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Deeply Twisted
A mother murders her eldest daughter. A clock appears in the middle of a park. A one-eyed man with a raven on his shoulder joins three homeless men on a chilly night…
Embrace the night and all its terrors in this macabre gallery of monsters. The living and the dead, the spectral and the material—horrifying visions from the tormented mind of Chantal Noordeloos. Your nightmares will never be the same
Deeply Twisted: twenty dark tales with a twist
Embrace the night and all its terrors in this macabre gallery of monsters. The living and the dead, the spectral and the material—horrifying visions from the tormented mind of Chantal Noordeloos. Your nightmares will never be the same
Deeply Twisted: twenty dark tales with a twist
- GenresHorror
254 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 30, 2013
7 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
About the author
Chantal Noordeloos
30 books122 followersChantal Noordeloos (born in the Hague, and not found in a cabbage as some people may suggest) lives in the Netherlands, where she spends her time with her wacky, supportive husband, and outrageously cunning daughter, who is growing up to be a supervillain.
When she is not busy exploring interesting new realities, or arguing with characters (aka writing), she likes to dabble in drawing.
In 1999 she graduated from the Norwich School of Art and Design, where she focused mostly on creative writing.
There are many genres that Chantal likes to explore in her writing.
Currently Sci-fi Steampunk is one of her favourites, but her ‘go to’ genre will always be horror. “It helps being scared of everything; that gives me plenty of inspiration,” she says.
Chantal likes to write for all ages, and storytelling is the element of writing that she enjoys most.
“Writing should be an escape from everyday life, and I like to provide people with new places to escape to, and new people to meet.”
Chantal started her career writing short stories for various anthologies, and in 2012 she won an award for ‘Best Original Story’ for her short ‘the Deal’. Coyote is her first big project.
Chantal lives in The Hague with her family.
When she is not busy exploring interesting new realities, or arguing with characters (aka writing), she likes to dabble in drawing.
In 1999 she graduated from the Norwich School of Art and Design, where she focused mostly on creative writing.
There are many genres that Chantal likes to explore in her writing.
Currently Sci-fi Steampunk is one of her favourites, but her ‘go to’ genre will always be horror. “It helps being scared of everything; that gives me plenty of inspiration,” she says.
Chantal likes to write for all ages, and storytelling is the element of writing that she enjoys most.
“Writing should be an escape from everyday life, and I like to provide people with new places to escape to, and new people to meet.”
Chantal started her career writing short stories for various anthologies, and in 2012 she won an award for ‘Best Original Story’ for her short ‘the Deal’. Coyote is her first big project.
Chantal lives in The Hague with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 9, 2014
Horror is meant to shock and disturb us. It's also meant to show how strong people can be when faced with something that is truly terrifying. Horror stories don't often have happy endings and if someone does get a happy ending they most likely suffered along the way. Horror can be a lot of things and Deeply Twisted by Chantal Noordeloos offers up 20 short stories that show what horror is really all about.
This anthology has a lot to offer, there are stories about witches, alien creatures, the devil at a dinner party, sea monsters, a man who collects souls, a mysterious clock tower, grave robbers, zombies and much more. This is a great horror anthology, some stories are better than others but even the ones I didn't care for had some great ideas and we're well written.
One of my favorite stories in this book was the zombie tale: Victims Of Evolution. I loved how Eloise describes her family then describes being bit by a zombie, changing into one and evolving into something else. I loved this concept and it was an original take on zombies. Another great tale is Death Awaits You which has a great twist and some disturbing imagery with some gory descriptions of dead bodies. Out Of The Storm was also a story that had great imagery with its descriptions of a monster storm and a haunted hotel.
Dinner Date was a fascinating story with a good twist. One of the main characters in this is a woman named Lucretia who has some interesting insights into everyone around her but she isn't taken seriously because of her personality. She is the only one who notices the truth behind the blind date that another character set her up with. What I loved about this one is how if you scratch the surface of each character in the story you see a different person and that's not necessarily a good thing.
Deeply Twisted also includes two stories about grave robbers which is a subject that fascinates and disturbs me. The first one is The Angel's Grave, I loved the character of Duff and how he ends up having to rob graves. He doesn't have a choice but he has to pay for his sins anyway courtesy of a vengeful spirit. The other story is called Jade, despite having the same subject matter it is a very different story and I loved how the man telling them they shouldn't be doing this gets called a fool and it shows what happens when you get too greedy.
