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