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Things Slip Through
Welcome to Clifton Heights, New York. Just another average Adirondack town, and nice enough in its own right.
Except after dark, or under the pale light of the moon. Or in a very private doctor's office at Clifton Heights General Hospital, where no one can hear you scream. Or on a road out of town that never ends, or in an old house sitting on the edge of town with a mind - and will - of its own.
Maybe you shouldn't have left the interstate, my friend. Maybe you should've driven on to the next town.
But you didn't. You saw our sign, turned down our road, figuring on just a short stay. And maybe it will be.
Or maybe you'll never leave.
Anyway, pay a visit to The Skylark Diner. I'll be there. Pull up a chair and let me tell you about our town. It's nice enough, it really is.
Except after dark. Or on cold winter days when no one is around, and you're all alone...
Except after dark, or under the pale light of the moon. Or in a very private doctor's office at Clifton Heights General Hospital, where no one can hear you scream. Or on a road out of town that never ends, or in an old house sitting on the edge of town with a mind - and will - of its own.
Maybe you shouldn't have left the interstate, my friend. Maybe you should've driven on to the next town.
But you didn't. You saw our sign, turned down our road, figuring on just a short stay. And maybe it will be.
Or maybe you'll never leave.
Anyway, pay a visit to The Skylark Diner. I'll be there. Pull up a chair and let me tell you about our town. It's nice enough, it really is.
Except after dark. Or on cold winter days when no one is around, and you're all alone...
309 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2013
54 people are currently reading
563 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Lucia
100 books369 followersKevin Lucia is the ebook and trade paperback editor at Cemetery Dance Publications. His short fiction has been published in many venues, most notably with Clive Barker, David Morell, Peter Straub, Bentley Little, and Robert McCammon.
His first short story collection, Things Slip Through, was published by Crystal Lake Publishing in November, 2013. He's followed that with the collections Through A Mirror, Darkly, Devourer of Souls, Things You Need, October Nights, and the novellas Mystery Road, A Night at Old Webb, and The Night Road.
His first short story collection, Things Slip Through, was published by Crystal Lake Publishing in November, 2013. He's followed that with the collections Through A Mirror, Darkly, Devourer of Souls, Things You Need, October Nights, and the novellas Mystery Road, A Night at Old Webb, and The Night Road.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
July 5, 2015
Welcome to Clifton Heights, where the Tuesday night poker game has been interrupted when the sheriff asks his friends the question that has been plaguing him....what exactly is going on in his new home town?
Gavin, once a published author and now unofficial keeper of the town's dark secrets, invites the sheriff to the Skylark Diner, where what he seeks will be revealed in the pages of a journal.
The sheriff will get his answer tonight.....that there are some things in this world you can't explain.
A brilliant collection of tales, forged into a single, and singular work of quiet horror, stories within stories expand outward, offering answers that invite the questions that will keep readers up long into the night.
Lucia's writing is pitch perfect. Masterfully creepy and subtle, his portrait of a small town, both the good and the bad, is spot-on, laying a solid foundation of reality for the otherness that lurks in the shadows.
Highest possible recommendation.
Gavin, once a published author and now unofficial keeper of the town's dark secrets, invites the sheriff to the Skylark Diner, where what he seeks will be revealed in the pages of a journal.
The sheriff will get his answer tonight.....that there are some things in this world you can't explain.
A brilliant collection of tales, forged into a single, and singular work of quiet horror, stories within stories expand outward, offering answers that invite the questions that will keep readers up long into the night.
Lucia's writing is pitch perfect. Masterfully creepy and subtle, his portrait of a small town, both the good and the bad, is spot-on, laying a solid foundation of reality for the otherness that lurks in the shadows.
Highest possible recommendation.
April 26, 2014
This book has a strong premise and an interesting yet uncommon format, for that alone I would usually give a good rating. It sells itself as urban horror and that's exactly what it delivers, and although I was happy to see some ambitious social commentary it lost a lot of its impact when presented with cliché characters. Not to say that the characterizations aren't well done, but they are all extremely obvious; you'll see identical ones in any book of this genre. But like I said, that's not necessarily a bad thing as it's delivering exactly what it says it will.
The problem is that there were too many women.
Well, that's not exactly true… I guess I should say there are too many women for an average male author to handle.
You expect a book like this to have very few women, or very few women that aren't corpses were simply mentioned to establish that, yes, women exist within this universe but you just won't see them. Lucia has very few female characters in relation to the males but there are quite a few and they hold a lot of responsibility for advancing the plot. That sounds great. Unless you actually care about female representation.
I realize we had a problem when I got excited at the mention of a female character having had a conversation with her mother but quickly reread the line and realize the conversation was about her father. We almost passed the Bechdel test. Usually I wouldn't apply the Bechdel test to a novel (not because it isn't completely relevant, but because I'd rather enjoy the astonishment of finding one that does pass instead of continually getting my hopes dashed) but Lucia set himself apart by actually trying to involve women so it was so glaringly obvious that none of them had relationships with each other and although they were essential to advancing the plot the advancement was, in most part, for a male character's story.
I made it to about the middle of the book because once I became hyper aware of the potential this book had and yet page after page I continued to see the failure of representation it became insufferable. If I quit too soon, let me know. If a miracle happened and two women, identified enough to be given names, conversed about anything other than a man let me know. I'll congratulate Lucia on being one of the very few authors to achieve the bare minimum in female representation.
The problem is that there were too many women.
Well, that's not exactly true… I guess I should say there are too many women for an average male author to handle.
You expect a book like this to have very few women, or very few women that aren't corpses were simply mentioned to establish that, yes, women exist within this universe but you just won't see them. Lucia has very few female characters in relation to the males but there are quite a few and they hold a lot of responsibility for advancing the plot. That sounds great. Unless you actually care about female representation.
I realize we had a problem when I got excited at the mention of a female character having had a conversation with her mother but quickly reread the line and realize the conversation was about her father. We almost passed the Bechdel test. Usually I wouldn't apply the Bechdel test to a novel (not because it isn't completely relevant, but because I'd rather enjoy the astonishment of finding one that does pass instead of continually getting my hopes dashed) but Lucia set himself apart by actually trying to involve women so it was so glaringly obvious that none of them had relationships with each other and although they were essential to advancing the plot the advancement was, in most part, for a male character's story.
I made it to about the middle of the book because once I became hyper aware of the potential this book had and yet page after page I continued to see the failure of representation it became insufferable. If I quit too soon, let me know. If a miracle happened and two women, identified enough to be given names, conversed about anything other than a man let me know. I'll congratulate Lucia on being one of the very few authors to achieve the bare minimum in female representation.
September 4, 2016
THINGS SLIP THROUGH (The Clifton Heights Saga Book 1), by Kevin Lucia, contains a series of interconnected events/stories all woven into a larger narrative. The location is the small town of Clifton Heights, NY. We have a group of friends, meeting for their usual Tuesday night card game: Father Ward, teacher Gavin Patchett, "Fitzy" the town's doctor, and Policeman Chris. As an officer, Chris has seen some "unique" and inexplicable things in his one year of residency in Clifton Heights. Sensing that his friends know much more about this, he decides to trust in their friendship and confront them about the nature of this town.
". . . Truth. It's a precious commodity. Especially between friends . . . The problem, however, lies in how much truth do we share? . . . "
It falls upon Gavin (also a writer) to meet Chris at the Skylark Diner. There, he presents to his friend a journal that he keeps, chronicling the "unsolved" crimes and disappearances in Clifton Heights.
What I loved the most about this collection is not only how the stories are entwined within the framework of Chris and Gavin's talk, but how many of the individual tales cross over into others, connecting them all as if with an invisible thread. In Gavin's own story, "Way Station", he eludes to the town as: ". . . An in-between place. A crack between the worlds. A way station, of sorts . . . a place where strange, unexplainable . . . often violent things happen."
One of the most telling of the tales, in my opinion, is "The Sliding", chronicling a young Ward, Gavin, and Fitzy trespassing in the local "haunted house"--Bassler House, a key focal point--along with all of Bassler Road--in many of these stories.
". . . maybe there's an opening or a rift on the quantum level . . . "
Other personal favorite tales of mine include, "On a Midnight Black Chessie", "Lament", and "A Brother's Keeper". While these stories clearly define the town of Clifton Heights, along with the resignation and acceptance that its residents show, Chris will learn simply that he has been "called" to this town--a "Guardian" of some sort, without actually knowing what it is he's being called to do.
". . . Every decision creates ripples. Every ripple changes things . . . "
An incredible collection that left me wanting to read more about this strange town and its inhabitants. Lucia leaves off whetting the readers' appetites for more. Regarding Clifton Heights itself: " . . . As for haunted . . . Depends on your definition of the word."
