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Eerie Exhibits - Five Macabre Museum Tales
Five unnerving tales of the weird and uncanny from award-winning author Victoria Williamson.
A room full of screaming butterflies.
An unsettling smile on the face of a carved sarcophagus.
A painting that draws its viewer into the disturbing past.
A stuffed bear that growls in the dead of night.
And a shell that whispers more sinister sounds than the sigh of the sea…
Dare you cross the threshold of the old Museum and view its eerie exhibits?
A room full of screaming butterflies.
An unsettling smile on the face of a carved sarcophagus.
A painting that draws its viewer into the disturbing past.
A stuffed bear that growls in the dead of night.
And a shell that whispers more sinister sounds than the sigh of the sea…
Dare you cross the threshold of the old Museum and view its eerie exhibits?
- GenresHorrorShort Stories
225 pages, Paperback
Published March 6, 2025
3 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Williamson
27 books78 followersA lifelong storyteller and daydreamer, Victoria Williamson is an author and teacher who has lived and worked in Africa, China, America and the UK.
Victoria grew up in Kirkintilloch, north Glasgow, surrounded by hills on the edge of a forest estate where many of her early ghost stories and fantasy tales were born amid the magical trees and spooky old ruined buildings.
After studying Physics at the University of Glasgow, she set out on her own real life adventures, which included teaching Maths and Science in Cameroon, training teachers in Malawi, teaching English in China and working with children with special needs in the UK.
A qualified primary school teacher with a degree in Mandarin Chinese from Yunnan University and a Master’s degree in Special Needs Education, Victoria is passionate about creating inclusive worlds in her novels where all children can see a reflection of themselves in a heroic role.
Victoria’s experiences of teaching young children in a deprived area of Glasgow, many of whom were asylum seekers, inspired her debut novel, The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, an uplifting tale of friendship between Glasgow girl Caylin and Syrian refugee Reema.
Victoria writes fantasy, adventure, science fiction and contemporary issue novels for Middle Grade (9-12), Teen, and Young Adult readers. Many of her books have been inspired by children she has met on her travels, both abroad and in the UK. She is currently working on a Middle Grade novel exploring the issues faced by a boy with ADHD who is struggling to fit in with his new step-family, and a spooky adventure novel for Teens, centred around a cast of characters with special needs including deafness, Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy.
Twenty percent of her author royalties for The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle are donated to the Scottish Refugee Council.
You can find out more about Victoria's books, school visits and upcoming events on her website: www.strangelymagical.com
Victoria grew up in Kirkintilloch, north Glasgow, surrounded by hills on the edge of a forest estate where many of her early ghost stories and fantasy tales were born amid the magical trees and spooky old ruined buildings.
After studying Physics at the University of Glasgow, she set out on her own real life adventures, which included teaching Maths and Science in Cameroon, training teachers in Malawi, teaching English in China and working with children with special needs in the UK.
A qualified primary school teacher with a degree in Mandarin Chinese from Yunnan University and a Master’s degree in Special Needs Education, Victoria is passionate about creating inclusive worlds in her novels where all children can see a reflection of themselves in a heroic role.
Victoria’s experiences of teaching young children in a deprived area of Glasgow, many of whom were asylum seekers, inspired her debut novel, The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, an uplifting tale of friendship between Glasgow girl Caylin and Syrian refugee Reema.
Victoria writes fantasy, adventure, science fiction and contemporary issue novels for Middle Grade (9-12), Teen, and Young Adult readers. Many of her books have been inspired by children she has met on her travels, both abroad and in the UK. She is currently working on a Middle Grade novel exploring the issues faced by a boy with ADHD who is struggling to fit in with his new step-family, and a spooky adventure novel for Teens, centred around a cast of characters with special needs including deafness, Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy.
Twenty percent of her author royalties for The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle are donated to the Scottish Refugee Council.
You can find out more about Victoria's books, school visits and upcoming events on her website: www.strangelymagical.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
April 21, 2025
Eerie Exhibits - Five Macabre Museum Tales by Victoria Williamson
5/5 stars
Before I started this book I scoured a few reviews on Goodreads and quite a few said the build up of the stories was great, but that the execution or conclusion fell flat. Well after reading this brilliant book I completely disagree with all those reviews. This book is amazing, thrilling and I love how subtle the build up and horror is in the stories. The stories are about human nature, how sight can distort certain shapes and shadows and how impactful mental illness and pressure of things that happen around you is. I loved all five stories and was completely swept up in all of them. I really liked how sort of open the ending of some stories are. How it allows us as readers to fill in the gaps and make it even more macabre or horrifying. And that is exactly what I did. I made them even more scary and more insane, and I loved that the author gave us the freedom to do that. It really added to the overall experience of this novel. And that's why I am giving it five huge stars!
The Screaming Room
This story is a story about a boy who loves his mother dearly. And ever since his mother got pregnant he is fearful of losing the one who he loves most. She is tired, broken and barely holding on. To get out of the rut his parents take him to the museum. When the boy enters the room with displayed butterflies he hears their intense screaming. They are pinned to a board and screaming to be released and they are in utter pain. And those screams and butterflies follow him around his entire life. We see the boy grow up and slowly the butterflies and screaming take over his life and force him to go in one final direction. Brilliant story. ♥
- * - * -
The Grinning Man
In this story we follow seven year old Amy. Amy is the daughter a grumpy man who has been focused on writing a history book for years and years and years, and while he chases that dream he ignores his daughter completely. Her mother works hard to get food on the table and to pay the rent. But money is extremely tight.
On her 7th birthday her father takes her to the museum, but all he does is focus on his research. Amy is drawn to Pa-Ba-Sa's sarcophagus. Her dad claims the sarcophagus is empty but she hears the words: Are you sure?
My heart broke for Amy and how her father treated her. And I loved the ending of this one. I kinda supported it and was equally fearful of it! Loved this one. ♥
- * - * -
Et In Arcadia Ego
In this story we follow Dave. He is a security guard at night in the museum. A new painting was gifted to the museum. It's a painting of a beautiful landscape with a golden sun and peace over it. But there is also a small dark pond painted in the painting and he cannot stop staring at it. He knows it's forbidden to touch the painting but the urge is too strong and he does so. Henceforth making him able to jump in and out of the painting. As long as he chases the last rays of sunshine he is able to escape back to the museum.
I love how this story heavily focuses on repressed memories. He chases the sunlight, the pond and memories that resurface. Stunning story! ♥
- * - * -
The Shape Of The Beast
In this one we follow Thelma. A woman who isn't blessed with looks and hates everyone around her for having happy, healthy lives. All she wants is a husband and a child that adores her. She is spiteful, hateful and dislikes everyone's happiness. She is a cleaner at the museum and she is obsessed with a displayed bear. She loves the story that the bear must lick his cubs into shape. Otherwise they'll be massless creatures who hunt sinful humans.
Thelma's friend Rachels helps her out by giving her a job at her house to help in the household. But even though Rachel is kind, she does say rather hurtful things. And Thelma responds heavily to those words and does something unthinkable. She doesn't care what she has to do to chase that dream of happiness.
I love how Victoria wrote such a despicable character and I loved how truly dark and messed up Thelma is.
- * - * -
The Whispering Shell
The Whispering Shell is the most painful and heartbreaking story of all the short stories in this novel. This one tugged at my heartstrings and made me tear up. Julie works at the museum and gives tours to young students. She loves her job. Julie is also focussed on raising her son differently from her mother. Her mother hated her artistic side and disliked how anxiety affected her as a child. Her mother was demeaning and disrespectful towards her. And all she wants is to raise her son while she fully supports and encourages him.
One thing Julie always tells the children during her tours through the museum is that water is connected to every bit of liquid and water on earth. One morning she sees a little girl listening to a shell that is displayed in the museum. The girl relays that the shell is whispering that someone is cold and that someone wants to take a bath with her. Shortly after things come to a catastrophic end and things accelerate after another child picks the shell up.
This story just hit me right in the gut and I absolutely loved how powerful and impactful this one is.
Like I said earlier, this is an amazing compilation of macabre stories that are bloody, bloody brilliant!
