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Book Review: GabaGhoul: A Mafia Horror Anthology edited by Mark C. Scioneaux and M. Wesley Corie II

cover art for GabaGhoul: A Mafia Horror Anthology

GabaGhoul: A Mafia Horror Anthology, edited by Mark C. Scioneaux and M. Wesley Corie II

October Nights Press, 2025

ISBN: 9798315277019

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

Buy: Amazon.com

 

GabaGhoul is an enjoyable Mafia-themed horror anthology of short stories, and includes contributions from authors such as Brian Keene, Jeff Strand, Joseph Sale, Jessica McHugh, and JG Faherty, among others. It’s a good collection, but it is best read only a couple stories at a time, as the limited scope of the anthology does get a bit confining at times.

 

All the stories are written well, and the best part is these are not just “shoot em’ up-bang em’ up” stories of mobsters and repetitive gunfights, although there is plenty of shooting. Instead, most of the gunfire is reserved for the creature-feature style monsters that slash and stomp through the pages. Animated corpses put in an appearance, as well as vampires, and best of all, a DRAGON!

 

There is more to the book then just various Vinnies, Tonys, and Angelos getting shredded, though For example, the story “Daddy’s Girl” involves a monster, but its theme centers around a fun question: how do Mafia bosses react when their only daughter starts dating? “The Corpse Box” is a doozy that revolves around a foolproof way of dead body disposal, and “Now That’s a Spicy Meatball!” does a nice job putting a culinary twist on the standard revenge tale. There are other odd tales spaced throughout the book, a nice counterpart to the mob vs. monsters ones. For comic relief, and possibly the most fun, “Donnie’s First Whack” is a side-splitting laugher where everything that can go wrong during a standard murder, does go wrong. Overall, the book provides an entertaining grab-bag of organized crime chaos.

 

That being said, the book could have been improved by broadening out the nature of the crime families in it. All of them focus on the Italian style mob, whether this was by design of the editors or coincidental. While they make good characters, they start to seem like carbon copies after a while. How about some Russian crime groups? (they only put in an appearance as secondary characters in one story) Or some of the Mexican ones? A bit more variety to their activities might have been a good addition also. Most of the mobsters in this seem like they came out of either the movies The Godfather or Goodfellas, and they are usually doing the same thing: racketeering, truck hijackings, etc. A lot of what today’s mob does involves stunts like phone scams, cybercrime, and online gambling: a few stories that put a more modern twist on the traditional gangster stereotype would have been welcome.

 

GabaGhoul is a good anthology, but just a few minor tweaks could have pushed this book up to the next level.  Recommended.

 

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson.

Posted on November 14, 2025 by , Reply

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: The Rack: Stories Inspired by Vintage Horror Paperbacks edited by Tom Deady

Cover art for The Rack edited by Tom Deady

The Rack: Stories Inspired by Vintage Horror Paperbacks, by various authors

Greymore Publishing, 2024

ISBN: 9780990632771

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

Buy: Bookshop.org | Amazon.com

 

The Rack is a mixed bag.  That’s surprising, considering the pedigree of the authors involved, many whom I’ve read before.  There are some really good ones, but when the best one is a Stephen King one borrowed from his ’80s collection Skeleton Crew, that tells you something.  If you really want good ’80s style horror stories, track down the original ones from that era on Ebay,

 

The reason it’s a bit of a disappointment is that for the five or six really good ones, there are an equal number of clunkers.  The rest are somewhere in the middle: they provide some entertainment, but nothing you are likely to read again. The writing and ideas are fine, but most of them just don’t have any real “grab” to them.  Still, there are some that have plenty of zip,

 

“White Pages” is one of the best and most creative stories, illustrating how prank calling could go horribly wrong in the old days of rotary phones.  “Fuzzy Slippers” is straight, messy, ’80s-inspired lunacy, with yes, killer slippers, and a great twist at the end.  This one really captures the feel of the gory, free-for-all stories that marked some of the best ’80s horror.  “Blood of my Blood” may be the most unusual, with its blood-drinking health zealots.  Mixi them into a marriage ceremony with a groom who has no idea what type of family he’s marrying into, and you have a wonderfully dark humored story.  “The Keeper of Taswomet” and “Lips Like a Scythe” are solid, vintage-inspired monster mashups, with enough character interactions to keep the story humming. They’re not just focused on the monsters and carnage, although there is plenty of that too!  The best story, King’s “The Raft”, is one that doesn’t need to be mentioned; you already know how good it is.

 

As for the rest…again, this is strictly opinion.  There’s nothing lacking in how the stories are written, they just really aren’t page turners, which is my main requirement for a good short story.  Other readers may feel differently..

 

Bottom line?  If you want to read the best ’80s shorts, go back to the originals: they truly hit the mark.  King’s Night Shift or Skeleton Crew, Robert McCammon’s Blue World, or Clive Barker’s Books of Blood are all prime examples of what made the ’80s such a fertile period for creativity in the horror field.

 

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

 

Posted on January 13, 2025 by , Reply
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