I can't think of many bad things to say about Deeply Twisted, Chantal makes each story come to life through spooky imagery and memorable characters. If you love short horror fiction then this is a must have. One thing that made this anthology excellent is how some stories are connected. For instance the story The Widow talks about a ghostly urban legend and the children who don't believe. I thought this story was good but I didn't understand the ending. Later in the anthology there was a story called Deeply Twisted that gets into how the legend started and added a lot of depth to The Widow. Reading Deeply Twisted reminded me why I love horror fiction and it also made me want to buy Chantel Noordeloo's novel Coyote: The Outlander. Horror fans don't pass this book up.
This anthology has a lot to offer, there are stories about witches, alien creatures, the devil at a dinner party, sea monsters, a man who collects souls, a mysterious clock tower, grave robbers, zombies and much more. This is a great horror anthology, some stories are better than others but even the ones I didn't care for had some great ideas and we're well written.
One of my favorite stories in this book was the zombie tale: Victims Of Evolution. I loved how Eloise describes her family then describes being bit by a zombie, changing into one and evolving into something else. I loved this concept and it was an original take on zombies. Another great tale is Death Awaits You which has a great twist and some disturbing imagery with some gory descriptions of dead bodies. Out Of The Storm was also a story that had great imagery with its descriptions of a monster storm and a haunted hotel.
Dinner Date was a fascinating story with a good twist. One of the main characters in this is a woman named Lucretia who has some interesting insights into everyone around her but she isn't taken seriously because of her personality. She is the only one who notices the truth behind the blind date that another character set her up with. What I loved about this one is how if you scratch the surface of each character in the story you see a different person and that's not necessarily a good thing.
Deeply Twisted also includes two stories about grave robbers which is a subject that fascinates and disturbs me. The first one is The Angel's Grave, I loved the character of Duff and how he ends up having to rob graves. He doesn't have a choice but he has to pay for his sins anyway courtesy of a vengeful spirit. The other story is called Jade, despite having the same subject matter it is a very different story and I loved how the man telling them they shouldn't be doing this gets called a fool and it shows what happens when you get too greedy.
I can't think of many bad things to say about Deeply Twisted, Chantal makes each story come to life through spooky imagery and memorable characters. If you love short horror fiction then this is a must have. One thing that made this anthology excellent is how some stories are connected. For instance the story The Widow talks about a ghostly urban legend and the children who don't believe. I thought this story was good but I didn't understand the ending. Later in the anthology there was a story called Deeply Twisted that gets into how the legend started and added a lot of depth to The Widow. Reading Deeply Twisted reminded me why I love horror fiction and it also made me want to buy Chantel Noordeloo's novel Coyote: The Outlander. Horror fans don't pass this book up.
January 31, 2014
I have to admit, I have never really been a fan of short story collections. I always feel like there are a few really good stories, some average stories and just filler. Several social media friends have recommended Deeply Twisted by Chantal Noordeloos. So being as OCD about my reading..I put this off for a few weeks. I finally delved into this book last week. Normally I read a book in a few days. This one took me a week! Not because it was bad, but because I loved each story so much that I tried savoring them. I can honestly say every story in this collection was excellent even the couple page “When the Heavens Cried Gold” all enjoyable.
Chantal has that rare uncanny ability that most writers either don’t have or don’t know how to use and that is the ability to put the reader in the middle of the story. With her remarkable descriptiveness you feel like you are in the story with the characters. I feel like this when I read Robert McCammon. Every story Chantal sucks you in no matter how short or long that story might be, you feel all the characters are unique, different and fleshed out.
I have to say my favorite is hard to pick from. I really dug Victims of Evolution. It gave a very different perspective on the zombie genre that sucked me in visually and emotionally. Jade and the Dispensation of Jack Harrington are tied for my second favorite stories. Loved the concept behind Jack Harrington, while reading this, I was like this is bloody brilliant. Every story is unique…whether it is a cool adventurous tomb raider story like Jade or a sci-fi horror thriller like When the Bell Tolls you get something uniquely different that makes you want more.
Good job Chantal…you might have rekindled my faith in the short story collection again. 5 stars.
Chantal has that rare uncanny ability that most writers either don’t have or don’t know how to use and that is the ability to put the reader in the middle of the story. With her remarkable descriptiveness you feel like you are in the story with the characters. I feel like this when I read Robert McCammon. Every story Chantal sucks you in no matter how short or long that story might be, you feel all the characters are unique, different and fleshed out.
