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To Hell and Back: An Anthology of Horror edited by Joe Mynhardt

Cover art for To Hell and Back edited by Joe Mynhardt

To Hell and Back: An Anthology of Horror edited by Joe Mynhardt

HellBound Books, 2024

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1953905871

Available: Paperback, Kindle Edition

Buy: Bookshop.org  |  Amazon.com

 

 

Horror anthologies continue to be very popular, maybe because they provide a good showcase for both known and unknown authors trying their hand at the short story form, which, in my humble opinion, is a harder challenge than novels.

 

Here are my favorite stories in this particular book.

 

“Fix Her”, by Jeff Strand, is a fabulous mix of horror and humor, starting with a corpse on a bed and ending up  in a general mess, while “Bunny”, by Gregg Stewart, is an offbeat tale featuring two babysitters fighting about their right to take care of a strange little girl. Kenneth W Cain contributes “Steel Horses”, a tense piece of fiction inspired to the famous “Duel”, but with a distinctive horrific outcome. The offbeat, very enjoyable “Get John Flagg”, by James Aquilone, features a man whom suddenly everybody is trying to kill. Guess why…

 

“The Copper Thieves”, by Nick Roberts. is a strong example of graphic horror, set in a cemetery where a family mausoleum hides more secrets than expected. “Our New Church”, by James H. Longmore, is a well-told yarn that revolves around the arrival of a new pastor in a small town and the unexpected, surrealistic consequences.

 

This is not just any horror anthology, it is a very good one and provides excellent reading material to genre lovers.

 

Reviewed by Mario Guslandi

 

 

 

Posted on May 8, 2024 by , Reply

Book Review: Those That Pursue Us Yet by Kyla Lee Ward

Cover art for Those That Pursue Us Yet by Kyla Lee Ward

Those That Pursue Us Yet by Kyla Lee Ward

Independent Legions Publishing, 2023

ISBN: 9791280713797

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

Buy:  Bookshop.org  | Amazon.com

 

Those That Pursue Us Yet is a pretty well-written but frustrating novella.  The wording is very good, and the descriptions and settings are well-done, but the plot feels like a bit of an afterthought, and the minimal dialogue doesn’t help move it forward.

 

Almost the entire book takes place in dreams, which is both good and bad. The good is that it allows the author to get away with some pretty wild things that aren’t possible in reality, but the bad is that it makes the whole story seem disjointed.  There are a lot of good set pieces, but it starts to seem like the story is done more for that purpose, as opposed to driving a narrative forward.

 

In the story, Wander and Madeline, patient and shrink, are two women caught in a weird kind of dream hell whenever they fall asleep, as they are pursued by an entity, Phobetor,  Unfortunately, there really isn’t any information given to flesh out Phobetor as a character. It’s simply there.  Both Madeline and Wander can manipulate their dreams to some extent, although they aren’t supposed to pass beyond some sort of metaphysical barrier, as that puts them in Phobetor’s range.  They have safe areas, symbols to link to different dreams, and so on. If it sounds kind of confusing, it is. The whole story is focused on brief moments of wakefulness spaced among numerous dream sequences, and it just doesn’t feel cohesive. More dialogue and keeping focused on the plot would have helped.

 

The author has talent: many of the dream sequences are really well written.  The beach scene of skulls was well done, and the sections in the catacombs beneath Paris were also excellent .  The story just needed the same amount of attention paid to the characters and the narrative as to the descriptions and settings.  This might have been something pretty impressive.  As it is, it feels more like an art piece that a select few will get blown away by, and everyone else will just not understand.

 

Bottom line: This will probably find a niche audience that regards it as brilliant, but other readers may want to skip this one.

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

 

 

Posted on April 30, 2024 by , Reply

Book Review: String Them Up by William Sterling

Cover art for String Them Up by William Sterling

String Them Up, by William Sterling

Crystal Lake Publishing, 2023

ISBN: 9781957133591

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition

Buy: Bookshop.org |  Amazon.com

 

For horror fans, books like this are cotton candy for the brain.  There’s nothing especially memorable in the story, but there’s enough in the 158 pages for the equivalent of a quick sugar rush.  It’s pure entertainment, enough to make reading it worth it. Think back to the 80s, when there were a LOT of horror books published that were uuite enjoyable, if not especially original, and you get the idea (although since then, the average page count has gone down and the sticker price has come up. Readers with Kindle Unlimited are in luck if they want to check it out).

 

Speed synopsis: a cop loses his family in a tragic accident, moves to a small town with secrets in its past,, joins the police force with old friend, messy murders happen, and mayhem ensuest.  The End.

 

There’s enough spice thrown in the story mix of this for the reader to keep the pages flipping:: one poor fellow is found hung in a tree by his torn out ligaments and tendons. The toymaker, an eccentric hermit, is the standout character, although the other players carry their parts fine in the narrative.  The best part is undoubtedly the dolls that appear throughout the book, whether they are hanging in trees or dismembering people.  Dolls are always creepy when used correctly, and the author uses them very well. They add a nice touch of cold air to the book, enough to make your skin crawl a bit.  And, when the dolls go to work on people with fishhooks and line… (shudders and hides under the covers)  Toss in a dose of small town politics and secrets and a dash of crystal meth, and you have a quick, entertaining read that is worth the few hours of time needed for the investment.

 

Bottom line: this won’t shatter your senses, but it will keep you involved and get the job done.  It’s worth a look.

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

Posted on January 31, 2024 by , Reply
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