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Dark County
The author of BENEATH takes you one a Journey into the dark heart of rural England Lincolnshire, a place of beauty and peace, but also a place of bleakness and violence. In this collection of short stories, Amazon bestselling horror writer, Kit Tinsley explores the darkness at the centre of the countryside. The ten tales within cover many aspects of the horror genre, from the supernatural to all too human evil. Included stories: A DRIVE IN THE COUNTRY - A troubled, married couple seek a pleasant day out, but it goes very wrong when they have an accident on the isolated, country road. TRACKS - A young, deaf boy tries to prove his bravery by exploring a ghostly local legend, but will he survive the tracks? THE HOUSE BY THE MARSH - A group of childhood friends find their whole lives haunted by a chance encounter with a derelict old house. THE CROWS - A career criminal takes on one last job too many. FEAR AND LOATHING IN SKEG VEGAS - A young man with a gambling addiction owes money to a very dangerous man. Will a meeting with a strange old man save him, or damn him? These stories and more will open you eyes to what is hidden under the surface of the DARK COUNTY.
- GenresHorrorShort Stories
206 pages, Paperback
First published May 21, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 20, 2019
Brilliant collection of 10 dark tales. Supernatural, eerie, one of them with a shot of science fiction in it. Starting with A Drive in the Country (my first thought was Texas Chain Saw Massacre, the author also referred to in his afterword), Hoodies (I have one but seldom wear it since I'm feeling too old for that kind of clothing), The House by the Marsh (absolute highlight, there are so many tragic situations that you're begging the author to end this story), Fear and Loathing in Skag Vegas (wow, there is Lovecraft/Cthullhu saying hello), Tracks (what has the dead girl really in mind when appearing?), The Crows (probably my favourite since scarecrows are absolutely sinister and a favourite horror motif to me), Fear Thy Neighbour (there is a surprise in it for the old man next door), Coffin Hall (interesting who's the ghost here), What Grows In The Farfield (eerie alien horror) and A Campire Tale (also one of my absolute favourites, a tale told in a tale with the Canbini Clowns and a horrible ringmaster of times gone by). Phenomenal collection. Modern English horror at its very best. Read it and be afraid!
January 18, 2014
Sophomore author Kit Tinsley here presents ten short stories that are themed by their shared setting near his hometown in the English countryside. It's a quality basis on which to form a collection, and certainly falls within the scope of the old adage to write about what you know. The stories vary in terms of their sub-genre so everything from the classical ghost story through to crazy madmen can be found.
I enjoyed some far more than others - even if that is to be expected in a short story collection - with HOODIES, THE HOUSE BY THE MARSH and FEAR THY NEIGHBOUR being my favourites. Others were a bit too predictable with my horror-saturated mind picking up what was going to happen fairly early in each tale. One definite exception to this is WHAT GROWS IN THE FAR FIELD, which was so off the wall when compared to the other shorts in Dark County that I found myself nodding appreciatively.
Through the tales, Tinsley moulds the county of Lincolnshire into a presence that hovers like a spectre over proceedings. But too many of the stories seem to lack the visceral punch that would have really hammered home the horror of what he revealed. Nowhere is this more evident that in the way his final tale, A CAMPFIRE TALE, ends.
Overall this is a solid read that will appeal more to fans of atmospheric scares than those seeking gore soaked bloodshed.
3 Never Ending Fields of Isolation for Dark County.
I enjoyed some far more than others - even if that is to be expected in a short story collection - with HOODIES, THE HOUSE BY THE MARSH and FEAR THY NEIGHBOUR being my favourites. Others were a bit too predictable with my horror-saturated mind picking up what was going to happen fairly early in each tale. One definite exception to this is WHAT GROWS IN THE FAR FIELD, which was so off the wall when compared to the other shorts in Dark County that I found myself nodding appreciatively.
Through the tales, Tinsley moulds the county of Lincolnshire into a presence that hovers like a spectre over proceedings. But too many of the stories seem to lack the visceral punch that would have really hammered home the horror of what he revealed. Nowhere is this more evident that in the way his final tale, A CAMPFIRE TALE, ends.
Overall this is a solid read that will appeal more to fans of atmospheric scares than those seeking gore soaked bloodshed.
3 Never Ending Fields of Isolation for Dark County.
March 17, 2020
I was looking for the perfect book to read during a rainy spell (4 days) in my area. This was it! My favorite stories were "The House by the Marsh", "Tracks", and "Coffin Hall".
