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Book Review: Samhain Screams edited by Greg Chapman and Cameron Trost

cover art for Samhain Screams edited by Greg Chapman and Cameron Trost

Samhain Screams edited by Greg Chapman and Cameron Trost

Black Beacon Books, 2025

ISBN: 978-0-9756118-2-1

Available: Kindle edition (pre-order release October 17, 2025)

Buy: Amazon.com

 

Samhain Screams is an anthology of Halloween and Samhain-inspired stories, focusing on the creepy and terrifying rather than the superficial aspects of this spooky time of year. Editor Greg Chapman, an Australian, brings a perspective distinct from the typical American experience of the season. It’s a strong collection, with plenty of hits and very few misses. Many of the authors have created atmosphere and suspense that will hook the reader and keep them on the line.

 

Favorite stories include Mia Dalia’s “The Last Pumpkin”, in which a horror writer encounters his biggest fan; DJ Tyrer’s “The Knock”, in which a mystery knocking in the narrator’s apartment building leads to disappearances; Matthew R. Davis’ “Hauntology”, which reveals the secrets of a shopping mall; Hannah Baxter’s outstanding ” The October Shadows”, in which a film studies student is taken over by an obsession with a 1922 horror movie that caused a disturbing riot at its only showing; Kevin M. Folliard’s “Vengeance of Halloween”, an entertaining nightmare about monsters going corporate and planning to take over the world in an ‘eternal October’;  Brian Moreland’s “Sweet Tooth”, in which Helen’s obsession with candy saves her from a serial killer; and C.E. O’ Conaing’s “The Hollows”, where three kids trick-or-treating in a newly-built development have a terrifying experience. The point of view character in this story was in a wheelchair, and her character development was great. The last story in the collection, S.B. Watson’s “The Day You Die’, won me over. I was glad I hadn’t skipped through to the end– it was a perfect “last bite”. Recommended.

 

 

Reviewed by Kirsten Kowalewski

Posted on October 8, 2025 by , Reply

Book Review: Hoffman’s Creeper and Other Disturbing Tales by Cameron Trost

 

 Hoffman’s Creeper and Other Disturbing Tales by Cameron Trost

Cameron Trost, 2012(Second Edition 2013)

ISBN:  9781468073331

Available:  Paperback, eBook(Smashwords, Kindle edition)

 

     Hoffman’s Creeper and Other Disturbing Tales is an interesting collection of short stories that focus on seemingly ordinary people doing seemingly ordinary things.  “Ordinary” does not last long, though, as evil twists out of them.  The first story, “Not To Be Read”,  takes place on a vacation in Scotland. Lightning and The Ritual both examine the lives of youngsters.  Groups of friends gather in “Hardwicke’s Fair Share”, “Party Trick” and  “Cockatoo Cabin”, discovering the nasties in their world.  An office worker pursues a rare LP in “Cathedral Man and The Rare Twelve Inch” as he haggles with a homeless man during rush hour.  The collection culminates with “Hoffman’s Creeper”, the story of a botanist, his rare creeping ivy and what it needs to thrive.

 This was a good collection.  The author covered a lot of variety in his subject matter with varying degrees of success.  Generally the language was descriptive, and the author did a good job at establishing the story worlds.  The characters had distinctive voices, and the plot lines were solid.  My criticisms would be more on specific stories as some of them left me flat. “Not To Be Read” had an anticlimactic ending; “The Butcher’s Window” failed to build suspense effectively; and “Patrick O’Malley” was too short to pull me in.  The progression of the stories started with the weaker ones at the start, and built to the best ones at the end.  Strong stories included “Beneath the Flowers”, which  made me think;”Cathedral Man and The Rare Twelve Inch”, which kept my attention– the environment felt real; and “Hoffman’s Creeper”, the strongest of the lot, nicely evil.  The author brought it together on this one.  Overall this was a strong collection and worth reading.  I have not read any of Cameron Trost’s work previously.  Recommended for adult readers.

Contains:  Sexual situations, incest

Reviewed by:  Aaron Fletcher

 

 

Posted on June 3, 2014 by , Reply