Highly recommended!
Merged review:
THINGS SLIP THROUGH (The Clifton Heights Saga Book 1), by Kevin Lucia, contains a series of interconnected events/stories all woven into a larger narrative. The location is the small town of Clifton Heights, NY. We have a group of friends, meeting for their usual Tuesday night card game: Father Ward, teacher Gavin Patchett, "Fitzy" the town's doctor, and Policeman Chris. As an officer, Chris has seen some "unique" and inexplicable things in his one year of residency in Clifton Heights. Sensing that his friends know much more about this, he decides to trust in their friendship and confront them about the nature of this town.
". . . Truth. It's a precious commodity. Especially between friends . . . The problem, however, lies in how much truth do we share? . . . "
It falls upon Gavin (also a writer) to meet Chris at the Skylark Diner. There, he presents to his friend a journal that he keeps, chronicling the "unsolved" crimes and disappearances in Clifton Heights.
What I loved the most about this collection is not only how the stories are entwined within the framework of Chris and Gavin's talk, but how many of the individual tales cross over into others, connecting them all as if with an invisible thread. In Gavin's own story, "Way Station", he eludes to the town as: ". . . An in-between place. A crack between the worlds. A way station, of sorts . . . a place where strange, unexplainable . . . often violent things happen."
One of the most telling of the tales, in my opinion, is "The Sliding", chronicling a young Ward, Gavin, and Fitzy trespassing in the local "haunted house"--Bassler House, a key focal point--along with all of Bassler Road--in many of these stories.
". . . maybe there's an opening or a rift on the quantum level . . . "
Other personal favorite tales of mine include, "On a Midnight Black Chessie", "Lament", and "A Brother's Keeper". While these stories clearly define the town of Clifton Heights, along with the resignation and acceptance that its residents show, Chris will learn simply that he has been "called" to this town--a "Guardian" of some sort, without actually knowing what it is he's being called to do.
". . . Every decision creates ripples. Every ripple changes things . . . "
An incredible collection that left me wanting to read more about this strange town and its inhabitants. Lucia leaves off whetting the readers' appetites for more. Regarding Clifton Heights itself: " . . . As for haunted . . . Depends on your definition of the word."
Highly recommended!
". . . Truth. It's a precious commodity. Especially between friends . . . The problem, however, lies in how much truth do we share? . . . "
It falls upon Gavin (also a writer) to meet Chris at the Skylark Diner. There, he presents to his friend a journal that he keeps, chronicling the "unsolved" crimes and disappearances in Clifton Heights.
What I loved the most about this collection is not only how the stories are entwined within the framework of Chris and Gavin's talk, but how many of the individual tales cross over into others, connecting them all as if with an invisible thread. In Gavin's own story, "Way Station", he eludes to the town as: ". . . An in-between place. A crack between the worlds. A way station, of sorts . . . a place where strange, unexplainable . . . often violent things happen."
One of the most telling of the tales, in my opinion, is "The Sliding", chronicling a young Ward, Gavin, and Fitzy trespassing in the local "haunted house"--Bassler House, a key focal point--along with all of Bassler Road--in many of these stories.
". . . maybe there's an opening or a rift on the quantum level . . . "
Other personal favorite tales of mine include, "On a Midnight Black Chessie", "Lament", and "A Brother's Keeper". While these stories clearly define the town of Clifton Heights, along with the resignation and acceptance that its residents show, Chris will learn simply that he has been "called" to this town--a "Guardian" of some sort, without actually knowing what it is he's being called to do.
". . . Every decision creates ripples. Every ripple changes things . . . "
An incredible collection that left me wanting to read more about this strange town and its inhabitants. Lucia leaves off whetting the readers' appetites for more. Regarding Clifton Heights itself: " . . . As for haunted . . . Depends on your definition of the word."
Highly recommended!
Merged review:
THINGS SLIP THROUGH (The Clifton Heights Saga Book 1), by Kevin Lucia, contains a series of interconnected events/stories all woven into a larger narrative. The location is the small town of Clifton Heights, NY. We have a group of friends, meeting for their usual Tuesday night card game: Father Ward, teacher Gavin Patchett, "Fitzy" the town's doctor, and Policeman Chris. As an officer, Chris has seen some "unique" and inexplicable things in his one year of residency in Clifton Heights. Sensing that his friends know much more about this, he decides to trust in their friendship and confront them about the nature of this town.
". . . Truth. It's a precious commodity. Especially between friends . . . The problem, however, lies in how much truth do we share? . . . "
It falls upon Gavin (also a writer) to meet Chris at the Skylark Diner. There, he presents to his friend a journal that he keeps, chronicling the "unsolved" crimes and disappearances in Clifton Heights.
What I loved the most about this collection is not only how the stories are entwined within the framework of Chris and Gavin's talk, but how many of the individual tales cross over into others, connecting them all as if with an invisible thread. In Gavin's own story, "Way Station", he eludes to the town as: ". . . An in-between place. A crack between the worlds. A way station, of sorts . . . a place where strange, unexplainable . . . often violent things happen."
One of the most telling of the tales, in my opinion, is "The Sliding", chronicling a young Ward, Gavin, and Fitzy trespassing in the local "haunted house"--Bassler House, a key focal point--along with all of Bassler Road--in many of these stories.
". . . maybe there's an opening or a rift on the quantum level . . . "
Other personal favorite tales of mine include, "On a Midnight Black Chessie", "Lament", and "A Brother's Keeper". While these stories clearly define the town of Clifton Heights, along with the resignation and acceptance that its residents show, Chris will learn simply that he has been "called" to this town--a "Guardian" of some sort, without actually knowing what it is he's being called to do.
". . . Every decision creates ripples. Every ripple changes things . . . "
An incredible collection that left me wanting to read more about this strange town and its inhabitants. Lucia leaves off whetting the readers' appetites for more. Regarding Clifton Heights itself: " . . . As for haunted . . . Depends on your definition of the word."
Highly recommended!
November 17, 2015
Things Slip Through is a collection of short stories by Kevin Lucia, but it's also kind of a novel. The stories are connected by the fact that they all take place in the same small town, many of them with shared characters and related situations. The big tie-together is that they've all been "written down" by the same character, Gavin, who lives in that small town as well. The main character, who is the local Sheriff, comes to Gavin in search of answers about some strange happenings, and Gavin answers by giving him a the notebook of stories he's been writing and tells him to read.
As with basically every collection of short stories I've ever read, whether they be written by all different authors or they be a collection of stories by one author, some of the stories are better than others. This is simply a fact of life. Overall, though, I found all the stories to be at the very least well-written and engaging. Some more so--some quite well-written and fascinating. And Lucia did a very good job of tying all the stories together.
All of the stories are dark and strange, but some really push the envelope. If you're a true horror fan, that is quite a good thing. One story had me literally jumping, as I was reading it late at night and my son came out of his room for a drink of water, nearly scaring me right off the couch. Another story I had to skim, because the details were quite graphic. I've read some pretty graphic horror novels, but this happened to hit on a subject--surgery--that really, really grosses me out, and Lucia has a flair for description when it comes to that sort of thing ;). No holds barred...
If I had to sum up the book and make a recommendation, I'd say Things Slip Through is for Stephen King fans who'd like to take a break from King's wordiness and enjoy a quicker but just as character-filled scary story. It's also for Twilight Zone fans--several of the stories had me feeling like I'd entered a TZ episode.
I'll definitely be reading more by Kevin Lucia and recommend this book for fans of all things strange and macabre.
My Website
Find me on Facebook
My YA fantasy series:
book 1
book 2
As with basically every collection of short stories I've ever read, whether they be written by all different authors or they be a collection of stories by one author, some of the stories are better than others. This is simply a fact of life. Overall, though, I found all the stories to be at the very least well-written and engaging. Some more so--some quite well-written and fascinating. And Lucia did a very good job of tying all the stories together.
All of the stories are dark and strange, but some really push the envelope. If you're a true horror fan, that is quite a good thing. One story had me literally jumping, as I was reading it late at night and my son came out of his room for a drink of water, nearly scaring me right off the couch. Another story I had to skim, because the details were quite graphic. I've read some pretty graphic horror novels, but this happened to hit on a subject--surgery--that really, really grosses me out, and Lucia has a flair for description when it comes to that sort of thing ;). No holds barred...
If I had to sum up the book and make a recommendation, I'd say Things Slip Through is for Stephen King fans who'd like to take a break from King's wordiness and enjoy a quicker but just as character-filled scary story. It's also for Twilight Zone fans--several of the stories had me feeling like I'd entered a TZ episode.
I'll definitely be reading more by Kevin Lucia and recommend this book for fans of all things strange and macabre.
