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Accidents Happen and Other Stories
A short story collection as relentlessly intense and darkly compelling as Batacan’s debut, the Filipino crime landmark Smaller and Smaller Circles
F.H. Batacan’s first novel, Smaller and Smaller Circles , was an instant classic when it was published in 1999, a masterpiece of Filipino crime that won the Philippine Book Award. In this, her second work of fiction, she gives us a far-ranging collection that explores the darkest corners of human experience, depicting with pitch black humor the systems of class and politics that her characters are trapped in, and the moments violence—accidental or otherwise—that can, at any moment, shatter their lives.
The driver for a wealthy family witnesses the aftermath of the disappearance of the family’s twelve-year-old son. A field investigator for the World Health Organization travels the world giving presentations about a biomedical enzyme that will lead to the extinction of the human race. And Father Augusto Saenz, the Jesuit priest and forensic anthropologist from Smaller and Smaller Circles , returns to investigate the murder of a woman whose secretive life holds the key to her death.
Sure to cement Batacan’s status as a crime writer of global status, Accidents Happen is a probing and relentless series of dark excursions into worlds where the smallest moments are infused with life and vibrating with menace, and death is always close at hand.
F.H. Batacan’s first novel, Smaller and Smaller Circles , was an instant classic when it was published in 1999, a masterpiece of Filipino crime that won the Philippine Book Award. In this, her second work of fiction, she gives us a far-ranging collection that explores the darkest corners of human experience, depicting with pitch black humor the systems of class and politics that her characters are trapped in, and the moments violence—accidental or otherwise—that can, at any moment, shatter their lives.
The driver for a wealthy family witnesses the aftermath of the disappearance of the family’s twelve-year-old son. A field investigator for the World Health Organization travels the world giving presentations about a biomedical enzyme that will lead to the extinction of the human race. And Father Augusto Saenz, the Jesuit priest and forensic anthropologist from Smaller and Smaller Circles , returns to investigate the murder of a woman whose secretive life holds the key to her death.
Sure to cement Batacan’s status as a crime writer of global status, Accidents Happen is a probing and relentless series of dark excursions into worlds where the smallest moments are infused with life and vibrating with menace, and death is always close at hand.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published March 11, 2025
41 people are currently reading
715 people want to read
About the author
F.H. Batacan
7 books195 followersMaria Felisa H. Batacan is a Filipino journalist and a writer of crime and mystery fiction. Her work has been published in the Philippines and abroad under the name F.H. Batacan.
She was a fellow at the 1996 Dumaguete National Writers' Workshop.
Batacan worked in the Philippine intelligence community and then became a broadcast journalist. She attended the University of the Philippines, where she pursued a master's degree in Arts Studies. In 1999 her manuscript, Smaller and Smaller Circles, won the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature Grand Prize for the English Novel. This novel was published in 2002 by the University of the Philippines Press. Although most Filipino English-language fiction works garner a single print run of only 1,000 copies,Smaller and Smaller Circles had been reprinted four times by the year 2006, for a total of 6,000 copies. The novel was one of the first Filipino works of crime fiction.
The novel also won the 2002 Manila Critics’ Circle National Book Award and the Madrigal-Gonzales Best First Book Award in 2003.
In 2008, she won 1st prize in the English short story category of the Philippines Free Press Literary Awards.
She was a fellow at the 1996 Dumaguete National Writers' Workshop.
Batacan worked in the Philippine intelligence community and then became a broadcast journalist. She attended the University of the Philippines, where she pursued a master's degree in Arts Studies. In 1999 her manuscript, Smaller and Smaller Circles, won the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature Grand Prize for the English Novel. This novel was published in 2002 by the University of the Philippines Press. Although most Filipino English-language fiction works garner a single print run of only 1,000 copies,Smaller and Smaller Circles had been reprinted four times by the year 2006, for a total of 6,000 copies. The novel was one of the first Filipino works of crime fiction.
The novel also won the 2002 Manila Critics’ Circle National Book Award and the Madrigal-Gonzales Best First Book Award in 2003.
In 2008, she won 1st prize in the English short story category of the Philippines Free Press Literary Awards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
June 4, 2025
Solid 5 stars. No notes.
March 31, 2025
frankly, felisa batacan, i’d read your grocery lists
i devoured this book, which gifted me one of those reading experiences wherein you forget you’re reading — it’s now maybe my new favorite short story collection with almost no misses (pretty rare for me to feel about an anthology!)
also if you’ve read smaller and smaller circles beforehand the payoff is quite good hehehe it has like… purposeful easter eggs/character comebacks unlike yung isa diyan na kakapublish lang din this month LOL (i am talking abt sotr)
i devoured this book, which gifted me one of those reading experiences wherein you forget you’re reading — it’s now maybe my new favorite short story collection with almost no misses (pretty rare for me to feel about an anthology!)
also if you’ve read smaller and smaller circles beforehand the payoff is quite good hehehe it has like… purposeful easter eggs/character comebacks unlike yung isa diyan na kakapublish lang din this month LOL (i am talking abt sotr)
July 2, 2025
F.H. Batacan’s new collection shows, paradoxically, that the things we think coincidental are in fact a culmination of systemic and oppressive gears that have long been turning. To me, the only “accidents” in these crime stories are the people being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Because if not this person, then someone else; the crimes themselves would unfold just the same.
What sets F.H. Batacan from your usual (Western?) crime fiction writer is that her stories are, in a way, less about the crimes themselves and more about the moving parts around it. Sometimes solving how the crime was committed felt tangential to the story for me. The primordial question is “Why?” and the answer is not what one normally gets from a Criminal Minds episode or a true crime documentary. The answer to that question necessitates another question and then another answer and another question, and so on. Even after you’ve closed the book, you’d raise your head and look at your surroundings with brand new eyes and ask “Why?”
All of that is what I find so admirable about F.H. Batacan ever since I’ve read her novel Smaller and Smaller Circles about eight years ago. I’m so happy to have read more of her stories in this new collection, and to have seen and listened to her in person last month at Fully Booked BGC and Book Nook Podium. It was an exception to the platitude to never meet your heroes. It was enriching and enlightening.
F.H. Batacan’s virtuosity in writing eye-opening stories that matter makes the stories no less entertaining, which crime or mystery enthusiasts might be looking for in this genre. I’ve let out at least one of the following in each story in this collection: an audible gasp, a “what the fuck?” or an “ewww.” Sometimes I just abruptly closed the book feeling disturbed. Another time, a story played out in a nightmare after I fell asleep reading.
Rather than an outlet to give justice on paper where there is none in real life, Accidents Happen serves as a reminder that this is the reality of the Filipino experience. Our remoteness, non-involvement from a crime does not entirely remove us as victims—or perpetrators by complicity. The least we could do as a people is to keep our eyes peeled and question the things that are not what they seem: whether it’s a sleepy town in the countryside, a child in conflict with the law, a balikbayan, a white guy on a wheelchair, or a poor family at a closed roadside eatery.
What sets F.H. Batacan from your usual (Western?) crime fiction writer is that her stories are, in a way, less about the crimes themselves and more about the moving parts around it. Sometimes solving how the crime was committed felt tangential to the story for me. The primordial question is “Why?” and the answer is not what one normally gets from a Criminal Minds episode or a true crime documentary. The answer to that question necessitates another question and then another answer and another question, and so on. Even after you’ve closed the book, you’d raise your head and look at your surroundings with brand new eyes and ask “Why?”
All of that is what I find so admirable about F.H. Batacan ever since I’ve read her novel Smaller and Smaller Circles about eight years ago. I’m so happy to have read more of her stories in this new collection, and to have seen and listened to her in person last month at Fully Booked BGC and Book Nook Podium. It was an exception to the platitude to never meet your heroes. It was enriching and enlightening.
F.H. Batacan’s virtuosity in writing eye-opening stories that matter makes the stories no less entertaining, which crime or mystery enthusiasts might be looking for in this genre. I’ve let out at least one of the following in each story in this collection: an audible gasp, a “what the fuck?” or an “ewww.” Sometimes I just abruptly closed the book feeling disturbed. Another time, a story played out in a nightmare after I fell asleep reading.
