Behind Dark Doors

by Susan May

Six Suspenseful Short Stories with a Twist! For lovers of Twilight Zone, Darker Things and Black Mirror.

These tales will delight fans of the horror short story with their ingenius twists and wicked irony. Brought to you by the international best-selling author readers have named the new Stephen King.

Enter strange worlds and meet their unusual and sometimes terrifying residents.Dive into the first collection of ;Behind Dark Doors, filled with stories of suspense, horror, paranormal and supernatural, from the dark mind of short story award-winning author Susan May.

DO US PART
When you've been married seventy years, what secret and deadly thoughts lie behind the smiles?

HELL'S KITCHEN
Gordon must survive the elimination round in an intense cooking competition. But he's made a fatal mistake and winning is now a matter of life and death.

MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES
When a mother feels she's not being heard at a parent-teacher meeting, sometimes actions can speak louder than words.

I HATE EMMA CARTER
New girl in school, Emma Carter, is assigned Angie Dutton as her babysitter. Angie’s nobody's keeper but perhaps this time she’s picked the wrong victim.

IT'S IN THE GENES
Ever since Brandon joined his father on his late-night fishing trips he's changed from Helen’s happy-go-lucky son. Today, she’ll discover why.

THE WAR VETERAN
For seventy years, World War II veteran Jack Baker has endured vivid flashbacks to that horrific June day on Omaha Beach. Tonight, Jack's seventy-year-old secret comes back to claim him.


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Short stories at their best"
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "5.0 out of 5 stars It totally lived up to the hype!"
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I absolutely loved this collection!"

Genres: Short Stories, Horror, Fiction

168 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 6, 2014

About the author

To enjoy a Susan May starter library of two free books, join her reader's club at
susanmaywriter.net/free-books

I was four when I decided I would be a writer, packed a bag, and marched down the road looking for a school. But for forty-six years, I suffered from life-gets-in-the-way-osis. Setting a goal to write just one page a day cured me in 2010. This discipline grew into an addictive habit that has since borne several novels, and dozens of short stories and novellas--many of which are published award-winners in Australia, the US and the UK.

My childhood reading diet consisted of Edgar Allen Poe, O'Henry, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents, plus horror comics like Tales From the Crypt. Anything out of this world like The Twilight Zone and Outer Limits had me glued to the television.

Inspired by these classics, I attempt to pen tales that are simply about the story and the characters and not about fancy words or beautiful descriptions. At the end of my stories I hope, wonderful reader, that you will feel you've enjoyed a journey into the fantastic with a neat twist at the end.

Every day I pinch myself that I am able to do what I love and be in control of every facet of it. And I can wear my track suit pants and slippers while doing it. Bliss.

Most days I'm just an average mother and wife living in Perth, Western Australia, but this darn imagination of mine keeps constantly venturing into the crevices of dark worlds, whether I want to go there or not.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here you get six rather mild horror stories with a more or less convincing twist at the end. The stories weren't written in a bad way don't get me wrong. But somehow the stories couldn't catch up with the image given in the cover. The author is constantly pointing out how good she is in writing and composing her stories and what great stuff you can expect in the following pages. Well, I don't know for sure but to me she bit off more than she chewed (too much self marketing here). The stories were okay but they didn't go straight through the rooftop. Maybe rather for fans or the occasional reader of short stories.

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while) · Rating 4 out of 5]

EXCERPT: Then this producer rang from 'Today Tonight' - or 'Yesterday Morning', or something sounding equally cliched - and asked if he could do a piece on them.

A piece, he thought. He wished he could have done just a piece of marriage, instead of the whole lot. They never ask you that during the wedding ceremony. 'How much do you think you can do? Five years? Twenty? Fifty? After fifty we'll come and get you out, George.' No, they do not. They say 'until the day you die.' And that is that.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: Twilight Zone, Darker Things and Black Mirror.
These tales will delight fans of the horror short story with their ingenius twists and wicked irony. Brought to you by the international best-selling author readers have named the new Stephen King.

Enter strange worlds and meet their unusual and sometimes terrifying residents.Dive into the first collection of ;Behind Dark Doors, filled with stories of suspense, horror, paranormal and supernatural, from the dark mind of short story award-winning author Susan May.

DO US PART
When you've been married seventy years, what secret and deadly thoughts lie behind the smiles?