June 3, 2014
Dark County by Kit Tinsley is a great collection of dark stories. The opening story 'A Drive in the Country' and 'The Crows' are something straight out of a horror movie. They had me on the edge of my seat with the suspense and vivid descriptions, I found these to be the creepiest stories in this book. The House by the Marsh is an excellent supernatural story with a twist for an ending, this is a tale of young children and a creepy old house. Fear and loathing in Skeg Vegas will leave you thinking be careful what you wish for. Fear thy neighbor is very short, but also very good. This story reminded me of the kind of tale told in any Twilight Zone episode. The kind of story that doesn't reveal itself until the very end. Kit Tinsley has a great way with words that really makes you feel the horror and terror as each story is told. What Grows in the Far Field gives me the feeling of chest grabbing terror, each tale in this collection is just better than the last. The final story is a ghost story, which I always love in a horror book. Kit Tinsley tells a fine one at that, a group of teens gather around the fire and hear one heck of a ghost story from an old man. I love the story telling style and quick pace of these stories. You are pulled through each story, turning pages as fast as you can. I sincerely hope there will be a second volume of tales from Dark County.
September 26, 2014
I read this book very quickly as it had me gripped from start to finish. Dark County is a collection of ten short stories all set within the county of Lincolnshire. There is a great range of stories here - ghost stories, murder, sci-fi monsters and even vampires. Each new tale brought a different chill to my spine and certain tales left my feeling unnerved for days. For me, 'House by the Marsh' and 'Fear Thy Neighbour' were the best. 'House by the Marsh' reminded me of a dark, dilapidated mansion near to my house, which I was too afraid to enter as a child. The horrors described within played on my mind for days! 'Fear Thy Neighbour' was also a great psychological tale which took me completely by surprise.
Tinsley's writing style is concise and refined, with not a word out of place and certainly no overly descriptive waffle. He has a wonderful knack of putting a vivid image into the reader's head without the need to over-write. Fantastic book - I look forward to reading more of his work.
Tinsley's writing style is concise and refined, with not a word out of place and certainly no overly descriptive waffle. He has a wonderful knack of putting a vivid image into the reader's head without the need to over-write. Fantastic book - I look forward to reading more of his work.
September 14, 2013
4.5/5.. loved it. I was a bit apprehensive when the first couple of stories did not hit me too much, but from the middle to the end of the book, each story is just amazing. Though I felt the plots to be a bit weak in places; like if I were to ask questions like why is he doing this? why is this happening now? then there were lacunae but not so overwhelming that it could mar the enjoyment of the overall storytelling. I had absolutely loved "Beneath" and had it not been for the gross grammar slips "Beneath" was a 5/5 for me. This time around, there is a step up in that direction but still several editing lapses are there. I wish and hope in the next work, the author makes sure there are absolutely no loopholes for critics to go fault finding - because I believe Kit Tinsley is definitely one of the best horror authors out there.
June 2, 2013
Firstly, I like the intro and how introduce yourself and your work to the readers without telling them too much, but still setting the tone for what is about to be read. That preparation is certainly needed because this are some of the best genre horror stories I've ever read.
Of all the stories, "Hoodies" was one of my absolute favorites. It was graphic and a little tough to get through because of that, but the ending was awesome! I didn't even see it coming.
Same as the others!
These stories are as much scary as they are thrilling!
Each story adds its own element of fright to the compilation as a whole, making for a phenomenal collaboration. If you're a horror fan, this is for you!
Of all the stories, "Hoodies" was one of my absolute favorites. It was graphic and a little tough to get through because of that, but the ending was awesome! I didn't even see it coming.
Same as the others!
These stories are as much scary as they are thrilling!
Each story adds its own element of fright to the compilation as a whole, making for a phenomenal collaboration. If you're a horror fan, this is for you!
June 18, 2013
Dark County is a collection of ten horror stories set in Lincolnshire and what a collection of stories it is. Each story has a different vibe to the rest covering horror from the very visceral to more cerebral. They are all excellent stories, but two stood out in particular: Hoodies and The Crows.
All the stories are incredibly well written and each managed to have a little twist in the tale that gave a little surprise, making them even more memorable. The writing is of a high quality and I look forward to reading more of the author's work.
This is a superb collection of horror, one that I recommend to any fans of the genre.
All the stories are incredibly well written and each managed to have a little twist in the tale that gave a little surprise, making them even more memorable. The writing is of a high quality and I look forward to reading more of the author's work.
This is a superb collection of horror, one that I recommend to any fans of the genre.
October 6, 2014
Not the scariest or innovative for sure. But has an excellent narrative that connects the reader with the stories immediately. I really enjoyed most of the stories just by the way they were told more than for the intended scary content itself.
January 3, 2014
Brilliant read, expand your mind!
June 9, 2014
The short stories in this are incredibly well-written, and enjoyable.
July 26, 2015
Original, refreshing, and deserving of a second volume. I'm looking forward to reading more by Kit Tinsley.
October 29, 2017
What a great book this was! A very pleasant read. All the stories were great. 10 stories crammed in a nice 207 page book. Average of 20 pages per story. Kit Tinsley is a new writer for me and I'll definitely read his other books, especially 'Beneath'. I'm a huge horror fan and I really appreciate Tinsley's contribution to the horror genre. I will surely follow this author from now on. 5 stars from me. Thank you Mr. Tinsley.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews