Did you ever hear the one about the man with a string of bad luck? The worst is still to come in a chilling short story of an insatiable friendship by the New York Times bestselling author of Hell of a Book.
For best friends with vastly different fortunes, what’s left to hash out other than a forced confession at gunpoint? All that the destitute, sickly, and grieving Will demands is that monstrously successful Barry admit to draining all the luck right out of him. Like blood. As the standoff escalates, the truth is not the only thing ready to come out.
Jason Mott’s 'Best of Luck' is part of Creature Feature, a collection of devilishly creepy stories that tingle the spine and twist the mind. They can be read or listened to in one petrifying sitting.
Jason Mott lives in southeastern North Carolina. He has a BFA in Fiction and an MFA in Poetry, both from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. His poetry and fiction has appeared in various journals such as Prick of the Spindle, The Thomas Wolfe Review, The Kakalak Anthology of Carolina Poets, Measure and Chautauqua. He was nominated for a 2009 Pushcart Prize award and Entertainment Weekly listed him as one of their 10 “New Hollywood: Next Wave” people to watch.
He is the author of two poetry collections: We Call This Thing Between Us Love and “…hide behind me…” The Returned is his first novel.
The Returned has been optioned by Brad Pitt’s production company, Plan B, in association with Brillstein Entertainment and ABC. It will air in March, 2014 on the ABC network under the title “Resurrection.”
I have never read anything by Jason Mott before but this was truly unique. It made me think about who are my true friends and who can I really trust. This story just goes to show what greed and success can do to a person's psyche.
I loved how this one sucked me in and how I was hoping it would all work out. I was really questioning Will's sanity and of course, the twist threw me for a loop and as per the course for this series, it creeped me out and disgusted me in all the best ways and the ending was simply shocking. What an incredibly entertaining read.
Some guys have all the luck. Will blames his friend to have stolen his luck. Both children and his wife have died. He threatens to shoot Barry in his home. Is there any reason to Will's claim? In a terrifying tale the truth comes up. Will Barry and Will survive? Who's Henry? Absolutely enjoyed this horror story about a timeless luck stealer, a monster older than the world. It was told in a captivating way and had many sinister moments inside. Great modern horror novella I really liked. Highly recommended!
This is Book #5 of the Creature Feature collection which is featured on Amazon Prime/Kindle Unlimited. I think I was looking forward to this short story the most because I’m one of those people who have nothing but bad luck (you know, if it wasn’t for bad luck I’d have no luck at all 😔). Anyways, this story was definitely bizarre and explained in a very twisted way why some have much better luck than others.
This is the story of two best friends, Barry and Will. Will is upset that his life has gone downhill and he has pretty much lost everything, while Barry is living a great life. How is it that Barry is so lucky, and Will is so very unlucky? Is it karma, genetics, the universe, or some other sinister force that brings us luck? You will get your very twisted, creepy answer in this story!
I think I’m rating these stories higher than I normally would a full length book, because for these stories being so short (this one being only 29 pages), I have been fully entertained. Yes, I recommend reading this story and the rest of the Creature Feature collection! 👻
Another winner in this collection and a terrifying one at that. Also my first book by Jason Mott.
Two old friends, one staring into the end of a double barrel while another tells a (five-star) joke. One friend has all the luck while the other suffers tremendous loss. Is he mad or just jealous?
Oooh...Best of Luck is twisted and not something I could even predict! It started with a very funny joke and I let my guard down. Well played!
Part of Creature Feature collection. It comes with audio. Free with Prime or KU. 29 pages/54 mins
Who else thought this one was going to be about an evil leprechaun?
Man. This was EXCELLENT. I'd never read anything by Jason Mott before, but I'm definitely on the lookout for his stuff now. The opening hooked me - Pow! Oh, what's going on?!
I don't want to spoil anything but the skinny gist is that a man feels like his lifelong friend has been stealing his luck and sets out to force him to admit it. Why does he think this? It's best if you just read the story for yourself. Highly Recommended.
Another great, spooky season short story. I think I found a new author that I’m gonna have to start reading! This story focuses on best friends and who has the better luck. And where does good luck come from. Super creepy and just enough gore! Looking forward to reading all the creature feature books 🥰
“Good luck is another name for tenacity of purpose.” – RWE
I really enjoyed "Best of Luck" by Jason Mott. It’s an elevated horror short that is relatable, exciting, terrifying, and fun.