Rather than an outlet to give justice on paper where there is none in real life, Accidents Happen serves as a reminder that this is the reality of the Filipino experience. Our remoteness, non-involvement from a crime does not entirely remove us as victims—or perpetrators by complicity. The least we could do as a people is to keep our eyes peeled and question the things that are not what they seem: whether it’s a sleepy town in the countryside, a child in conflict with the law, a balikbayan, a white guy on a wheelchair, or a poor family at a closed roadside eatery.
April 22, 2025
Batak talaga magsulat si F. H Batacan #real!
11 short stories all set in the Philippines. These stories delve into the nature of evil.
Batacan's writing style really got me. Easy to read, but it has depth. Substance. She has a way of writing style where she slowly builds up the story line. Maybe a small detail foreshadowing where you will disregard it at first read, but when the last liner comes, it all makes sense. The boom factor is always in the last line. This writing style is what I really look for, be it in a poem or a novel. Huling-huli ni Batacan kiliti ko rito. Kaya binabalikan ko SASC e. It really makes you sit at the edge of your seat talaga.
Batacan will not state it explicitly in the story, but the details presented will be enough. You'll know, even deep down.
I've been waiting for this book's release since I finished reading/watching smaller and smaller circles. What I was really looking forward to was Fr. Saenz's future works after SASC. Gus Saenz's character really intrigued me. Mostly because he was kind of "glorified" on the fields that he chose (being a priest and a Forensic Anthropologist). That combination was really intriguing. Plus points na lang talaga na pogi raw siya and tall he-he. I was waiting for Fr. Lucero's appearance pero na-da.
Accidents happen, first story. Francis who is a 12-year-old child of a wealthy corrupt senator and drug addict mom. His complex relationship with everyone around him, including his gentle driver. Francis' story was what I really liked and pinaka na mind blown ako. I had to read the last few paragraphs a few times bago mag sink in. Yung last liners talaga mga favorite ko. I am conflicted whether I want to read the boy's future life or its better to leave it as it is. Let the mystery and curiosity drape over the whole story of that one intelligent 12-year-old boy who allegedly staged his death.>
Napaka raw and real din pagkakasulat doon sa story where Joanna and Tony appeared. It hits too close to home. Doon ko nakuha mga favorite quotes ko e.
"Promises to keep" wherein two past lovers meet again for a complete and different circumstances. It felt an awful like "Past lives" by Celine Song. The premises are similar, but also the story telling. I cannot pinpoint it exactly, but it was mostly because of the atmosphere, maybe.
Each story has unique plotlines and hindi mo talaga alam saan ka dadalhin ng story, but wherever it is, it will not leave you disappointed.
The story telling, the angst, the mystery, the noir-ness. I eat it up everytime.
11 short stories all set in the Philippines. These stories delve into the nature of evil.
Batacan's writing style really got me. Easy to read, but it has depth. Substance. She has a way of writing style where she slowly builds up the story line. Maybe a small detail foreshadowing where you will disregard it at first read, but when the last liner comes, it all makes sense. The boom factor is always in the last line. This writing style is what I really look for, be it in a poem or a novel. Huling-huli ni Batacan kiliti ko rito. Kaya binabalikan ko SASC e. It really makes you sit at the edge of your seat talaga.
Batacan will not state it explicitly in the story, but the details presented will be enough. You'll know, even deep down.
I've been waiting for this book's release since I finished reading/watching smaller and smaller circles. What I was really looking forward to was Fr. Saenz's future works after SASC. Gus Saenz's character really intrigued me. Mostly because he was kind of "glorified" on the fields that he chose (being a priest and a Forensic Anthropologist). That combination was really intriguing. Plus points na lang talaga na pogi raw siya and tall he-he. I was waiting for Fr. Lucero's appearance pero na-da.
Accidents happen, first story. Francis who is a 12-year-old child of a wealthy corrupt senator and drug addict mom. His complex relationship with everyone around him, including his gentle driver. Francis' story was what I really liked and pinaka na mind blown ako. I had to read the last few paragraphs a few times bago mag sink in. Yung last liners talaga mga favorite ko. I am conflicted whether I want to read the boy's future life or its better to leave it as it is. Let the mystery and curiosity drape over the whole story of that one intelligent 12-year-old boy who allegedly staged his death.>
Napaka raw and real din pagkakasulat doon sa story where Joanna and Tony appeared. It hits too close to home. Doon ko nakuha mga favorite quotes ko e.
"Promises to keep" wherein two past lovers meet again for a complete and different circumstances. It felt an awful like "Past lives" by Celine Song. The premises are similar, but also the story telling. I cannot pinpoint it exactly, but it was mostly because of the atmosphere, maybe.
Each story has unique plotlines and hindi mo talaga alam saan ka dadalhin ng story, but wherever it is, it will not leave you disappointed.
The story telling, the angst, the mystery, the noir-ness. I eat it up everytime.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2025
In the Filipino psyche, the phrase “accidents happen” is layered. It’s not just a casual way to brush off mistakes or misfortunes. Within the context of Filipino culture, it reflects deeper social attitudes shaped by history, faith, and survival. In F.H. Batacan’s Accidents Happen, the title itself plays on this tension: are these accidents truly accidental? Or are they symptoms of deeper, ignored violence in society?
Since reading Smaller and Smaller Circles, I have been yearning for more F.H. Batacan. Batacan’s writing is both evocative and sharp that captures the nuances of Filipino society while crafting universally resonant tales. Her ability to blend elements of crime, horror, and speculative fiction showcases her versatility and depth as a storyteller. Accidents Happen is a compelling read that offers both suspense and social commentary. Each of the 11 stories not only entertain but also provoke reflection on the pervasive issues of injustice and inequality. It does not have a single unremarkable moment. In Batacan’s world, violence lurks in every aspect, even in something harmless as a No. 1 pencil.
Since reading Smaller and Smaller Circles, I have been yearning for more F.H. Batacan. Batacan’s writing is both evocative and sharp that captures the nuances of Filipino society while crafting universally resonant tales. Her ability to blend elements of crime, horror, and speculative fiction showcases her versatility and depth as a storyteller. Accidents Happen is a compelling read that offers both suspense and social commentary. Each of the 11 stories not only entertain but also provoke reflection on the pervasive issues of injustice and inequality. It does not have a single unremarkable moment. In Batacan’s world, violence lurks in every aspect, even in something harmless as a No. 1 pencil.
February 6, 2026
5/5. This is my sign to read more books by Filipino authors!
July 14, 2025
You can also read my review here: The Paper Reels!
“Everybody’s got a heart beating under the floorboards. Everybody.”
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of story collections. Scroll just a little on my feed and you’ll see I’m always reaching for them: fiction, non-fiction, anything that hits. So when I heard about Accidents Happen, F.H. Batacan’s new crime fiction collection, I ran, not walked, to her book signing.
First of all, let it be known: I’m already a long-time Batacan fan. Ever since I read Smaller and Smaller Circles, I’ve been craving more from her. And at the same time, aching, really, because we need more Filipino writers in this genre. We need more.
〰️ Accidents Happen is made up of 11 deliciously dark, tightly crafted stories that orbit around a central theme: evil. Evil that lives inside people, that festers and for some, evil that waits. There were that stories made my skin crawl while others left me heartbroken, staring at the page thinking, “This is too real.” And that’s what makes it so good. It’s sharp, timely, and unflinching.
〰️ Batacan’s writing remains as precise and piercing as ever. She writes crime fiction with the grace of literary prose; there’s a quiet beauty in the way she lays down even the most chilling details. Her opening lines alone are enough to pull you under. She really is a master of the slow sting, and that’s a hill I will gladly die on.
〰️ In her acknowledgments, Batacan writes: “Evil speaks to what is already inside many of us, yearning to get out, just waiting for permission.” This collection explores exactly that. It shows you the evil, then dares you to ask why. Some stories answer. Others let the question linger and grow. Either way, it gets under your skin.
