The Devil's Grave: A Collection of Short Crime & Horror Stories

by Rena Aliston

My eyes marveled at the sight of decaying flesh,
rotting souls. We lingered in a cold world. Shadows
stalked us as we traveled across the Devil's grave.

Deception walks among us, clinging to our shadows as we fight to survive life, overcome death, relieve pain, and escape envy's grasp. If you trod upon the earth long enough, you'll feel death's angel hovering over your carcass, pleading for you to let her in. Will you?

The Devil's Grave, the first book in The Devil's Reign Series, is a collection of short crime and horror stories. The collection includes 74 stories (drabble, flash fiction, short stories) spilled across time's map, asking you one important question.

How far would you go to get what you want?

182 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 19, 2024

About the author

Rena Aliston is a gothic writer and poet specializing in noir crime fiction infused with psychological depth and occult themes. Her debut series, Xander Walsh, blends hardboiled detective storytelling with atmospheric suspense and esoteric symbolism, exploring complex themes of trauma, identity, and the supernatural.

In addition to her fiction, she is an accomplished dark poet known for her evocative verses that delve into the shadowy facets of human experience. Through her work, Rena aims to challenge readers with narratives that linger long after the final page.

When not chasing elusive leads through swampy back roads or unraveling cryptic symbols, Rena immerses herself in dark music and cinema and embraces life as a devoted dog mom and small business owner. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, she currently resides in Kentucky.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Devil's Grave: A Collection of Short Crime
& Horror Stories by @renaaliston and the first book in her The Devil's Reign Series. This collection was my baptism into the flash fiction genre and it didn't disappoint.

Aliston is superb at story-telling when it comes to creating vivid, macabre imagery in short form, even the shortest story, pulls you in and leaves you a little shaken at the end. For me the longer pieces is where Aliston truly shines, setting the scene, building the suspense and shocking you (wow, did some of those stories take a turn, my crime show addiction was no match to those plot twists)

This collection touches on the supernatural, fantasy and a little too much reality for some. It was dark and macabre and not really a genre I saw myself reading but the more I read, the more I wanted. It comes with plenty of trigger warnings but it certainly doesn't warn you, you about to be shaken and stirred.

Definitely one for the horror lovers, macabre lovers and flash fiction lovers of the world.

[Danielle Watts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely an interesting read for me. This is not my typical genre or format but I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the length of the stories. Some as short as a page long. But they had their desired impact for sure. I loved the style of writing. I could sit and read a few and be available to do other things that needed my attention. I enjoyed that aspect. Again the writing was wonderful even if the topics were on the darker side and kept me engaged and wanting to see what the next story was about. I'm not sure if this is a genre I would delve into more in general but I would absolutely recommend giving this collection a try and I will definitely read more from this author going forward!

[Anu Nair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enchanting, thrilling and yet oddly comfortable.
The perfect collection!! If you're someone that has a thirst for short stories and mini-stories with horror - this is the set of stories for you! The stories are perfectly made for people who are deeply invested in the genre and at the same time Rena has done a brilliant job of making stories that would not be too discomforting for someone newly stepping into horror and thrillers. A good variety of stories with many different sites and backgrounds and leaves you wanting just a little more!

[Brieanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was interesting. I haven't read many short stories outside of social media posts, so I was interested in seeing how engaging it would be. Turns out, it is indeed engaging in a more non-committal way. I really appreciated this fact because it allowed me to really sit and enjoy the stories instead of rushing through to find a conclusion.

Most of the stories are less than a page long, but the way they are written still evoked that inner sense of anxiety and dread. Some of the stories left that feeling lingering for far longer than I expected due to the nature of the tales and the foreboding endings. The lack of a natural conclusion or reveal of what dark thing was lingering really left me on edge at times.

Overall, this book was different than a lot of the books I read, but I was still captivated. I can't wait for the next one to come out.

[Monique Beasley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This group of short stories is deliciously horrifying. Even the ones that are merely a page long will make your jaw drop. Make you want more. I’m not usually into short stories but she did an amazing job in her writing and I definitely will be reading more. I most definitely recommend checking this creepy book out!

[MellissaMae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this anthology intriguing. While I anticipated a series of brief tales, these are actually minute narratives and fragments. Although I did enjoy the longer stories in this collection, the shorter ones occasionally left me feeling like I missed the point. Notwithstanding, I would give this 3.5 rating (4 for platforms that won’t allow .5) because the stories that have more substance are captivating, and the entire anthology has potential.