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Ill At Ease 2
Following on from the critical success of Ill At Ease comes volume 2, featuring seven original horror short stories, all of them guaranteed to give you the chills.
Joining the original trio of Stephen Bacon, Mark West and Neil Williams this time are Shaun Hamilton, Robert Mammone, Val Walmsley and Sheri White.
You will descend into an underground train station to uncover a dreadful secret and watch in horror as a paradise holiday turns sour. You will see a bullied boy who’s helped by local history and share the anguish of a father, losing his child in a shopping centre. You will take a trip with a cancer sufferer and share the pain of a couple, desperate for a child. You will discover that history needs to be kept somewhere.
Seven stories, seven writers and you.
Prepare to feel “ill at ease” all over again.
Joining the original trio of Stephen Bacon, Mark West and Neil Williams this time are Shaun Hamilton, Robert Mammone, Val Walmsley and Sheri White.
You will descend into an underground train station to uncover a dreadful secret and watch in horror as a paradise holiday turns sour. You will see a bullied boy who’s helped by local history and share the anguish of a father, losing his child in a shopping centre. You will take a trip with a cancer sufferer and share the pain of a couple, desperate for a child. You will discover that history needs to be kept somewhere.
Seven stories, seven writers and you.
Prepare to feel “ill at ease” all over again.
202 pages, Paperback
First published November 17, 2013
8 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 4, 2013
Ill at Ease 2 is the follow up to the three author mini-collection Ill at Ease and sees the original authors, Stephen Bacon, Mark West and Neil Williams joined by four others to provide a more substantial helping of unsettling horror.
Double Helix by Stephen Bacon
Bacon is an author currently on a strong upward trajectory with his writing and his career and this story doesn't disappoint, setting the tome and the standard for the anthology. An unsettling road trip which sees a cancer victim taken to the wilds of Scotland by a former lover in search of a miracle cure is surprisingly hopeful and life-affirming whilst still providing its fair share of chills.
The Shuttle by Shaun Hamilton
This story of a relocated couple striving for their first baby and the local quarry that has an insidious hold over the area is well written but I personally found the subject matter unpleasant and as such struggled to engage with the tale. A good premise slightly let down by a lack of subtlety.
Masks by Robert Mammone
A man's search for his missing partner within the seedy nighttime world of a Melbourne train station is wonderfully executed tale that builds tension gradually and puts the reader right on the platform at the centre of events.
One Bad Turn by Val Walmsley
This is another well written piece, but one I found myself struggling through in the middle section. First impression is that this will be a standard horror tale of bullying and revenge but the author subverts the reader's expectations to produce a strong, unexpected ending.
The Bureau of Lost Children by Mark West
As the father of an 8 year-old boy who's always more than happy to wander the shops with his own agenda in mind this story struck a chord and played with my own fears as a parent. There is more than a hint of shows such as The Twilight Zone and Tales of the Unexpected to this story of what goes on behind the scenes of a shopping centre and the sense of panic and unease created by the writer as the protagonist searches for his boy are masterful. The stand-out of the collection.
Paradise Lost by Sherri White
Another solid story which details a mysterious, possibly global, event on a secluded island from the viewpoint of a potential survivor. Although good this felt like it had wandered in from another anthology as the unsettling nature of the other stories is forsaken for a more visceral, but entertaining, style.
There Shall We Ever Be by Neil Williams
The anthology ends in strong style as a man returning to his home town for his Mother's funeral takes a detour into the abandoned and run-down areas of the town and encounters elements from the areas history both benign and malevolent. Like the Mammone story the prose here is masterful in placing the reader right in the derelict tunnel with Mark.
It's noticeable that three out of the four strongest stories here are by the original writers from Ill at Ease, they seem to have executed their narratives with the most successful displays of unease and tension in keeping with the theme suggested by the title and whilst there are no poor stories here it are these that had the most emotional effect on me.
Double Helix by Stephen Bacon
Bacon is an author currently on a strong upward trajectory with his writing and his career and this story doesn't disappoint, setting the tome and the standard for the anthology. An unsettling road trip which sees a cancer victim taken to the wilds of Scotland by a former lover in search of a miracle cure is surprisingly hopeful and life-affirming whilst still providing its fair share of chills.
The Shuttle by Shaun Hamilton
This story of a relocated couple striving for their first baby and the local quarry that has an insidious hold over the area is well written but I personally found the subject matter unpleasant and as such struggled to engage with the tale. A good premise slightly let down by a lack of subtlety.
Masks by Robert Mammone
A man's search for his missing partner within the seedy nighttime world of a Melbourne train station is wonderfully executed tale that builds tension gradually and puts the reader right on the platform at the centre of events.
One Bad Turn by Val Walmsley
This is another well written piece, but one I found myself struggling through in the middle section. First impression is that this will be a standard horror tale of bullying and revenge but the author subverts the reader's expectations to produce a strong, unexpected ending.
The Bureau of Lost Children by Mark West
As the father of an 8 year-old boy who's always more than happy to wander the shops with his own agenda in mind this story struck a chord and played with my own fears as a parent. There is more than a hint of shows such as The Twilight Zone and Tales of the Unexpected to this story of what goes on behind the scenes of a shopping centre and the sense of panic and unease created by the writer as the protagonist searches for his boy are masterful. The stand-out of the collection.
Paradise Lost by Sherri White
Another solid story which details a mysterious, possibly global, event on a secluded island from the viewpoint of a potential survivor. Although good this felt like it had wandered in from another anthology as the unsettling nature of the other stories is forsaken for a more visceral, but entertaining, style.
There Shall We Ever Be by Neil Williams
The anthology ends in strong style as a man returning to his home town for his Mother's funeral takes a detour into the abandoned and run-down areas of the town and encounters elements from the areas history both benign and malevolent. Like the Mammone story the prose here is masterful in placing the reader right in the derelict tunnel with Mark.
It's noticeable that three out of the four strongest stories here are by the original writers from Ill at Ease, they seem to have executed their narratives with the most successful displays of unease and tension in keeping with the theme suggested by the title and whilst there are no poor stories here it are these that had the most emotional effect on me.
May 23, 2022
ill at ease 2, edited by Bacon, West & Williams
The return of the “ill at ease” trio, this time joined by four new writers. As with volume one, the book operates under a co-operative policy, everyone critiqued each others work, the art and design was carried out by West & Williams and all were involved in the promotion.
Masks, by Robert Mammone
When Emma disappeared a year ago, her boyfriend Harry was the prime suspect though no clues linking him to the event turned up. Mistrusted by Emma’s parents, old friends and the police, Harry is shocked to see Emma in an underground train station. The story works well, shifting readers expectations of what’s actually happened - the reason for the required small coffin is macabrely amusing - and builds a nice sense of dread from the beginning. The atmosphere and alienation of the underground station is expertly captured and once the action moves beyond the platform, Robert cranks up the tension superbly. With well used locations, this is a brisk unsettling read.
Paradise Lost by Sheri White
An unnamed narrator, whilst on holiday with his wife and son on a remote island resort, records the end of days into a digital recorder. Something terrible is happening and he holes up in his bungalow, hoping it’ll go away but, of course, it doesn’t work. A short, snappy tale told is a well-realised first person, this gets more claustrophobic and painful the further you get into it and the last few lines are genuinely terrifying.
The Siren Call Of Nemesis, by Val Walmsley
Schoolboy Tim Slater is bullied mercilessly by Carl Mayfield and, whilst running away, finds himself talking shelter in a Yew tree, which has a chequered - and bloody - local history. Then he dreams of getting his revenge on the bully and discovers a disturbance outside of the teenagers house the next day. Nicely paced, with a good sense of history, this really gets inside Tim’s head and makes the reader complicit in what happens. Nasty and incredibly bleak, this works well.
The Bureau Of Lost Children, by Mark West
Scott, Jess & Josh Burton are shopping - Jess is going for a fitting for her friends wedding, whilst Scott & Josh are being left to their own devices for a couple of hours. Whilst in ZAP!, a games shop, Scott loses sight of Josh and chases through the shopping complex, trying to find him. Then he sees a glimpse of his panicked son, being led away by a security guard. No review, naturally.
Double Helix, by Stephen Bacon
Claire is suffering from cancer and only has a few months left to live. Her ex-boyfriend, from Uni - whom she unceremoniously dumped - takes her to Scotland, to see an old friend of his who might be able to help her. This is a beautiful written and observed story, full of human insight and shared history and taking its time to allow the characters to grow until you really care about them and their situation. Sad, uplifting, frightening and wonderful, this works very well.
The Shuttle, by Shaun Hamilton
Paul and Sally move to the country, swapping their too-small place in the city for a home better suited to their dream of becoming parents. After some trials, Sally does fall pregnant and things seem to be moving forwards well, until they reach the hospital. To me, this was a story of two halves - the first being a beautifully observed and superbly written portrait of two people desperate to become parents, their lack of success eating away at them and their patience with each other. I sympathised and empathised with them - Hamilton really makes you feel their anguish - and really wanted things to work. Then the story takes a turn and becomes something much worse, much darker and more painful than I’d thought it would be - I liked the risk, but found it difficult to read and that’s a sign of success, that it got under my skin so completely. Nicely done and very much recommended, but certainly not to everyone’s tastes.
There Shall We Ever Be, by Neil Williams
Mark is going back to Warrington, his childhood home, for a funeral. On a coach journey, his eldery seatmate talks about changes to the town, how the place has been made anew and how history needs to be kept somewhere. Another winner from Williams, this has great characterisation, a strong sense of local atmosphere and a sense of foreboding that envelopes the reader from very early on. Utilising some great writing and a terrific sense of what can be left unsaid, this drags you through with a very quick pace to a denouement that is bleak and heartbreaking but absolutely perfect.
The return of the “ill at ease” trio, this time joined by four new writers. As with volume one, the book operates under a co-operative policy, everyone critiqued each others work, the art and design was carried out by West & Williams and all were involved in the promotion.
Masks, by Robert Mammone
When Emma disappeared a year ago, her boyfriend Harry was the prime suspect though no clues linking him to the event turned up. Mistrusted by Emma’s parents, old friends and the police, Harry is shocked to see Emma in an underground train station. The story works well, shifting readers expectations of what’s actually happened - the reason for the required small coffin is macabrely amusing - and builds a nice sense of dread from the beginning. The atmosphere and alienation of the underground station is expertly captured and once the action moves beyond the platform, Robert cranks up the tension superbly. With well used locations, this is a brisk unsettling read.
Paradise Lost by Sheri White
An unnamed narrator, whilst on holiday with his wife and son on a remote island resort, records the end of days into a digital recorder. Something terrible is happening and he holes up in his bungalow, hoping it’ll go away but, of course, it doesn’t work. A short, snappy tale told is a well-realised first person, this gets more claustrophobic and painful the further you get into it and the last few lines are genuinely terrifying.
The Siren Call Of Nemesis, by Val Walmsley
Schoolboy Tim Slater is bullied mercilessly by Carl Mayfield and, whilst running away, finds himself talking shelter in a Yew tree, which has a chequered - and bloody - local history. Then he dreams of getting his revenge on the bully and discovers a disturbance outside of the teenagers house the next day. Nicely paced, with a good sense of history, this really gets inside Tim’s head and makes the reader complicit in what happens. Nasty and incredibly bleak, this works well.
The Bureau Of Lost Children, by Mark West
Scott, Jess & Josh Burton are shopping - Jess is going for a fitting for her friends wedding, whilst Scott & Josh are being left to their own devices for a couple of hours. Whilst in ZAP!, a games shop, Scott loses sight of Josh and chases through the shopping complex, trying to find him. Then he sees a glimpse of his panicked son, being led away by a security guard. No review, naturally.
Double Helix, by Stephen Bacon
Claire is suffering from cancer and only has a few months left to live. Her ex-boyfriend, from Uni - whom she unceremoniously dumped - takes her to Scotland, to see an old friend of his who might be able to help her. This is a beautiful written and observed story, full of human insight and shared history and taking its time to allow the characters to grow until you really care about them and their situation. Sad, uplifting, frightening and wonderful, this works very well.
The Shuttle, by Shaun Hamilton
Paul and Sally move to the country, swapping their too-small place in the city for a home better suited to their dream of becoming parents. After some trials, Sally does fall pregnant and things seem to be moving forwards well, until they reach the hospital. To me, this was a story of two halves - the first being a beautifully observed and superbly written portrait of two people desperate to become parents, their lack of success eating away at them and their patience with each other. I sympathised and empathised with them - Hamilton really makes you feel their anguish - and really wanted things to work. Then the story takes a turn and becomes something much worse, much darker and more painful than I’d thought it would be - I liked the risk, but found it difficult to read and that’s a sign of success, that it got under my skin so completely. Nicely done and very much recommended, but certainly not to everyone’s tastes.
There Shall We Ever Be, by Neil Williams
Mark is going back to Warrington, his childhood home, for a funeral. On a coach journey, his eldery seatmate talks about changes to the town, how the place has been made anew and how history needs to be kept somewhere. Another winner from Williams, this has great characterisation, a strong sense of local atmosphere and a sense of foreboding that envelopes the reader from very early on. Utilising some great writing and a terrific sense of what can be left unsaid, this drags you through with a very quick pace to a denouement that is bleak and heartbreaking but absolutely perfect.
February 26, 2014
ll At Ease 2 is, logically, the follow-up to Ill At Ease, a wonderful yet far-too-brief collection of three tales of urban unease. The original authors Mark West, Stephen Bacon and Neil Williams are joined this time by Shaun Hamilton, Robert Mammone, Val Walmsley and Sheri White for more of the same creeping horror.
Claire's awkward trip north in Pete's 'battered Ford Focus' turns into something more significant than could be expected in the cleverly-titled opening tale, Double Helix, by Stephen Bacon. The backgrounds of the protagonists are explored deftly, and a keen sense of anticipation is held right until the remarkably positive and thoughtful ending. This is a multi-layered, engaging story which sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the collection. Shaun Hamilton's The Shuttle follows up strongly, a powerful tale of relocation, and the dream of a new start in life. Paul and Sally are striving to become parents, and have exchanged their city pad for a family house in North Wales; but have yet to find out about the strange hold the quarry has over the local area. Suffice to say that, as a parent, Hamilton made it difficult for me to read some of this, but that's often the sign of a great horror story!
Masks, by Robert Mammone, deals with the aftermath of a disappearance. Harry is be the prime suspect after Emma, his partner, goes missing, and Detective Standish is determined to get his man. However, a blurred CCTV image of Emma leads to an obsessive search, and the tension is built up to a crescendo in the tunnels of Melbourne's underground train network. Edge-of-the-seat stuff, aided by a grittily authentic location. Next up, Val Walmsley subjects the reader to a severe case of schoolyard bullying in One Bad Turn; involving a haunted yew tree, and an unwittingly effective revenge. Be careful what you wish for, indeed!
Mark West's contribution, The Bureau of Lost Children, must echo every parent's worst nightmare. Scott is left in charge of his young son Josh, temporarily abandoned by partner Jess in the Weston Centre, 'a new development dedicated to the worship of materialism on the outskirts of Chaton'. I recognise the sudden, empty realisation which strikes when a child goes missing, even for a moment; what West does is to follow this up with the awful details of what may happen next. The resulting nightmarish situation is enough to chill the blood, and the ending is like a blow. The Bureau of Lost Children is one of the highlights of this collection.
Speaking of nightmarish situations, Sheri White creates just that in Paradise Lost, a remarkably bleak, apocalyptic tale. Short and sharp, with a terrifying climax, it is sure to convince the reader to never again skimp on the holiday sunscreen! Finally, There Shall We Ever Be, by Neil Williams, finishes the proceedings strongly. Mark is returning home to Warrington to attend a funeral, and he chances upon an elderly companion, who alerts him to changes in the town and of how its past is being neglected. Surely all the ghosts and stories of years gone by have to end up somewhere? Mark discovers a nether world which mingles painfully with his own past, challenging him in ways he could never have guessed at. This is a gripping, tightly written tale with a great sense of location.
I thoroughly enjoyed Ill At Ease 2, and it turned out to be one of my reads of the year. The format works very well, the stories complement each other perfectly, and I very much look forward to Ill At Ease 3. My only humble suggestion would be to increase the number of tales once more!
Claire's awkward trip north in Pete's 'battered Ford Focus' turns into something more significant than could be expected in the cleverly-titled opening tale, Double Helix, by Stephen Bacon. The backgrounds of the protagonists are explored deftly, and a keen sense of anticipation is held right until the remarkably positive and thoughtful ending. This is a multi-layered, engaging story which sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the collection. Shaun Hamilton's The Shuttle follows up strongly, a powerful tale of relocation, and the dream of a new start in life. Paul and Sally are striving to become parents, and have exchanged their city pad for a family house in North Wales; but have yet to find out about the strange hold the quarry has over the local area. Suffice to say that, as a parent, Hamilton made it difficult for me to read some of this, but that's often the sign of a great horror story!
Masks, by Robert Mammone, deals with the aftermath of a disappearance. Harry is be the prime suspect after Emma, his partner, goes missing, and Detective Standish is determined to get his man. However, a blurred CCTV image of Emma leads to an obsessive search, and the tension is built up to a crescendo in the tunnels of Melbourne's underground train network. Edge-of-the-seat stuff, aided by a grittily authentic location. Next up, Val Walmsley subjects the reader to a severe case of schoolyard bullying in One Bad Turn; involving a haunted yew tree, and an unwittingly effective revenge. Be careful what you wish for, indeed!
Mark West's contribution, The Bureau of Lost Children, must echo every parent's worst nightmare. Scott is left in charge of his young son Josh, temporarily abandoned by partner Jess in the Weston Centre, 'a new development dedicated to the worship of materialism on the outskirts of Chaton'. I recognise the sudden, empty realisation which strikes when a child goes missing, even for a moment; what West does is to follow this up with the awful details of what may happen next. The resulting nightmarish situation is enough to chill the blood, and the ending is like a blow. The Bureau of Lost Children is one of the highlights of this collection.
Speaking of nightmarish situations, Sheri White creates just that in Paradise Lost, a remarkably bleak, apocalyptic tale. Short and sharp, with a terrifying climax, it is sure to convince the reader to never again skimp on the holiday sunscreen! Finally, There Shall We Ever Be, by Neil Williams, finishes the proceedings strongly. Mark is returning home to Warrington to attend a funeral, and he chances upon an elderly companion, who alerts him to changes in the town and of how its past is being neglected. Surely all the ghosts and stories of years gone by have to end up somewhere? Mark discovers a nether world which mingles painfully with his own past, challenging him in ways he could never have guessed at. This is a gripping, tightly written tale with a great sense of location.
I thoroughly enjoyed Ill At Ease 2, and it turned out to be one of my reads of the year. The format works very well, the stories complement each other perfectly, and I very much look forward to Ill At Ease 3. My only humble suggestion would be to increase the number of tales once more!
January 18, 2014
I can truly say I have never read a better, more cohesive collection of short stories as in this book. Although there is a common thread woven throughout the book each story is unique unto itself. All of them will leave you a bit haunted, perhaps even a little lost, and they will surely stay with you long after you’re done reading. Ill at Ease 2 is a must read.
The first tale Double Helix by Stephen Bacon is a story of regret but with a glimmer of hope. Claire has cancer and not much time left. She has left her husband behind and has gone off with her ex, Peter to the hills of Scotland. There, through the help of Peter she is hoping to find a second chance.
The Shuttle by Shaun Hamilton is a rather creepy story. Sally has been trying so hard to become pregnant and with her biological clock ticking away she has just about given up. She and her husband have just purchased a new home in the countryside and it is there that her dreams of pregnancy finally come true. Yet as in all well conceived plans, things don’t always go accordingly.
Robert Mammone’s Masks is everyone’s dread. Harry and Emma are engaged but alas Harry has a roving eye. After seeing Harry eyeing the waitress one time too many, Emma storms out of the bar they are frequenting. Later when Harry returns home there is no Emma. She has disappeared without a trace until one day, months later an officer spots Emma on a security video. Harry goes to look for her with dire consequences.
Poor Tim, I’m sure everyone knows of a child who’s been bullied. One Bad Turn by Val Walmsley tells the story of young Tim Slater and what happens when one is pushed too hard. But, revenge isn’t always sweet!
A parent’s worst nightmare, I’m sure we’ve all at sometime experienced the feeling. You’re out shopping with your child and you turn your back for a moment, just a moment and they are gone. For that one fleeting second your heart stops and then the panic sets in. The Bureau of Lost Children by Mark West is a horrific tale of one fathers’ nightmare.
Sheri White offers a nasty little story in Paradise Lost. A family vacation gone awry; Dad is recording the events as they occur, just in case there is anyone left wondering what happened.
Last but in no way least is There Shall We Ever Be by Neil Williams. This is a haunting telling. It happens all too often as we leave childhood behind to become an adult, we begin to forget our fears, our past. We begin to reinvent the occurrences that once frightened us and our mind highlights the ups in our memories. But, as in all things buried eventually they must resurface. The past will always be with us.
A great anthology! I hope you are left feeling as haunted as I.
The first tale Double Helix by Stephen Bacon is a story of regret but with a glimmer of hope. Claire has cancer and not much time left. She has left her husband behind and has gone off with her ex, Peter to the hills of Scotland. There, through the help of Peter she is hoping to find a second chance.
The Shuttle by Shaun Hamilton is a rather creepy story. Sally has been trying so hard to become pregnant and with her biological clock ticking away she has just about given up. She and her husband have just purchased a new home in the countryside and it is there that her dreams of pregnancy finally come true. Yet as in all well conceived plans, things don’t always go accordingly.
Robert Mammone’s Masks is everyone’s dread. Harry and Emma are engaged but alas Harry has a roving eye. After seeing Harry eyeing the waitress one time too many, Emma storms out of the bar they are frequenting. Later when Harry returns home there is no Emma. She has disappeared without a trace until one day, months later an officer spots Emma on a security video. Harry goes to look for her with dire consequences.
Poor Tim, I’m sure everyone knows of a child who’s been bullied. One Bad Turn by Val Walmsley tells the story of young Tim Slater and what happens when one is pushed too hard. But, revenge isn’t always sweet!
A parent’s worst nightmare, I’m sure we’ve all at sometime experienced the feeling. You’re out shopping with your child and you turn your back for a moment, just a moment and they are gone. For that one fleeting second your heart stops and then the panic sets in. The Bureau of Lost Children by Mark West is a horrific tale of one fathers’ nightmare.
Sheri White offers a nasty little story in Paradise Lost. A family vacation gone awry; Dad is recording the events as they occur, just in case there is anyone left wondering what happened.
Last but in no way least is There Shall We Ever Be by Neil Williams. This is a haunting telling. It happens all too often as we leave childhood behind to become an adult, we begin to forget our fears, our past. We begin to reinvent the occurrences that once frightened us and our mind highlights the ups in our memories. But, as in all things buried eventually they must resurface. The past will always be with us.
A great anthology! I hope you are left feeling as haunted as I.
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