My Website
Find me on Facebook
My YA fantasy series:
book 1
book 2
June 28, 2022
I love interconnected stories about a town, especially when strange things are happening and the stories are filled with horror.
Clifton Heights is full of weird disappearances. Each story tells a different possible outcome to some of the missing citizens of the town. I enjoyed some more than others, but all are well told.
The framing device linking the stories didn’t work so well for me. The idea of the writer who now writes the truth about these weird happenings didn’t thrill me, but that’s a personal thing I have about writers in fiction who can write mystical truths.
A well written, interesting collection of stories that is sure to please horror fans.
Clifton Heights is full of weird disappearances. Each story tells a different possible outcome to some of the missing citizens of the town. I enjoyed some more than others, but all are well told.
The framing device linking the stories didn’t work so well for me. The idea of the writer who now writes the truth about these weird happenings didn’t thrill me, but that’s a personal thing I have about writers in fiction who can write mystical truths.
A well written, interesting collection of stories that is sure to please horror fans.
December 10, 2015
A neat and unusual tale, itself comprised of tales (as prettymuch every other review on here gets into), this was a fun, fast-paced read. I was most interested in the overarching narrative, but a number of the sub-stories were memorable and neat. A very vivid picture of the town of Clifton Heights has been painted; I'm looking forward to see what else happens there in his other works!
April 4, 2015
The concept for Kevin Lucia's THINGS SLIP THOUGH is quite an ambitious one. The book purports to link together a series of stories about the happenings in a small Adirondack down where bizarre and horrific things happen with a far greater tendency than normal.
On the positive side, Lucia does a masterful job of weaving together the characters and events into a more or less cohesive whole. With rare exceptions, he holds his reader's attention and propels them forward as we eagerly anticipate the next example of small town strangeness from Lucia's fertile imagination. What's more, the constant cropping up of characters whose stories we've already read, or the referrals to events and people who we will not meet for several chapters, is a great deal of fun for the reader -- rather like anticipating cross-over guest stars from a different series while watching a favorite TV show.
But there are times when ambition is too great, and where the burden an author has undertaken can be a trifle too heavy. I found myself wondering, while reading this book, if THINGS SLIP THOUGH wasn't an example of one of those instances.
Though this collection has it's fair share of merely mediocre pieces, most of the stories are extremely god and clearly could stand out on their own absent the creative "wrap" that Lucia has chosen to tie them all together. In fact, with the exception of one very confusing piece which juggles time in a way that I found baffling and frustrating, it is when Lucia is dealing with the wrap-around integration that he runs into problems.
The conceit is that four friends: a priest, a doctor, a teacher and the town sheriff, meet for weekly drinks. Over time, the sheriff realizes that his friends are hiding some kind of town-wide secret from him and he becomes determined to find out what it is. One of his cronies, a former novelist whose failed career has propelled him into teaching, breaks down and begin the revelations. He does this in the form of stories he has supposedly written about the "true" events in the town.
This part of the structure is what fails badly for me. The novelist simply isn't that interesting of a character and the two stories he relates about his own life, and what led him to become the town's unofficial chronicler border on being outright boring. There's also a certain amount of preciousness to this fact of the book, something that is admittedly hard to avoid when an author ends up writing about a character who is also an author, especially when part of the character's arc is a struggle with both his writing career and the process of writing. Fortunately, it's easy to ignore the wrap around conceit. The interstitial chapters tend to be short -- rarely more than a page or two -- and not too distracting.
Several of the stories are very, very good. To my mind, three stand out in particular. An early piece in which a Muslim high school student is brutally murdered by an unstable classmate appears very early in the book and sets the tone for some delicious nuggets of horror to come. A story toward the end of the book in which a model railroad aficionado's basement hobby takes on a chilling reality is both effective and disturbing. My favorite piece, however, has to be a quirky and horrific tale of a brother acting as an unwilling organ donor to his mentally challenged formerly co-joined twin.
I wish I could stop here because Kevin Lucia truly wields a ton of potential as an author and much of his work is entertaining, thought provoking and truly inspires chills. But I would be remiss in not mentioning what is the one true failure of THINGS SLIP THROUGH. In the very last story, Lucia seemed to have been mysteriously compelled to attempt a story of redemption. Perhaps it was intentional -- one hopes so -- and that the author desired the finale to bring a sense of hope to what has previously been a highly entertaining litany of gruesome death, disturbing hauntings, and horrible disappearances. Certainly an earlier story, in which a very troubled man picks up a hitchhiker who is not what she seems and narrowly avoids a damning fate, seems to hint that Lucia is working toward a happier ending.
But his final entry, which by the way ironically is the best written of all, makes a sharply angelic turn in a way that almost minimizes what we've read up to that point. It is if Freddy Kreuger or Michael Myers suddenly repented in the last reel in order to teach handicrafts to lonely senior citizens. The change is jarring and leaves the reader wondering what was the point of having read through to the end. One wants some kind of apocalypse or, at the very least, a revelation of the underlying cause of the creepiness. Instead, Lucia gives us a rather sweet story, bordering on saccharine but for his craft as a wordsmith, that is highly unsatisfying.
Nonetheless, THINGS SLIP THROUGH will be a lovely little bon bon of a read for horror fans. The collection evokes the kind of constructed worlds of Charles Grant's "Oxrun" series and some of James A. Moore's work involving Ruffo the Clown and his cronies. That Lucia has managed to maintain such a high level of internal consistency is certainly praiseworthy. One hopes we will see a lot more from this author in the near future.
On the positive side, Lucia does a masterful job of weaving together the characters and events into a more or less cohesive whole. With rare exceptions, he holds his reader's attention and propels them forward as we eagerly anticipate the next example of small town strangeness from Lucia's fertile imagination. What's more, the constant cropping up of characters whose stories we've already read, or the referrals to events and people who we will not meet for several chapters, is a great deal of fun for the reader -- rather like anticipating cross-over guest stars from a different series while watching a favorite TV show.
But there are times when ambition is too great, and where the burden an author has undertaken can be a trifle too heavy. I found myself wondering, while reading this book, if THINGS SLIP THOUGH wasn't an example of one of those instances.
Though this collection has it's fair share of merely mediocre pieces, most of the stories are extremely god and clearly could stand out on their own absent the creative "wrap" that Lucia has chosen to tie them all together. In fact, with the exception of one very confusing piece which juggles time in a way that I found baffling and frustrating, it is when Lucia is dealing with the wrap-around integration that he runs into problems.
The conceit is that four friends: a priest, a doctor, a teacher and the town sheriff, meet for weekly drinks. Over time, the sheriff realizes that his friends are hiding some kind of town-wide secret from him and he becomes determined to find out what it is. One of his cronies, a former novelist whose failed career has propelled him into teaching, breaks down and begin the revelations. He does this in the form of stories he has supposedly written about the "true" events in the town.
This part of the structure is what fails badly for me. The novelist simply isn't that interesting of a character and the two stories he relates about his own life, and what led him to become the town's unofficial chronicler border on being outright boring. There's also a certain amount of preciousness to this fact of the book, something that is admittedly hard to avoid when an author ends up writing about a character who is also an author, especially when part of the character's arc is a struggle with both his writing career and the process of writing. Fortunately, it's easy to ignore the wrap around conceit. The interstitial chapters tend to be short -- rarely more than a page or two -- and not too distracting.
Several of the stories are very, very good. To my mind, three stand out in particular. An early piece in which a Muslim high school student is brutally murdered by an unstable classmate appears very early in the book and sets the tone for some delicious nuggets of horror to come. A story toward the end of the book in which a model railroad aficionado's basement hobby takes on a chilling reality is both effective and disturbing. My favorite piece, however, has to be a quirky and horrific tale of a brother acting as an unwilling organ donor to his mentally challenged formerly co-joined twin.
I wish I could stop here because Kevin Lucia truly wields a ton of potential as an author and much of his work is entertaining, thought provoking and truly inspires chills. But I would be remiss in not mentioning what is the one true failure of THINGS SLIP THROUGH. In the very last story, Lucia seemed to have been mysteriously compelled to attempt a story of redemption. Perhaps it was intentional -- one hopes so -- and that the author desired the finale to bring a sense of hope to what has previously been a highly entertaining litany of gruesome death, disturbing hauntings, and horrible disappearances. Certainly an earlier story, in which a very troubled man picks up a hitchhiker who is not what she seems and narrowly avoids a damning fate, seems to hint that Lucia is working toward a happier ending.
But his final entry, which by the way ironically is the best written of all, makes a sharply angelic turn in a way that almost minimizes what we've read up to that point. It is if Freddy Kreuger or Michael Myers suddenly repented in the last reel in order to teach handicrafts to lonely senior citizens. The change is jarring and leaves the reader wondering what was the point of having read through to the end. One wants some kind of apocalypse or, at the very least, a revelation of the underlying cause of the creepiness. Instead, Lucia gives us a rather sweet story, bordering on saccharine but for his craft as a wordsmith, that is highly unsatisfying.