5/5 stars
Before I started this book I scoured a few reviews on Goodreads and quite a few said the build up of the stories was great, but that the execution or conclusion fell flat. Well after reading this brilliant book I completely disagree with all those reviews. This book is amazing, thrilling and I love how subtle the build up and horror is in the stories. The stories are about human nature, how sight can distort certain shapes and shadows and how impactful mental illness and pressure of things that happen around you is. I loved all five stories and was completely swept up in all of them. I really liked how sort of open the ending of some stories are. How it allows us as readers to fill in the gaps and make it even more macabre or horrifying. And that is exactly what I did. I made them even more scary and more insane, and I loved that the author gave us the freedom to do that. It really added to the overall experience of this novel. And that's why I am giving it five huge stars!
The Screaming Room
This story is a story about a boy who loves his mother dearly. And ever since his mother got pregnant he is fearful of losing the one who he loves most. She is tired, broken and barely holding on. To get out of the rut his parents take him to the museum. When the boy enters the room with displayed butterflies he hears their intense screaming. They are pinned to a board and screaming to be released and they are in utter pain. And those screams and butterflies follow him around his entire life. We see the boy grow up and slowly the butterflies and screaming take over his life and force him to go in one final direction. Brilliant story. ♥
- * - * -
The Grinning Man
In this story we follow seven year old Amy. Amy is the daughter a grumpy man who has been focused on writing a history book for years and years and years, and while he chases that dream he ignores his daughter completely. Her mother works hard to get food on the table and to pay the rent. But money is extremely tight.
On her 7th birthday her father takes her to the museum, but all he does is focus on his research. Amy is drawn to Pa-Ba-Sa's sarcophagus. Her dad claims the sarcophagus is empty but she hears the words: Are you sure?
My heart broke for Amy and how her father treated her. And I loved the ending of this one. I kinda supported it and was equally fearful of it! Loved this one. ♥
- * - * -
Et In Arcadia Ego
In this story we follow Dave. He is a security guard at night in the museum. A new painting was gifted to the museum. It's a painting of a beautiful landscape with a golden sun and peace over it. But there is also a small dark pond painted in the painting and he cannot stop staring at it. He knows it's forbidden to touch the painting but the urge is too strong and he does so. Henceforth making him able to jump in and out of the painting. As long as he chases the last rays of sunshine he is able to escape back to the museum.
I love how this story heavily focuses on repressed memories. He chases the sunlight, the pond and memories that resurface. Stunning story! ♥
- * - * -
The Shape Of The Beast
In this one we follow Thelma. A woman who isn't blessed with looks and hates everyone around her for having happy, healthy lives. All she wants is a husband and a child that adores her. She is spiteful, hateful and dislikes everyone's happiness. She is a cleaner at the museum and she is obsessed with a displayed bear. She loves the story that the bear must lick his cubs into shape. Otherwise they'll be massless creatures who hunt sinful humans.
Thelma's friend Rachels helps her out by giving her a job at her house to help in the household. But even though Rachel is kind, she does say rather hurtful things. And Thelma responds heavily to those words and does something unthinkable. She doesn't care what she has to do to chase that dream of happiness.
I love how Victoria wrote such a despicable character and I loved how truly dark and messed up Thelma is.
- * - * -
The Whispering Shell
The Whispering Shell is the most painful and heartbreaking story of all the short stories in this novel. This one tugged at my heartstrings and made me tear up. Julie works at the museum and gives tours to young students. She loves her job. Julie is also focussed on raising her son differently from her mother. Her mother hated her artistic side and disliked how anxiety affected her as a child. Her mother was demeaning and disrespectful towards her. And all she wants is to raise her son while she fully supports and encourages him.
One thing Julie always tells the children during her tours through the museum is that water is connected to every bit of liquid and water on earth. One morning she sees a little girl listening to a shell that is displayed in the museum. The girl relays that the shell is whispering that someone is cold and that someone wants to take a bath with her. Shortly after things come to a catastrophic end and things accelerate after another child picks the shell up.
This story just hit me right in the gut and I absolutely loved how powerful and impactful this one is.
Like I said earlier, this is an amazing compilation of macabre stories that are bloody, bloody brilliant!
August 26, 2025
This collection of five short stories of the supernatural and eerie, all centered on exhibits in the same museum, would be great for fans of light horror. There is no gore or gruesomeness, although there are some disturbing themes and subjects touched on, and the frights are pretty mild. I think this would make an excellent read for someone who doesn't generally gravitate to horror, but wants something a little chilling for spooky season.
All that being said, I must admit to disappointment with this collection. Having read two short stories/novellas by the author previously, The Haunting Scent of Poppies and Red Runs the Witch's Thread, I was expecting a creepier time with these stories. Unfortunately, not only did I find most of the stories bland, they weren't as well-written as those other works. I was left to wonder if, perhaps, these stories don't represent earlier, less developed, writing by Williamson, whose voice and style was definitely stronger in those other stories.
A digital advance readers copy was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Eerie Exhibits is available now.
All that being said, I must admit to disappointment with this collection. Having read two short stories/novellas by the author previously, The Haunting Scent of Poppies and Red Runs the Witch's Thread, I was expecting a creepier time with these stories. Unfortunately, not only did I find most of the stories bland, they weren't as well-written as those other works. I was left to wonder if, perhaps, these stories don't represent earlier, less developed, writing by Williamson, whose voice and style was definitely stronger in those other stories.
A digital advance readers copy was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Eerie Exhibits is available now.
Read
March 12, 2025Erie exhibits: five Erie macabre Museum tales by Victoria Williamson, I love museums and the macabre so what could be better than reading about macabre museum happenings. Unfortunately these books weren’t in your face horror but a more mild mannered version of it I did enjoy the books I enjoyed their quick fast pace narrative my favorite was the grinning man I felt so bad for little Amy although I did find most of the stories ended in a similar fashion I do like that when books end like that, you can create your own ongoing ending I received this book from Book Sirens but this is my absolute honest review. I would in no way say that this book was a disappointment as I am a lover of stories and these were pretty good they just weren’t the horror type of books I was looking for.
April 29, 2025
This is a great collection for lovers of the eerie, with each story set in a museum, where for me, the museum actually becomes a character in itself.
I had so much fun with this collection, not only because I love museums and just by reading it I could picture myself within the comforting and at the same time unsettling walls of museums holding paintings, or historical trinkets. It never occurred to me that museums could be such perfect settings for horror stories and I’m so glad I got to experience it with this collection.
These stories in my opinion fall within the quiet horror subgenre, very unsettling without the vivid gory imagery. Even so, the themes of these stories are absolutely dreadful, where grief, death, regret and dissatisfaction for one’s life are at the centre.
Once I started reading this collection, I couldn’t stop and I recommend it for those rainy days, where a trip to the museum is an absolute must!
Thanks to the author, Silver Thistle Press and TheWriteReads for a copy and this is my honest opinion.
I had so much fun with this collection, not only because I love museums and just by reading it I could picture myself within the comforting and at the same time unsettling walls of museums holding paintings, or historical trinkets. It never occurred to me that museums could be such perfect settings for horror stories and I’m so glad I got to experience it with this collection.
These stories in my opinion fall within the quiet horror subgenre, very unsettling without the vivid gory imagery. Even so, the themes of these stories are absolutely dreadful, where grief, death, regret and dissatisfaction for one’s life are at the centre.
Once I started reading this collection, I couldn’t stop and I recommend it for those rainy days, where a trip to the museum is an absolute must!
Thanks to the author, Silver Thistle Press and TheWriteReads for a copy and this is my honest opinion.
May 22, 2025
Eerie Exibits contains five spooky stories that are heavy on atmosphere without relying on gore.
Each story shares a museum theme, where either visitors or workers can fall victim to the exhibits.
In the first story, a man who is grieving the loss of his mother has a startling experience with a butterfly display.
Next up, much like an episode of Night Gallery, an unusual painting sparks a memory and takes a museum worker into his past.
The last three stories were my favorites. A little girl who wishes her cold and selfish father would be a more loving dad like all the other kids have, is fascinated by the smile on a sarcophagus. I felt awful for this child who would have been so appreciative of the least bit of attention from her self-absorbed father. Maybe things will get better for her once he meets The Grinning Man.
Thelma is a bitter, envious woman who believes she is owed a better lot in life. She sets out to achieve what she feels she deserves, in The Shape Of The Beast with some help from one of the museum exhibits where she works as a cleaner. Her life and the lives of those she feels have wronged her are about to change.
Children who have suffered a loss are targeted by The Whispering Shell while on a class trip to the museum. This was the most chilling of all the tales and succeeds in giving a ghostly scare without the need for gore.
If you like supernatural tales that don't have buckets of blood you will enjoy Eerie Exhibits.
My thanks to Silver Thistle Press for the gifted paperback.
Each story shares a museum theme, where either visitors or workers can fall victim to the exhibits.
In the first story, a man who is grieving the loss of his mother has a startling experience with a butterfly display.
Next up, much like an episode of Night Gallery, an unusual painting sparks a memory and takes a museum worker into his past.
The last three stories were my favorites. A little girl who wishes her cold and selfish father would be a more loving dad like all the other kids have, is fascinated by the smile on a sarcophagus. I felt awful for this child who would have been so appreciative of the least bit of attention from her self-absorbed father. Maybe things will get better for her once he meets The Grinning Man.
Thelma is a bitter, envious woman who believes she is owed a better lot in life. She sets out to achieve what she feels she deserves, in The Shape Of The Beast with some help from one of the museum exhibits where she works as a cleaner. Her life and the lives of those she feels have wronged her are about to change.
Children who have suffered a loss are targeted by The Whispering Shell while on a class trip to the museum. This was the most chilling of all the tales and succeeds in giving a ghostly scare without the need for gore.
If you like supernatural tales that don't have buckets of blood you will enjoy Eerie Exhibits.
My thanks to Silver Thistle Press for the gifted paperback.
June 16, 2025
The Author did a splendid job writing these stories, the amount of macabre and eeriness was perfect for someone who doesn’t like to read too much psychological thrillers as i have a very vivid mind… and let me tell you, with each word I read I kept imagining myself wandering the halls of the museum, visiting each exhibition and living the moment with each one of the characters.
Some stories were haunting to say the least and some I just wanted to slap few people in it with the way they were thinking and behaving.
Truely an amazing book and perfect for those October nights where you are looking for that haunting book… each story is the perfect amount of suspense and build up toward a quick scary ending, and each with its own meaning behind the story and how it shaped the character.
Highly recommend it if you have a vivid imagination and are too afraid to touch those haunting thrillers.
Some stories were haunting to say the least and some I just wanted to slap few people in it with the way they were thinking and behaving.
Truely an amazing book and perfect for those October nights where you are looking for that haunting book… each story is the perfect amount of suspense and build up toward a quick scary ending, and each with its own meaning behind the story and how it shaped the character.
Highly recommend it if you have a vivid imagination and are too afraid to touch those haunting thrillers.
April 25, 2025
Thank you to The Write Reads and the publisher for providing me with a free e-book in exchange for an honest review! All opinions contained within are my own.
I’m just going to put it out there… I love spooky stuff. I grew up watching horror movies and Are You Afraid of the Dark was probably my favorite TV show for a long portion of my childhood. I don’t consume nearly enough scary stuff throughout the year, but, when I do, I typically have a good time. When I saw the announcement for the Eerie Exhibits blog tour, there was no way I wasn’t going to jump on board!
This novel is a collection of unsettling, supernatural tales all centered around a Museum and it’s haunting (or haunted?) exhibits. We follow a wide range of people, from a man who hears creaming butterflies to a young girl who just wishes her dad wanted to spend time with her. I enjoyed the range of perspectives we get in this book, though I always find it tough to connect to characters in short stories. I always run into the problem that I wish I had a little more time with the characters! Still, I found all the main characters we encountered in this book fascinating, which made it that much easier to fall into their stories.
Now let’s talk about the stories! This book truly lives up to the “eerie” in its title because all the stories had that particular quality of strangeness that gives you a little shiver. Nothing was truly frightening, just unsettling, and I eat that up! Don’t get me wrong, I love a book that can scare me, but I feel like walking the line of slightly disturbing takes a lot more nuance. I will say, none of the stories shocked me… I found myself able to figure out how they were all going to end fairly quickly. But was I sucked into the stories anyways? Absolutely! I could have read ten more of these creepy tales and been a happy girl.
Overall, this was a wonderful collection of the supernatural and bizarre and I would love to see more!
I’m just going to put it out there… I love spooky stuff. I grew up watching horror movies and Are You Afraid of the Dark was probably my favorite TV show for a long portion of my childhood. I don’t consume nearly enough scary stuff throughout the year, but, when I do, I typically have a good time. When I saw the announcement for the Eerie Exhibits blog tour, there was no way I wasn’t going to jump on board!
This novel is a collection of unsettling, supernatural tales all centered around a Museum and it’s haunting (or haunted?) exhibits. We follow a wide range of people, from a man who hears creaming butterflies to a young girl who just wishes her dad wanted to spend time with her. I enjoyed the range of perspectives we get in this book, though I always find it tough to connect to characters in short stories. I always run into the problem that I wish I had a little more time with the characters! Still, I found all the main characters we encountered in this book fascinating, which made it that much easier to fall into their stories.
Now let’s talk about the stories! This book truly lives up to the “eerie” in its title because all the stories had that particular quality of strangeness that gives you a little shiver. Nothing was truly frightening, just unsettling, and I eat that up! Don’t get me wrong, I love a book that can scare me, but I feel like walking the line of slightly disturbing takes a lot more nuance. I will say, none of the stories shocked me… I found myself able to figure out how they were all going to end fairly quickly. But was I sucked into the stories anyways? Absolutely! I could have read ten more of these creepy tales and been a happy girl.
Overall, this was a wonderful collection of the supernatural and bizarre and I would love to see more!
February 25, 2025
Eerie Exhibits hits all of the marks for being a collection of five stories that make the reader feel unsettled and spooked. Each story clings to the mind long after being read. Yet, there wasn't one story that really packed the total punch.
I received an advance review copy of Eerie Exhibits for free, and I am voluntarily leaving this review.
All five of the stories; The Screaming Room, The Grinning Man, Et In Arcadia Ego, The Shape of the Beast and The Whispering Shell take place in the same museum. There is also mention of characters from one story in another, which gives the reader a sense of familiarity. All five stories also have a nicely paced build up to the eerie end.
The only story that had a satisfactory ending was The Whispering Shell. The other four stories were ended by leaving the reader to guess at what happened. This type of ending leaves some readers feeling cheated or adrift. Four of this type of ending in one collection was too much.
Eerie Exhibits is a quick read. The stories take no longer than fifteen minutes to read, which fits a work break, and what better way to spend break time?
I received an advance review copy of Eerie Exhibits for free, and I am voluntarily leaving this review.
All five of the stories; The Screaming Room, The Grinning Man, Et In Arcadia Ego, The Shape of the Beast and The Whispering Shell take place in the same museum. There is also mention of characters from one story in another, which gives the reader a sense of familiarity. All five stories also have a nicely paced build up to the eerie end.
The only story that had a satisfactory ending was The Whispering Shell. The other four stories were ended by leaving the reader to guess at what happened. This type of ending leaves some readers feeling cheated or adrift. Four of this type of ending in one collection was too much.
Eerie Exhibits is a quick read. The stories take no longer than fifteen minutes to read, which fits a work break, and what better way to spend break time?
February 13, 2025
Victoria Williamson’s Eerie Exhibits is an exceptional horror collection, masterfully blending eerie atmosphere, psychological depth, and macabre storytelling. What sets this book apart is its strong binding narrative—the museum setting serves as the perfect backdrop for five haunting life stories, each intertwined with a supernatural element lurking within an exhibit. From a cursed sarcophagus to a collection of dead butterflies, each object is more than it appears, acting as a catalyst for chilling consequences.
The horror in Eerie Exhibits isn’t about gore; it’s about real-life struggles—grief, toxic parenting, child neglect, and emotional trauma—where the supernatural merely amplifies the tragedy. My favorite story, Et In Arcadia Ego, carried a powerful message about karma always finding its way back to those who deserve it.
Williamson’s writing is both atmospheric and psychological, crafting a slow-building dread that lingers long after reading. If you love horror that delves into human nature just as much as the supernatural, this collection is a must-read. Highly recommended for those who crave deeper, more thought-provoking scares.
The horror in Eerie Exhibits isn’t about gore; it’s about real-life struggles—grief, toxic parenting, child neglect, and emotional trauma—where the supernatural merely amplifies the tragedy. My favorite story, Et In Arcadia Ego, carried a powerful message about karma always finding its way back to those who deserve it.
Williamson’s writing is both atmospheric and psychological, crafting a slow-building dread that lingers long after reading. If you love horror that delves into human nature just as much as the supernatural, this collection is a must-read. Highly recommended for those who crave deeper, more thought-provoking scares.
April 30, 2025
Supernatural Fiction, 221 pages
Blurb
Five unnerving tales of the weird and uncanny from the award- winning author Victoria Williamson.
A room full of screaming butterflies.
An unsettling smile on the face of a carved sarcophagus.
Apainting that draws it viewer into the disturbing past.
A stuffed bear that growls in the dead of night.
And a shell that whispers more sinister sounds than the sigh of the sea....
Dare you cross the threshold of the old Museum and view its eerie exhibits?
About the Author
Victoria Williamson is an award-winning author from Glasgow, Scotland, who has worked as an educator in a number of different countries, including as an English teacher in China, a secondary school science teacher in Cameroon, a teacher trainer in Malawi and a additional support needs teacher in the UK.
Her many visits to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum from a young age inspired this set of short stories for adult based on real and imaginary exhibits that captured her interest over the years, and led to her current studies of history and archaeology.
Victoria works part time writing books for the education company Twinkl and spends the rest of her time writing novels for children and adults, and visiting schools, libraries and literary festivals to give author talks and run creative writing workshops. When not writing or talking about books, she's oftern to be found up to her knees in mud on an archaeological dig or tangled up in a ball of wool playing with a crochet hook.
My Review
Firstly I want to thank Silver Thistle Press, the attention to detail in the packaging was amazing. The extra goodies that go with each story is such a nice touch before we even start reading the book.
I love reading short stories. It truly for me breaks up the big, heavir books that I tend to go for. They are all a little spooky with a touch of supernatural/ paranromal. The writing of This books makes it so easy to get lost in as each story moves very quickly without being rushed.
Museums for me are such a treasure of imagination and Victoria has captured that in each of these stories.
The endings for each story is almost left to the readers imagination and it work so well for the type of stories these are and the way it has been carried out. I actually enjoyed that part of the book.
If your looking for a quick read for inbetween daily tasks or wrok breaks this is the book for you. They arent full horror but dare I say it they are eerie and a little spooky.
Thank you Silver Thistle Press, Victoria Williamson and The Write Reads for this amazing book tour.
Blurb
Five unnerving tales of the weird and uncanny from the award- winning author Victoria Williamson.
A room full of screaming butterflies.
An unsettling smile on the face of a carved sarcophagus.
Apainting that draws it viewer into the disturbing past.
A stuffed bear that growls in the dead of night.
And a shell that whispers more sinister sounds than the sigh of the sea....
Dare you cross the threshold of the old Museum and view its eerie exhibits?
About the Author
Victoria Williamson is an award-winning author from Glasgow, Scotland, who has worked as an educator in a number of different countries, including as an English teacher in China, a secondary school science teacher in Cameroon, a teacher trainer in Malawi and a additional support needs teacher in the UK.
Her many visits to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum from a young age inspired this set of short stories for adult based on real and imaginary exhibits that captured her interest over the years, and led to her current studies of history and archaeology.
Victoria works part time writing books for the education company Twinkl and spends the rest of her time writing novels for children and adults, and visiting schools, libraries and literary festivals to give author talks and run creative writing workshops. When not writing or talking about books, she's oftern to be found up to her knees in mud on an archaeological dig or tangled up in a ball of wool playing with a crochet hook.
My Review
Firstly I want to thank Silver Thistle Press, the attention to detail in the packaging was amazing. The extra goodies that go with each story is such a nice touch before we even start reading the book.
I love reading short stories. It truly for me breaks up the big, heavir books that I tend to go for. They are all a little spooky with a touch of supernatural/ paranromal. The writing of This books makes it so easy to get lost in as each story moves very quickly without being rushed.
Museums for me are such a treasure of imagination and Victoria has captured that in each of these stories.
The endings for each story is almost left to the readers imagination and it work so well for the type of stories these are and the way it has been carried out. I actually enjoyed that part of the book.
If your looking for a quick read for inbetween daily tasks or wrok breaks this is the book for you. They arent full horror but dare I say it they are eerie and a little spooky.
Thank you Silver Thistle Press, Victoria Williamson and The Write Reads for this amazing book tour.
July 9, 2025
This was a creepy, intriguing, off-kilter collection of stories set in an unnamed museum. They were unsettling and eerie indeed, describing various patron and employee interactions with unusual exhibits within the museum. I often struggle with short stories, as they often don't have enough length to offer the type of characterization I prefer in my fiction, but this collection offered a surprising amount of detail in that regard. In fact, the museum itself became a character of sorts, and by the final tale it was difficult to not imagine it with a full-blown sinister personality of its own! This was a fun and engaging read, and I'd definitely look for more from the author.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
April 21, 2025
Rating 3.5*
This is a collection of horror short stories that will definitely make you look at museum exhibits in a different light the next time you take a trip to a museum! This book isn't focused on pure horror or jump scares but there is an underlying feeling of fear and darkness within each story that have quite disturbing and intense endings. All 5 stories take place in the same museum, each with different main characters but a deep connection running through them.
I was expecting the stories to be scarier but the way the tales lingered in my mind after reading them shows that they worked to unnerve me and left me feeling a little troubled by the endings. The stories are all a little slow to start and they probably would have been more effective if they were even shorter but Willamson leaves the endings quite open to allow the reader to imagine what happens which was quite intriguing.
My favourite story in the collection was The Grinning Man which has a really unsettling and creepy ending that actually made me want more of it! The Whispering Shell was also a good story with a sad and dark plot that felt really disturbing and quite upsetting to read. The Screaming Room was also one of the most intriguing stories in the collection due to the very dark twist at the end that provides a disturbing message for the reader. The main characters of each story were very different, some likeable, some not, but they all added layers to the stories to make the plot and the horror stand out.
I loved the setting of the museum as I have always been a fan of museum visits and these short stories will certainly make you think twice about some of the historical artefacts that you find during your next visit! The stories are all nicely paced with a bit of a slow start before reaching the eerie ending. The stories don’t simply focus on the supernatural element but also cover important real life issues such as grief, child neglect and trauma which are used to enhance the horror of the stories.
Eerie Exhibits is a short story collection filled with atmosphere and chills perfect for the reader that is looking for more than just scares.
This is a collection of horror short stories that will definitely make you look at museum exhibits in a different light the next time you take a trip to a museum! This book isn't focused on pure horror or jump scares but there is an underlying feeling of fear and darkness within each story that have quite disturbing and intense endings. All 5 stories take place in the same museum, each with different main characters but a deep connection running through them.
I was expecting the stories to be scarier but the way the tales lingered in my mind after reading them shows that they worked to unnerve me and left me feeling a little troubled by the endings. The stories are all a little slow to start and they probably would have been more effective if they were even shorter but Willamson leaves the endings quite open to allow the reader to imagine what happens which was quite intriguing.
My favourite story in the collection was The Grinning Man which has a really unsettling and creepy ending that actually made me want more of it! The Whispering Shell was also a good story with a sad and dark plot that felt really disturbing and quite upsetting to read. The Screaming Room was also one of the most intriguing stories in the collection due to the very dark twist at the end that provides a disturbing message for the reader. The main characters of each story were very different, some likeable, some not, but they all added layers to the stories to make the plot and the horror stand out.
I loved the setting of the museum as I have always been a fan of museum visits and these short stories will certainly make you think twice about some of the historical artefacts that you find during your next visit! The stories are all nicely paced with a bit of a slow start before reaching the eerie ending. The stories don’t simply focus on the supernatural element but also cover important real life issues such as grief, child neglect and trauma which are used to enhance the horror of the stories.
Eerie Exhibits is a short story collection filled with atmosphere and chills perfect for the reader that is looking for more than just scares.
October 5, 2025
Eerie Exhibits is a collection of five tales centred around museums. And these stories, as you can imagine from the book title, are both unsettling and uncanny.
There’s a room full of screaming butterflies. An odd smile on an old wooden sarcophagus. A painting that isn’t quite as it seems. A stuffed bear that growls. And a conch shell that suggests more than the roar of the sea…
Oh those book was SO MUCH FUN! Each story superbly creepy and sinister. Not terrifyingly so, but enough to give you a glorious buzz of unease and apprehension, so I think it would appeal to the masses and definitely not just hardcore horror fans. Every tale was a delight, so easy to read and impossible to put down.
I think my favourite was the story about the painting but I really did love them all. They reminded me of the twisted and creepy tales I used to read in Misty comic as a kid, with that wonderful sense of anticipation and dread hanging over each story.
Warning - this may put you off visiting your local museum!
There’s a room full of screaming butterflies. An odd smile on an old wooden sarcophagus. A painting that isn’t quite as it seems. A stuffed bear that growls. And a conch shell that suggests more than the roar of the sea…
Oh those book was SO MUCH FUN! Each story superbly creepy and sinister. Not terrifyingly so, but enough to give you a glorious buzz of unease and apprehension, so I think it would appeal to the masses and definitely not just hardcore horror fans. Every tale was a delight, so easy to read and impossible to put down.
I think my favourite was the story about the painting but I really did love them all. They reminded me of the twisted and creepy tales I used to read in Misty comic as a kid, with that wonderful sense of anticipation and dread hanging over each story.
Warning - this may put you off visiting your local museum!
April 22, 2025
5 Macabre Museum tales.
- A room full of screaming butterflies.
- An unsettling smile on the face of a carved sarcophagus.
- A painting that draws its viewer into the disturbing past.
- A stuffed bear that growls in the dead of night.
- A shell that whispers more sinister sounds than the sigh of the sea…
I enjoyed this book, I’m Scottish, so was great to support a Scottish author and a Scottish museum. I recommend to anyone who loves a bit of weird and creepy!!
- A room full of screaming butterflies.
- An unsettling smile on the face of a carved sarcophagus.
- A painting that draws its viewer into the disturbing past.
- A stuffed bear that growls in the dead of night.
- A shell that whispers more sinister sounds than the sigh of the sea…
I enjoyed this book, I’m Scottish, so was great to support a Scottish author and a Scottish museum. I recommend to anyone who loves a bit of weird and creepy!!
January 21, 2025
I didn't liked the book, nothing horror or thriller in those short stories. I need captivating stories, to keep me on the edge of the seat!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 26, 2025
Welcome to the Eerie Exhibits tour by Victoria Williamson #silverthistlepress The book comprises five macabre and unnerving tales based in a museum where the eerie exhibits will have you thinking twice about simple museum artefacts. The unsettling items include a room full of butterflies pinned in cases, a creepy smiling sarcophagus, a countryside painting with a darker nature, a growling stuffed bear, and a shell that whispers unsettling sounds. These haunting stories will send a chill and have you racing to your nearest museum to see what Eerie items are on display. Each story has short tantalising chapters to keep you speeding through the haunting tales. I would be hard pressed to pick a favourite as they all had me hooked. The Grinning Man gave me deepnchills, but the human behaviour may have been more unsettling than the objects at times, especially in the growling bear tale. Simply superb stories #eerieexhibits #victoriawilliamson #silverthistlepress #shortstories #macabretales #themacabre #booktour #TheWriteReads
April 26, 2025
I love history and museums, I’m also fascinated by the supernatural, so for me, picking up this book was a no-brainer. Before I get to my actual review, I need to give some love to the cover, because that set the scene before we even began!
I enjoyed every story in this book and I really liked how the author was able to unsettle me in different ways. With some of the stories, I did feel a heavy atmosphere around me when reading too which shows I was gripped.
As well as unsettling, I found some of the stories to be thought provoking too, as the stories touched on different topics and subjects. This was also a really nice quick read, I flew through the pages and the author’s vivid imagination shone through every story.
I liked how the stories were different but the characters linked in some way, which brought the museum to life for me. I just loved everything about this book, the way the author wrote really had me engaged and it’s safe to say she is definitely on my radar now.
I enjoyed every story in this book and I really liked how the author was able to unsettle me in different ways. With some of the stories, I did feel a heavy atmosphere around me when reading too which shows I was gripped.
As well as unsettling, I found some of the stories to be thought provoking too, as the stories touched on different topics and subjects. This was also a really nice quick read, I flew through the pages and the author’s vivid imagination shone through every story.
I liked how the stories were different but the characters linked in some way, which brought the museum to life for me. I just loved everything about this book, the way the author wrote really had me engaged and it’s safe to say she is definitely on my radar now.
May 1, 2025
Five short stories all taking place in an old Museum that will leave you spooked and unnerved.
I don't tend to read a lot of supernatural or horror stories however I have previously read books by this author and really enjoyed them. What attracted me to this book was the idea of the museum and these exhibits that are more than what they appear to be. I love museums and they are my favourite places to visit. I always wonder what the story is behind exhibits so when I saw this book I knew it was for me.
This book is perfect if you want to read short stories or are in a reading slump. Although the stories were short there were some that I didn’t want to end because I wanted to know what would happen next.
I really loved the different mix of stories especially because no two were the same. They were haunting, dark and fascinating all at the same time. They also had this very real human element to them. They did reflect clearly the impact that an exhibit had on a visitors life and the decisions they made.
I couldn’t choose a favourite story but there were two that stuck in my mind after I finished reading. Et In Arcadia Ego about a painting was quite disturbing. As someone who loves the sea and collecting shells The Whispering Shell was quite dark and also very unforgettable.
I don't tend to read a lot of supernatural or horror stories however I have previously read books by this author and really enjoyed them. What attracted me to this book was the idea of the museum and these exhibits that are more than what they appear to be. I love museums and they are my favourite places to visit. I always wonder what the story is behind exhibits so when I saw this book I knew it was for me.
This book is perfect if you want to read short stories or are in a reading slump. Although the stories were short there were some that I didn’t want to end because I wanted to know what would happen next.
I really loved the different mix of stories especially because no two were the same. They were haunting, dark and fascinating all at the same time. They also had this very real human element to them. They did reflect clearly the impact that an exhibit had on a visitors life and the decisions they made.
I couldn’t choose a favourite story but there were two that stuck in my mind after I finished reading. Et In Arcadia Ego about a painting was quite disturbing. As someone who loves the sea and collecting shells The Whispering Shell was quite dark and also very unforgettable.
April 26, 2025
I have to say, the book title is extremely apt. I'll certainly be looking at museum exhibits a little differently from now on!
A boy is haunted by the screaming butterflies from his childhood. A little girl just wants her father's attention, but what will she find in the Egyptian section of the museum? A museum guard can't get the new painting out of his mind. A bear out for revenge. A shell whispers dark ideas.
My favourite was the second story. Poor Amy just wanted some cake on her birthday and she's had to be so much more mature than her 7 years. Who can blame her for getting distracted by the spooky sarcophagus? I liked how the story ended too, slightly mysterious but still very satisfying.
https://sabrinasbooktails.blogspot.co...
A boy is haunted by the screaming butterflies from his childhood. A little girl just wants her father's attention, but what will she find in the Egyptian section of the museum? A museum guard can't get the new painting out of his mind. A bear out for revenge. A shell whispers dark ideas.
My favourite was the second story. Poor Amy just wanted some cake on her birthday and she's had to be so much more mature than her 7 years. Who can blame her for getting distracted by the spooky sarcophagus? I liked how the story ended too, slightly mysterious but still very satisfying.
https://sabrinasbooktails.blogspot.co...
April 27, 2025
These stories about eerie exhibits in a museum where visitors experienced strange happenings are very good reads. Interesting and entertaining, they’ll make you see museum exhibits in a whole new way and wonder what if. This is a change of pace for the author and I really liked it. My favourite story was the one about the grinning man. I really like how Amy got the dad of her dreams courtesy of the sarcophagus. Each story was unique and well written. I enjoyed how the author also drew on her childhood memories when writing this book.
April 22, 2025
I have been a big fan of Victoria Williamson for quite a while now, and I was super excited to read Eerie Exhibits: Five Macabre Museum Tales. Victoria is such an incredible writer, and has such a talent for building a picture, and making you feel everything, and with this book she has done it once again.
All of the five stories in the book have real emotional sides to them. They make you think, and in some cases, appreciate your own circumstances a lot more. Each story was enjoyable in it’s own way. My favourite of the five was The Whispering Shell. It had a psychological element that I loved, and it was the most gripping of all the stories. However, The Grinning Man was certainly the most chilling of the bunch, with a truly unforgettable ending.
If you’re looking for a horror to really scare you, then this book isn’t it. However, the eerie atmosphere will send shivers down your spine, and the interesting exhibits make these stories incredibly intriguing. I highly recommend giving this book a read.
All of the five stories in the book have real emotional sides to them. They make you think, and in some cases, appreciate your own circumstances a lot more. Each story was enjoyable in it’s own way. My favourite of the five was The Whispering Shell. It had a psychological element that I loved, and it was the most gripping of all the stories. However, The Grinning Man was certainly the most chilling of the bunch, with a truly unforgettable ending.
If you’re looking for a horror to really scare you, then this book isn’t it. However, the eerie atmosphere will send shivers down your spine, and the interesting exhibits make these stories incredibly intriguing. I highly recommend giving this book a read.
May 10, 2025
Eerie Exhibits by Victoria Williamson is a lovely read. I really enjoyed it. The strength of the writing is the atmosphere that the author creates with deft & efficient word-pictures. The stories are also very spot-on in capturing human nature – of individuals, weaving childhood experiences into backstories so absolutely rich, that the characters come alive & “pop from the canvas”. Within the short span of the short story, you feel like you really know the character, have known them a long time. Each story is based in the Museum, two are about visitors, two about employees, & one about both.
A room full of screaming butterflies - The Screaming Room is about a man who feels – desolately & singularly – ordinary. The author brings every event of his uneventful life to (its bleak, dreary) life with such adeptness that you feel everything he felt growing up. There is something bizzare happening which will leave you wondering about its nature!
An unsettling smile on the face of a carved sarcophagus – The Grinning Man follows a child forced to grow up beyond her years on her extraordinary trip to the museum, where she is a regular. In the end, you are undecided whether to cheer or to be worried !
A painting that draws its viewer into the disturbing past – Et in Arcadia Ego examines class differences in multiple ways – economic, educational, cultural, before delving into suppressed memories… & memories which live on in things!
A stuffed bear that growls in the dead of night - The Shape of the Beast is the most brilliant & powerful piece of the collection. It observes the blurry line between self-preservation & harming others, & the mind in which this conflict takes place. It presents the situations & points of view of persons from multiple different backgrounds, motivations & stations in life. It weaves in a chilling & somewhat disturbing lore, & leaves you with a bunch of possible outcomes on an eerie cliffhanger!
And a shell that whispers more sinister sounds than the sigh of the sea… - The whispering shell – this was the piece which is slightly predictable, yet… the canny skill with which the author takes you inside the lives of the characters is present here too.
Read it if you're in mood for something : dark, mildly scary, eclectic, deep, medium-paced
Plot-driven or character-driven? : Character-driven
Strong character development? : Yes
Loveable characters? : Some
Diverse cast of characters? : Yes
Flaws of a character main focus : Yes
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
A room full of screaming butterflies - The Screaming Room is about a man who feels – desolately & singularly – ordinary. The author brings every event of his uneventful life to (its bleak, dreary) life with such adeptness that you feel everything he felt growing up. There is something bizzare happening which will leave you wondering about its nature!
An unsettling smile on the face of a carved sarcophagus – The Grinning Man follows a child forced to grow up beyond her years on her extraordinary trip to the museum, where she is a regular. In the end, you are undecided whether to cheer or to be worried !
A painting that draws its viewer into the disturbing past – Et in Arcadia Ego examines class differences in multiple ways – economic, educational, cultural, before delving into suppressed memories… & memories which live on in things!
A stuffed bear that growls in the dead of night - The Shape of the Beast is the most brilliant & powerful piece of the collection. It observes the blurry line between self-preservation & harming others, & the mind in which this conflict takes place. It presents the situations & points of view of persons from multiple different backgrounds, motivations & stations in life. It weaves in a chilling & somewhat disturbing lore, & leaves you with a bunch of possible outcomes on an eerie cliffhanger!
And a shell that whispers more sinister sounds than the sigh of the sea… - The whispering shell – this was the piece which is slightly predictable, yet… the canny skill with which the author takes you inside the lives of the characters is present here too.
Read it if you're in mood for something : dark, mildly scary, eclectic, deep, medium-paced
Plot-driven or character-driven? : Character-driven
Strong character development? : Yes
Loveable characters? : Some
Diverse cast of characters? : Yes
Flaws of a character main focus : Yes
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 1, 2025
I'm always in awe of Williamson as she can turn her hand to so many different genres.
Eerie Exhibits is a collection of five shortish stories set in a mysterious museum, where five of the artefacts on display become the basis for each of the stories.
As a huge horror fan, personally I didn't find them too creepy, but the younger ones will definitely want to be sleeping with the lights on!
Eerie Exhibits is a collection of five shortish stories set in a mysterious museum, where five of the artefacts on display become the basis for each of the stories.
As a huge horror fan, personally I didn't find them too creepy, but the younger ones will definitely want to be sleeping with the lights on!
August 4, 2025
Eerie Exhibits: Five Macabre Museum Tales
By Victoria Williamson
Publisher: Silver Thistle Press
Published Date: March 6, 2025
ASIN: B0DS6GBH6J
Page Count: 225
Triggers: Grief, emotional neglect, childhood trauma, questionable parenting, low-level existential dread
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Skull Dread Rating: 💀 (More “chill up your spine” than “hide behind the couch”)
Eerie Exhibits is a moody little anthology that delivers just enough supernatural strangeness to make you wonder if your local museum is hiding something worse than a broken HVAC system. Subtle, unsettling, and sharply written—this is horror with brains, heart, and very judgmental butterflies.
What Did I Just Walk Into?
A museum full of cursed crap, emotional trauma, and one seriously judgmental conch shell. Eerie Exhibits delivers five interconnected short stories that prove nothing good ever happens under fluorescent lights and glass display cases. From whispering shells to painting-induced flashbacks, this anthology leans hard into the uncanny, the eerie, and the “wait, did that stuffed bear just growl?”
Each story is laced with quiet horror, haunting atmosphere, and a whole lot of characters who are one unfortunate artifact away from a complete unraveling. Think of it as Night at the Museum—but with unresolved trauma and fewer jokes.
Here’s What Slapped:
Atmosphere so thick you could dust it off an old taxidermy lion. This is quiet, literary horror that creeps under your skin instead of punching you in the face.
The museum setting ties everything together without being repetitive. Each story is distinct, yet shares a strange curatorial dread.
Thelma in "The Shape of the Beast" is the kind of unhinged that’s both sad and scarily satisfying. A+ to that bitter spiral into darkness.
"The Whispering Shell" is a standout—moody, original, and genuinely unsettling. You'll never look at field trips the same way again.
The writing? Gorgeous. There's a rhythm to the prose that makes even the creepiest moments feel elegant.
Characters feel real, even when they're unraveling next to haunted butterflies or grinning sarcophagi.
What Could’ve Been Better:
The first story, The Screaming Room, didn’t quite pull me in. It’s the literary equivalent of wandering into the wrong exhibit first—it gets better after that.
Some inner monologues could’ve been trimmed. I got it the first three times, Thelma.
A few of the twists are a little predictable. You won’t need a third eye to spot where some stories are headed.
Perfect for Readers Who Love:
Quiet horror over gore and guts
Shirley Jackson’s ghost whispering into Night Gallery
Short stories with interconnected threads and emotionally messy characters
Museums, but only if you like your history with a side of haunt
That lingering unease you can’t explain and secretly kind of enjoy
Reviewed by Robin for Robin’s Review
By Victoria Williamson
Publisher: Silver Thistle Press
Published Date: March 6, 2025
ASIN: B0DS6GBH6J
Page Count: 225
Triggers: Grief, emotional neglect, childhood trauma, questionable parenting, low-level existential dread
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Skull Dread Rating: 💀 (More “chill up your spine” than “hide behind the couch”)
Eerie Exhibits is a moody little anthology that delivers just enough supernatural strangeness to make you wonder if your local museum is hiding something worse than a broken HVAC system. Subtle, unsettling, and sharply written—this is horror with brains, heart, and very judgmental butterflies.
What Did I Just Walk Into?
A museum full of cursed crap, emotional trauma, and one seriously judgmental conch shell. Eerie Exhibits delivers five interconnected short stories that prove nothing good ever happens under fluorescent lights and glass display cases. From whispering shells to painting-induced flashbacks, this anthology leans hard into the uncanny, the eerie, and the “wait, did that stuffed bear just growl?”
Each story is laced with quiet horror, haunting atmosphere, and a whole lot of characters who are one unfortunate artifact away from a complete unraveling. Think of it as Night at the Museum—but with unresolved trauma and fewer jokes.
Here’s What Slapped:
Atmosphere so thick you could dust it off an old taxidermy lion. This is quiet, literary horror that creeps under your skin instead of punching you in the face.
The museum setting ties everything together without being repetitive. Each story is distinct, yet shares a strange curatorial dread.
Thelma in "The Shape of the Beast" is the kind of unhinged that’s both sad and scarily satisfying. A+ to that bitter spiral into darkness.
"The Whispering Shell" is a standout—moody, original, and genuinely unsettling. You'll never look at field trips the same way again.
The writing? Gorgeous. There's a rhythm to the prose that makes even the creepiest moments feel elegant.
Characters feel real, even when they're unraveling next to haunted butterflies or grinning sarcophagi.
What Could’ve Been Better:
The first story, The Screaming Room, didn’t quite pull me in. It’s the literary equivalent of wandering into the wrong exhibit first—it gets better after that.
Some inner monologues could’ve been trimmed. I got it the first three times, Thelma.
A few of the twists are a little predictable. You won’t need a third eye to spot where some stories are headed.
Perfect for Readers Who Love:
Quiet horror over gore and guts
Shirley Jackson’s ghost whispering into Night Gallery
Short stories with interconnected threads and emotionally messy characters
Museums, but only if you like your history with a side of haunt
That lingering unease you can’t explain and secretly kind of enjoy
Reviewed by Robin for Robin’s Review
April 25, 2025
Eerie Exhibits, by Victoria Williamson, is a collection of five short horror stories, each based around an exhibit in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. A handful of distinct characters, all unhappy for one reason or another, experience transformation when they interact with the artefacts on display – and rarely for the better.
I found Eerie Exhibits really imaginative and compelling. As the blurb indicates, no two stories centre around the same, or even similar objects, and the ways they affect the protagonists are all very different, but usually unsettling.
The author ably furnishes each item with a backstory – in terms of its tenure in the museum, as well as its wider historical context – and makes this the reason for its power, enriching the objects and ensuring the information she provides about them is relevant to the plot, keeping the stories efficient and concise.
The characters don’t vary only in age and gender, but also in likeability. It was easy to feel sympathy for Jeremy (The Screaming Room) and Amy (The Grinning Man) – both put-upon, yet still curious and kind children – and Julie (The Whispering Shell), because I could relate to her much-maligned quietness, as well as her low self-esteem. Dave (Et in Arcadia Ego) seems okay until you learn more about him, whereas Thelma (The Shape of the Beast) comes across as bitter and twisted from the get-go.
Despite/because of its nasty protagonist, The Shape of the Beast was my favourite story of the five. Thelma’s resentment towards anyone “better” than her, regardless of their actual personalities or misfortunes, did have me like “godsake, let it go!”, and she recounts doing some breathtakingly evil things, but these – and the changes she undergoes after communing with a taxidermy mother bear – give this piece a particularly thrilling, nightmarish edge.
There are a few thought-provoking themes that tie some of the stories together. Families are a major theme, with parents’ circumstances and behaviours being at the root of all five main characters’ woes. As a security guard and cleaner respectively, Dave and Thelma are working-class, and their antipathy towards the museum’s more educated/”cultured” visitors and staff betrays an “us and them” divide behind the scenes.
We’re also prompted to consider how museums have changed over time in terms of intentionality, purpose, and presentation. Jeremy, telling his story as an adult, recalls how the museum of his childhood wasn’t carefully curated, and a trip there mostly involved looking at curiosities. Much of its vast, eclectic collection was on display at once and “organised” according to vague themes, with no attempt to guide visitors through the exhibits using a narrative, or encourage contemplation. There was also a lack of ethical consideration around exhibits that are/were previously alive, were used to harm people, and/or originated in other countries.
Fast-forward to Julie’s time as an education officer, and she’s giving talks to school groups that focus on particular topics covered by the museum, and encouraging children to get hands-on with artefacts – or replicas thereof – from its collection, including the sinister carapace of the story’s title. Across the rest of the book, too, you get the sense the museum has become a more inviting, thoughtful, and comprehensively multi-sensory space since Jeremy’s day.
Eerie Exhibits is an inspired and varied collection of short stories based around a single museum.
I found Eerie Exhibits really imaginative and compelling. As the blurb indicates, no two stories centre around the same, or even similar objects, and the ways they affect the protagonists are all very different, but usually unsettling.
The author ably furnishes each item with a backstory – in terms of its tenure in the museum, as well as its wider historical context – and makes this the reason for its power, enriching the objects and ensuring the information she provides about them is relevant to the plot, keeping the stories efficient and concise.
The characters don’t vary only in age and gender, but also in likeability. It was easy to feel sympathy for Jeremy (The Screaming Room) and Amy (The Grinning Man) – both put-upon, yet still curious and kind children – and Julie (The Whispering Shell), because I could relate to her much-maligned quietness, as well as her low self-esteem. Dave (Et in Arcadia Ego) seems okay until you learn more about him, whereas Thelma (The Shape of the Beast) comes across as bitter and twisted from the get-go.
Despite/because of its nasty protagonist, The Shape of the Beast was my favourite story of the five. Thelma’s resentment towards anyone “better” than her, regardless of their actual personalities or misfortunes, did have me like “godsake, let it go!”, and she recounts doing some breathtakingly evil things, but these – and the changes she undergoes after communing with a taxidermy mother bear – give this piece a particularly thrilling, nightmarish edge.
There are a few thought-provoking themes that tie some of the stories together. Families are a major theme, with parents’ circumstances and behaviours being at the root of all five main characters’ woes. As a security guard and cleaner respectively, Dave and Thelma are working-class, and their antipathy towards the museum’s more educated/”cultured” visitors and staff betrays an “us and them” divide behind the scenes.
We’re also prompted to consider how museums have changed over time in terms of intentionality, purpose, and presentation. Jeremy, telling his story as an adult, recalls how the museum of his childhood wasn’t carefully curated, and a trip there mostly involved looking at curiosities. Much of its vast, eclectic collection was on display at once and “organised” according to vague themes, with no attempt to guide visitors through the exhibits using a narrative, or encourage contemplation. There was also a lack of ethical consideration around exhibits that are/were previously alive, were used to harm people, and/or originated in other countries.
Fast-forward to Julie’s time as an education officer, and she’s giving talks to school groups that focus on particular topics covered by the museum, and encouraging children to get hands-on with artefacts – or replicas thereof – from its collection, including the sinister carapace of the story’s title. Across the rest of the book, too, you get the sense the museum has become a more inviting, thoughtful, and comprehensively multi-sensory space since Jeremy’s day.
Eerie Exhibits is an inspired and varied collection of short stories based around a single museum.
April 24, 2025
A butterfly, a sarcophagus, a painting, a bear, and a conch shell. Five horror stories linked by the different exhibits in a museum. Award winning children’s author Victoria Williamson tackles adult horror with her new collection and boy does it deliver!
I love Williamson’s complex characters. She really knows how to get under the skin and show what it means to be human. It is no surprise that the characters in this collection are as equally nuanced as those in her novels. Each story puts forth a different aspect of humanity for us to examine, as if the characters were the exhibits for the readers to study in this collection.
The language is lush, with a poetic lyricism that adds a beautiful musical rhythm to the prose.
The horror of these stories is really in the characters and the choices they make. I would call it quiet horror or literary horror. It stays with you and haunts your thoughts, but it is more chilling than terrifying, so don’t expect lots of blood and gore.
The theme of loss and grief runs through each story. Some of the characters are mourning the loss of loved ones, while others are grieving for what might have been and missed opportunities. This provides a strong emotional core to the collection. The characters are sympathetic and relatable. Even their horrific actions are understandable, if not commendable.
‘The Screaming Room’ is my favourite story because I love stories that feature moths or butterflies as representations of the human soul. It deals with this idea in a very spooky and original way.
This is an entertaining collection of short stories that will ignite your childhood wonder of the weird and the strange and inspire you to look at things differently. You might even visit a museum after reading this book! The stories will linger with you, making you think about what’s going on inside the heads of others and whether you should avoid touching that old thing on the shelf.
At the end of the book, the author shares some photographs of herself as a child visiting a museum. The pictures are very cute. It was a lovely touch to include them.
I love Williamson’s complex characters. She really knows how to get under the skin and show what it means to be human. It is no surprise that the characters in this collection are as equally nuanced as those in her novels. Each story puts forth a different aspect of humanity for us to examine, as if the characters were the exhibits for the readers to study in this collection.
The language is lush, with a poetic lyricism that adds a beautiful musical rhythm to the prose.
The horror of these stories is really in the characters and the choices they make. I would call it quiet horror or literary horror. It stays with you and haunts your thoughts, but it is more chilling than terrifying, so don’t expect lots of blood and gore.
The theme of loss and grief runs through each story. Some of the characters are mourning the loss of loved ones, while others are grieving for what might have been and missed opportunities. This provides a strong emotional core to the collection. The characters are sympathetic and relatable. Even their horrific actions are understandable, if not commendable.
‘The Screaming Room’ is my favourite story because I love stories that feature moths or butterflies as representations of the human soul. It deals with this idea in a very spooky and original way.
This is an entertaining collection of short stories that will ignite your childhood wonder of the weird and the strange and inspire you to look at things differently. You might even visit a museum after reading this book! The stories will linger with you, making you think about what’s going on inside the heads of others and whether you should avoid touching that old thing on the shelf.
At the end of the book, the author shares some photographs of herself as a child visiting a museum. The pictures are very cute. It was a lovely touch to include them.
April 17, 2025
Victoria Williamson is so good at writing that spooky, unsettling kind of horror, and this collection is no different! The concept behind this book is that each story is based around a different artefact in the same museum. Some of the characters are seen across multiple of the stories, which gives us a glimpse into what happens before and after each story, as well as creating a sense of a wider world that these stories happen within.
These stories are much darker than Williamson’s previous books, with the last two stories in particular exploring some very difficult and sometimes disturbing themes. I think these may have gone beyond my taste for the spooky and the macabre, but I did feel that the final story embraced its darkness so much that it worked on balance.
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My favourite was ‘The Grinning Man’, which brilliantly used our knowledge and preconceptions surrounding mummy myths and twisted them through a child’s eyes. The ending was brilliantly sinister, and subverted what we might expect from the story.
I also really enjoyed how Williamson explored the dynamics between the different museum staff, in particular the way class divides fell along different professions within the museum. I thought it was a timely reminder of the way class can dictate not only what art and culture you’re expected to enjoy, but also what’s available to you.
This collection isn’t for the faint of heart but is full of the creepy and the unnerving!
I received a free copy for an honest review.
These stories are much darker than Williamson’s previous books, with the last two stories in particular exploring some very difficult and sometimes disturbing themes. I think these may have gone beyond my taste for the spooky and the macabre, but I did feel that the final story embraced its darkness so much that it worked on balance.
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My favourite was ‘The Grinning Man’, which brilliantly used our knowledge and preconceptions surrounding mummy myths and twisted them through a child’s eyes. The ending was brilliantly sinister, and subverted what we might expect from the story.
I also really enjoyed how Williamson explored the dynamics between the different museum staff, in particular the way class divides fell along different professions within the museum. I thought it was a timely reminder of the way class can dictate not only what art and culture you’re expected to enjoy, but also what’s available to you.
This collection isn’t for the faint of heart but is full of the creepy and the unnerving!
I received a free copy for an honest review.
April 26, 2025
Eerie Exhibits
From the Blurb
Five unnerving tales of the weird and uncanny from award-winning author Victoria Williamson.
A room full of screaming butterflies.
An unsettling smile on the face of a carved sarcophagus.
A painting that draws its viewer into the disturbing past.
A stuffed bear that growls in the dead of night.
And a shell that whispers more sinister sounds than the sigh of the sea…
Dare you cross the threshold of the old Museum and view its eerie exhibits?
This cleverly crafted read draws you in and although each story is separate there is an interconnectedness about them just like exhibits within a museum and I am sure that this was what Victoria intended with each story centering around a museum exhibit or artefact. An unsettling and at times sinister read that is reminiscent of 'TheTales of the Unexpected', the stories build up nicely before reaching an eerie ending. What is also very clever is the way that Victoria has used the stories to cover various themes including grief.
The first story- The Screaming Room - is not a macabre tale but there is a darkness to it that certainly leaves the reader pondering. The second tale - The Grinning Man - has a disturbing and unsettling end. The third tale is cleverly titled, and there is a certain level of creepiness about it. The remaining two tales have a foreboding tone and I think these are the most haunting. Brilliantly unnerving and darkly sinister.
A 5 star read.
Huge thank you to The Write Reads and Silver Thistle Press for my copy and for my spot on the blog tour.
From the Blurb
Five unnerving tales of the weird and uncanny from award-winning author Victoria Williamson.
A room full of screaming butterflies.
An unsettling smile on the face of a carved sarcophagus.
A painting that draws its viewer into the disturbing past.
A stuffed bear that growls in the dead of night.
And a shell that whispers more sinister sounds than the sigh of the sea…
Dare you cross the threshold of the old Museum and view its eerie exhibits?
This cleverly crafted read draws you in and although each story is separate there is an interconnectedness about them just like exhibits within a museum and I am sure that this was what Victoria intended with each story centering around a museum exhibit or artefact. An unsettling and at times sinister read that is reminiscent of 'TheTales of the Unexpected', the stories build up nicely before reaching an eerie ending. What is also very clever is the way that Victoria has used the stories to cover various themes including grief.
The first story- The Screaming Room - is not a macabre tale but there is a darkness to it that certainly leaves the reader pondering. The second tale - The Grinning Man - has a disturbing and unsettling end. The third tale is cleverly titled, and there is a certain level of creepiness about it. The remaining two tales have a foreboding tone and I think these are the most haunting. Brilliantly unnerving and darkly sinister.
A 5 star read.
Huge thank you to The Write Reads and Silver Thistle Press for my copy and for my spot on the blog tour.
March 23, 2025
Eerie Exhibits has a fantastic premise—a collection of short, eerie stories set in a mysterious museum, each revolving around a strange and unsettling exhibit. Victoria Williamson’s writing is atmospheric, and she does a great job of crafting creepy visuals that linger in the reader’s mind. The setting itself feels like a character, which adds to the book’s immersive quality.
However, while the setup for each story is strong, the execution often falls flat. The tales build suspense well, but many of the endings feel abrupt or ambiguous to the point of being unsatisfying. Rather than leaving me unsettled in a good way, I found myself frustrated by the lack of resolution in some stories. Additionally, while the shared museum setting was intriguing, the connections between the stories felt underdeveloped—I was hoping for a stronger overarching thread to tie everything together.
Overall, Eerie Exhibits is a quick and atmospheric read, perfect for those who enjoy subtle, slow-burning horror. But if you prefer horror stories with more payoff or concrete conclusions, this collection might leave you wanting more.
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
However, while the setup for each story is strong, the execution often falls flat. The tales build suspense well, but many of the endings feel abrupt or ambiguous to the point of being unsatisfying. Rather than leaving me unsettled in a good way, I found myself frustrated by the lack of resolution in some stories. Additionally, while the shared museum setting was intriguing, the connections between the stories felt underdeveloped—I was hoping for a stronger overarching thread to tie everything together.
Overall, Eerie Exhibits is a quick and atmospheric read, perfect for those who enjoy subtle, slow-burning horror. But if you prefer horror stories with more payoff or concrete conclusions, this collection might leave you wanting more.
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
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