Here are my top 5 favorites from the story collection:
🚪Door 59
🌹Comforter of the Afflicted
🔪The Gyutou
🚲 Accidents Happen
✏️ No. 1 Pencil
Every story leaves its mark, subtle but lasting, the kind that lingers long after the last line. Batacan brings a lyrical sharpness to crime fiction that’s rare and powerful. I can only hope we don’t have to wait too long before she blesses us with more. 🤲
“Everybody’s got a heart beating under the floorboards. Everybody.”
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of story collections. Scroll just a little on my feed and you’ll see I’m always reaching for them: fiction, non-fiction, anything that hits. So when I heard about Accidents Happen, F.H. Batacan’s new crime fiction collection, I ran, not walked, to her book signing.
First of all, let it be known: I’m already a long-time Batacan fan. Ever since I read Smaller and Smaller Circles, I’ve been craving more from her. And at the same time, aching, really, because we need more Filipino writers in this genre. We need more.
〰️ Accidents Happen is made up of 11 deliciously dark, tightly crafted stories that orbit around a central theme: evil. Evil that lives inside people, that festers and for some, evil that waits. There were that stories made my skin crawl while others left me heartbroken, staring at the page thinking, “This is too real.” And that’s what makes it so good. It’s sharp, timely, and unflinching.
〰️ Batacan’s writing remains as precise and piercing as ever. She writes crime fiction with the grace of literary prose; there’s a quiet beauty in the way she lays down even the most chilling details. Her opening lines alone are enough to pull you under. She really is a master of the slow sting, and that’s a hill I will gladly die on.
〰️ In her acknowledgments, Batacan writes: “Evil speaks to what is already inside many of us, yearning to get out, just waiting for permission.” This collection explores exactly that. It shows you the evil, then dares you to ask why. Some stories answer. Others let the question linger and grow. Either way, it gets under your skin.
Here are my top 5 favorites from the story collection:
🚪Door 59
🌹Comforter of the Afflicted
🔪The Gyutou
🚲 Accidents Happen
✏️ No. 1 Pencil
Every story leaves its mark, subtle but lasting, the kind that lingers long after the last line. Batacan brings a lyrical sharpness to crime fiction that’s rare and powerful. I can only hope we don’t have to wait too long before she blesses us with more. 🤲
August 13, 2025
“Accidents Happen” – F.H. Batacan
I first read Batacan’s Smaller and Smaller Circles nearly a decade ago, so imagine my excitement when this new title popped up on my feed. I couldn’t run to the bookstore right away, but it instantly became my first Kobo-worthy purchase—and coincidentally, my book club’s (bookishmomsph) pick of the month. I wanted to get a head start before the chaos of life took over.
From the first few pages, I was reminded of why I love Batacan’s writing—sharp, immersive, and unafraid to confront the darkness. Spoiler alert: Saenz makes two brief appearances here, and it was a delightful little nod for fans.
Each story was a page-turner. They’re not for the faint of heart, but maybe I’ve read so much of the crime/mystery genre that I’m a little desensitized. The incidents—whether you call them crimes or accidents—are terrifyingly real, the kind of tragedies you know do happen in real life. Her scene-setting and mood-building still hit hard, pulling you straight into the atmosphere she crafts.
That said, a part of me wishes there had been a trigger warning list somewhere. But then again, maybe that would take away from the shock and immediacy of the stories. It’s a tricky balance.
I devoured this book in no time—and now I want a physical copy for my bookcase. If Batacan releases another, I’ll gladly do it all over again.
I first read Batacan’s Smaller and Smaller Circles nearly a decade ago, so imagine my excitement when this new title popped up on my feed. I couldn’t run to the bookstore right away, but it instantly became my first Kobo-worthy purchase—and coincidentally, my book club’s (bookishmomsph) pick of the month. I wanted to get a head start before the chaos of life took over.
From the first few pages, I was reminded of why I love Batacan’s writing—sharp, immersive, and unafraid to confront the darkness. Spoiler alert: Saenz makes two brief appearances here, and it was a delightful little nod for fans.
Each story was a page-turner. They’re not for the faint of heart, but maybe I’ve read so much of the crime/mystery genre that I’m a little desensitized. The incidents—whether you call them crimes or accidents—are terrifyingly real, the kind of tragedies you know do happen in real life. Her scene-setting and mood-building still hit hard, pulling you straight into the atmosphere she crafts.
That said, a part of me wishes there had been a trigger warning list somewhere. But then again, maybe that would take away from the shock and immediacy of the stories. It’s a tricky balance.
I devoured this book in no time—and now I want a physical copy for my bookcase. If Batacan releases another, I’ll gladly do it all over again.
May 14, 2025
After Smaller and Smaller Circles became a standout read for me, I was excited to dive into Accidents Happen. It made me so happy to see familiar faces like Father Saenz again. This anthology leans into crime, horror, and speculative fiction, all wrapped in Filipino atmosphere and grit.
Some stories absolutely haunted me. Gyutou was chilling in the best way, Road Trip was unsettling and eerily grounded, and Keeping Time hit a little too close to home with its pandemic theme. Batacan knows how to explore the darker corners of the human psyche while keeping it rooted in real-world issues like class, corruption, and violence.
That said, not all the stories stuck with me. A few felt a bit long, and as someone who isn’t the biggest fan of short stories, I did miss a sense of closure here and there. But when these stories hit, they really hit.
If you love layered, character-driven horror with a distinctly Filipino flavor, there are some real gems here worth savoring.
I scored them individually but overall, this was a 3.8 stars rounded off to 4.
Some stories absolutely haunted me. Gyutou was chilling in the best way, Road Trip was unsettling and eerily grounded, and Keeping Time hit a little too close to home with its pandemic theme. Batacan knows how to explore the darker corners of the human psyche while keeping it rooted in real-world issues like class, corruption, and violence.
That said, not all the stories stuck with me. A few felt a bit long, and as someone who isn’t the biggest fan of short stories, I did miss a sense of closure here and there. But when these stories hit, they really hit.
If you love layered, character-driven horror with a distinctly Filipino flavor, there are some real gems here worth savoring.
I scored them individually but overall, this was a 3.8 stars rounded off to 4.
July 26, 2025
4.5
Top 1 & 2 were my favorites, no contest. The rest, I had to think about. Best part was that you end up wanting more after every story. Biggest critique would be that some endings fell flat.
I want to particularly note that I had to stop reading The One Cry midway through to take a couple of deep breaths. The whole story felt like absolute torture.
My personal ranking:
1. Door 59 - I wouldn't
2. The One Cry
3. No. 1 Pencil
4. The Gyotou
5. Road Trip
6. Harvest
7. Promises to Keep
8. Accidents Happen
9. Comforter of the Afflicted
10. Original Sin
11. Keeping Time
Top 1 & 2 were my favorites, no contest. The rest, I had to think about. Best part was that you end up wanting more after every story. Biggest critique would be that some endings fell flat.
I want to particularly note that I had to stop reading The One Cry midway through to take a couple of deep breaths. The whole story felt like absolute torture.
My personal ranking:
1. Door 59 - I wouldn't
2. The One Cry
3. No. 1 Pencil
4. The Gyotou
5. Road Trip
6. Harvest
7. Promises to Keep
8. Accidents Happen
9. Comforter of the Afflicted
10. Original Sin
11. Keeping Time
August 4, 2025
Surprisingly good. My favorite stories were Original Sin, No. 1 Pencil, and Road Trip.
November 6, 2025
a very enjoyable, thought-provoking collection. all the stories were interesting in some way, but my favorites are Door 59, Harvest, and Road Trip.
4.5
4.5
June 28, 2025
An exceptional short story collection that are intertwined by one fact: no accidents happen. This one made me think not just about the stories in the book but also the untold crimes left hanging by a justice system filled with corruption.
December 11, 2024
This was an extremely strong short story collection with a mystery bent. Set in the Philippines, these stories explore acts of violence, mostly towards women as well as some definite different points of view (one of my favorites is from the POV of a beautiful kitchen knife). There is a recurring character, a forensic anthropologist, who is also a priest, and he's in the author's earlier book, Smaller and Smaller Circles. I can't wait to read that one as well.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
July 15, 2025
In the afterword to her first short story collection, Filipino crime writer F.H. Batacan made note of a certain kind of evil in our country, one that knocks on our doors, hangs up its hat, and breaks bread with even the best of us. Many of those in power count on this kind of evil: folksy, quotidian, and hinging on ‘pakikisama,’ on snagging the ‘kiliti’ of the masses. It GETS us, it knows us, and, Batacan cautions, it is perhaps already inside many of us, just biding its time.