Nonetheless, THINGS SLIP THROUGH will be a lovely little bon bon of a read for horror fans. The collection evokes the kind of constructed worlds of Charles Grant's "Oxrun" series and some of James A. Moore's work involving Ruffo the Clown and his cronies. That Lucia has managed to maintain such a high level of internal consistency is certainly praiseworthy. One hopes we will see a lot more from this author in the near future.
February 23, 2016
Welcome to Clifton Heights. It may be a nice place to visit, but lingering would be a very, very bad idea.
Things Slip Through is an archetypal trickster of a book. The stories in its pages collectively form a dark ride through a town that, though normal enough on the surface, draws its lifeblood from an ominously beating heart. Framed within a wraparound narrative that brings to mind fond memories of the Amicus anthology films, each self-contained story ties into the others, making this essentially a novel in stories, which works admirably well.
But what are the stories about?
Well, a lot of things. Here you’ll find pernicious books, nefarious creatures and arcane artifacts. You’ll find crazed doctors and crazed gods alike. You’ll travel to haunted places and meet haunted people, and to my mind it’s these people, more than anything, that really make Things Slip Through shine.
Many of the characters in these stories are on the fringes of society, marginalized or coping with things they can’t quite seem to escape from. In writing about their lives, Lucia touches on racism, alcoholism, and abuse both physical and psychological. He does this with a deft and compassionate hand, which makes it that much more horrifying when characters are faced with the encroachment of unnatural, otherworldly things that they will almost certainly never escape from. That’s not to say that this book isn’t fun, because it is. It’s vividly imagined and moves at a brisk pace, but the sometimes b-movie-esque trappings effectively underscore these deeper issues.
I enjoyed each of the stories, but personal favorites include:
“The Water God of Clarke Street”, a coming of age tale about a disillusioned high school girl and her not-so-innocuous imaginary friend.
“A Brother’s Keeper”, in which an unsuspecting man returns to his homestead to make the ultimate familial sacrifice (with a little help from the friendly family doctor).
“The Sliding”, a wonderfully atmospheric piece that invokes a subtle sense of dread and plays with time in an interesting way.
“Mr. Nobody”, the final story of the book, a touching and harrowing tale of a mother, a missing son, and a creature borne of dark dreams. Given its brief but poignant sketch of love and loss, and coupled with the conclusion of the wraparound story that follows, this is hands down my favorite of the bunch.
The only qualm I have with the book is some stilted, expositional dialogue, particularly in the wraparound piece. Given the strength of the narrative itself and the characters that people it, however, this becomes a non-issue. Lucia is a gifted storyteller. If you’re a fan of the strange and uncanny, and you like the kind of horror that sinks in slowly and hangs around to watch you squirm, you’ll be doing yourself a favor by picking this one up.
originally posted at http://www.hellnotes.com
Things Slip Through is an archetypal trickster of a book. The stories in its pages collectively form a dark ride through a town that, though normal enough on the surface, draws its lifeblood from an ominously beating heart. Framed within a wraparound narrative that brings to mind fond memories of the Amicus anthology films, each self-contained story ties into the others, making this essentially a novel in stories, which works admirably well.
But what are the stories about?
Well, a lot of things. Here you’ll find pernicious books, nefarious creatures and arcane artifacts. You’ll find crazed doctors and crazed gods alike. You’ll travel to haunted places and meet haunted people, and to my mind it’s these people, more than anything, that really make Things Slip Through shine.
Many of the characters in these stories are on the fringes of society, marginalized or coping with things they can’t quite seem to escape from. In writing about their lives, Lucia touches on racism, alcoholism, and abuse both physical and psychological. He does this with a deft and compassionate hand, which makes it that much more horrifying when characters are faced with the encroachment of unnatural, otherworldly things that they will almost certainly never escape from. That’s not to say that this book isn’t fun, because it is. It’s vividly imagined and moves at a brisk pace, but the sometimes b-movie-esque trappings effectively underscore these deeper issues.
I enjoyed each of the stories, but personal favorites include:
“The Water God of Clarke Street”, a coming of age tale about a disillusioned high school girl and her not-so-innocuous imaginary friend.
“A Brother’s Keeper”, in which an unsuspecting man returns to his homestead to make the ultimate familial sacrifice (with a little help from the friendly family doctor).
“The Sliding”, a wonderfully atmospheric piece that invokes a subtle sense of dread and plays with time in an interesting way.
“Mr. Nobody”, the final story of the book, a touching and harrowing tale of a mother, a missing son, and a creature borne of dark dreams. Given its brief but poignant sketch of love and loss, and coupled with the conclusion of the wraparound story that follows, this is hands down my favorite of the bunch.
The only qualm I have with the book is some stilted, expositional dialogue, particularly in the wraparound piece. Given the strength of the narrative itself and the characters that people it, however, this becomes a non-issue. Lucia is a gifted storyteller. If you’re a fan of the strange and uncanny, and you like the kind of horror that sinks in slowly and hangs around to watch you squirm, you’ll be doing yourself a favor by picking this one up.
originally posted at http://www.hellnotes.com
August 15, 2020
Eerily good.
Clifton Heights is a great place to only visit in a book! Continuing in the genre of strange places with strange happenings, with a nod to the Old Ones, a very good read.
Clifton Heights is a great place to only visit in a book! Continuing in the genre of strange places with strange happenings, with a nod to the Old Ones, a very good read.
May 8, 2023
My second outing with Kevin Lucia and I'm just as impressed as the first time.
The book is similar to an anthology series, a la Creep show, in that a framing narrative ties several individual stories together, all connected by the town of Clifton Heights. Though the town is a frequent flier in Kevin's fiction, this is it's first appearance.
Creeping menace is the order of the day, rather than violence or shock tactics, and Kevin makes it work very well. He does it better in later works, but that's to be expected after gaining experience. The prose is easy to read but still crisp, rather than flat.
A good introduction to Kevin Lucia and Clifton Heights.
The book is similar to an anthology series, a la Creep show, in that a framing narrative ties several individual stories together, all connected by the town of Clifton Heights. Though the town is a frequent flier in Kevin's fiction, this is it's first appearance.
Creeping menace is the order of the day, rather than violence or shock tactics, and Kevin makes it work very well. He does it better in later works, but that's to be expected after gaining experience. The prose is easy to read but still crisp, rather than flat.
A good introduction to Kevin Lucia and Clifton Heights.
October 20, 2013
(This was an ARC. Book due out 11/2013)
I’ve known Kevin for a few years now. Four? Maybe five? We met becauseof our shared interest in writing, and of perhaps one day writing a bestseller.
Separated by just under 200 miles, we’ve met only once. I will start bysaying I am not a short-story reader. I do not care for anthologies. Nothing against them, other than when I sit down to read, I prefer a novel. With that said, I had no idea that really — really — Things Slip Through, is a collection of short storiescleverly camouflaged as a novel.What am I talking about? How could a collection of short stories possibly bemasked to resemble a novel?
Is there really an author out there that could havefooled me? Like, have me 200 pages into a 309 page . . . novel . . . before Islap the heel of my hand to my forehead and think, “Kevvvvvin!” Here’s what we’redealing with, and I want to reiterate this deception was masterfully done. Masterfully!Welcome to the small town of Clifton Heights. East of Rochester. Well, east of Syracuse,too, but also east of Rochester (where I am from). Chris has been the sherifffor just under two years. He’s made some good friends. Tuesdays are pokernight. On this particular Tuesday, after Ellen Danver shows up and instructsChris to stop looking for her missing son, to just cancel the investigation . .. Chris knows it is time to not ask, but demand answers from his friends.Weird things continually happen around town. Rarely are there any answers. It’sat the Skylark Diner where Gavin, one of the Tuesday night poker players,agrees to meet and answer the sheriff’s questions as best as possible. Thisbeing better than nothing, Chris readies himself for the meeting.Gavin explains that all the disappearances, the oddities, are things that can’tbe reported; cases that can’t be solved. Basically, it is what it is. This,naturally, is not good enough for the sheriff. Gavin produces a binding ofwritings that are sure to explain it all, or . . . not at all. It is through aseries of short-stories, written by Gavin, that the truth about CliftonHeights’ dark secrets is revealed. The stories involve bad and strange andpeculiar events that happened to people in town. And sometimes, re-happened topeople in town, but differently from the way they happened the first time. (Youfollow? No? Exactly!) Back and forth occurs between Gavin and the Sheriff atthe end (or just before the beginning) of the next short tale.This is why Kevin had me tricked into thinking this was a novel. I cared about all of the characters introduced. Was sucked in to each of their stories. Loved how they all revolved around Clifton Heights. All contained similar elements. Seemed like it had all been written in one sitting!I turned pages so fast, anxious to see what would happen next. Anxious to seewhat else Gavin and Chris discussed. Was dying to find out what the deep darksecrets were behind Brassler Road and the Brassler House, and could not wait tolearn why Ellen Danver’s no longer wanted police involvement for finding hermissing child!Violent and gritty, mysterious and frightening, Lucia spins out a consistentstream of tight prose. Constant tension and ever-building suspense, I could notput the book down. It might be a collection of short stories – might sell as acollection of short stories. I figured it out! Don’t let Kevin Luciaor the publisher fool you. Don’t be tricked. This, Things Slip Through, is an amazing NOVEL.I don’t recommend books often. You want something different? Something very well-written, entertaining, and scary? You know where I’m going with this? I think you do. Come November, when the book is released, add Things Slip Through to your list of books to read! You won’t regret it!
