Into the Void of Darkness: A collection of short stories to keep you up at night

by Tracey King

Shadows lengthen, whispers echo, and the line between reality and nightmare blurs in this collection of haunting short stories. Journey into the depths of human depravity, confront family secrets, and witness the terrifying consequences of a single wrong turn. These stories will crawl under your skin and stay with you long after the lights go out.

Seven Seconds of Silence- A serial killer with an unusual torture method.

The House on Inlet Road- Family reunions must be a nightmare when your father is a monster.

He Wasn't There- It started as a love story, and then became a desperate fight for her sanity.

What Lies Within- One wrong turn became a descent into hell.

Nightmares are just the beginning. The real horror lies in the dark places inside your mind.

Cover image by Darksouls1

71 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 3, 2025

Reviews

[Lia's Haunted Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great little collection to read, and no, there are no happy endings here. But the way these stories are told, you feel it. Like there’s no other way they could end. It’s almost eerie how natural the darkness feels in each piece.

The writing style is what really stood out to me. It’s steady, short, and to the point, but in that subtle, matter-of-fact way that somehow makes it more impactful. It felt like hearing a friend tell you over the phone what they just witnessed. Like, “Yeah… and then it happened.” That distance, that stripped-down tone? It worked. The horror seeps in without fanfare, and that made it an amazing hit for me.

The collection also includes excerpts from What Lies Within and its sequel, which was a cool bonus and definitely piqued my interest in reading the full-length works.

Here’s how I rated each story:
• Seven Seconds of Silence – 3/5
• The House on Inlet Road – 5/5
• He Wasn’t There – 5/5
• What Lies Within – 4.5/5
• Shadowman – 4/5

[Bryan Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This quartet of horrors is short, sharp, and scary. All four stories blur the line between nightmares and reality and by the time you get to the final story, you won't feel certain of anything anymore and most certainly, as the cover promises, you won't be getting much sleep any time soon. My personal favourite here is The House on Inlet Road which absolutely drips with dread.

[Elle Ferr · Rating 5 out of 5]

5✨️
I absolutely adored the small stories!! The writing is beautiful, the pacing is quick. I loved how every story surprised me in many different ways and definitely recommend to horror lovers. Tracey is an incredibly talented and promising writer. Horror wasn't my reading vibe anymore, but Tracey got me hooked again. What lies within's sneak peek was amazing and I will definitely read it soon, and so should you! ❤️

[Samantha Butterfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always said the ability to write short stories is a a skill most authors lack. It’s hard to capture the essence of a story in little words, but Tracey did just that!

Each story hooks you in, capture your attention and leaving you in each as you read every chapter.

They are haunting, eerie, and thrilling.

I absolutely loved each and everyone but He Wasn’t there is by far my favorite. It had me on the edge of my seat. Not to spoil anything but the little plot twist was *chefs kiss*

I highly recommend this book to anyone that likes a little shiver and chill up their spine when they read!

10/10 would recommend!!

[Amy Allred · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do I give this five stars but my written review talks about all of the things I didn’t like?

Well- I didn’t like how short the stories were- I wanted more! I didn’t like that there weren’t more stories in this book- I wanted more!

All kidding aside These were well written and definitely held my interest. They were creepy and fun. I love horror of all kinds and this book fit the bill!

Looking forward to what else this author has in store!

[hayley allred · Rating 5 out of 5]

ATE! i'm honored to be the first goodreads review on this book🙌🏻 every short story left me wanting more and it was so incredibly well written

[T.D. Lawler · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing collection of short stories. I love stories that have tragic endings and that can really get under your skin. This book delivers that and more. I can’t wait to read more from Tracey King.

[Bookish._.Banter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok Ms. King, I see you. 👀 The only flaw to this is that it wasn’t long enough! Happy to see the last story will be fleshed out (no pun intended) in your full length novel.
These stories scratched that part of my psyche that will have me looking over my shoulders at weird noises, and jumping when my cat pounces in the night, questioning everything I see in the shadows.

Well done, I can’t wait to read more!

[Jane Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tracey did an amazing job at sending shivers down her readers spines. Upon reading each story I could feel them burn into my memory straight away with the strong details, emotional suspense and imagery. Tracey King is an author to remember and I'm excited to read more of her books going forward!

[The ARC Bro · Rating 4 out of 5]

🔥BRO vs. INTO THE VOID OF DARKNESS 🔥

🥊 The Book: A lean, mean collection of horror shorts—from homecomings gone to hell to twisted killers with even darker motivations. King cracks open skulls and psyches with the same level of precision—and makes sure what leaks out stains.

💪 The Bro: I’m always game for short horror that doesn’t waste my time. King’s got the gloves on—let’s see how hard she hits.

⸻

🥊 ROUND 1: First Impressions
• Tracey King’s writing is surgical and savage. Her prose doesn’t meander.
• You can tell right away: this collection knows what it’s doing. No fluff. No filler. Just cold dread.
• King’s gift? Her horror is sticky—and I mean that in all the right (wrong?) ways.

⸻

🥊 ROUND 2: In the Thick of It
• “The House on Inlet Road” is the MVP for me. Starts with beheaded siblings (???) and somehow still manages to escalate. Wild ride.
• “Seven Seconds of Silence” had me hooked—great setup, eerie pacing—but the ending dips into that supervillain monologue zone, which pulled a little punch from the climax. Still a strong entry, just needed a bit less talking, more stalking.
• Seeing an early What Lies Within was dope—kind of like spotting the DNA of a killer before the transformation.

⸻

🥊 ROUND 3: The Home Stretch
• Pacing-wise? Tight. Never overstays its welcome.
• There’s a rhythm to this collection: bursts of violence, psychological dread, and one or two curveballs that keep you on edge.
• Not every story is a knockout, but even the lighter jabs hit clean. And when it lands hard—it rattles.

⸻

🔥 FINAL BELL: The ARC Bro Scorecard 🔥
🥊 Unanimous Decision – Into the Void of Darkness delivers vivid, visceral horror that doesn’t flinch. Tracey King swings with precision—and more often than not, connects with a crunch.

[Lia's Haunted Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great little collection to read, and no, there are no happy endings here. But the way these stories are told, you feel it. Like there’s no other way they could end. It’s almost eerie how natural the darkness feels in each piece.

The writing style is what really stood out to me. It’s steady, short, and to the point, but in that subtle, matter-of-fact way that somehow makes it more impactful. It felt like hearing a friend tell you over the phone what they just witnessed. Like, “Yeah… and then it happened.” That distance, that stripped-down tone? It worked. The horror seeps in without fanfare, and that made it an amazing hit for me.

The collection also includes excerpts from What Lies Within and its sequel, which was a cool bonus and definitely piqued my interest in reading the full-length works.

Here’s how I rated each story:
• Seven Seconds of Silence – 3/5
• The House on Inlet Road – 5/5
• He Wasn’t There – 5/5
• What Lies Within – 4.5/5
• Shadowman – 4/5

[Tracey Cotton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great little collection—short, eerie, and beautifully unsettling. And no, there are no happy endings here. But that’s part of the magic. Each story feels like it ends exactly where it should, even if it leaves you a little breathless. The darkness isn’t forced—it feels natural, like it belongs there.

The standout for me was The House on Inlet Road. It kicks off with a casual string of beheadings (as you do), then slips into a surreal, liminal nightmare. The house King describes feels like it’s hovering between worlds—just close enough to ours to be deeply disturbing. It’s short, strange, and haunting, and I loved every second of it. The cliffhanger? Perfectly done. I need more of that.

The bonus excerpts from What Lies Within and its sequel were also a nice touch—enough to pique my interest and add them to the TBR pile.

If you’re looking for something unsettling, unique, and just the right amount of weird, this one’s worth the read.

[Josh White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tracey King continues to prove she’s a writer to watch. Into the Void of Darkness is a sharp, unsettling little collection that knows exactly what it’s doing—and does it well. King’s writing, as always, is vivid and visceral. She has this uncanny ability to press images into your brain—grotesque, strange, beautifully wrong—and make them stick.

The standout for me was The House on Inlet Road. It begins with an almost offhand series of beheadings (as one does), then takes a left turn into a surreal, liminal nightmare. The house King describes doesn’t feel like it belongs in our world—or maybe it’s just barely clinging to it. Short, strange, and haunting, it left me with that rare “I need more of this” feeling. And yes, it ends on a cliffhanger that completely worked for me.

It was also a cool surprise to see the short story that later became What Lies Within, which I read earlier this year and really enjoyed. Watching how that idea started and evolved was its own kind of reward.

King has definitely become one of my favorite discoveries this year. I’m already eyeing The Restless Dark, and if this collection is any indication, I’m in for something deliciously disturbing.

[Renate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first Tracey King read, and I loved it!

I started reading this before going to sleep but had to stop after the first story. I didn’t want any nightmares. Because as it states on the cover, it’s a collection to keep you up at night.

Each story is haunting, creepy, eerie and very well written.
And they all left me wanting more. Especially when reading excerpts from the full length novel, What Lies Within, and its sequel, What Truth Remains. Luckily I have the full length of What Lies Within, so on to that one next!

I highly recommend this!