HELL'S KITCHEN
Gordon must survive the elimination round in an intense cooking competition. But he's made a fatal mistake and winning is now a matter of life and death.

MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES
When a mother feels she's not being heard at a parent-teacher meeting, sometimes actions can speak louder than words.

I HATE EMMA CARTER
New girl in school, Emma Carter, is assigned Angie Dutton as her babysitter. Angie’s nobody's keeper but perhaps this time she’s picked the wrong victim.

IT'S IN THE GENES
Ever since Brandon joined his father on his late-night fishing trips he's changed from Helen’s happy-go-lucky son. Today, she’ll discover why.

THE WAR VETERAN
For seventy years, World War II veteran Jack Baker has endured vivid flashbacks to that horrific June day on Omaha Beach. Tonight, Jack's seventy-year-old secret comes back to claim him.

MY THOUGHTS: Susan May has a twisted mind....be very careful around her and her family. Don't upset her. You may, if her stories are anything to go by, live (or not live, as the case may be) to regret it.

My favourite story was Do Us Part. It's something that I have often wondered about.... as my dear husband often says, you get less for murder.

This is a wonderful collection of macabre stories, some of which will amuse, while others will chill. Sit back and enjoy the ride.....

🤣😱🤯😳

THE AUTHOR: I was four when I decided I would be a writer, packed a bag, and marched down the road looking for a school. But for forty-six years, I suffered from life-gets-in-the-way-osis. Setting a goal to write just one page a day cured me in 2010. This discipline grew into an addictive habit that has since borne several novels, and dozens of short stories and novellas--many of which are published award-winners in Australia, the US and the UK.

My childhood reading diet consisted of Edgar Allen Poe, O'Henry, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents, plus horror comics like Tales From the Crypt. Anything out of this world like The Twilight Zone and Outer Limits had me glued to the television.

Inspired by these classics, I attempt to pen tales that are simply about the story and the characters and not about fancy words or beautiful descriptions. At the end of my stories I hope, wonderful reader, that you will feel you've enjoyed a journey into the fantastic with a neat twist at the end.

Every day I pinch myself that I am able to do what I love and be in control of every facet of it. And I can wear my track suit pants and slippers while doing it. Bliss.

Most days I'm just an average mother and wife living in Perth, Western Australia, but this darn imagination of mine keeps constantly venturing into the crevices of dark worlds, whether I want to go there or not.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to author Susan May for providing a digital copy of her short story collection Behind Dark Doors 1 for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Behind Dark Doors (one) is the first of a set of books by Susan May that contain short horror stories. This first book contains the six stories:

Do Us Part
Hell's Kitchen
Mitigating Circumstances
I Hate Emma Carter
It's In The Genes
The War Veteran

Each story starts with a brief description before the read then after the story is over you have a few words from Susan about how the story came about in her mind, what she was thinking and what made her write that particular story. I really enjoyed reading her thoughts afterwords and how these came about after each story, it seemed a nice little added personal touch.

For me each individual story rated somewhere between three and five stars which is really a rather great thing since I'm not a huge fan of short stories overall. Usually I find myself really wanting more even when books get into novella length they sometimes leave me with that feeling of not getting enough but Susan found a way to make her characters and stories just pop out and feel like I'd read more than I had, definitely enjoy her writing style and the overall creepy/weirdness that she comes up with in these reads.

Overall, a nice collection of twisted tales for the horror fans.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

BEHIND DARK DOORS (ONE) by Susan May is the first set of books, a collection of six thrilling short stories. These stories are a combination of mystery suspense and horror. I don’t read too many short stories or too much from the horror genre, as I feel that based on the length restraints of short stories, it does not allow sufficient character development. But I have to say I enjoyed reading these captivating stories.

It's a mix of mystery / suspense / horror. For each story is a narration by the author, explaining what was going through her head when she wrote these ... and these stories are as fascinating as the fiction.

DO US PART - Secrets of married life?

HELL'S KITCHEN-Loved this fascinating CHOP CHOP read.

MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES –Bullying and the protective mom.

I HATE EMMA CARTER-Time for revenge to get back at the bully!

IT'S IN THE GENES-A fishing hobby that changes everything.

THE WAR VETERAN ... Previously read this short story-Vivid flashbacks from a war veteran.

Each story begins with a brief narrative and after the story is over you get to Susan’s comments on how each story came to be.

I must say I enjoyed reading the stories.