As always, with love,
Phillip Tomasso
I’ve known Kevin for a few years now. Four? Maybe five? We met becauseof our shared interest in writing, and of perhaps one day writing a bestseller.
Separated by just under 200 miles, we’ve met only once. I will start bysaying I am not a short-story reader. I do not care for anthologies. Nothing against them, other than when I sit down to read, I prefer a novel. With that said, I had no idea that really — really — Things Slip Through, is a collection of short storiescleverly camouflaged as a novel.What am I talking about? How could a collection of short stories possibly bemasked to resemble a novel?
Is there really an author out there that could havefooled me? Like, have me 200 pages into a 309 page . . . novel . . . before Islap the heel of my hand to my forehead and think, “Kevvvvvin!” Here’s what we’redealing with, and I want to reiterate this deception was masterfully done. Masterfully!Welcome to the small town of Clifton Heights. East of Rochester. Well, east of Syracuse,too, but also east of Rochester (where I am from). Chris has been the sherifffor just under two years. He’s made some good friends. Tuesdays are pokernight. On this particular Tuesday, after Ellen Danver shows up and instructsChris to stop looking for her missing son, to just cancel the investigation . .. Chris knows it is time to not ask, but demand answers from his friends.Weird things continually happen around town. Rarely are there any answers. It’sat the Skylark Diner where Gavin, one of the Tuesday night poker players,agrees to meet and answer the sheriff’s questions as best as possible. Thisbeing better than nothing, Chris readies himself for the meeting.Gavin explains that all the disappearances, the oddities, are things that can’tbe reported; cases that can’t be solved. Basically, it is what it is. This,naturally, is not good enough for the sheriff. Gavin produces a binding ofwritings that are sure to explain it all, or . . . not at all. It is through aseries of short-stories, written by Gavin, that the truth about CliftonHeights’ dark secrets is revealed. The stories involve bad and strange andpeculiar events that happened to people in town. And sometimes, re-happened topeople in town, but differently from the way they happened the first time. (Youfollow? No? Exactly!) Back and forth occurs between Gavin and the Sheriff atthe end (or just before the beginning) of the next short tale.This is why Kevin had me tricked into thinking this was a novel. I cared about all of the characters introduced. Was sucked in to each of their stories. Loved how they all revolved around Clifton Heights. All contained similar elements. Seemed like it had all been written in one sitting!I turned pages so fast, anxious to see what would happen next. Anxious to seewhat else Gavin and Chris discussed. Was dying to find out what the deep darksecrets were behind Brassler Road and the Brassler House, and could not wait tolearn why Ellen Danver’s no longer wanted police involvement for finding hermissing child!Violent and gritty, mysterious and frightening, Lucia spins out a consistentstream of tight prose. Constant tension and ever-building suspense, I could notput the book down. It might be a collection of short stories – might sell as acollection of short stories. I figured it out! Don’t let Kevin Luciaor the publisher fool you. Don’t be tricked. This, Things Slip Through, is an amazing NOVEL.I don’t recommend books often. You want something different? Something very well-written, entertaining, and scary? You know where I’m going with this? I think you do. Come November, when the book is released, add Things Slip Through to your list of books to read! You won’t regret it!
As always, with love,
Phillip Tomasso
November 8, 2013
Things Slip Through By, Kevin Lucia
Publisher, Crystal Lake Publishing, November 2013
Things Slip Through is a unique and harrowing collection of interwoven dark as midnight short stories that are the fruits of a rare and vibrant imagination. The author weaves the stories into the narrative with effortless grace and ease, whilst breathing new life into the concept of a “collection of fiction.”
Clifton Heights is an odd little Upstate New York town. No one knows this more than Chris, the local Sherriff. Too many people disappear and the people of the town scarcely notice. However, Chris takes his job seriously and he wants answers. A little girl is missing and Chris will not rest until the case is solved. During a get-together with a veritable “who’s who” of Clifton Heights, Chris pushes for answers until one man takes him seriously and attempts to do his best to explain what is happening: a local writer, Gavin.
They go to a local diner for coffee—and what Chris hopes are answers. After all, he is the Sherriff. What good is he if he can’t solve a simple case? Gavin does his best to explain what exactly makes Clifton Heights a myriad of nightmares for those bold enough to move, or stay there. However, Gavin has an insider’s view that only creeps out when he writes about it. With patience, he hands Chris the stories, one by one, hoping to clear up any confusion. What follows is ripped directly from the headlines of the news: racism and ethnic tensions that flow like a well-crafted Hitchcock mystery. However, as Chris continues reading, he finds things that shouldn’t be; things that defy physics, things that simmer below the surface of the placid town with an ancient and depraved hunger. Story after story Chris questions the sanity of Gavin, knowing full well that in his heart he knows there is some truth to it. Isn’t there? Can this, or any other case, be solved once he’s finished reading?
It is impossible to declare which short stories are my favorites because they all add something to the bigger story. From ethnic tensions at the local High School; to a road that only appears at night; to a house where time and reality are bent, allowing things that should not be to slip through; to a local, literal demigod—Clifton Heights makes Arkuhm pale in comparison. In Things Slip Through, Kevin Lucia is like a mad scientist; throwing everything he’s got to create an utterly singular, pulse-pounding tale that you just can’t put down. Using a literary and evocative voice, the reader finds their heart-beat jumping in sync with the characters as they scramble away from the ancient evils that hide in the darkness like a stalking butler.
Things Slip Through is a product of a rare talent. It shines like a beacon through a dark storm, placing the author next to the pillars of the horror genre. This is an author to watch. Mr. Lucia, you have arrived.
Reviewed by Ben Eads
Publisher, Crystal Lake Publishing, November 2013
Things Slip Through is a unique and harrowing collection of interwoven dark as midnight short stories that are the fruits of a rare and vibrant imagination. The author weaves the stories into the narrative with effortless grace and ease, whilst breathing new life into the concept of a “collection of fiction.”
Clifton Heights is an odd little Upstate New York town. No one knows this more than Chris, the local Sherriff. Too many people disappear and the people of the town scarcely notice. However, Chris takes his job seriously and he wants answers. A little girl is missing and Chris will not rest until the case is solved. During a get-together with a veritable “who’s who” of Clifton Heights, Chris pushes for answers until one man takes him seriously and attempts to do his best to explain what is happening: a local writer, Gavin.
They go to a local diner for coffee—and what Chris hopes are answers. After all, he is the Sherriff. What good is he if he can’t solve a simple case? Gavin does his best to explain what exactly makes Clifton Heights a myriad of nightmares for those bold enough to move, or stay there. However, Gavin has an insider’s view that only creeps out when he writes about it. With patience, he hands Chris the stories, one by one, hoping to clear up any confusion. What follows is ripped directly from the headlines of the news: racism and ethnic tensions that flow like a well-crafted Hitchcock mystery. However, as Chris continues reading, he finds things that shouldn’t be; things that defy physics, things that simmer below the surface of the placid town with an ancient and depraved hunger. Story after story Chris questions the sanity of Gavin, knowing full well that in his heart he knows there is some truth to it. Isn’t there? Can this, or any other case, be solved once he’s finished reading?
It is impossible to declare which short stories are my favorites because they all add something to the bigger story. From ethnic tensions at the local High School; to a road that only appears at night; to a house where time and reality are bent, allowing things that should not be to slip through; to a local, literal demigod—Clifton Heights makes Arkuhm pale in comparison. In Things Slip Through, Kevin Lucia is like a mad scientist; throwing everything he’s got to create an utterly singular, pulse-pounding tale that you just can’t put down. Using a literary and evocative voice, the reader finds their heart-beat jumping in sync with the characters as they scramble away from the ancient evils that hide in the darkness like a stalking butler.
Things Slip Through is a product of a rare talent. It shines like a beacon through a dark storm, placing the author next to the pillars of the horror genre. This is an author to watch. Mr. Lucia, you have arrived.
Reviewed by Ben Eads
March 6, 2014
Horror isn't a genre I wade into often, but "Things Slip Though" made my departure from the norm well worth the trip. Lucia's writing features taut and smart dialogue, devilish descriptions, and compelling story. Looking forward to reading more from Kevin.
April 15, 2015
Things Slip Through is a nice collection of spooky stories tied together by an overarching narrative. I would love to read a sequel or see some of these expanded. Many excellent ideas, and I'll definitely be looking for more to read from Kevin Lucia.
April 28, 2025
Awesome first book in this series. Creepy and scary tales.
November 5, 2022
Book 1 of the Clifton Heights saga did not disappoint! Having forged ahead with Book 5 in time for Halloween, I thought it best to start from the beginning, having thoroughly enjoyed October Night.
Things Slip Through was such a good read, with the focus firmly centred on The Old Bassler House intertwined with the character of Gavin Patchett. What follows an intriguing opening chapter are various spooky, and at times bloody tales that will grip you tight and make you want to keep reading until the end, and leave you wanting more.
No spoilers but based on the 2 books already read, the series as a whole is turning out to be an exciting prospect and I can't wait to dip into the next instalment!
Things Slip Through was such a good read, with the focus firmly centred on The Old Bassler House intertwined with the character of Gavin Patchett. What follows an intriguing opening chapter are various spooky, and at times bloody tales that will grip you tight and make you want to keep reading until the end, and leave you wanting more.
No spoilers but based on the 2 books already read, the series as a whole is turning out to be an exciting prospect and I can't wait to dip into the next instalment!
January 1, 2014
Like Stephen King’s Castle Rock, Kevin Lucia has expertly conjured an obscure town in the Adirondacks, with unexplained disappearances, where strange things happen, and a population is held at mercy by an invisible hand. No one wants to break down on I-80 near Clifton Heights after reading “Things Slip Through.”
In a clever web of stories where some stand alone, Lucia has woven a series of mysteries into a cohesive collaboration that leads Sheriff Chris on a pursuit for truth through a town that turns an apathetic face to horrible situations.
At first, I was confused as to whose story I was reading, so I reread the first couple of chapters to be sure I hadn’t missed something. With Gavin’s narrative, the pieces to the puzzle fell into place with all the nuances of a small town where skeletons come out at night, where a character’s weakness allows monsters to take form. Although it seemed there were too many “monsters” and not a common thread that led the town into denial like Pascal Laugier’s “The Tall Man,” Chris is a newcomer and wouldn’t understand what makes a small mountain community isolated from the rest of the world tick. Chris wants to fight the monsters without acknowledging his own, but knowing that Gavin’s empty pages are waiting for more stories to come, Lucia leaves the door open for something greater to slip through.
I know that Lucia is not finished with Clifton Heights. Sheriff Chris has yet to meet the diabolical Dr. Jeffers and I can’t wait to hear more from Clive Hartley.
When Kevin Lucia is ready to perform more of his own trickery by moving words on the page, I’m ready to experience yet another endless journey down Bassler Road.
In a clever web of stories where some stand alone, Lucia has woven a series of mysteries into a cohesive collaboration that leads Sheriff Chris on a pursuit for truth through a town that turns an apathetic face to horrible situations.
At first, I was confused as to whose story I was reading, so I reread the first couple of chapters to be sure I hadn’t missed something. With Gavin’s narrative, the pieces to the puzzle fell into place with all the nuances of a small town where skeletons come out at night, where a character’s weakness allows monsters to take form. Although it seemed there were too many “monsters” and not a common thread that led the town into denial like Pascal Laugier’s “The Tall Man,” Chris is a newcomer and wouldn’t understand what makes a small mountain community isolated from the rest of the world tick. Chris wants to fight the monsters without acknowledging his own, but knowing that Gavin’s empty pages are waiting for more stories to come, Lucia leaves the door open for something greater to slip through.
I know that Lucia is not finished with Clifton Heights. Sheriff Chris has yet to meet the diabolical Dr. Jeffers and I can’t wait to hear more from Clive Hartley.
When Kevin Lucia is ready to perform more of his own trickery by moving words on the page, I’m ready to experience yet another endless journey down Bassler Road.
November 27, 2013
Crystal Lake offered me a review copy for this book. Familiar with Lucia's previous work with Hiram Grange and the Chosen One, I hopped on the opportunity.
Small presses continue to deliver; and Crystal Lake is making a good investment in Kevin Lucia who offers up Things Slip Through. How to describe it? Chills and thrills with clever construction and tight prose.
That's only the surface of it. The trickier part is trying to describe the novel overall without giving away the parts of the plot that truly please. We start out with a group of friends in the small town of Clifton Heights in NY and a Sheriff's desire to know the truth about the events unfolding around him. The writer Gavin unveils an incomplete collection of stories -- describing people who vanish without a trace, the troublesome relationship of invisible friends, good intentions on dark and haunted roads, creepy amulets, the persistence of basement pentagrams that should not be, and doctors who will offer treatment whether your insurance covers you or not -- beware the side affects. It might take awhile to recover.
The concept is very impressive -- with each chapter being a short story standalone that weaves into a greater narrative, and building to the ending in which we discover there is one story left incomplete, and the good Sheriff himself must see it through to the end.
One gets the impression of a writer branching out and flexing his muscles; I'll be interested to see where Kevin Lucia takes his next project. Crystal Lake, hold on to this one!
Small presses continue to deliver; and Crystal Lake is making a good investment in Kevin Lucia who offers up Things Slip Through. How to describe it? Chills and thrills with clever construction and tight prose.
That's only the surface of it. The trickier part is trying to describe the novel overall without giving away the parts of the plot that truly please. We start out with a group of friends in the small town of Clifton Heights in NY and a Sheriff's desire to know the truth about the events unfolding around him. The writer Gavin unveils an incomplete collection of stories -- describing people who vanish without a trace, the troublesome relationship of invisible friends, good intentions on dark and haunted roads, creepy amulets, the persistence of basement pentagrams that should not be, and doctors who will offer treatment whether your insurance covers you or not -- beware the side affects. It might take awhile to recover.
The concept is very impressive -- with each chapter being a short story standalone that weaves into a greater narrative, and building to the ending in which we discover there is one story left incomplete, and the good Sheriff himself must see it through to the end.
One gets the impression of a writer branching out and flexing his muscles; I'll be interested to see where Kevin Lucia takes his next project. Crystal Lake, hold on to this one!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2013
Full disclosure. I haven't seen a finished copy of this book. I read a pre-publication draft for the author, who was looking for first thoughts and feedback. With that in mind...
This is a collection of Lucia's previously published stories and some new work, bound up in a framing device that slyly turns the whole thing into a novel without you really noticing. As a collection this is excellent. The first few stories are good, and then they hit another level with 'The Sliding' and stay there. The framing device, in which a sherriff investigates why so many strange things happen in the little town of Clifton Heights, elevates the whole - it's a smart and convincing way to make this more than the sum of its parts, and loads each story with Easter Eggs as you spot how they relate to one another. The book is also, simply, extremely readable. I enjoyed the characters enormously. They're easy on the ear, and convince as a selection of everyday folk having their lives disrupted by the uncanny. A constantly entertaining book that makes small town US horror fresh again.
This is a collection of Lucia's previously published stories and some new work, bound up in a framing device that slyly turns the whole thing into a novel without you really noticing. As a collection this is excellent. The first few stories are good, and then they hit another level with 'The Sliding' and stay there. The framing device, in which a sherriff investigates why so many strange things happen in the little town of Clifton Heights, elevates the whole - it's a smart and convincing way to make this more than the sum of its parts, and loads each story with Easter Eggs as you spot how they relate to one another. The book is also, simply, extremely readable. I enjoyed the characters enormously. They're easy on the ear, and convince as a selection of everyday folk having their lives disrupted by the uncanny. A constantly entertaining book that makes small town US horror fresh again.
November 17, 2013
As a devoted fan of Charles L. Grant's Oxrun Station I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Kevin Lucia's Clifton Heights, a town of nightmares, a place where strange and unexplainable occurrences are the norm and horror lurks in every shadow, drifts in every breeze. LIke Grant's Oxrun Station series, Lucia's THINGS SLIP THROUGH had me in its firm, icy grip from page 1. It is written with style, peopled with well-drawn characters put up against the most harrowing situations imaginable. This is not a typical short story collection either. Each tale is part of a bigger narrative that is expertly mapped out to its shocking 5 star ending. A treat for any fan of quality horror. Don't let it slip by.