Plot: | Will and Barry are friends who both have something they need to get off their chests. (quite literally) One accuses the other of stealing the luck out of their lives, which leaves the pair in a precarious situation. Tensions rise as the pair’s conversations take a turn for the worst.
What type of otherworldly creature could spawn from this envious confrontation? Well, you will have to dive into this fresh, exciting story that is far and away my favorite of this series. Give it a go, but if you have bad luck with it, you might just want to check your person for creepy crawlies. 😁
📝 | Extra | 📝’s ❖ Elevated horror themes. ❖ Interesting setting and creative plot overall.
🎵| Soundtrack |🎵 ❖ Avicii – Hey Brother. ❖ Dead by April – Breaking Point (acoustic version)
⭐ | Rating | ⭐ ❖ 4 out of 5
P.S.: Does anybody else enjoy handwriting their reviews?
Ohhh, hello, Jason Mott! This story was my introduction to this author's work and now I'm like, well how do you do? This was very messed up. And I loved it. I love when a story just plops the reader down in the middle of the action. Two men, best friends for 20 years, are at odds. One man holding the other at gunpoint. One man is wealthy, and has his health. The man holding the gun does not. Over the course of their dialogue we learn more and more about the situation until the startling climax and downward spiral toward the end. Human monsters. One of my favorite varieties of horror.
Will and Barry were longtime friends but when we meet them Will is armed with a gun and it is pointed at Barry.
This is a story about luck and it appears that whilst Barry has been sensationally lucky in his life Will's has been the reverse. Now Will is claiming that Barry has been draining his luck, and he wants it back. And then we meet Henry and the horror begins.
The ending is excellent and totally unexpected. Very entertaining!
Wow. What a deliciously dark short story this was. Made me feel very curious about Jason Mott’s other works now. It felt like a taster session of what he is capable of. Book 5/6 of the Creature Feature collection was indeed a strong entry in this series!
Best of Luck is a tale surrounding two best friends, Will and Barry, as Will has the barrel of a shotgun pointed at Barry. He believes that his friend is somehow draining all his luck away, as Barry is wildly successful and Will has lost it all. Is this all just coincidence or is something much darker at play? Did you ever hear the one about the man with a string of bad luck?
4★ “‘You ever hear the one about the man with the bad luck?’
‘Can’t say that I have.’
‘You mind if I tell it?’ Will asked.
‘Considering the circumstances,’ Barry replied, ‘I’m open to lightening the mood.’”
The circumstances are that Will has arrived with a shotgun, planning to make his old friend Barry pay for stealing all of Will’s good luck. Barry has everything – wife, kids, success, and all the trappings that go with it.
Will has lost everything he ever began to have. His was a life of one step forward, two steps back, and he’s convinced it’s Barry’s fault. Will tells a long story about a farmer who goes away and entrusts his farm to the care of a friend, but things aren’t good when he comes back.
I have heard similar sorts of stories, and I think this one is told well. Barry laughs with Will and then really looks at him.
“Sweat glistened on Will’s brow, and for the first time tonight, Barry was able to really get a long look at his friend. He had always been tall, tall and lean. But now his leanness had morphed into something else, something more hollow and yearning. He was thinner than he should be. His eyes were sunken to the skull, and his teeth were silhouetted in his cadaverous cheeks. He looked like loneliness and hunger given form. Like the two things could throw on a pair of jeans and a shirt and shamble through the darkness of the world and come hold a gun on you in the late hours of the night.”
Where it goes from there is as horrifying as I imagined, but the twist was certainly not expected. Good story and good writing!
Thanks to #NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the copy from the #CreatureFeature Collection for review.
While holding his best friend at gunpoint, the man explains the truth behind his rotten luck in life. His story is a doozy, with an explanation that is even more so, but nothing compared to the well drawn twist. Bad luck...it's all just bad luck.
Creature Feature is a collection of sixAmazon-Original scary stories, each focusing on a different monster, penned by well-known authors in the horror and thriller genres. This is story 5/6.
Best of Luck by Jason Mott – 5 Pumpkins 🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃
In the darkness of Barry's kitchen his best friend Will holds him at gun-point. How did things get to this point? Will has a gruesome tale to tell. It starts with a story of luck.
Jason Mott was the only Creature Feature author I had never heard of, and Best of Luck was a riveting, chilling story with notes of black comedy. I was glued to the pages from the first sentence to the last, and both sentences were exactly how you want your horror story to start and finish. The author's writing, and use of metaphors, were exceptional. I'll definitely be checking out what else he's written. My top favourite of the Creature Feature Collection.
I'd like to thank Netgalley, Amazon, and Jason Mott for the e-ARC.
I wasn’t expecting this much weirdness and creep factor from this plot.
It’s a nice surprise and I definitely plan to check out more books by Jason Mott. Best of Luck is a twisted and engaging tale of a close friendship that’s gotten a bit toxic and stale. 😂🤣
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…with friends like that who needs enemies? I’m also glad I don’t believe in good or bad luck. Creepy good and the story within the story gave me a good laugh. Highly recommended!
Now this was a great one from Amazon’s Creature Feature stories! This is story 5 of 6 and my most favorite so far! “Curdled” Christmas struck me as a fantastic phrase and I’ll definitely be reading more Jason Mott. He’s got a way with words/creepy descriptions that definitely work for me!
This was my first book read by Jason Mott. At the beginning, I was confused as to what was going on, then it picked up and it started to explain everything. This is a short story that brings out true horror! It really does show you what success and greed does to people!
✔️ Horror ✔️ Gruesome scenes ✔️ Talks about death ✔️ Creepy and disgusting ✔️ Short and to the point ✔️ Entertaining ✔️ Shocking ending ✔️ Disturbing ✔️ Easy to read
There is something sinister lurking around; something not of this world; something older than this world; something ancient; something terrible. It feeds on luck; it devours good fortune and is never satisfied. It keeps moving from person to person; it seizes, it consumes, it destroys.
You ever hear the one about the man with the bad luck?
"If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all Gloom, despair, and agony on me"- Gloom, Despair and Agony on Me! Lyrics by Bernie Brillstein, Frank Peppiatt and John Aylesworth.
Can your luck be taken by another? This is a creepy short story that is included in Amazon's Creature Feature collection. Will wants to know why his friend Barry has such good luck. Will believes all his good luck has been taken by Barry. Will is going to force Barry to tell him the truth!
This was a short enjoyable read/listen. It's 29 pages long and packs a lot into those pages! I am enjoying the Creature Feature shorts. They are quick, enjoyable, creepy, and entertaining.
One friend gets all the good luck and the other the bad like there’s some sort of parasite draining the luck from one and giving it to the other. I liked this one, very original.
What would happen if you found your best friend was stealing your luck? The wealth, the fame and glory, while you were struck down with every tragedy you could think of. That's the premise of Best of Luck, and it was a really interesting idea if a little lacking in execution. It's really short which is the main problem. There's no build up if the relationship between Will and Barry - at times I struggled to distinguish the voices of the characters from one another because I didn't know them well. And this also affects the conclusion, where the payoff could have been so much bigger had we know the relationship between the two more, and seen these tragedies unfold in 'real time'.
This one was a little meh for me. It’s a short story about two old friends, one whose life has been filled with blessings and the other who has faced nothing but tragedy. Something about the brevity didn’t work for me. I kept mixing up the characters because both were introduced so quickly. This might’ve been better in paper rather than audio.
Have you ever thought about luck 🍀? Why do some people have a lot and others don’t? If you want to find out, you should read this. An explanation it’s provided😈😁.
In the middle of the night two close friends, Barry and Will, at Barry’s house discuss about the luck they had have in their lives. Will is the unlucky guy in here and on the opposite side Barry is the luckiest one.
Ohh hear me out…Didn’t I mention that Will is about to pull the trigger on Barry? 🔫 😈. Yep! Fun starts. Everything turns out of control and leads to a gory and unpredictable ending. Lord! the twist is soooo goood👏🏻🤘🏻. I’m not telling more about this magnificent short story, JUST READ IT.
It was a surprise to me, I’ve never read this author before but for sure I’ll continue reading his work. He’s capable of inoculate discomfort and anxiety, and it’s really great written.
This is for FREE for Amazon Prime Members. Short story of Feature Creature Collection #5 by Jason Mott, 29 pages(English).