I have to say my favorite is hard to pick from. I really dug Victims of Evolution. It gave a very different perspective on the zombie genre that sucked me in visually and emotionally. Jade and the Dispensation of Jack Harrington are tied for my second favorite stories. Loved the concept behind Jack Harrington, while reading this, I was like this is bloody brilliant. Every story is unique…whether it is a cool adventurous tomb raider story like Jade or a sci-fi horror thriller like When the Bell Tolls you get something uniquely different that makes you want more.
Good job Chantal…you might have rekindled my faith in the short story collection again. 5 stars.
July 8, 2014
Like a box of assorted chocolates this book is full of surprises but contains what it says on the box. There are soft centres,hard ones to get your teeth stuck into,lighter fluffier ones that will make you smile with devilish glee,sprinkled with decorative swirls of Neil Gaiman and Clive Barker and all wrapped up in the dark bittersweet chocolate of Horror.
February 1, 2014
A short book filled with twenty stories taken from a deep, dark place. The authors writing style was exciting. Playing with different styles for each of the stories. A mixture including horror, murder and terror.
When reading this book, I didn't get the feeling that everything was just thrown together. That unfortunate familiar feeling we get when reading some short story books. The author truly captures your attention with each story, luring you in. Come to the darkside..we have cookies!!
I am more familiar with male horror writers, so I think its fantastic to have discovered this great horror book written by a female author. So if your into horror, love short stories and willing to delve into the twisted world of Chantal Noordeloos, this book is a must read!
My Favourite stories:
Victims of Evolution
When the Bell Tolls
The Door
Your Familiar Smile
What will your favourites be!?!
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Opinionated Cupcakes
When reading this book, I didn't get the feeling that everything was just thrown together. That unfortunate familiar feeling we get when reading some short story books. The author truly captures your attention with each story, luring you in. Come to the darkside..we have cookies!!
I am more familiar with male horror writers, so I think its fantastic to have discovered this great horror book written by a female author. So if your into horror, love short stories and willing to delve into the twisted world of Chantal Noordeloos, this book is a must read!
My Favourite stories:
Victims of Evolution
When the Bell Tolls
The Door
Your Familiar Smile
What will your favourites be!?!
Visit our blog:
Opinionated Cupcakes
March 28, 2014
'Deeply Twisted' is a fine collection of tales, evoking Clive Barker and Neil Gaiman, whilst having a distinct voice all it's own. Noordeloos is not a 'safe' horror writer. The places, situations and people are often bleak, and when violence occurs (as it frequently does) it is graphic and brutal. Not that this collection is simply gore for gores sake - though these tails often contain significant shock value, their true worth is in the characterizations - the number of different characters and voices encountered represent a considerable feat of imagination, and each character and voice is well realized and believably drawn, even as the situations they encounter plunge them out of the world as we know it and into dark, often nightmarish landscapes. There's a huge and impressive range of setting and character on display here, a sense of a live imagination pushing hard in all directions. Recommended for the strong of stomach and steady of nerve.
Currently reading
September 3, 2014Deeply Twisted is a bundle of short horror stories. Although some stories are shorter then others they are all writen with a great sense of care. "Normal" horror stories are pertty predictable with the good guys surviving against the odds. Without giving away any spoilers in these stories nobody is safe. That makes the stories more interseting, realistic and scarier than other horror stories.
If u read this book and u are scared easily thenmake sure you are not alone or read this book in full daylight. Otherwise u might have a night of very little ahead of you
YOU ARE WARNED!!!!
If u read this book and u are scared easily thenmake sure you are not alone or read this book in full daylight. Otherwise u might have a night of very little ahead of you
YOU ARE WARNED!!!!
June 24, 2015
This was a fantastic collection of demented little tales from Chantal. Each one different and unique yet chilling. I am a huge fan of short stories and this book really showcases the writers skill and diverse imagination. The stories that really stood out for me were Soulman, Dinner Date and The Door, although there isn't a bad story in the book at all. I won't go into too much detail as they are small pieces, however i will continue to look up and enjoy Chantal's work.
May 2, 2014
nice stories, easy to read and they are all very different. Horror,gore,stories you have to think about and disturbing things. Great collection!
