seriously spooky tales by Nick Clausen.

In this collection, Nick seemed to hit on many of things that really creep me out! One story specifically has already given me nightmares! (Bravo, Mr. Clausen!)

Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my review in any way.

Just like the first collection, each story in this collection was absolutely amazing. This time, when I picked up the collection, I didn’t stop reading until I had finished all eight stories. They were just SO good.

Yet again, I also loved that the author added a little authors note to the end of each story to share where the idea from the story came.

Babysitter – 5/5
Ugh I’m so glad I’m well past my babysitting years. What a terrifying tale. I always hated babysitting for people I didn’t know… this one was so eerie!

The Teacher from Outer Space – 5/5
Thinking teachers are from outer space is definitely a thought that I’m sure most kids have. I certainly had it! We had one teacher in elementary school that was realllllly odd. How scary to see the teachers team up against the student!

The Scarecrow – 5/5
Oh my gosh! This one needs an adaptation ASAP! This one is so scary!! Scarecrows are so spooky to me to begin with… but add witchcraft? That just screams “bad idea!”

The Well – 5/5
Another thing that totally creeps me out… a well. We had one in the yard of the house where I grew up and I was always terrified of it. This tale was terrifying. You could see the situation playing out as the boys walked to the house to try to find the well… but what happens later on will shock you.
Per the authors note, the creature in this one is a really myth figure. I’m NOT going to Google it! No way. I just think of that weird woman/bird thing that was circulating the internet and that gives me shivers. That thing got into my head and I had nightmares for weeks!

Master of the Crabs – 4/5
Eek! Crabs are certainly a little creepy. I love the idea of crabs being called by a bell! And what great payback! Phew!

Under the Ice – 5/5
Oh my gosh! I LOVE this story so much! It was so sad, but also so amazing and suspenseful! What a rotten woman!

Headless – 5/5
Eek! Such a great ghost story! And so brutal! I loved it!

Whiskers – 5/5
Ugh. Losing a dog is so difficult. That made this story tough to read because it was sad. However, the sadness didn’t last too long as the story was also quite unsettling!

My Final Thoughts:
Phew!! Another MUST-READ for fans of spooky stories. This would be a great book to add to your list for a read-a-thon as you will likely cruise right through it like I did! However, this collection would also be great to split up, reading one story per night.

Needless to say, I highly recommend checking this one out!

In Dead Meat: Day 2, the zombie outbreak has begun to spin out of control but thanks to two teenagers, they are trying their best to control the outbreak.

Can the virus be stopped before it becomes a full blown epidemic?

Full Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.

In Dead Meat: Day 1, we saw the beginning of the zombie outbreak. While Dan did his best to prevent the situation from leaving the single house where the outbreak began, they forgot about his sister, Jennie, who had been infected and was still in the basement…

In Day 2, we meet a teenager named Selina who has awoken to see a figure stumbling toward their back yard where a birthday party is happening. As police arrive at the house to ask about a teenager named Jennie Nygaard that has gone missing, Selina goes to warn them that Jennie is approaching their back yard, but that something isn’t right. Before the police can take proper action, Jennie attacks one of the children…

From there, we’re off and running with brutal intensity.

Day 2 seemed much more violent than Day 1 to me. This one reminded me more of The Walking Dead with the darkness of it, so of course, I absolutely loved it!

I love watching this storyline slowly unfold, but I’m also very antsy to see what happens on Day 3!

My Favorite Passage:
Selina is still pointing and staring at the window, unable to move or speak, trapped as though in a nightmare, everything suddenly moving painfully slow.

My Final Thoughts:
This was such a suspenseful tale! Once you pick it up and start reading, you won’t want to put it down.

I highly recommend this one, but make sure to read Day 1 first! And stay tuned, Day 3 will be out in December!

Act One, Scene One-Murder by A.H. Richardson is such a fun, old fashioned murder mystery!

This was the second book featuring Berry Beresford, Sir Victor Hazlitt, and Stan Burgess that I have read, Murder in Little Shendon was the first. So when I was asked if I would like to review another of A.H. Richardson's books, I agreed immediately!

I'm so sad that it took me this long to get to it, but I'm so happy that I've finally read it! This one certainly didn't disappoint!

Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.

My thoughts:
This one took me awhile to get through only because I picked it up at a very busy time in my life. It's one that I could have otherwise breezed right though! The story was so interesting right from the start, and it only got more and more peculiar as the three gentlemen dug deeper into the situation.

The writing style is so lovely! I'm just a sucker for the classic styled mysteries! This book was so humorous and the banter between the characters is so well-written. The descriptions of the people and surrounding areas were wonderful. And oh my gosh... the description of food made my mouth water!

I loved all of the little hints that were dropped throughout. I thought I had a pretty good guess at who the murderer was, but because of the wonderful writing from this author, I was also second guessing myself! Only once the three gentlemen laid it all out, did all the little hints and such finally fall into place.

This book certainly had a bit of a Clue-vibe going on, and of course I loved every second of it! I couldn't wait to learn more at the same time that the three gentlemen did to see if I could figure the mystery out myself!

The only slight negative I have to point out was that there were many formatting issues, such has missing quotation marks, extra punctuation like ";;" and other small things. But luckily it didn't take away from the overall reading experience.


My favorite passages:
Tantalizing aromas - fresh garlic, baking cheese and crusty baguettes, and wine - permeated the atmosphere, along with the hum of contented chatter from patrons.

"Life has a way of handing out just desserts; of that there is no doubt."- Kieron

Not to worry. A glass of champagne will doubtless serve to remedy the situation, as, indeed it is a remedy for most things, I have discovered.

"Yes, of course I'm all right. Just suffering from a bit of wounded dignity. Ouch!"-Berry

"Life has a way of handing out just desserts; of that there is no doubt."- Kieron

My final thoughts:
Bravo, A.H. Richardson! I cannot wait to read more of your work!

I would highly recommend this one to any mystery fan that doesn't mind a bit of drama and gossip!

The Horror Collection: White Edition by Kevin J. Kennedy is the perfect read for fans of horror and the Christmas holiday.

I mean... Christmas and Horror?! Come on. Sign me up!!

Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.

From paranormal-themed-spooky to real world terror, and from eerily creepy to horrifyingly gruesome, this collection has quite the variety of tales!

Each tale in this collection was wonderfully written and perfectly horrific. I just couldn’t get enough!

Per usual, here are my quick reactions and rating breakdowns for each story:

‘Twas the Night Before Yuletide by James Matthew Byers – 4/5
What a way to kick off the collection! This poem was a trip with an intense ending!

Christmas Eve by Mark Tufo – 5/5
Oh my gosh, I loved this one so much! Poor Devan… What a crazy tale, but so wonderful. I also loved the idea of Karma being an individual! That could certainly be another story itself!

The Advent of Father Hirst by Lex H Jones – 4/5
Eek! How scary! This story really came alive! With how well this one was written, I could imagine it all happening very vividly. I actually found myself picturing the church in my hometown that I would go to for bible school. Phew, I haven’t thought of the inside of that place in ages.

Santa’s Claws by Mark Allan Gunnells – 5/5
Spooky!! This takes the creep factor up a notch!

Santa’s Gift by Mark Allan Gunnells – 5/5
YIKES! What a little terror Susie is. What an ending!

White Oleanders by Steven Stacy – 4/5
Oooh! Take a bit of Christine by Stephen King, mix it with a bit of No Exit by Taylor Adams, then add a dash of Final Destination and you’ve got this tale! This was so terrifying and so wonderfully done!

Santa’s Elite by Mark Cassell – 4/5
Woah! What an interesting and spooky idea! Using the bits of ribbon to cut down on the population is such a terrifying idea!

A Christmas Story, 1985 by Amy Cross – 4/5
What an awesome ghost story!! I loved that it was centered around story telling! I wonder what the mans story would be about next year…

The Christmas Miracle by Chris Miller – 5/5
Oofh. The most horrifying tales are the ones that hit you with a gut punch. So heartbreaking but so wonderfully done.

Down the Bizarro Watering Hole by Kevin J Kennedy – 5/5
Woah!! This one was nuts! I loved the theme and the overall message. I hope everything worked out!!

My Final Thoughts:
I’m SO excited that this book was my first holiday themed read of the year. It was so much fun to read. I ended up forcing myself to put it down simply so I could drag it out a bit. I easily could have read straight through…

This collection certainly set the bar high for the rest of my holiday reads this year!

I cannot recommend this one highly enough to fans of horror, especially fans of holiday themed horror. Enjoy!

The Tale of Sawney Bean is a disturbing tale about family and doing what needs to be done, no matter what, in order to survive.

I had never heard about Sawney Bean before. After reading this tale I googled him… boy oh boy. When reading this, before you jump to calling this tale “vulgar,” you may want to read up on the lore that this story was based on!

This tale was wonderfully written! Once I picked it up, I didn’t stop reading until I had reached the end.

The story begins in the woods, where we meet our two main characters, Sawney Bean and Sarah. Sarah eventually tells Sawney bits and pieces about her life. It’s clear that she is not in a good situation, and neither is Sawney. One day, the girl announces something that changes everything.

The two end up running away from society and their troubles, and they hide out in a cave. They both seem very happy for a time, but then something else happens that changes things yet again…

From there, we’re off on a slippery slope of events that even though Sawney knows it’s wrong, he just can’t rise above it to change anything because of his love for Sarah and their family.

This tale had a strong element of suspense for me. At each stage, I couldn’t believe what happened and I was so nervous to see what would happen next!

Such a disturbing tale, but wonderfully portrayed in this novella!

My Favorite Passages:
People who have an easier route in life often think everything is straightforward for everyone else, but I knew better.

She had actually lived through all the horror that lead her to commit murder and here she was only a few hours later, her whole life changed forever and she was now finally getting a chance to rest and take a breath.

I wasn’t sure what life had in store for us or how long we even had left but I knew right then that I would do my utmost to spend as much of that time with her as possible.

My Final Thoughts:
If you enjoyed the 1977 film, The Hills Have Eyes, you’ll love this quick novella! I know I sure did!

Full Throttle by Joe Hill is an interesting collection of short stories that range from heartfelt to pure terror.

Per usual with most short story collections, there were some in this book that I loved and some that I didn’t like. The tales I did like, those are tales I’ll be coming back to!

The book began with a lovely introduction which held wonderful stories about Joe’s childhood with Stephen King, growing up around horror, and creating his own path.

From the intro I had to pick out this line that I loved:

The day ends so quickly, and the roads are so confusing, and there are things out there in the dark with teeth. To survive we might have to show some teeth of our own.

Then we dove right into the stories!

Throttle – 4/5
Phew! What an intense tale to kick off this series!

In this story we join a group of bikers that have just left a situation that took a turn that they weren’t expecting. Struggling with processing what they just experienced coupled with the tension between father and son, this crew is at their limit. When the hot-headed son talks openly in a parking lot and then throws his booze at a truck, he unknowing makes an enemy. Later, when the crew is riding, the trucker begins executing his revenge.

The gore in this one was rather quick, but intense! I totally flinched during one description.

Dark Carousel – 4/5
Oh Lordy! What is it about carousels that makes them so spooky?! This one exceptionally so… Phew what a dark and terrifying tale!

When the story begins we meet our four main characters. They are hanging around a pier while one member of their group finishes work. Afterwards, they all ride a carousel. The ride is intense but they all leave and head back to their car. When one character realizes she has lost her money, they try to go find it. When it can’t be found, one character remembers seeing a carnival ride worker reach into his pocket after helping one of them on the ride. But did he actually see what he thought, or was that just his beer haze getting the best of him? The crew goes back to get the money and then finally leaves. On their drive to a cabin is when the things of nightmares arrive…

Loved the little nod to NOS4A2 at the beginning of this one!

Wolverton Station – 2/5
The idea behind this one was interesting but it unfortunately didn’t keep my interest. I think that was mainly because I didn’t care for the main character in the slightest.

By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain- 4/5
Woah! I loved this one. This tale was about two kids that find a creature washed up on the beach. The two try to get their siblings to go get an adult to see what they found. While they wait, they brainstorm what they could do; sell it to PT Barnum or a museum. Either way, they can’t wait to get their photo in the papers and get a reward. But no adult comes until it’s too late…

Faun – 4/5
Phew! I really didn’t care for the beginning of this one because of the entitled characters. Seeing them hunt big game was wonderfully written but man, oh man, they were annoying.

But toward the end… I fell in love! I mean, a little door that opens to a different world where fairy-tales are alive?! Of course this crew would pay an wicked high amount to hunt the creatures here. And then once the line up for a shot… I couldn’t stop reading at that point. What an intense tale!

Late Returns – 5/5
Oh, I loved this one so much! This story is about a man that learns that both of his parents have passed. When he arrives in town to clean out their house, he finds an old library book. When he goes to return it, one thing leads to another, and before he knows it, he’s the new bookmobile driver! However, there’s something special about some of the patrons that come to check out a book…

This story was equally heartbreaking and heartwarming. I loved the idea behind it. This one needs an adaptation!