[Thomas Stroemquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of shorts and with very nice short backgrounds following each one and enhance the experience.

Do us part Except for wondering why the man is always the one "shackled down" and (feeling) trapped in a (long) marriage while the woman is perfectly content, this was a great little twist short.

Hell's kitchen Great echo of Bachmans Running Man and Long Walk.

Mitigating circumstances My favorite- a story about feeling treated really unfairly. The back story for this one is almost as good and entertaining as the piece itself!

I hate Emma Carter Another really good one and this ones ending really surprised me. I would like to read it with another narrator, but it's still really good.

It's in the genes Really short chiller, the few pages are for a reason and under these constraints it's an amazing feat! I would love to know a bit more, but still really good!

The war veteran The longest in this collection- I had troubles getting into this, but it might well be only me. D-Day haunts poor WW2 veteran.

[Janeandjerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by a great author

A great author putting another great book together and I will read the rest of her books she has out there for she's that great of an author putting great books together

[Linda Strong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since this is New Year's Eve, I thought I would end my year with something a little different .. something I don't normally read.

This is a collection of 6 short stories. It's a mix of mystery / suspense / horror. For each story is a narration by the author, explaining what was going through her head when she wrote these ... and these stories are as fascinating as the fiction.

DO US PART .. When you've been married forever to the same person, the news media always wants to know your secret. This is what happens when the TV lights are gone.

HELL'S KITCHEN ... This one was really intriguing. I'll never watch CHOPPED on the FOOD NETWORK in the same way again.

MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES ... A protective mom might go a little overboard when her son is physically hurt while being bullied.

I HATE EMMA CARTER ... What happens when the one who bullies is bullied in return?

IT'S IN THE GENES .... When a fishing hobby becomes something ... MORE.

THE WAR VETERAN ... When flashbacks become REAL

I gave it 5 stars because I really enjoyed the stories.. and the author's voice.

[Faouzia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you very much Susan May for giving me this book.

This is a very interesting collection of short stories. They were very different from what i imagined them to be, judging from the title i mean.
I enjoyed each of the 6 stories, but the one i really liked is "The war Veteran", a very touching story.

I also liked the fact that the author explained, after each story, how she got the idea to it. This was very interesting.

[Seamus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection - full of twists 'n' turns. Very clever is the turth behind the tale at the end of each story, in which Susan tells us where, how, why the story came to be!

I HATE EMMA CARTER was my favourite, but all are great. The shortness of most stories makes reading on the go real easy.

[Theo Cage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. These short stories rock.

I grew up on a diet of short stories. I fondly remember gobbling up every anthology I could get my hands on of H.P. Lovecraft, Van Vogt, Poe, Bradbury etc. I loved horror, the supernatural and sci-fi - anything with an ending that would fire up your imagination or give you goosebumps.

It’s been years since I’ve read anything new in this sub-genre so I jumped at the chance to review Susan May’s collection. Behind Dark Doors brought all those guilty pleasures flooding back. She can really write - and she has a wicked imagination. I especially loved that her macabre viewpoint came from the perspective of a woman and a mother, which gave some of these stories their own unique twist.

A personal favorite is “Mitigating Circumstances” where May gets inside the head of this twisted over-protective mom. Loved the dialogue - both external and internal. I’m pretty sure Stephen King would have turned this idea into an eight hundred page novel.(It does have novel potential.)

Some of these stories are quite brief but they still pack an impressive punch. In comparison, the “War Veteran”, began to feel a bit long. The surprise ending though made the wait worthwhile. The hair on my neck is still standing up.

I understand from her website that she is currently working on a post- apocalyptic thriller. Based on Behind Dark Doors, I’m really looking forward to that.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent short stories and as a bonus the author discuses her inspiration for each one. If you enjoyed Roald Dahl's "The Landlady", Vonnegut's or Stephen King's short stories, you will love these. I especially liked the first two, and War Veteran was almost a novella, worthy of a spot on the Twilight Zone.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short stories have never been my thing. When they're over, I want more! These were good stories, and, as expected, I wanted more. The best part about this was "from the imagination vault." I really enjoyed how Susan explained the origin of her ideas.

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really loving this author!