Love her work
Love her work
April 19, 2014
Love it!
March 15, 2015
I honestly thought I knew scary stories, being raised on the King, Saul, Barker, Simmons and the like. I even dabbled in Poe to get a feel for poetic scary.
But then along came a book that took all my comfortable feelings about scary stuff and shoved it down the chute.
This collection made me rediscover what it was like to be afraid of everything. Every noise heard while walking down the hallway. Every shadow seen from the corner of the eye. Every nuance of every single mirror for the rest of my life.
This author is incredibly adept at finding what really and truly scares us inside, and exploiting it in a story that will hau8nt us, awake or asleep.
I thought I knew my own darkness and shadows, but now I creep by on tiptoe for fear that one of Noordeloos's creations will reach out and pull me into a horror-dome of some sort.
As I drift off to sleep every night, I still hear murmurs from the corners, and under the bed. This book has forever changed my perception of horror.
And no matter where I am in the future, if I see her name on anything anywhere, I will buy that book because I know for a fact, this is a true story teller that knows how to get through the walls that we have built up against the baddies out there.
Top notch collection, I wish there was more, so I read it again and again.
And again, I love how well it terrifies me each time.
But then along came a book that took all my comfortable feelings about scary stuff and shoved it down the chute.
This collection made me rediscover what it was like to be afraid of everything. Every noise heard while walking down the hallway. Every shadow seen from the corner of the eye. Every nuance of every single mirror for the rest of my life.
This author is incredibly adept at finding what really and truly scares us inside, and exploiting it in a story that will hau8nt us, awake or asleep.
I thought I knew my own darkness and shadows, but now I creep by on tiptoe for fear that one of Noordeloos's creations will reach out and pull me into a horror-dome of some sort.
As I drift off to sleep every night, I still hear murmurs from the corners, and under the bed. This book has forever changed my perception of horror.
And no matter where I am in the future, if I see her name on anything anywhere, I will buy that book because I know for a fact, this is a true story teller that knows how to get through the walls that we have built up against the baddies out there.
Top notch collection, I wish there was more, so I read it again and again.
And again, I love how well it terrifies me each time.
November 13, 2014
I'm a big fan of short fiction and this is an excellent collection horror stories. There's a good variety here, both in length and subject. The stories cover a range of horror staples, but usually provides an interesting angle to the story.
All of the stories were a decent read, but a few of them stood out for me. The first was the dinner party with an unusual guest. It's an idea that I've seen before and this version was well put together. I would have liked to see more of the aftermath!
Another story that stood out was one about a sick young girl. While it's fairly obvious what's going on it's well written and poignant tale that stuck in my memory.
The same issue is evident in a few of the stories, but the quality of the author's writing means that they're still a good read. I always appreciate a twist in a story and there's some surprises here.to be enjoyed. Overall this is a well written collection with some fine stories - well worth a read.
All of the stories were a decent read, but a few of them stood out for me. The first was the dinner party with an unusual guest. It's an idea that I've seen before and this version was well put together. I would have liked to see more of the aftermath!
Another story that stood out was one about a sick young girl. While it's fairly obvious what's going on it's well written and poignant tale that stuck in my memory.
The same issue is evident in a few of the stories, but the quality of the author's writing means that they're still a good read. I always appreciate a twist in a story and there's some surprises here.to be enjoyed. Overall this is a well written collection with some fine stories - well worth a read.
January 1, 2015
This anthology had some rather brilliant stories in it. Some that tapped right into my childhood fears (Thank you very much, Chantal! &$%@#!).
My favourite stories were: "Out of the storm" (fantastically creative and terrifying), "The Door" (just downright terrifying and bringing back childhood nightmares) and "The dispensation of Jack Harrington" (funny and clever).
My favourite stories were: "Out of the storm" (fantastically creative and terrifying), "The Door" (just downright terrifying and bringing back childhood nightmares) and "The dispensation of Jack Harrington" (funny and clever).
January 27, 2014
One of the best short story collections I have read!
March 7, 2016
Great collection
Is is a great collection of stories from a great author. I didn't want to put this book down and enjoyed every story and was left wanting more.
Is is a great collection of stories from a great author. I didn't want to put this book down and enjoyed every story and was left wanting more.
August 10, 2020
What a great book! I loved all the stories!
Want to read
December 10, 2020On my TO READ list because it's a rare English language novel by a Dutch writer.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews