Secret Things

by Stacey Longo

This collection of wickedly entertaining stories will compel you to lock the doors, keep the lights on, and ponder what it might be like to embrace the darker side of human nature.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories

168 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2013

About the author

Stacey Longo was born and raised in Glastonbury, Connecticut. After graduating from Penn State, she moved to Block Island, Rhode Island, where she established her writing career as a popular weekly humor columnist for the local newspaper. Upon returning to Connecticut, she turned her pen to horror. Her short stories have appeared in over 20 magazines and anthologies. She is the author of Secret Things: Twelve Tales to Terrify and Ordinary Boy, among others.

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every single story in this collection. It doesn't happen often where every story in a book is excellent, but it happens in "Secret Things." You won't have buyer's regret after buying Stacey Longo's "Secret Things." You may have a new obsession though.

I want to read more stories by this author. I await in anticipation for her next book or short story collection. Hopefully, I won't have to wait too long.

[Vlad Vaslyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great little book of short stories. Well-written, disturbing, and at times darkly funny. A satisfying read.

[Jeanette Andromeda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology runs the gambit for emotion. Suspense, disgust, sorrow, and humor all mingle together into one fascinating collection.

As a reader I tend to be drawn to horror books that live in the realm of the occult and supernatural. Black magic, monsters, and ghosts are all the normal fair for me.

This book had none of that, and I completely loved it.

The strongest stories in this collection focus on the horror hiding in our everyday lives and in the hearts and minds of the people around us. Which is far scarier to me than a monster in the attic any night, because you have no way of knowing the evil is there, until it’s too late.

Not all of this book’s horror lives in the minds of humans, there are some well-placed zombies as well. The zombie tales read more on the fun/humorous side of chilling though.

tand out Stories

There are two stories in particular that stood out to me in this book, Good Night, Francine and Trapped.

Good Night, Francine

This story follows the dramatic evening of a little old woman. Through her meandering thoughts we discover that she’s not anywhere close to “sweet” or “kind” but is actually a horrible human being.

The road this story took really surprised me, and I was amazing that by the end I felt both disgust and pity for Francine.

Trapped

This is the story that you should buy the entire book just to read.

An older couple gets snowed in during a big Nor’easter and the journey they take will keep you guessing, break your heart, and leave you wanting to hug your loved ones.

The Tales Behind the Stories:
Another thing I love about this collection is that you get to see some of Stacey’s writing process.

The section Interlude: The Tale that Failed cracked me up!

It was like being in my own head when I fight with a story. More proof that my process isn’t failing, exactly, just painfully growing the same way it does for writers everywhere.

There’s also a section at the end where Stacey goes through each story and shares a little bit about where each one came from. Some of her inspirations were really funny.

Verdict

5 out of 5 blood spattered stars – For lovers of the messed up maze that is the human mind, writers, and zombie fans, this is a book worth reading.

This book is best read one story at a time by the light of a flashlight under your covers at night. Read one tale and give it the time to sit and percolate through your mind before moving to the next one.

[PC · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always been a fan of the short story with a good shock or touch of a thrill to wrap things up and reward me for my time. "Secret Things" is just that kind of read 12 times over. So well developed I found myself engrossed in the characters of each tale in turn. A frightening range from the lonely and broken hearted to the egocentric, mentally twisted, and just plain evil. And yet, amid all of this horror I found myself chuckling out loud as I moved through the happenings of some of the stories within this book. This could not have been unintended by the author... Bravo! Give us more, say I! Could not have been more pleased with this gift.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. I thought it would be really scary stories, but it mostly made me laugh. A cute short read that will have you thinking, laughing, and probably seeing someone you might know in the pages (sort of). I laughed quite a bit and thought a lot about how we sometimes feel the way some of the characters might but never act on it. Have given to my mother to read. Think she'll enjoy it.

[Daniel G Keohane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great little group of stories. Sometimes all-out horror, but as often quiet, human stories (still with a dark twist), such as "Denny's Dilemna" and "Trapped." A great debut collection from Longo.

[Matthew Bielawa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed each and every story. Wonderfully tight short stories with just the right fright factor.