All I Care About Is You – 3/5
While I thought a lot about this tale was neat, I just can’t do the entitled brat trope anymore. I was so bummed that this story ended how it did as I thought we were finally getting somewhere…

This story was about a girl who isn’t going to get the birthday party she wants. On her way home, she puts a coin in a Clockwork, who she learns is names Chip. The girl and Chip go on an adventure, where Chip helps her fulfill her birthday wish.

I would love another tale about Chip and who he helped before this brat.

Thumbprint – 1/5
Nope, didn’t like this one at all. The idea with the thumbprints was creepy, but that’s all I enjoyed. The rest was not for me.

The Devil on the Staircase – 3/5
The format of this was very interesting!! I loved that it kept up as the boy climbed the stairs and then changed when his legs gave out. But then picked back up as he continued on. This was an odd little tale about hard work, jealousy, murder, and lies. I enjoyed it, but I wouldn’t read it again.

Twittering from the Circus of the Dead – 4/5
Woah, the format of this one was perfect for this tale. What a good idea! I love how simple the premise was but how dark things got at the end.

And then that ENDING!! Phew! I’ll never think of live Twitter feeds the same way again.

Mums – 4/5
This tale was about a family with all kinds of secrets. When we begin, we learn a tiny bit about the way the family operates. Then the mother is leaving the house with the little boy to go on a trip. During their “trip,” the father catches up to them. The boy is brought back home and the mother is brought to the police station.

Over the course of the story, we slowly learn more about the family history and what they’re plotting next. I couldn’t stop reading this one. I just had to know what would happen next! I loved this tale because it made you second guess everything.

In The Tall Grass- 5/5
This is a story that I actually bought separately. I LOVE this one. So dark...

You Are Released – 5/5
I feel like I’ve read this one before… or perhaps Joe Hill read from it at one of the sessions I saw him at.

This tale is about a bunch of different people aboard a flight. Halfway through they got news of a “flash” in Guam. As just a short amount of time passes, the situation has progressed in a way that has made the people on board go from upset and nervous, to full blown terrified.

This story is really terrifying.

Then book closes with story notes and acknowledgements. I love when things like this are included because I love hearing where the stories came from!

My Final Thoughts:
All in all, I did enjoy this one! There are a few stories I could have done without, but I really loved most of them. I cannot wait to see which of these get an adaptation on Creepshow! I hope it's more than just the one Joe mentions in the story notes!

Laughing at Shadows edited by Brett Reistroffer is such a great collection of tales that mix horror and dark humor perfectly. From the silly to the downright horrific, this book has quite the range!

This book comes out on March 3, 2020. It’s one you will definitely want to keep an eye out for!

Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book by the editor in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.

If you’ve been following me for a bit, you probably already know that things that mix horror and humor together are my absolutely favorite! So of course this collection was right up my alley!

This book is such a fun read. Each tale was wonderfully written and each certainly had me chuckling one minute… and then the next I would be reading as fast as I could to see what would happen.

Out of the twelve tales, only one of them wasn’t for me. Here are my quick reviews about each:

Introduction by Brett Reistroffer
A perfect introduction! This passage really set the book off on the right foot:

“So read on and enjoy stories of vengeful vegans, psychotic seahorses, and homicidal pistachios; just have some fun while doing it and remember that a good scare can be just as ridiculous as a good joke. After all, you can’t spell slaughter without laughter.”

Murder Sandwich by Skyler Goff – 4/5
If you were kidnapped and being held for ransom… What would your first words to your kidnapper be? “Where am I?” “Who are you?” “What do you want?” “Why are you doing this?” Well, the first thing that this character demands… is for a ham sandwich to be taken out of the room.

Oh my. What a miserable person! I couldn’t help but laugh at the intensity of her anger… and I will definitely chuckle whenever I see a ham sandwich from here on out! And phew, this tale took a bloody turn!

Overdue Notice by Andrew Johnston – 5/5
Oh my gosh, yes! This was perfect! I love that this story was set up in email format. The Paradise Gardens Public Library doesn’t mess around! If you have a late library book, this will make you want to run to return it immediately!

Bad Dates and Dragons by Alyssa Eckles – 5/5
Oh god, I do not miss dating. I was so nervous for this woman… Friends, don’t go home with creepy people you’ve just met!

I loved this story though! Especially how the woman got to throw things back in the dudes face, like all things she said earlier in the date when he wasn’t listening to her. Wonderfully done!

The Haunting of Peruvius Corcorat by George Nikolopoulos – 4/5
What an odd tale! And what fun! I loved the scene where Peru goes “ghost shopping.”

It Came from Mail Order by Eric J. Guignard 5/5
I was so excited when I saw this authors name! I had recently read his novel, Doorways to the Deadeye and really enjoyed it!

And this, tale… What an idea!! This one made me chuckle, but it was also quite spooky! The thought of the sea monkeys that you can “grow” at home always creeped me out to begin with… I did not see what happened next coming!

Captain Pistachio’s Charming Rampage by Jeff Strand – 4/5
Such an odd tale! This one had me cracking up until the moment it turned dark! What a switch!

Your Diabolical Baby by Santiago Eximeno
This one was not for me.

The Night Stockers by Sean Logan -3/5
Ah, the night inventory/cleanup shift… I so don’t miss that from my retail days. But this was an interesting one. I love the idea behind the infection. How spooky!?

Dying Art by C L Raven – 4/5
So unsettling! This tale will certainly make you think twice about buying things that are made from “authentic” products… The last paragraph, oh my goodness.

Tea Time by William West – 5/5
I loved this one! Anything about the magic of tea time is always a hit for me. I loved how clever this woman was!

All Aboard! by Brandon Butler – 3/5
Phew! What a premise. This one was action packed and quite gory.

Vlad’s Incorruptible Soul by W. T. Paterson – 3/5
Ending this collection with blood!

My Final Thoughts:
I had so much fun reading this. I’m so grateful that Brett sent me a copy! As soon as I finish typing this review up, the book will be headed straight to my new horror shelf!

If you’re a fan of humorous horror, you gotta snag this when it comes out! You won’t be disappointed.

Dead Meat: Day 3 by Nick Clausen is another addition to this awesome zombie series. This one was even more intense than the other two and much more gruesome!

I could not put this one down.

Full Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.

If you missed my reviews Day One and/or Day Two, or hadn’t read those two novellas yet, I’d recommend starting there before reading this quick review.

When the story begins, a young man named William is doing his job at the hospital when he hears someone scratching behind a door. Thinking it may be a dementia patient that managed to lock themselves in the room, he unlocks the door. On the other side is the gruesome scene where we left off on Day 2.

Over the course of Day 3… well, this line sums it up nicely:

If he’d still had a frail hope that the catastrophe could be somehow stopped, it dies in this moment.

I love that Nick Clausen weaves the story lines of the characters that will pay a role in the situation of the day and the overall series together! I was super curious to see where new characters, William and Millie, would wind up. Then when William and Dan crossed paths, I let out a little ‘Whoop!’ I really enjoyed seeing William and Dan meet and talk about the situation.

I also loved that we’ve added a dog to the mix! The scene where William was debating whether or not to go to his apartment for the dog named Ozzy, and then to have Iron Man come on the radio… Brilliant!

I was pumped when the dog came to the rescue at one point, but I’m still worried about how it bit one of the zombies… I hope it won’t be infected! Maybe there wasn’t enough blood transfer… *fingers crossed*

One more thing I wanted to make sure to comment on was how respectful William and Dan are when it came to Millie and waiting until she was conscious to ask her to check herself for scratches. That was wonderfully done!

Yet again, there’s a bit of a cliffhanger at the end, but it was perfect! I cannot wait to see what happens on Day 4!

My Favorite Passages:
If he’d still had a frail hope that the catastrophe could be somehow stopped, it dies in this moment.

As William stares at the scene, his head is suddenly drained of all thought. He can only sit there and glare in dumb amazement and horror, He realizes just how fast this thing will spread. How soon everything will turn to chaos. He had somehow naively figured that zombies had by now become a known phenomenon; that regular people would recognize the danger, they had watched at least a few fucking episodes of Walking Dead.

Her brain is still fighting to keep up. It feels like it can’t really update its software, like it doesn’t want to compute how everything has changed.

My Final Thoughts:
Day 3 was my favorite in the series so far! It was another super fun, but also wicked stressful read. I wanted to just scream at the random people that couldn’t comprehend what was going on and kept putting themselves in harms way.

I really enjoyed all the nods to and mentions of zombie books and films like Shaun of the Dead and The Walking Dead!

If you’re a fan of zombie tales, I highly recommend checking this series out!

I just cannot get enough Christmas horror this time of year!

Christmas Horror Shorts is such a wonderful collection of stories that range from the mildly spooky to full-blown terror.

Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the authors in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.

Per usual with these types of collections, here are my rating breakdowns for each story along with some immediate thoughts/reactions:

Forward by Nev Murray
A wonderful forward to jump start the book! I loved how honest Nev was and how he told the reader a bit about his personal life. I also really loved how welcoming this intro was!

Better Watch Out by Willow Rose – 4/5
This story hits on so many thoughts I’ve had over the years. The whole idea of Santa can certainly seem terrifying! I loved how this story played on that. And that ending…

Tommy’s Christmas by John R Little – 5/5
Poor Tommy! He was so innocent… but what a twist!

Naughty or Nice by Veronica Smith – 5/5
Yikes! How terrifying! Our neighbors have an inflatable Santa outside… we can see it from our bedroom. I’m going to be a smidge paranoid about that Santa now…

All Naughty, No Nice by Michael A. Arnzen – 5/5
Ever wonder what would happen to the naughty and nice list when zombies take over? This story covers just that! How spooky!!

Slay Bells by Weston Kincade – 4/5
Heartbreaking and so terrifying! What an absolutely horrible annual tradition. These poor people. The gore in this one was intense.

Santa’s Midnight Feast by J. L. Lane – 5/5
So intense!! This tale started out innocently, but then took quite the turn. I love tales like this!

The Christmas Spirit by Lisa Morton – 5/5
I loved that this one centered around a spooky house in the middle of nowhere and that the couple read from a book! What a scary tale! But also quite heartwarming.

Thy Will Be Done by J.C. Michael – 4/5
Yikes! Terrifying. And all in Gods name…

Psychopath Remix by J.C. Michael – 5/5
Phew! This turned dark very quickly!

A Tome of Bill Christmas Carole by Rick Gualtieri – 4/5
A fun twist in the usual Christmas Carol!

Christmas Market by Amy Cross – 5/5
This one made me feel so claustrophobic. That crowd does not sound fun. And what a terrifying situation! And what happens next?!

Deck the Halls by Xtina Marie – 4/5
A short but terrifying poem!

Merry Fuckin’ Christmas by Kevin J. Kennedy – 5/5
Oh my goodness! So heartbreaking, but what wonderfully intense payback. I have zero respect for people that think drunk driving is okay.

Santa Came by Peter Oliver Wonder –
Unfortunately, not for me.

Hung With Care by Ty Schwamberger – 5/5
Ah! Another intense and bloody one with one unhappy Santa!

Killing Christmas by Andrew Lennon – 5/5
What a twisted tale! I loved it!

A Disappointed Shade of Blue by C.S. Anderson – 3/5
A sad one. Oofh.

The Present by Israel Finn – 5/5
A difficult one to read because of the domestic violence. But that ending!

Christmas Carole by Lisa Vasquez –
Unfortunately I don’t think I understood this one. It started with a bang, but then it lost me. I’ll have to give it a re-read another time.

Stuffed Pig by Steven Murray – 5/5
Phew! That was intense and terrifying!! Right when the neighbor called to report someone luring about, I knew we were in for an intense ride.

The Last Christmas Dinner by Christina Bergling – 5/5
Ugh, what rotten and self centered kids! I felt so bad for this poor mother. But yes! What payback!

The Veil by Rose Garnet – 3/5
Oooh! Spooky! I’m so glad this dirtbag got was was coming to him.

The Night Before Christmas by Suzanne Fox – 2/5
Personally not a fan of the erotic elements of this one, but if that’s your jam, you’ll love this! This one was also quite brutal.

The The Bag by Tim Curran – 4/5
I kept picturing something like that book with teeth from Harry Potter for this one. Phew, what a dark and sad tale.

My Final Thoughts
This was such a fun collection!! If you enjoy horror and Christmas, you have to give this a read! This is yet another collection from Mr Kennedy that has a little something for every horror fan!

Remember when I put out a call for great werewolf tales? Found one!

Beast by Nick Clausen is a thrilling and mysterious werewolf tale with a shocking ending that I cruised right through!

This quick novella really packs a punch!

I really enjoy tales that seem pretty straightforward, but prove your thoughts wrong at the very end.

In this tale, I loved the two main characters, Connor and Hunter. Their bond was so wonderful. Just imagining a teenager walking around town with a very well behaved and unleashed Czechoslovakian Wolfdog paints a great picture!

This tale was a wonderful mix of mystery and murder. While short, the pacing was perfect and the plot had me totally immersed.

Thanks to the wonderful writing, this is a tale that really plays out in your head!

Beast is another novella by Nick Clausen that I would highly recommend to fans of YA Horror!