[Sophie David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Susan May is a very skilled writer as she switched deftly between different subjects in this fascinating collection of short stories. I don’t know if ‘Mitigating Circumstances was intentionally humorous but I did have to contain a giggle a few times as that delightfully unhinged mother lost control spectacularly and still managed to see the normality of the horror she brought to that Principal’s office, shocking but an entertaining read ensuring that I won’t think of a box cutter in the same way again…but for me, the standout story was ‘The War Veteran’ demonstrating the power that guilt can have over us even after 70 years. It was insightful, sometimes disturbing –as befits the very nature of war- and always utterly gripping.

[Cathy Geha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suspense with a twist at the end – what more could a person ask for? Well this compilation of six short stories also provides the thought process behind the writing of the stories – an insight into the mind of the author. Be prepared for endings you might not expect should you decide to pick this little book up. I thoroughly enjoyed all six of these stories and will gladly read more of Ms May’s writing.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whilst it looks like it's taken me some time to read this book, i've been reading it as part of a read along with a new story every few weeks. This is a great set of short stories. I find Susan is able to keep you guessing at what is going to happen throughout each story and I definitely think Mitigating Circumstances is my favourite in this collection.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of short stories, each with a little preface. I really do love a good short story & it's fantastic to see such quality in one of my newly discovered authors. And an Aussie to boot! Recommended.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A couple of them were a bit disturbing, the last one made me cry. Very sobering.

[mad mags · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The War Veteran" stands out...

(Full disclosure: I received a free electronic copy of this book for review through Library Thing's Member Giveaways program.)

Susan May's Behind Dark Doors is a collection of six short (most of them very short!) stories of suspense and horror:

"Hell's Kitchen" - Game show contestant Gordon (named after Gordon Ramsey, natch) isn't just competing for his own cooking show - but for his very life. (Hint: You don't want to know what's in the beef bourguignon.)

"Mitigating Circumstances" - Mom doesn't want to hear that her delicious little baby boy Ben is a bully. But the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

"I Hate Emma Carter" - When popular girl Angela bullies newcomer Emma, her hatred threatens to consume her.

"Do Us Part" - An unexpected revelation on the eve of a couple's 70th wedding anniversary triggers a meltdown in one of the unhappy spouses.

"It's in the Genes" - A woman unwittingly discovers that it's not fishes her husband Karl and son Brandon are hunting during their twice-weekly fishing trips.

"The War Veteran" - Haunted by a single act of cowardice committed some 70 years ago, a WWII vet's fugue state hallucinations come alive to offer him a chance at redemption.

There's no shortage of gore (picture oozing, puss-filled black sores and heads blown apart like rotting cantaloupes), but I found the promised twists, turns, and irony a little harder to come by. With the exception of "The War Veteran," I could tell where the stories were going pretty early on - usually by the end of the intro. (Each story is prefaced by an introduction and followed by a segment called "From the Imagination Vault," which offers a glimpse of the story behind the story. Plus the book itself begins with a brief, one-sentence summary of each piece. The introductory matter feels like overkill and often gives too much of the plot away.)

"It's in the Genes," for example, is reminiscent of Stephen King's "A Good Marriage" (coming soon to a big screen near you!) - but without the psychological tension and element of revenge that ultimately makes it such a satisfying tale. Otherwise, what do you have? (Answer: misogyny for misogyny's sake.) I mean, are we really to believe that the narrator continues living with two serial killers of women, provided they just knock it off already?

"The War Veteran" is my favorite of the bunch, which is kind of funny as it's the longest (it alone accounts for 39% of the book). It feels much more developed and fleshed out than some of the shorter stories, and the extended flashback scenes offer some idea of what it must be like to live with PTSD. Of all the characters, I felt the most compassion and empathy for Baker.

http://www.easyvegan.info/2014/05/23/...

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

During the Christmas break I was reading a lot. The Kindle kept recommending Deadly Messengers. Then I searched new book clubs and sure enough one of them was getting to read that book in January. Looking through the posts, I saw Susan May, the author, write that she would offer the book for free to anyone who wrote for it. I did. She sent that along with three anthologies of short stories. How kind!

This is a collection of six short stories. All but the last were very short (as in just a few pages). Overall, they were okay. She prefaced the book with hearkening the style of the Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, and Stephen King. That's some standard to live up to. I am not certain these stories did that, although they were okay.

I'll begin by saying this isn't my go-to genre. Perhaps that explains some of my pause here. The first two stories, Do Us Part and Hell's Kitchen felt off to me. I kept thinking the stories had the wrong narrator, but I don't think that was it. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I wasn't at ease with the telling of those stories.

