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Smiling Corpses: 3 Novellas of Terror

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SMILING CORPSES is a twisted collection of 3 novellas.

A Morgue of Smiling Corpses. A mortician’s job turns deadly when the smiling bodies start coming in.

A Library of Cursed Books. Down on his luck, Alan takes a job as a librarian at a top university. But the head librarian gives him a strange set of rules to follow, and he hears whispering from the stacks...

A Mansion of Dark Secrets. A woman and her fiancé drive up to meet her in-laws for the first time. But when a sudden blizzard leaves her trapped, she realizes her in-laws are not what they seem.

133 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 16, 2025

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97 people want to read

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Blair Daniels

45 books167 followers

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5 stars
109 (43%)
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90 (35%)
3 stars
40 (15%)
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11 (4%)
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Profile Image for Stitching Ghost.
1,517 reviews395 followers
March 17, 2025
The first story didn't really add up. It had the creepy factor, but it read like the author just threw a bunch of ideas on the page and didn't stop to ask if they actually made sense together. Add to that the fact that the cover is obviously AI generated and I was side-eyeing the book the whole time. The other stories were interesting enough but nothing really new.
Profile Image for Honey Dy.
322 reviews16 followers
April 20, 2025
TᕼEY ᔕᗰIᒪE, ᗷᑌT TᕼEY'ᖇE ᑎOT ᗩᒪIᐯE...

Smiling Corpses by Blair Daniels is a TWISTED, CHILLING RIDE you won't forget.

Dead things, CHECK✅️
Cursed Books, CHECK CHECK ✅️ ✅️
Sinister Secrets, CHECK, CHECK, CHECK ✅️✅️✅️ — what more could you want? And let’s be real — corpses, blood, dead things? That’s basically my love language 👻💀💔

This twisted collection features three novellas that will crawl under your skin and stay there.

Oh man, Blair Daniels kicked off the collection with a bang and JUST DID NOT STOP! Every single short story was equally as good as the other, and I had a hard time trying to decide which was the best, so I won't.

In our first story, In A Morgue of Smiling Corpses, a mortician’s routine work turns into a waking nightmare when bodies start arriving...yep, you guessed it, SMILING

A Library of Cursed Books is a slow-burn, whisper-filled descent into madness inside an ancient library in a university, and just imagine, it's your job, you're freaked out, but you're not able to quit your job for at least 6 months?

And finally, A Mansion of Dark Secrets seals the deal, trapping you in a blizzard with guess what? In-laws, but ones who hide horrifying secrets.

Smiling Corpses isn’t just horror — it’s pure nightmare fuel. If you dare, read it alone at night and feel the true terror creep in.

For the first time in a long time, I find myself completely stumped. Every story is equally strong, equally chilling, and equally unforgettable.

This is the work of a true creative horror genius, and i can't wait to read more of Blair's work.
Profile Image for Paige Ray.
1,119 reviews71 followers
April 18, 2025
Best Short Story collection that I’ve ever read. All three stories hit hard!! Creepy and unsettling is my jam and these three really delivered on that aspect. Read at night for extra scariness. 😈 Blair Daniels is a new fave author for me. I can’t wait to check out more from this author.

A Morgue of Smiling Corpses
Beyond fucking CREEPY. A funeral home is receiving bodies that are smiling but that’s impossible once dead. Even when the mortician sets their faces their mouths still return to a smiling state. What is going on in this town and what do all these bodies have in common??

Loved this one so much. If I’d have read this at night I’d have for sure had to sleep with the lights on🫣

A Library of Cursed Books
This one really surprised me! I wasn’t expecting much outside the rules of the library but boy was this beyond scary. I can’t imagine working at this library. I’ll visit another one 😅🫣

Cursed books, people, objects and more!

A Mansion of Dark Secrets
Get Out vibes!!! This story had me clutching my kindle a little too hard. A young woman and her fiancé are traveling to her future in laws to visit. Once they arrive things start to get really weird and really uncomfortable. Elaina notices familia faces in the family photos at the house that really set the fear high and feeling like she’s in danger.

All three of these stories were amazing. Beyond terrifying. If you love the sense of unease and feeling like someone is watching you then this collection is right up your alley! Highly recommend. I can’t wait to check out more of this authors short story collections soon!
Profile Image for Milt Theo.
1,877 reviews158 followers
February 4, 2025
A terrific collection of three long stories meant to creep you out and scare you. Although they're a bit on the YA side, they do deliver: they're smart, disturbing, and well-written. "A Morgue of Smiling Corpses," the opening story, is brimming with tension and suspense till the very end: a mix of supernatural horror and sci-fi creature feature, it's probably the most accomplished story of the collection and certainly was my favorite! "A Library of Cursed Books": this one went places I didn't expect; I thought it was simply about rules in a library, but it's more involved, as it develops into a tale of "how to get rid of a cursed book". Loved it! "A Mansion of Dark Secrets" had very strong "Get Out" vibes, as it involves a cult and parents. The creep out factor was off the charts in this one! Overall, a great addition to Blair Daniels' fascinating work!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Erin.
24 reviews
February 15, 2025
I enjoyed this book and read it in a single sitting. I think the story about library rules was my favorite. The twists and turns in this anthology were dark but also in many ways encouraging. I enjoyed the consistent atmosphere of suspense through the various stories and the consistently creative settings. I think this has been my favorite of this author’s anthologies, as I did enjoy every entry in this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Cat Treadwell.
Author 6 books132 followers
February 16, 2025
I went into this book blind. Three short-ish stories in one book? No problem, a nice easy read.

If only someone had mentioned this would be like a trip into three particularly thought-provoking (and gory) 'Twilight Zone' episodes!

The first, titular tale had me braced for weirdness. A mortuary worker who encounters a weirdly smiling corpse... then another... and another... such a simple and engaging premise, which quickly enters 'Quatermass' territory. What the actual heck is going on, and how deep (or otherworldly) is this rabbit hole?

'A Library of Cursed Books' was my favourite here. I'm a book-addict, after all, and this library is leagues beyond Hogwarts or the Unseen University. On the one hand it really is creepy in the way only dimly-lit book stacks can be; on the other, it's a heartfelt ghost story of redemption. It's certainly made me curious about what the secret 'rules' of my local libraries are, especially the academic institutions.

Finally we have 'A Mansion of Dark Secrets'. A fun ride, but the weakest of the three, for me. Yes, it owes a lot to the movie 'Get Out', but the protagonist really does make all the mistakes a horror heroine (especially a woman of colour) should be aware of. Plus there's some continuity issues here, with a teleporting phone and a newspaper delivered to a house cut off by snow. Enjoyable but not as strong as its predecessors.

Each tale is smart, snappy and ends with somewhat of a cliffhanger, leaving the reader wanting to know more - not exactly what happens next, but with the protagonist themselves uncertain, so am I. I wanted more about the mysterious corpses, the library and the not-so-nice neighbours.

I'd love if these were adapted for an anthology show or movie (they'd be perfect for the 'V/H/S' series), and are definitely quick creeps that are worth your time.I went into this book blind. Three short-ish stories in one book? No problem, a nice easy read.

If only someone had mentioned this would be like a trip into three particularly thought-provoking (and gory) 'Twilight Zone' episodes!

The first, titular tale had me braced for weirdness. A mortuary worker who encounters a weirdly smiling corpse... then another... and another... such a simple and engaging premise, which quickly enters 'Quatermass' territory. What the actual heck is going on, and how deep (or otherworldly) is this rabbit hole?

'A Library of Cursed Books' was my favourite here. I'm a book-addict, after all, and this library is leagues beyond Hogwarts or the Unseen University. On the one hand it really is creepy in the way only dimly-lit book stacks can be; on the other, it's a heartfelt ghost story of redemption. It's certainly made me curious about what the secret 'rules' of my local libraries are, especially the academic institutions.

Finally we have 'A Mansion of Dark Secrets'. A fun ride, but the weakest of the three, for me. Yes, it owes a lot to the movie 'Get Out', but the protagonist really does make all the mistakes a horror heroine (especially a woman of colour) should be aware of. Plus there's some continuity issues here, with a teleporting phone and a newspaper delivered to a house cut off by snow. Enjoyable but not as strong as its predecessors.

Each tale is smart, snappy and ends with somewhat of a cliffhanger, leaving the reader wanting to know more - not exactly what happens next, but with the protagonist themselves uncertain, so am I. I wanted more about the mysterious corpses, the library and the not-so-nice neighbours.

I'd love if these were adapted for an anthology show or movie (they'd be perfect for the 'V/H/S' series), and are definitely quick creeps that are worth your time.

I was kindly sent an early copy of this book by the author, but the above opinions are entirely my own.
Profile Image for Andreanna Q.
116 reviews15 followers
February 11, 2025
As a horror fan, this is such an entertaining reads!

So there are 3 short stories in this novella, the first one is where I instantly wanna read the book after reading the synopsis. It’s about a mortician in a small town where the morgue where she works at starting to receive from 1-2 smiling corpses up to piling more and more that she decided to go down to the rabbit hole to know what’s up. The plot building and pace are good as well as the writing, but for me the ending isn’t as thrilling as the plot goes. Still good tho.

Then, second story is about a librarian that works in a haunted, mysterious gothic style campus library. Same as the first, got good plot, pace & writing, love the ambience of the story as well, and the ending is better than the first story imo.

Lastly, the third story is about a couple who are on their way to visit the parent (the gf go to meet her bf’s parents) which at secluded area during winter. When they arrives, she notices unusual things at the house / place as well as her bf parents mannerism, including uncovering some things that her bf didn’t happened to mention / tell her before. Mysterious vibes is thick in the plot up until things unravel - same as the previous two, the plot building and pace are good, got thrills and the ending is good too.

Gotta say I’m glad that I go mostly blind into the stories, even tho I can still see where the plot goes (I think this is a me problem as I always can guess what’s next), they’re indeed still entertaining as a horror theme book. I don’t have any triggers by far, so for me this book isn’t scary or triggering me in any way but do check for triggers in case you do have some. Overall, such a good read! Thank you Booksprout for the ARC in exchange for my honest review 🖤



Profile Image for A5hley Clarke.
64 reviews13 followers
February 7, 2025
A trilogy of horrors that doesn’t disappoint each story brings a little something different my personal favourite was the second story’ A library of cursed books’ I felt this story had so much potential that could even be turned into its own novel with the rules ever expanding.

Without giving any spoilers away I do feel there is something for most horror fans here so should definitely be explored and the author is clearly a good story teller the reason for only 4 stars is simply because I felt some stories were rushed the author is really good at building tension and just needed to have the confidence to leave the reader in that unease especially with the final story when everything came to ahead the pacing increases but at a certain point I would’ve liked to be held in a state of what could happen for a bit longer

Overall a really well written book each story has its merits and I would happily recommend reading this to fans of horror and short stories

I received a free reviewers copy via Booksprout
Profile Image for Judith.
8 reviews5 followers
February 15, 2025
All three novellas were thrilling, well written, and perfectly paced. The settings for each story were delightfully creepy, classic haunts: an empty morgue, an academic library, and a snowed-in mansion. “A Morgue of Smiling Corpses” really stood out of the bunch to me - I found it to be truly frightening. While the conclusion of that story wasn’t my cup of tea, I didn’t mind because I loved the rest of it so much. “A Library of Cursed Books” was really fun and exhilarating. I’m a sucker for the list of rules trope, so I really loved this one. “A Mansion of Dark Secrets” wasn’t as unique as the first two stories, but the mystery of this story kept me hooked! The author really built the tension in this one, and I love how savvy the protagonist is.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Cari Tsinovoi.
325 reviews3 followers
August 9, 2025
This was fun! The third story was giving Midsommar vibes. Like a Hereditary/ Midsommar mashup. The second story was making me nuts. Like, why was he working like a 12-hour shift and closing on his first day?? And, he wanted to destroy a book with fire. You don’t do that INSIDE THE LIBRARY, bro! The best though was when Margaret said he wouldn’t fulfill the 6mo employment rule if he died 🤣 I think I like the first story the best. They really needed an epidemiologist on this case. Did it not raise any flags when people from the same general area started dying within days of each other?? The mortician is acting like a modern-day John Snow drawing up the Ghost Map and nobody is listening.

Characters 5
Plot 5
Creepiness 5
Profile Image for Doretha Bradley.
439 reviews
April 29, 2025
Enjoyable

Smiling Corpses: had great potential, but it left much to be desired. Without spoiling the plot, it doesn't answer the basics: who, what, where, or how.
The Library of Cursed Books: excellent! I enjoyed this tale as there were ghosts, blood, hauntings, and death in a public library, no doubt! These things did not wait until the dead of night. They happened any time, including in broad daylight!
The Haunted Mansion: Great! This one was thoroughly detailed and even contained a back story. I can only hope that Elaina is able to remain out of the cults clutches!

Read the book!
Profile Image for natalielikesbooks.
436 reviews5 followers
March 11, 2025
”For the past two years, I’ve been working as a mortician at a funeral home in the small town of Clearwater, Pennsylvania…. Without a doubt, working here was the best job I’d ever had. Until we started getting the smiling corpses.”

3 chilling stories that are short, but keep you hooked from beginning to end! Which is one of the many things I love about Blair Daniel’s’ story telling. Out of the 3, mt favorite has to be ‘A Morgue of Smiling Corpses’ just because the idea of that happening was scary as hell😂
Profile Image for Miranda.
191 reviews3 followers
April 28, 2025

Loved the first novella. Eerie and creepy, quick and easy to follow. Exactly what I want out of a short story!

Not as creepy as the other one but still quick and easy to read. The author is great at giving descriptive details that make you feel like you’re there. Love that the ending has closure.

Again, another great creepy short story. I would’ve loved some more background info on the faceless mother person but overall it was a good story. Love the closure at the end.

I recommend this collection of short stories to someone who’s looking for a short horror story. 5/5
Profile Image for C.J.
128 reviews3 followers
February 15, 2025
It’s definitely a page turner. I’m not done with the book yet cos I’m busy but I’ve read the first 2 stories and it’s nothing short of thrilling, just as I expected from Blair Daniels. It’s not terrifying but I’d definitely recommend to anyone who wants to be entertained.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Rereader.
1,452 reviews211 followers
September 17, 2025
This was a really solid horror novella collection! While I wouldn't say these will keep me up at night, they'll definitely be in my head for the foreseeable future. This was a lot of fun to read and kept me engaged from start to finish. I would even argue this is a good beginner's horror novella collection. Really looking forward to this author's other work.
Profile Image for Lauren.
40 reviews1 follower
October 7, 2025
*3.5 stars rounded up
I usually am not a fan of short story collections, but I was pleasantly surprised with this one! Three stories, all of them have a good creep factor, and they each explore different themes. The short format was perfect for these, they could have definitely felt too drawn out if they were full-length books.
5 reviews
February 13, 2025
I've been reading Blair's writings for a while and it's been amazing to watch the writing evolve and improve! I can't say enough great things, so seriously, just read it!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Morgan.
88 reviews5 followers
April 28, 2025
I loved all 3 stories! I couldn't put it down once I started, all of them kept my attention and had some creepier parts than I expected. The last story not so much creepy/scary in my opinion, but it had me on edge wanting to find out what was going on.
Profile Image for Teah Sennett.
166 reviews2 followers
August 25, 2025
Just ok

These stories were great up until the ending. I really enjoyed the build up of each one, the atmosphere set, and the direction you *think* it's going to go, then they each take a sharp left into..*what*?
I enjoyed the Sirens book more. ⭐⭐/5 stars
1,718 reviews1 follower
February 16, 2025
This is a great read. I absolutely loved it. If you like scary things, then you'll love this one. Enjoy.

Profile Image for Maja Bubanj.
167 reviews3 followers
February 20, 2025
Dječji horror. Svaka od tri priče počinje odlično, sve se zaklomplicira i napeti smo...i onda kraj bude bla. Kao da je za djecu pisan.
Profile Image for David.
17 reviews
June 12, 2025
I didn't like this one as much as others I have read by Blair Daniels.
Profile Image for Victoria.
416 reviews2 followers
July 12, 2025
This was fine. The three stories were familiar from games or other media, so that was a bummer.
Profile Image for Angelique Diaz.
175 reviews9 followers
April 24, 2025
This 👏🏻 Author 👏🏻 NEVER 👏🏻 disappoints! Each of the 3 stories was fantastic.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced read where the short stories are all creepy, this one is a must!
Profile Image for Jess ✩.
524 reviews38 followers
November 5, 2025
Definitely alot better than the last one I read!! There were only three stories, but I really enjoyed them, and they felt properly creepy!
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