Certainly, much of her anthology, ‘Accidents Happen and Other Stories’ doesn’t so much grapple with this evil as sit across from it and stare it dead in the eye. These are stories of crime, horror, and the supernatural, featuring those in high places who are used to insidiously striking fear and getting their way…and those in low places who are unable to extricate themselves from the jaws of impunity. Because let’s face it: we live in the Philippines, where, to quote writer Jessica Zafra, ‘nobody knows assholes like we know assholes,’ where monsters cloak themselves in the benign, where justice is as elusive as mercury, where more often than not, the very best we can do is bear witness and then tell the story.
There is some pretty gutting stuff in this book. These stories dwell in a place where impunity, avarice, and harmful lusts are the rule rather than the exception. And yet, to borrow a quote from 2000s TV show, ‘Angel’: “If nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do.” Because Batacan is also all about the small yet necessary justices, about the ones who persist in a deeply corrupt system. While she is greatly skilled at characterizing the lurking fiends among us, I laud her portrayal of the different shadings of beneficent people there still are. Some stories feature souls who intimately understand loneliness and stave it off with each other’s company; many center around those who choose to live fulfilling lives slowly and deliberately in a rushing world. I found it very heartening how she writes about ordinary bleeding-hearts in solidarity with the oppressed; deeply empathetic folk who bend the rules just to make things right. And lit like lanterns are her virtuoso characters with electric-impulse minds and abilities to connect the dots, geniuses who fortunately use their powers for the good that is so desperately needed in a country like ours.
There are some stories in this collection that could have been done better –they felt like unfinished trains of thought still poised on the edge of something. But Batacan’s more polished tales truly shone and left me mulling upon them long after the pages were turned.
My favorite stories in this collection:
Accidents Happen – a young boy struggling to keep his head up amidst the household dysfunction and filthy politicking of his parents, a sympathetic driver watching out for him, a longing to break free from the nastiness of it all…the ending to this one promptly set off many MORE stories in my head like fireworks. Now this how you start an anthology.
Just One Cry – Go-getter journalist Joanna and quick-minded photographer Tony set out to cover a story about a rape and murder in a small town, unearthing the dirty ministrations of a great many in the process. This one is a searing, sometimes disheartening look at how far some would go to shield the powerful who couldn’t care less for them. And yet, as Joanna says, “Maybe some people are still capable of telling the truth in this fucked-up country.”
The Gyotou – The life of a kitchen knife as it passes from the hands of one who deeply cares for it to one who abuses it, culminating in an act of violence. Batacan takes a real gamble with this one, but it pays off – the result is a narrative personification full of grit and polish, and a twisted and elegant comeuppance that was gruesomely poetic and gave me goosebumps.
Promises to Keep – my favorite of all the stories, about a woman who reunites with her ex-lover from years past to fulfill a mysterious promise she has made to him. Well, Batacan sure went for the emotional jugular on this one! I love how this story is suffused with the bittersweet ache of promises present and the would-have-beens of a love affair long past. It is quietly and achingly melancholic in an everyday sort of way, yet there is nothing at all commonplace about what this man has asked of this woman. There is a sense of the inevitable – these two are years and continents apart, yet only he could have asked such a thing of her, and only she could have done it for him. There’s a particular moment of elegiac intimacy towards the end that feels like a kick to the heart.
Original Sin – a man comes home to someone with whom he shares an unspeakable past, for which all their loved ones still quietly condemn them. There’s a song out there titled ‘Slow Dancing in a Burning Room,’ which is an apt description for the slow devolution of a relationship depicted in this story.
Road Trip – cops on the go enact violence on a small family and subsequently face dark and out-of-this-world consequences. It’s worth it to note that though is the final story of this collection, it is the ONLY one in which the police force really plays a vital role….and a malevolent role at that. Because let’s face it: more often than not, most cops are bastards. I needed some sweet vindication for the wronged party in this one, and boy did I get it in the most deliciously chilling way possible. And thus, ‘Accidents Happen and Other Stories’ ends on a gratifying flourish.
Certainly, much of her anthology, ‘Accidents Happen and Other Stories’ doesn’t so much grapple with this evil as sit across from it and stare it dead in the eye. These are stories of crime, horror, and the supernatural, featuring those in high places who are used to insidiously striking fear and getting their way…and those in low places who are unable to extricate themselves from the jaws of impunity. Because let’s face it: we live in the Philippines, where, to quote writer Jessica Zafra, ‘nobody knows assholes like we know assholes,’ where monsters cloak themselves in the benign, where justice is as elusive as mercury, where more often than not, the very best we can do is bear witness and then tell the story.
There is some pretty gutting stuff in this book. These stories dwell in a place where impunity, avarice, and harmful lusts are the rule rather than the exception. And yet, to borrow a quote from 2000s TV show, ‘Angel’: “If nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do.” Because Batacan is also all about the small yet necessary justices, about the ones who persist in a deeply corrupt system. While she is greatly skilled at characterizing the lurking fiends among us, I laud her portrayal of the different shadings of beneficent people there still are. Some stories feature souls who intimately understand loneliness and stave it off with each other’s company; many center around those who choose to live fulfilling lives slowly and deliberately in a rushing world. I found it very heartening how she writes about ordinary bleeding-hearts in solidarity with the oppressed; deeply empathetic folk who bend the rules just to make things right. And lit like lanterns are her virtuoso characters with electric-impulse minds and abilities to connect the dots, geniuses who fortunately use their powers for the good that is so desperately needed in a country like ours.
There are some stories in this collection that could have been done better –they felt like unfinished trains of thought still poised on the edge of something. But Batacan’s more polished tales truly shone and left me mulling upon them long after the pages were turned.
My favorite stories in this collection:
Accidents Happen – a young boy struggling to keep his head up amidst the household dysfunction and filthy politicking of his parents, a sympathetic driver watching out for him, a longing to break free from the nastiness of it all…the ending to this one promptly set off many MORE stories in my head like fireworks. Now this how you start an anthology.
Just One Cry – Go-getter journalist Joanna and quick-minded photographer Tony set out to cover a story about a rape and murder in a small town, unearthing the dirty ministrations of a great many in the process. This one is a searing, sometimes disheartening look at how far some would go to shield the powerful who couldn’t care less for them. And yet, as Joanna says, “Maybe some people are still capable of telling the truth in this fucked-up country.”
The Gyotou – The life of a kitchen knife as it passes from the hands of one who deeply cares for it to one who abuses it, culminating in an act of violence. Batacan takes a real gamble with this one, but it pays off – the result is a narrative personification full of grit and polish, and a twisted and elegant comeuppance that was gruesomely poetic and gave me goosebumps.
Promises to Keep – my favorite of all the stories, about a woman who reunites with her ex-lover from years past to fulfill a mysterious promise she has made to him. Well, Batacan sure went for the emotional jugular on this one! I love how this story is suffused with the bittersweet ache of promises present and the would-have-beens of a love affair long past. It is quietly and achingly melancholic in an everyday sort of way, yet there is nothing at all commonplace about what this man has asked of this woman. There is a sense of the inevitable – these two are years and continents apart, yet only he could have asked such a thing of her, and only she could have done it for him. There’s a particular moment of elegiac intimacy towards the end that feels like a kick to the heart.
Original Sin – a man comes home to someone with whom he shares an unspeakable past, for which all their loved ones still quietly condemn them. There’s a song out there titled ‘Slow Dancing in a Burning Room,’ which is an apt description for the slow devolution of a relationship depicted in this story.
Road Trip – cops on the go enact violence on a small family and subsequently face dark and out-of-this-world consequences. It’s worth it to note that though is the final story of this collection, it is the ONLY one in which the police force really plays a vital role….and a malevolent role at that. Because let’s face it: more often than not, most cops are bastards. I needed some sweet vindication for the wronged party in this one, and boy did I get it in the most deliciously chilling way possible. And thus, ‘Accidents Happen and Other Stories’ ends on a gratifying flourish.
March 23, 2025
The author of this wonderful collection of short stories may not be familiar to most U.S. readers, but that very well could change. F.H. Batacan is a Filipino journalist, musician and crime fiction writer currently based in Singapore. She won the prestigious Philippine National Book Award for her debut novel, SMALLER AND SMALLER CIRCLES.
ACCIDENTS HAPPEN does not have a single forgettable moment, and Batacan proves that she has complete mastery of the written word. Here are four stories that especially resonated with me.
“Accidents Happen”: The title piece is indeed memorable. This deeply layered tale begins with Domingo and Mario, who are driving a refrigerated van full of contraband meat out of Manila before they are met with a serious vehicular accident. A young boy named Francis will find his life forever changed by these events that are all but unrelated to him, except for fate. Batacan explores all facets of this story with fine results.
“No. 1 Pencil”: The death of a woman who allegedly fell down the stairs of her house becomes the initial circumstance that opens the door to a much deeper issue and a possible homicide at the hands of an unlikely suspect. Mrs. del Mundo was not liked by everyone, least of all her stepdaughter, Laya, a musical prodigy who is now completely deaf. This was not immediately discovered by the inspectors working on the case, but it was found out by the consultant they called in for help: Father Augusto Saenz, who also is the protagonist of SMALLER AND SMALLER CIRCLES. The truth is utterly chilling, and the cause of Laya's hearing loss and the ironic reference to pencils will stun even the sternest reader.
“Keeping Time”: In this horrific end-of-the-world story with a definite leaning towards science fiction, Mike Tejada from the World Health Organization is tasked with traveling the world to speak about the pandemic that will be the eventual doom of all life on earth. The water is permanently tainted, which causes every living being to die a painful death due to starvation. Mike himself has fallen from a top weight of 300 pounds to his current fit and trim self, but it’s just a matter of time. He meets a stranger, an attractive young woman who happens to be a journalist covering his speech, and they share some very philosophical, existential moments together.
“Original Sin”: This quiet, unassuming story leaves much to the reader’s imagination, but along the way it builds from a haunting past between the two primary characters that colors all of their current interactions. Grace has not seen Greg since each got married for the first time. Greg left their town after some unpleasantness and found work in the United States. But now he is back in his home country and trying to reconnect with Grace, for whom he always had a thing. Any reluctance she has about being with him is amplified when his cousin and her new husband appear on the scene to reopen old wounds.
There is something to be enjoyed and respected in each of these stories, enough to make me want to go back and read SMALLER AND SMALLER CIRCLES and wish aloud that F.H. Batacan does not wait so long between book releases next time around.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
ACCIDENTS HAPPEN does not have a single forgettable moment, and Batacan proves that she has complete mastery of the written word. Here are four stories that especially resonated with me.
“Accidents Happen”: The title piece is indeed memorable. This deeply layered tale begins with Domingo and Mario, who are driving a refrigerated van full of contraband meat out of Manila before they are met with a serious vehicular accident. A young boy named Francis will find his life forever changed by these events that are all but unrelated to him, except for fate. Batacan explores all facets of this story with fine results.
“No. 1 Pencil”: The death of a woman who allegedly fell down the stairs of her house becomes the initial circumstance that opens the door to a much deeper issue and a possible homicide at the hands of an unlikely suspect. Mrs. del Mundo was not liked by everyone, least of all her stepdaughter, Laya, a musical prodigy who is now completely deaf. This was not immediately discovered by the inspectors working on the case, but it was found out by the consultant they called in for help: Father Augusto Saenz, who also is the protagonist of SMALLER AND SMALLER CIRCLES. The truth is utterly chilling, and the cause of Laya's hearing loss and the ironic reference to pencils will stun even the sternest reader.
“Keeping Time”: In this horrific end-of-the-world story with a definite leaning towards science fiction, Mike Tejada from the World Health Organization is tasked with traveling the world to speak about the pandemic that will be the eventual doom of all life on earth. The water is permanently tainted, which causes every living being to die a painful death due to starvation. Mike himself has fallen from a top weight of 300 pounds to his current fit and trim self, but it’s just a matter of time. He meets a stranger, an attractive young woman who happens to be a journalist covering his speech, and they share some very philosophical, existential moments together.
“Original Sin”: This quiet, unassuming story leaves much to the reader’s imagination, but along the way it builds from a haunting past between the two primary characters that colors all of their current interactions. Grace has not seen Greg since each got married for the first time. Greg left their town after some unpleasantness and found work in the United States. But now he is back in his home country and trying to reconnect with Grace, for whom he always had a thing. Any reluctance she has about being with him is amplified when his cousin and her new husband appear on the scene to reopen old wounds.
There is something to be enjoyed and respected in each of these stories, enough to make me want to go back and read SMALLER AND SMALLER CIRCLES and wish aloud that F.H. Batacan does not wait so long between book releases next time around.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
March 22, 2025
4 1/2 Stars
The name of the author of the wonderful new collection of crime short stories, ACCIDENTS HAPPEN, may not be one familiar to most U.S. readers but that could very well change. F.H. Batacan is a Filipino journalist, musician, and crime fiction writer currently based in Singapore. She won the prestigious Philippine National Book Award back in 1999 with her very first novel, SMALLER AND SMALLER CIRCLES.
ACCIDENTS HAPPEN does not have a single forgettable moment and Batacan proves throughout that she has complete mastery of the written word. Here are some of the stories that particularly resonated with me:
• ACCIDENTS HAPPEN – the title story and first of the collection is indeed memorable. This deeply layered short tale begins with two men named Domingo and Mario, who are driving a refrigerated van full of contraband meat out of Manila before they are met with a serious vehicle accident on the road. Their unfortunate event bisects the life of a young boy named Francis in unexpected ways. Young Francis will find his life forever changed by these events all but unrelated to him except for fate, and Batacan delves the depths of this with fine results.
• NO. 1 PENCIL – the death of a woman who allegedly fell down the stairs of her house becomes the initial circumstance that opens the door to a much deeper issue and a possible homicide at the hands of an unlikely suspect. Mrs. Del Mundo was not liked by all, least of which her stepdaughter, Isa. Young Isa was a musical prodigy who is now completely deaf. This was not immediately discovered by the Police Inspectors working on the case, but it was found out by the consultant they called in for help --- Father Agusto Saenz, who was also the protagonist of the novel SMALLER AND SMALLER CIRCLES. The truth is utterly chilling and the cause of Isa’s hearing loss and ironic reference to pencils will stun even the sternest reader.
• KEEPING TIME – in this horrific end-of-the-world tale with a definite leaning towards science fiction, Mike Tejada from the World Health Organization is tasked with the role of traveling the world to speak about the global pandemic that will be the eventual doom of all life on earth. Our water is permanently tainted and that has permeated every facet of life on earth by causing every living being to die a painful death via starvation. Mike himself has fallen from a top weight of three hundred pounds to his current fit and trim self, but it is just a matter of time. He meets a stranger, an attractive young woman who happens to be a journalist covering his speech, and the two share some very philosophical, existential moments together.
• ORIGINAL SIN – this quiet, unassuming story leaves much to the reader’s imagination but along the way builds from a haunting past between the two primary characters that colors all of their current interactions. Grace had not seen Greg in a very long time before each of them were in their first marriages. He had left their town after some unpleasantness and found work in the United States. He is now back in his home country and trying to rekindle things with Grace, for whom he always had a thing. Any reluctance she has about being with him opens wide when his cousin and her new husband appear on the scene to reopen old wounds.
There is something to be enjoyed and respected in each story within ACCIDENTS HAPPEN, enough to make me want to go back and read SMALLER AND SMALLER CIRCLES and wish aloud that F.H. Batacan does not wait so long between fictional releases next time around.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
The name of the author of the wonderful new collection of crime short stories, ACCIDENTS HAPPEN, may not be one familiar to most U.S. readers but that could very well change. F.H. Batacan is a Filipino journalist, musician, and crime fiction writer currently based in Singapore. She won the prestigious Philippine National Book Award back in 1999 with her very first novel, SMALLER AND SMALLER CIRCLES.
ACCIDENTS HAPPEN does not have a single forgettable moment and Batacan proves throughout that she has complete mastery of the written word. Here are some of the stories that particularly resonated with me:
• ACCIDENTS HAPPEN – the title story and first of the collection is indeed memorable. This deeply layered short tale begins with two men named Domingo and Mario, who are driving a refrigerated van full of contraband meat out of Manila before they are met with a serious vehicle accident on the road. Their unfortunate event bisects the life of a young boy named Francis in unexpected ways. Young Francis will find his life forever changed by these events all but unrelated to him except for fate, and Batacan delves the depths of this with fine results.
• NO. 1 PENCIL – the death of a woman who allegedly fell down the stairs of her house becomes the initial circumstance that opens the door to a much deeper issue and a possible homicide at the hands of an unlikely suspect. Mrs. Del Mundo was not liked by all, least of which her stepdaughter, Isa. Young Isa was a musical prodigy who is now completely deaf. This was not immediately discovered by the Police Inspectors working on the case, but it was found out by the consultant they called in for help --- Father Agusto Saenz, who was also the protagonist of the novel SMALLER AND SMALLER CIRCLES. The truth is utterly chilling and the cause of Isa’s hearing loss and ironic reference to pencils will stun even the sternest reader.
• KEEPING TIME – in this horrific end-of-the-world tale with a definite leaning towards science fiction, Mike Tejada from the World Health Organization is tasked with the role of traveling the world to speak about the global pandemic that will be the eventual doom of all life on earth. Our water is permanently tainted and that has permeated every facet of life on earth by causing every living being to die a painful death via starvation. Mike himself has fallen from a top weight of three hundred pounds to his current fit and trim self, but it is just a matter of time. He meets a stranger, an attractive young woman who happens to be a journalist covering his speech, and the two share some very philosophical, existential moments together.
• ORIGINAL SIN – this quiet, unassuming story leaves much to the reader’s imagination but along the way builds from a haunting past between the two primary characters that colors all of their current interactions. Grace had not seen Greg in a very long time before each of them were in their first marriages. He had left their town after some unpleasantness and found work in the United States. He is now back in his home country and trying to rekindle things with Grace, for whom he always had a thing. Any reluctance she has about being with him opens wide when his cousin and her new husband appear on the scene to reopen old wounds.
There is something to be enjoyed and respected in each story within ACCIDENTS HAPPEN, enough to make me want to go back and read SMALLER AND SMALLER CIRCLES and wish aloud that F.H. Batacan does not wait so long between fictional releases next time around.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
November 28, 2025
It was no accident that I picked up FH Batacan’s latest release, Accident Happens - after all, her novel Smaller and Smaller Circles has been sitting on my shelf, gathering dust, for years now. Something about critically acclaimed works always made me want to buy them but also intimidated me from picking them up immediately.
Enter Accidents Happen, a short story collection exploring the moments of violence in the country, particularly against women and children. Ironically, I soon realized, none of these stories are actually accidental or coincidental. They are rather products of a long-established history of violence and corruption with systems of oppression meant to keep the poor, the weak, the marginalized, where the people in power need them to be — in the margins.
And this is what I admire about Batacan’s work — not once does she explicitly say that. It is, however, woven into the characters’ stances, the tired way they carry themselves, the blame they shoulder, beating themselves up over a justice system that fails its people. She writes it in downward spirals of frustration with beats of hope, endings that may not really be happy, but reflects the reality in our country where justice is not only blindfolded but also crippled and with a gun to its head — ones that are not entirely satisfying, but thank god it’s over, my heart can rest now.
These stories feel very real, familiar, set in places close to me (literally), with characters so fleshed out in a matter of a few pages that I believe they’d be in the national databases if I cared to look. I suppose that is the point — these are real people, real stories, and it can happen to anyone.
Batacan’s experience as a journalist really shines through in this dark collection, lending credibility to the scenes, the emotions, the actions of the characters, giving us crime stories set apart from Western crime fiction in that it is not just about the crime itself, but also the systems in place that guided the hands of the perpetrator in driving the killing blow.
Enter Accidents Happen, a short story collection exploring the moments of violence in the country, particularly against women and children. Ironically, I soon realized, none of these stories are actually accidental or coincidental. They are rather products of a long-established history of violence and corruption with systems of oppression meant to keep the poor, the weak, the marginalized, where the people in power need them to be — in the margins.
And this is what I admire about Batacan’s work — not once does she explicitly say that. It is, however, woven into the characters’ stances, the tired way they carry themselves, the blame they shoulder, beating themselves up over a justice system that fails its people. She writes it in downward spirals of frustration with beats of hope, endings that may not really be happy, but reflects the reality in our country where justice is not only blindfolded but also crippled and with a gun to its head — ones that are not entirely satisfying, but thank god it’s over, my heart can rest now.
These stories feel very real, familiar, set in places close to me (literally), with characters so fleshed out in a matter of a few pages that I believe they’d be in the national databases if I cared to look. I suppose that is the point — these are real people, real stories, and it can happen to anyone.
Batacan’s experience as a journalist really shines through in this dark collection, lending credibility to the scenes, the emotions, the actions of the characters, giving us crime stories set apart from Western crime fiction in that it is not just about the crime itself, but also the systems in place that guided the hands of the perpetrator in driving the killing blow.
February 1, 2026
What’s guaranteed in this reading experience is that, as a reader, you become aware of how powerless you actually are in an oppressive system, especially if you are a woman in a semi-colonial country where the justice system is deeply flawed and its biggest criminals are those in power. At the very least, in Batacan’s world, there’s the accompanying moody, smoky, melancholic feel of noir—cinematic, like those in detective dramas, with a figure walking along empty streets.
My curiosity lies in the recurrent use of the characters from “Smaller and Smaller Circles,” particularly Father Augusto Saenz, a religious male figure, and Joanna Bonifacio, a female journalist, who repeatedly investigate the aftermaths of crime and whose characteristics appear transferable to real-life figures. Batacan’s characters possess rich inner dialogues that depict intimacies grounded in familiarity, allowing us to easily imagine ourselves in their shoes as they confront frustration or make difficult choices. And through her rendering of their perspectives, the author clearly signals her own experiences as a journalist who previously worked within the intelligence community.
Personally, I approach crime stories with hesitation, largely out of the concern that the writing may lean toward reactionary perspectives (especially cop-based stories) rather than humanizing portrayals. However, I did not feel this way here. In fact, I found myself feeling deep sympathy for those who strive to do good in spaces where doing so is inconvenient and difficult.
Needless to say, I would gladly return to this story collection in the future, and I would recommend it to everyone I know. A solid 10/10 for its socio-political commentary and the smooth, clever quality of its writing.
My curiosity lies in the recurrent use of the characters from “Smaller and Smaller Circles,” particularly Father Augusto Saenz, a religious male figure, and Joanna Bonifacio, a female journalist, who repeatedly investigate the aftermaths of crime and whose characteristics appear transferable to real-life figures. Batacan’s characters possess rich inner dialogues that depict intimacies grounded in familiarity, allowing us to easily imagine ourselves in their shoes as they confront frustration or make difficult choices. And through her rendering of their perspectives, the author clearly signals her own experiences as a journalist who previously worked within the intelligence community.
Personally, I approach crime stories with hesitation, largely out of the concern that the writing may lean toward reactionary perspectives (especially cop-based stories) rather than humanizing portrayals. However, I did not feel this way here. In fact, I found myself feeling deep sympathy for those who strive to do good in spaces where doing so is inconvenient and difficult.
Needless to say, I would gladly return to this story collection in the future, and I would recommend it to everyone I know. A solid 10/10 for its socio-political commentary and the smooth, clever quality of its writing.
July 23, 2025
I always find it challenging to review short story collections. There’s just too many factors that could affect my reading experience. The sequence and how each story transitions one after the other, the quality of each individual story, how everything is thematically linked… all of these play a part on how the reader receives the book.
The good thing is there’s not a lot to worry about with F.H. Batacan’s Accidents Happen and Other Stories. The author’s writing easily comes to life in each story, depicting terrible, sometimes gory, and almost always heartbreaking stories. I have to say she writes violence and gore extremely well and have it still feel poetic and literary.
Batacan flexes how adept she is at tackling different genres: crime, mystery, romance, and even sprinkling a bit of supernatural! There’s a story for everybody and this book is great to read if you want to explore different story genres.
Some of my favorites are: Original Sin an unpredictable story about a family’s dark secret, Road Trip a haunting tale of how asshole cops get what they deserve, and The Gyutou a story told from the point of view of a beautiful knife.
I found it a bit difficult to find the thread that connects the stories together but the author kindly spelled it out for everyone at the end in her acknowledgments. For me though, the stories left me feeling sad and frustrated about the country we’re living in, and the point in history we’re a part of. It silently asks the reader a lot unsaid questions with the loudest being: what are you going to do about it?
The good thing is there’s not a lot to worry about with F.H. Batacan’s Accidents Happen and Other Stories. The author’s writing easily comes to life in each story, depicting terrible, sometimes gory, and almost always heartbreaking stories. I have to say she writes violence and gore extremely well and have it still feel poetic and literary.
Batacan flexes how adept she is at tackling different genres: crime, mystery, romance, and even sprinkling a bit of supernatural! There’s a story for everybody and this book is great to read if you want to explore different story genres.
Some of my favorites are: Original Sin an unpredictable story about a family’s dark secret, Road Trip a haunting tale of how asshole cops get what they deserve, and The Gyutou a story told from the point of view of a beautiful knife.
I found it a bit difficult to find the thread that connects the stories together but the author kindly spelled it out for everyone at the end in her acknowledgments. For me though, the stories left me feeling sad and frustrated about the country we’re living in, and the point in history we’re a part of. It silently asks the reader a lot unsaid questions with the loudest being: what are you going to do about it?
September 29, 2025
I like that this collection of short stories showed us different variations and faces of crimes, showing that the world is so much bigger than the victim-criminal binary, and more often than not some people are both, and there are stories behind them. It is the “why” that makes any crime story interesting and this book made sure each one was worth a read.
The collection presents stories involving those who commit crime for their benefit, those who commit crime because it’s the only choice left, those who commit crime to help others, those who commit crime to seek justice with their own hands, those who commit unconventional acts, but labeled by society as criminal, those who are coerced accomplices but resist in their own little ways.
Further, this collection also offers a commentary on issues such as corruption, the slow movement of justice, especially for crimes imbued with power dynamics, crimes between the powerful and powerless, which in this forsaken country also means the rich versus the poor, and the official versus the ordinary.
The stories are not just told by the suspects, detectives or investigators. There are also journalists, law enforcers, showing the reality of how crimes are handled in this country by those in charge.
Overall, this is a strong collection that offers a variety of perspectives, and lets us contemplate about the nuances of evil, and what do we actually make of it?
The collection presents stories involving those who commit crime for their benefit, those who commit crime because it’s the only choice left, those who commit crime to help others, those who commit crime to seek justice with their own hands, those who commit unconventional acts, but labeled by society as criminal, those who are coerced accomplices but resist in their own little ways.
Further, this collection also offers a commentary on issues such as corruption, the slow movement of justice, especially for crimes imbued with power dynamics, crimes between the powerful and powerless, which in this forsaken country also means the rich versus the poor, and the official versus the ordinary.
The stories are not just told by the suspects, detectives or investigators. There are also journalists, law enforcers, showing the reality of how crimes are handled in this country by those in charge.
Overall, this is a strong collection that offers a variety of perspectives, and lets us contemplate about the nuances of evil, and what do we actually make of it?
April 3, 2025
1 - Francis is the son of a powerful politician, whom he despises. His mother, a former beauty queen, is now a drug addict who isolates herself in her room. Francis often confided in Juanito, their driver, sharing stories about his hometown in Laguna. One day, he fled, leading his parents to believe he had suffered an accident while riding his bike. However, in reality, he simply left. I loved that my two hometowns, Batangas and Mindoro, were mentioned. There was nothing shocking about the politician's lifestyle, though.
2 - How tragic. This child stabbed herself with a pencil just to escape the constant shouting of her stepmother. Lord, please protect and save the children.
3 - Did that man in the wheelchair really sexually assault a 6-year-old child? That's horrifying.
4 - Justice has been served, ladies and gentlemen.
5 - Okay, it didn't really grip me, but it does have a dystopia-to-real-world theme. Personally, I didn't like it. (discovered that i want to work for WHO lol)
6 - Adultery and murder through the perspective of a knife????
7 - ha so mercy killing?
8 - ha
9 - Ah, so the twins… had a relationship?
10 - As for the stories, they seem to be getting more and more bland over time.
11 - That's what I like—something weird! 🤣 For me, the ending was powerful.
2 - How tragic. This child stabbed herself with a pencil just to escape the constant shouting of her stepmother. Lord, please protect and save the children.
3 - Did that man in the wheelchair really sexually assault a 6-year-old child? That's horrifying.
4 - Justice has been served, ladies and gentlemen.
5 - Okay, it didn't really grip me, but it does have a dystopia-to-real-world theme. Personally, I didn't like it. (discovered that i want to work for WHO lol)
6 - Adultery and murder through the perspective of a knife????
7 - ha so mercy killing?
8 - ha
9 - Ah, so the twins… had a relationship?
10 - As for the stories, they seem to be getting more and more bland over time.
11 - That's what I like—something weird! 🤣 For me, the ending was powerful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2025
Rating 4.5
I recently attended the author’s launch and learned lots of things on crime fiction. I couldn’t be more excited to read it after the talk.
Accidents Happen is consist of 11 short story collections which feature crime in different forms. I like Batacan’s writing, as soon you start reading the first story, you will transported immediately to its atmospheric setting that makes you feel like you are part of the story. The vivid description of the characters and their expressions makes them come alive and as real as possible. And in all of the stories, the mystery part was consistently present all throughout. Her stories seem simple enough but packed with so much meaning. Be it an injustice in our system, corruption or the evil lurking in each of us. Batacan stories are a welcome respite form the usual whodunit crime that we normally read.
Among the short stories, here are my favorites
The One Cry
Accidents Happen
Original SIn
Comforter of the Afflicted
Next in my list is her other books Smaller and Smaller Circles, then will follow with the movie with the same title after.
I recently attended the author’s launch and learned lots of things on crime fiction. I couldn’t be more excited to read it after the talk.
Accidents Happen is consist of 11 short story collections which feature crime in different forms. I like Batacan’s writing, as soon you start reading the first story, you will transported immediately to its atmospheric setting that makes you feel like you are part of the story. The vivid description of the characters and their expressions makes them come alive and as real as possible. And in all of the stories, the mystery part was consistently present all throughout. Her stories seem simple enough but packed with so much meaning. Be it an injustice in our system, corruption or the evil lurking in each of us. Batacan stories are a welcome respite form the usual whodunit crime that we normally read.
Among the short stories, here are my favorites
The One Cry
Accidents Happen
Original SIn
Comforter of the Afflicted
Next in my list is her other books Smaller and Smaller Circles, then will follow with the movie with the same title after.
April 13, 2025
"These eleven tales may be described as Edgar Allan Poe-esque, a compelling mix of supernatural horror, a bit of sci-fi, and true crime that rings with authenticity, as they feature extremes of depravity, corruption, and twisted passion that every newspaper-reading Filipino would recognize as the familiar refrains of our haunted land. From globally contaminated waters bringing death to power-drunk police officers dispensing abuse, from pedophile child abusers to mayors’ relatives smoothing over the most heinous crimes with threats and money… even the supernatural elements feel familiar, as these are tales as old as time, yet brought to life in a contemporary way."
Read the rest of the review at https://exlibrisphilippines.com/2025/...
Read the rest of the review at https://exlibrisphilippines.com/2025/...
August 18, 2025
I'm so glad to have read this! A lot of these horrors, we see in the news everyday. But reading this felt like it's happening to people I know, and is unfortunately the sad reality to a lot of our citizens. It's truly eye-opening. There is a lot of shock value to these stories, and some of the open and implied endings I appreciated so much. A lot of these stories don't have happy endings anyway 😢 The author is indeed a storytelling master. She has her own style of writing that gripped me, like I am witnessing a crime so gruesome but I can't look away. It was immersive and horrifying, and so, so good. I was listening to this on audio, in the middle of the night, that the ambiance was so eerie 😅 My favorite chapter is definitely The Gyutou. What do you mean, the author was able to include sentient household items in this chapter?!? I love! I super highly recommend this book, a must read!
October 13, 2024
An exceptional collection of eerie, dark, yet somehow also wholesome stories set primarily in the Philippines. I tend to have trouble connecting with short story collections and getting through them, but I picked this up and finished it within 2 days. I loved the straightforward writing style and the way that every story starts off so intriguing that I was propelled deeper into them almost immediately.
I also really enjoyed how these stories all carry a similar foreboding vibe, yet the range of topics and genres felt really well-balanced. They were anywhere from true(ish) crime, to magical realism, to apocalyptic scifi, to whodunit mystery.
My favourite stories were "Door 59", "Keeping Time", and "The Gyutou".
4.25 stars! Would recommend for spooky season!
Thank you to Netgalley and Soho Press for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
I also really enjoyed how these stories all carry a similar foreboding vibe, yet the range of topics and genres felt really well-balanced. They were anywhere from true(ish) crime, to magical realism, to apocalyptic scifi, to whodunit mystery.
My favourite stories were "Door 59", "Keeping Time", and "The Gyutou".
4.25 stars! Would recommend for spooky season!
Thank you to Netgalley and Soho Press for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
January 16, 2025
Accidents Happen and Other Stories
F. H. Batacan
NetGalley and the publisher, Soho Press, provided the digital ARC for this review.
Coming ten years after her debut, Smaller and Smaller Circles, F.H. Batacan returns with a collection of ten short stories set in the Philippines, ranging from true crime to magical realism, to a reunion with Fr. Augusto Saenz, the Jesuit forensic anthropologist, the protagonist in Batacan’s debut novel. It deals with issues of politics, societal class and poverty in the author’s homeland.
Infused with dark humor and foreboding sense of doom, masterfully built up in each of these unique tales, the author’s latest offering is sure to entertain fans of Fr. Saenz, and new readers alike. Hopefully, it will not be another ten years before we see a Fr. Saenz sequel. Publishes March 11, 2025.
3.5 stars rounded up
F. H. Batacan
NetGalley and the publisher, Soho Press, provided the digital ARC for this review.
Coming ten years after her debut, Smaller and Smaller Circles, F.H. Batacan returns with a collection of ten short stories set in the Philippines, ranging from true crime to magical realism, to a reunion with Fr. Augusto Saenz, the Jesuit forensic anthropologist, the protagonist in Batacan’s debut novel. It deals with issues of politics, societal class and poverty in the author’s homeland.
Infused with dark humor and foreboding sense of doom, masterfully built up in each of these unique tales, the author’s latest offering is sure to entertain fans of Fr. Saenz, and new readers alike. Hopefully, it will not be another ten years before we see a Fr. Saenz sequel. Publishes March 11, 2025.
3.5 stars rounded up
July 6, 2025
I took my sweet time reading this because I immediately knew that this book was going to change my life. I’m so glad to report that my theory is proven right.
Just when you think F. H. Batacan has written the perfect story and that there’s no way she could top her own masterpiece, she does! The stories kept getting better and I couldn’t get enough.
I love everything about her writing style. She has a knack for writing eerie stories that you can’t put down, no matter how many chills they send down your spine. Like a car crash you can’t look away from. And she does an excellent job at painting realistic landscapes of what life is like in the Philippines in such a poetic way. I wish I could inject her prose into my veins.
If you loved Smaller and Smaller Circles like I did, then you must have this book. I don’t make the rules.
Just when you think F. H. Batacan has written the perfect story and that there’s no way she could top her own masterpiece, she does! The stories kept getting better and I couldn’t get enough.
I love everything about her writing style. She has a knack for writing eerie stories that you can’t put down, no matter how many chills they send down your spine. Like a car crash you can’t look away from. And she does an excellent job at painting realistic landscapes of what life is like in the Philippines in such a poetic way. I wish I could inject her prose into my veins.
If you loved Smaller and Smaller Circles like I did, then you must have this book. I don’t make the rules.
August 22, 2025
From the master of Filipino crime fiction comes Accidents Happen. The book is a collection that is as disturbing as it is brilliant. These stories unravel murders, corruption, and acts of violence and abuse, blurring the lines between crime, horror, and dystopia. Each story peels back the layers of human evil, showing how these dark acts thrive when people succumb to its allure. It will leave the reader both unsettled and enthralled.
This is a beautiful collection of ugly truths told in a captivating way. I honestly can’t pick a favorite because each story has its own unique plot and the writing style is so gripping. Still, I know some will stay with me for a long time:
No. 1 Pencil, Door 59, The Gyutou, and Comforter of the Afflicted
Tropes/Elements:
🔪 Murder & crime
👤 Human evil as the villain
🕵️ Procedural crime
🌆 Near-future noir
⚖️ Corruption & power abuse
💔 Violence against women
🖤 Dark humor
🧠 Psychological exploration
👻 Horror undertones
📖 Anthology format
This is my first Filipino contemporary crime fiction and my first read from Batacan and wow, it blew me away. Thanks to @bookishmoms.ph for picking this as August BOTM. This is part of my Akdang Pinoy readathon for the "Read Outside Your Comfort Zone" prompt. I’m convinced to finally pick up the author's acclaimed Smaller and Smaller Circles.
An absolute 5-star read. It's dark, unsettling, and impossible to shake off. You just have to read it to know what I mean.
⚠️This book confronts darkness without flinching. If you're sensitive to violent, unsettling themes, it’s wise to proceed with caution.
This is a beautiful collection of ugly truths told in a captivating way. I honestly can’t pick a favorite because each story has its own unique plot and the writing style is so gripping. Still, I know some will stay with me for a long time:
No. 1 Pencil, Door 59, The Gyutou, and Comforter of the Afflicted
Tropes/Elements:
🔪 Murder & crime
👤 Human evil as the villain
🕵️ Procedural crime
🌆 Near-future noir
⚖️ Corruption & power abuse
💔 Violence against women
🖤 Dark humor
🧠 Psychological exploration
👻 Horror undertones
📖 Anthology format
This is my first Filipino contemporary crime fiction and my first read from Batacan and wow, it blew me away. Thanks to @bookishmoms.ph for picking this as August BOTM. This is part of my Akdang Pinoy readathon for the "Read Outside Your Comfort Zone" prompt. I’m convinced to finally pick up the author's acclaimed Smaller and Smaller Circles.
An absolute 5-star read. It's dark, unsettling, and impossible to shake off. You just have to read it to know what I mean.
⚠️This book confronts darkness without flinching. If you're sensitive to violent, unsettling themes, it’s wise to proceed with caution.
December 29, 2025
★★★★☆ // this is a book that i absolutely could not put down. one time, i was in the middle of reading one of the stories but i was already really sleep, my eyes are giving up, and had to pause for the night. found myself unable to sleep well and woke up by 5AM anyway to continue reading. it was that good. i love the recurrent appearance of some characters from Smaller and Smaller Circles. i am such a huge fan of F.H. Batacan’s writing style and the very Filipino essence that’s always present in her stories, instead of going all Western whodunnit.
particularly enamoured by the stories that involve a pencil, a journalist, a knife, and a PhD student.
my only qualm with this is the inclusion of one story that is so often present in Filipino works that it makes me uncomfortable.
still, a solid short story collection.
particularly enamoured by the stories that involve a pencil, a journalist, a knife, and a PhD student.
my only qualm with this is the inclusion of one story that is so often present in Filipino works that it makes me uncomfortable.
still, a solid short story collection.
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