I was surprised that after each story the author wrote about how the story came to be. While interesting, I think it took away some from the stories themselves. Having said that, I enjoyed her telling of the backstory of Mitigating Circumstances.

The two stories that helped me get with this collection were Mitigating Circumstances and I Hate Emma Carter, both school-based stories. I suppose as a teacher, I am more inclined to these tales.

The highlight, for me, of the collection, however, was The War Veteran. War tales are not usually my cup of tea, but I thought this was the best developed story (and the longest) in the collection. The one thing that bothered me was that Ryan was used as a name. I think the story would have worked better without that distraction. I had a feeling that the twist to this was going to be in the direction it went. Why else would a war hero be haunted for 70 years? Nevertheless, it was well-told and certainly helped solidify the three-star rating. This was more of a psychological tale than straight horror . . . although I suppose what the veteran lived with was horrifying enough!

I am enough on board to continue reading.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

When looking at the previews for a number of books, I saw a comment about this Author being similar to Stephen King in dealing with the Dark Side. At one time, before I acquired my first Kindle, I was able to boast that I owned every King novel written to that date. I was among those who worried he might not survive his being run-down while walking on a country road. I needed him to finish his Dark Tower series. I mention this because it makes me qualified to say Susan May would be the Daughter Steven King or, his idol, Alfred Hitchcock would have wanted.
One of the things I found enjoyable was her sharing the real-life experiences that were the inspiration for each story. One example was her meeting with an Assistant Principal who complained a bit too much about her "innocent" child, and what she did (wanted to do) about that.
Just as soon as I finished this collection of Short Stories, I looked for, found and read this next collection. My feelings about her and her works remain the same. I'll posting a similar review for that book as well.

Review by THE HOLEY ONE

[Mike Rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this!

In my teenage years, I loved reading the Point Horror stories that everyone was into at the time. I came across a collection called 13, which was 13 short Point horror stories. This is the adult version....

Behind Dark Doors is six short stories, most containing Susan's delightfully dark humour! the last story, The War Veteran gave me shivers at the very last line.

In the foreword, Susan says she had to think about when to join the story and when to leave it, leaving the ends to your own imagination. I would say target achieved!

Give this a shot. It's worth it just for this line

"Fighting the war meant it was a long time between drinks, and even a two-headed chicken would have looked good."

[Diane Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eighteen short stories total. It is impossible to pick a favorite out of these eighteen stories. They are all completely different from one another. Varying lengths. Twilight Zone feel to them. Many of them leave you wanting more. Leaving unanswered questions. I loved this collection. I will be reading them again and hope the author comes out with another collection or expands on some of those that left me longing for answers. Ending another good book. Saying goodbye to this new friend that I enjoyed spending my time with. Off to find another one.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Tina Helzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing read of Susan May's. I am really enjoying this new author that I have discovered. Her books are just amazing. I am really loving all of the books I have read and listened to so far.

This is a great book with 6 stories that are all so different and yet so interesting all at the same time. Each story will draw you in and keep you guessing from start to finish. They all remind me of a Twilight Zone episode and I could just imagine watching them.

I would suggest to anyone that is a Stephen King lover to give Susan's books a try. I know you will love them.

[Loretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan you rocked my world again. Awesome book of creepy short stories. I loved every single one!
Also, reading the "imagination vault" for each story is as much fun as the stories. Susan May's writing style is fabulous and her imagination is definitely one of a kind.

Never once have I been disappointed by a book written by Susan. If you have not had the pleasure of reading her books I highly recommend all of them.

[Anita Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the stories in this book! Scary! Fun to read but over too soon! Like a rollercoaster! I have found a new author! Move over Stephen King!r

Excellent job! New favorite author! Move over Stephen King! A fun but scary read. On to the next book in the series! Can't wait!

[Laurie]

The ones I liked were good, but towards the end it seemed like they all relied on Twilight Zone twists, or were fragments of books. Several authors mentioned that they were going to make the stories into full books, leaving me wondering why I read the short?

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love short stories Ms May is an amazing writer who builds a story like no other. Even her short stories take you to a dark place that makes you cringe. This collection is worthy of a read.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this collection of short stories.

[Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of the stories were pretty good. This is the first time I have read anything by this author. I'm starting the second book of short stories immediately.