February 5, 2017
Pretty decent horror fiction, nice use of the "connected stories" idea, writing is good but not great. And only a few gratuitous gross-outs (like the "Brother's Keeper" story). But I will be continuing the series and I look forward to reading book #2, Through a Mirror, Darkly. Since I finished this book on Jan 1 2017 (though I have been reading it on and off for many months now), it has the distinction of being the first book finished for the year 2017. May there be many more to come!
January 15, 2014
A great book that is more than it seems. It is a collection of short stories but yet is more than that. Kevin using a clever narrative to tie the stories loosely together with an connected storyline that makes this more than the average short story collection. It was perfect for reading a quick story a day at lunch to break up the monotonous work day!
January 29, 2014
Lucia masterfully weaves suspense and the supernatural in this novel. Although I started reading it at night, it wasn't before long that I had to read it during the day to chase away the willies. It's compelling. It kept calling me back into the dream. Great, fun, and spooky read.
June 17, 2019
This book has reinforced my feeling that Kevin Lucia is a hell of a writer. There is one story in this book that forced me to read it whenever my stomach was empty, otherwise I'd throw everything up. Other than that, Things Slip Through is a faultless and fantastic book, a real page-turner.
February 10, 2021
I loved this book dearly. The format of it was so interesting, and exceptionally well executed.
June 7, 2022
After the scene-setting introductory piece, we join Gavin on his quest to "write what he sees." I have to say, I've met authors much like he was before his accident.
This is a tight little collection of stories, urban horror, as promised. There is something here for everyone, with a dash of social commentary tossed in for good measure. The sheriff gets more than he bargained for when he asks what all the strangeness in town is about, and why - despite his inability to stop or catch more of those responsible - no one seems upset.
A highly recommended debut collection.
This is a tight little collection of stories, urban horror, as promised. There is something here for everyone, with a dash of social commentary tossed in for good measure. The sheriff gets more than he bargained for when he asks what all the strangeness in town is about, and why - despite his inability to stop or catch more of those responsible - no one seems upset.
A highly recommended debut collection.
December 14, 2013
First things first, you can tell a great deal of care went into this collection. For starters, the cover art. Artist Ben Baldwin (whose other works can be seen on his website and at Crystal Lake's website) has created an image that is flat out gorgeous and haunting. Honestly, the cover is something you need to see in your hands to truly appreciate. The picture above is amazing, but doesn't do Baldwin's work (or Kevin's for that matter - whose words enhance the image) justice.
Now for the plot that links the stories. (I should mention here that the details I discuss may be considered "spoilery". While my aim is not to reveal everything about the book, I may give you more details than you're willing to know if you've just started or have yet to read it. So, to be safe, read the book then come back.)
Things begins with main character Chris, the new town sheriff of Clifton Heights, who one night confronts a small group of his friends regarding mysterious disappearances and...happenings...within the town limits. Being that these friends have always been local, Chris believes they know more than he does regarding these mysteries and resolves to get answers. Taken up on the offer to openly discuss any and all details, Chris and one of this friends, Gavin, head off to The Skylark Diner - a local establishment open 24 hours that allows them the time and the quiet (not the mention the fuel by way of diner food) to get through a night of disturbing town history.
This is where the meat and potatoes of the collection - the stories - come into play. A neat storytelling device, the stories are actual stories in the context of the book - written by Gavin himself, who was once a published author before...succumbing to difficulties. As it happens, Gavin shares his handwritten tales with Chris, who reads them when we do.
Right off the bat I was hooked. Lucia jumps right into the story. There's no prologue or lengthy opening chapter that describes how these characters have met, gotten along, attended the same get-togethers and such - you learn these details through the progression of the book. The writing is sparse and effective. Where many genre writers, like Stephen King, can get bogged down writing forever in exposition (I swear I stopped reading Lisey's Story because the novel becomes page after page and so on of regurgitated material and back-story he already explained. Twice.), Lucia cuts right to the bone. His main character, Chris, is already bothered and frustrated by his lack of town knowledge on the first page, and doesn't waste time letting his friends know about it.
Between each story are moments of reflection and discussion between Chris and Gavin in the diner. Lucia uses these moments of dialogue to give us more information than the stories tend to reveal (like the fate of some of the...characters...after the story's conclusion), but there are also times when Chris and Gavin do a bit of catch-me-up and discuss previous stories like they are making sure the reader is still with them. After finishing the book I asked myself if this could've been avoided, and, really, I suppose not. Not with so many character names and how they intertwine with others throughout the book. The sections with Chris and Gavin are not long - a couple pages at the most - and then we're promptly returned to the meat and potatoes.
As it is with short story collections, readers will have their favorites. I won't get into discussing each tale, but, surprisingly, I found I was drawn more into the tales that focused more on the flawed people in this town ("Lament", "On A Midnight Black Chessie" especially, to name a few) than I was the stories where horror came into play ("The Sliding", "Lonely Places"). This surprises me because I'm very much a fan of the supernatural. Lucia is very good with both types of stories, but I felt more effected when I knew more about the characters and learned of their darker sides. "Lament" is an amazing opening story. It's harsh with its language and brutal and vicious in terms of its events, yet really makes you feel for some of the characters. One story, "Brother's Keeper", is a good mix of both character and horror, and is quite grisly to boot. A little something for everyone.
The ultimate success of Things Slip Through is in its tone. These are some dark stories. And it's a credit to Lucia's talent that Things keeps moving. In his restraint, Lucia keeps us present with the people of his town instead of hammering us with too many thoughts or over-explanation. Writers do tend to be wordy, but Lucia keeps it lean and mean. That speaks of his confidence in his material.
Overall, Things Slip Through makes a great Halloween read. It also serves well any time after dark. Or (as it goes) on cold winter days when you're all alone...
Now for the plot that links the stories. (I should mention here that the details I discuss may be considered "spoilery". While my aim is not to reveal everything about the book, I may give you more details than you're willing to know if you've just started or have yet to read it. So, to be safe, read the book then come back.)
Things begins with main character Chris, the new town sheriff of Clifton Heights, who one night confronts a small group of his friends regarding mysterious disappearances and...happenings...within the town limits. Being that these friends have always been local, Chris believes they know more than he does regarding these mysteries and resolves to get answers. Taken up on the offer to openly discuss any and all details, Chris and one of this friends, Gavin, head off to The Skylark Diner - a local establishment open 24 hours that allows them the time and the quiet (not the mention the fuel by way of diner food) to get through a night of disturbing town history.
This is where the meat and potatoes of the collection - the stories - come into play. A neat storytelling device, the stories are actual stories in the context of the book - written by Gavin himself, who was once a published author before...succumbing to difficulties. As it happens, Gavin shares his handwritten tales with Chris, who reads them when we do.
Right off the bat I was hooked. Lucia jumps right into the story. There's no prologue or lengthy opening chapter that describes how these characters have met, gotten along, attended the same get-togethers and such - you learn these details through the progression of the book. The writing is sparse and effective. Where many genre writers, like Stephen King, can get bogged down writing forever in exposition (I swear I stopped reading Lisey's Story because the novel becomes page after page and so on of regurgitated material and back-story he already explained. Twice.), Lucia cuts right to the bone. His main character, Chris, is already bothered and frustrated by his lack of town knowledge on the first page, and doesn't waste time letting his friends know about it.
Between each story are moments of reflection and discussion between Chris and Gavin in the diner. Lucia uses these moments of dialogue to give us more information than the stories tend to reveal (like the fate of some of the...characters...after the story's conclusion), but there are also times when Chris and Gavin do a bit of catch-me-up and discuss previous stories like they are making sure the reader is still with them. After finishing the book I asked myself if this could've been avoided, and, really, I suppose not. Not with so many character names and how they intertwine with others throughout the book. The sections with Chris and Gavin are not long - a couple pages at the most - and then we're promptly returned to the meat and potatoes.
As it is with short story collections, readers will have their favorites. I won't get into discussing each tale, but, surprisingly, I found I was drawn more into the tales that focused more on the flawed people in this town ("Lament", "On A Midnight Black Chessie" especially, to name a few) than I was the stories where horror came into play ("The Sliding", "Lonely Places"). This surprises me because I'm very much a fan of the supernatural. Lucia is very good with both types of stories, but I felt more effected when I knew more about the characters and learned of their darker sides. "Lament" is an amazing opening story. It's harsh with its language and brutal and vicious in terms of its events, yet really makes you feel for some of the characters. One story, "Brother's Keeper", is a good mix of both character and horror, and is quite grisly to boot. A little something for everyone.
The ultimate success of Things Slip Through is in its tone. These are some dark stories. And it's a credit to Lucia's talent that Things keeps moving. In his restraint, Lucia keeps us present with the people of his town instead of hammering us with too many thoughts or over-explanation. Writers do tend to be wordy, but Lucia keeps it lean and mean. That speaks of his confidence in his material.
Overall, Things Slip Through makes a great Halloween read. It also serves well any time after dark. Or (as it goes) on cold winter days when you're all alone...
December 5, 2013
Gary Braunbeck, in the intro to Fran Friel’s frankly ass kicking collection Mama’s Boy, mentions how Peter Straub changed the expectations of a collection. No longer can an author get away with something as mundane as what often amounts to a “best of” grouping of unconnected short stories. They have to have some sort of through line, some thematic connection. With Things Slip Through, Kevin Lucia has taken that idea to its next logical step, compiling his short fiction in a way that tells a larger tale through them. It’s a heck of an endeavor that grabbed my attention immediately.
The first tale of the bunch, “Lament”, was by far the most effective and affecting one presented and does a heck of a job of kicking the door off its hinges. Nominally, it’s a story of repressed anger, violent revenge and racism in the wake of national horror. Nominally. But, under the surface lurks a far more crushing chronicle of the dangers of inaction and the guilt that accompanies it. There is no doubt that Kevin is out for blood and hearts with this one.
Then we’ve got “The Water God of Clarke Street”, wherein an intrepid and witty young girl turns the tables on an elder bastard in a way that slyly plays with the development of abusive and exploitative relationships teen girls sometimes find themselves in. And there is “The Gate and the Way”, a nifty cycle paying homage to ye olde Yog Sothoth and the terrors of watching family turn into something we no longer recognize. Ooh-ooh aaaannd “A Brother’s Keeper”, where selfishness is repaid in kind. But we can’t forget “Mr. Nobody,” where a young boy’s salvation comes from an unlikely source.
These show Lucia at his best. When his voice is warm and inviting, like chatting it up with an old codger at the local hole in the wall bar. When his Serling-esque sense of situational irony plays out as smooth as butter. When his characters jump, living and breathing, from the page. Good Old awesomesauce on a twelve grain bun.
But there are some problems. The wraparound narrative starts off a bit awkward and contrived, making it harder for me to invest in those characters. Also, the journey of our intrepid Sherriff does not seem to end with much of a point. Perhaps it is intended to be a journey of finding purpose, but the value of the purpose is not particularly clear (as compared to the interior narratives of Gavin’s similar journey). Also, it seems like some of the stories are altered to fit this overall narrative, in a way that does not fit the story itself well.
Then there are some of the stories that don’t stand up to the standard set by those listed earlier. For instance, “Bassler Road” comes across as a pretty standard Carnival of Souls type of story where the point seems to be redemption, but the only temptation in the opposite direction is an obviously foul demon. The conflict there just felt limp to me. “On a Midnight Black Chessie” was an overall good story, but the beginning, which seemed like it was supposed to tie into the end, didn’t quite fit with the later portion. That created some dissonance that was tough to get past. Same goes with the Deus Ex Machina in “The Monster.”
So, yeah, there are some issues that I think could have been smoothed out and some stories that I didn’t entirely believe needed to be here. However, the collection overall entertained me and had a couple stories that absolutely wrecked me. I can’t give you a higher recommendation than that.
The first tale of the bunch, “Lament”, was by far the most effective and affecting one presented and does a heck of a job of kicking the door off its hinges. Nominally, it’s a story of repressed anger, violent revenge and racism in the wake of national horror. Nominally. But, under the surface lurks a far more crushing chronicle of the dangers of inaction and the guilt that accompanies it. There is no doubt that Kevin is out for blood and hearts with this one.
Then we’ve got “The Water God of Clarke Street”, wherein an intrepid and witty young girl turns the tables on an elder bastard in a way that slyly plays with the development of abusive and exploitative relationships teen girls sometimes find themselves in. And there is “The Gate and the Way”, a nifty cycle paying homage to ye olde Yog Sothoth and the terrors of watching family turn into something we no longer recognize. Ooh-ooh aaaannd “A Brother’s Keeper”, where selfishness is repaid in kind. But we can’t forget “Mr. Nobody,” where a young boy’s salvation comes from an unlikely source.
These show Lucia at his best. When his voice is warm and inviting, like chatting it up with an old codger at the local hole in the wall bar. When his Serling-esque sense of situational irony plays out as smooth as butter. When his characters jump, living and breathing, from the page. Good Old awesomesauce on a twelve grain bun.
But there are some problems. The wraparound narrative starts off a bit awkward and contrived, making it harder for me to invest in those characters. Also, the journey of our intrepid Sherriff does not seem to end with much of a point. Perhaps it is intended to be a journey of finding purpose, but the value of the purpose is not particularly clear (as compared to the interior narratives of Gavin’s similar journey). Also, it seems like some of the stories are altered to fit this overall narrative, in a way that does not fit the story itself well.
Then there are some of the stories that don’t stand up to the standard set by those listed earlier. For instance, “Bassler Road” comes across as a pretty standard Carnival of Souls type of story where the point seems to be redemption, but the only temptation in the opposite direction is an obviously foul demon. The conflict there just felt limp to me. “On a Midnight Black Chessie” was an overall good story, but the beginning, which seemed like it was supposed to tie into the end, didn’t quite fit with the later portion. That created some dissonance that was tough to get past. Same goes with the Deus Ex Machina in “The Monster.”
So, yeah, there are some issues that I think could have been smoothed out and some stories that I didn’t entirely believe needed to be here. However, the collection overall entertained me and had a couple stories that absolutely wrecked me. I can’t give you a higher recommendation than that.
June 11, 2024
"Through A Mirror, Darkly" was named as one of the top 150 horror books in Exquisite Horror and caught my eye with the Yellow King references, so I went and researched it and found it was basically the third book in Kevin Lucia's Clifton Heights series. I was pleased to find that Things Slip Through, was the first and free on Kindle, so I gave it a shot. It's a fix up or mosaic novel that links 11 of Lucai's short stories, two of which were new in this book. All of these stories are episodes in the small town of Clifton Heights captured by an ex-horror writer who, over the book's length, enlightens the local sheriff about just why so many of his cases ended up slippery and unsolved. These stories cover a lot of familiar horror territory and range from the average to really powerful, especially the utterly terrifying "My Brother's Keeper" where the protagonist ends up an unwilling donor to his twin brother due to his father's will and the local weird head doctor at the town's hospital, and the extremely affecting "On a Midnight Black Chessie" a sort of Twilight Zone-ish story about a friend-zoned older recluse who finds out his elaborate train set has a reflection in reality. There are a few stories related to a local "haunted house" that is a bit of an occult trap that bends the rules of reality and a couple about the road on its own. To my eyes the overall work was just strong and fascinating enough to imagine that further books improve significantly on what is set up here (I'd probably give it a 3 1/2 given the option, but the majority of the work here is really solid). There is perhaps a little too much repetitive peer pressure in some of the stories causing some of the protagonists to do stupid things, but most of this is similar to a Brian Keene-ish sort of workingman's world that I was comfortable enough with to just roll with it. There's a sense here that Lucia was gaining enough edge of his own in this to be beginning to emerge as the writer Exquisite Horror promised him to be, so I'm sure I'll be checking the next one in the series out.
January 1, 2015
Things Slip Through by Kevin Lucia is not your run-of-the-mill novel. The compilation of the book is intriguing, in the sense of it being a collection of short stories that's been woven together to create a novel. It's not a typical collection nor is it a typical novel. However, it is a fascinating concept, and rather gripping considering the negative connotations readers often have towards collections/anthologies. What's more is that there is a vast variety of "horrors" represented in the novel that ranges from fictitious to plausible, making it an exciting read that will pull you into the story.
One thing's for sure, I really don't want to end up in Clifton Heights, New York.
I am unfamiliar with Lucia's previous work, so I cannot say whether Things Slip Through is better than anything else he's written, but I will say that its unique approach piqued my interest. The writing itself kept me turning the pages, the characters were fun to get to know, but what I enjoyed the most was the horrors. I liked how Things Slip Through gave me the literal chills every now and again.
Basically, it's a good book that other authors will benefit from reading (due to the complex crafting of the book), and readers will enjoy (due to the wonderful, creepy plot).
Review originally posted at:
One thing's for sure, I really don't want to end up in Clifton Heights, New York.
I am unfamiliar with Lucia's previous work, so I cannot say whether Things Slip Through is better than anything else he's written, but I will say that its unique approach piqued my interest. The writing itself kept me turning the pages, the characters were fun to get to know, but what I enjoyed the most was the horrors. I liked how Things Slip Through gave me the literal chills every now and again.
Basically, it's a good book that other authors will benefit from reading (due to the complex crafting of the book), and readers will enjoy (due to the wonderful, creepy plot).
Review originally posted at:
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