(Don't) Call Mum

by Matt Wesolowski

HE ALWAYS COMES FOR YOU…

Leo is just trying to catch his train back home to the village of Malacstone in North East England. But there’s disorder at the station, and when a loud young man heading for London boards the train accidentally, a usually easy journey descends into darkness and chaos. The train soon breaks down in the middle of nowhere, and as night falls, something...or someone steps out of the distance. Is it a man or something far more sinister?
When one of the passengers goes missing, Leo fears that a folkloric tale whispered to him in childhood might be the culprit.
(Don’t) Call Mum blends Matt Wesolowski’s trademark voice of mystery, folklore and humour in this heart-racing tale.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Novella, Thriller, Mystery, Short Stories, Folklore

132 pages, Paperback

Published May 8, 2025

About the author

Matt Wesolowski is an author from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the UK. He is an English tutor for young people in care.

'Six Stories' was published by Orenda Books in the spring of 2016 with follow-up ‘Hydra’ published in the winter of 2017, 'Changeling' in 2018, 'Beast' in 2019 and 'Deity in 2020

‘Six Stories’ has been optioned by a major Hollywood studio; ‘Changeling’ was longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, 2019 Amazon Publishing Readers’ Award for Best Thriller and Best Independent Voice.
'Beast' won the Amazon Publishing Readers' Award for Best Independent Voice in 2020

Matt is represented by Sandra Sawicka at Marjacq
Film/TV Rights - Luke Speed at Curtis Brown

Reviews

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't miss out on reading (Don't) Call Mum! Seriously, Matt Wesolowski books never disappoint. Those who have read his Six Stories books are familiar with his wonderful writing and world building. His characters in (Don't) Call Mum range from likeable, odd, obnoxious, and creepy. (Don't) Call Mum is another thrilling example of his ability to build tension, dread, and unease in his books. He also excels at creating the sensation of being 'trapped' in this book as it takes place on a train. I loved the chilling and unsettling vibe in (Don't) Call Mum.

Leo is waiting for a train to take him home to Malacstone in North East England at the beginning of the book. As Leo takes his seat, he makes acquaintances with Jodie, a fellow traveler, and soon they are joined by the loud and obnoxious Angus. I loved how Wesolowski created the cringe and annoyance of Leo and Jodie having to listen to Angus and his incredibly loud phone conversation(s). When Angus realizes that he got on the wrong train, he and readers learn the next stop is Underwood! Readers learn via Leo and Jodie that no one goes to Underwood anymore!

I found this to be a compulsive reading experience. I savored every page and was enraptured by the plot. This book is atmospheric, gripping, mysterious, and had the hairs standing up on the back of my neck. As the train broke down and something was seen in the distance, I was on the edge of my seat, fully invested and turning those pages!

Whew! Beautifully written, chilling, dripping with dread, and unease. Highly Recommend!

Thank you to Matt Wesolowski and Wild Hunt Books who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖

[Adrienne L · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

Don't get off the train at Underwood.

Leo is traveling home to the northernmost reaches of Northumberland via sprinter train. There are only two other passengers in his train car, friendly Jodie and obnoxious and entitled Angus who disrupts the peacefulness of the quiet journey complaining loudly into his phone about what a dump "the North" is. When Leo tries to shut him up by relating an old tale of the haunted village of Underwood, he inadvertently summons a specter from the past that would be best left forgotten.

Really, what better setting for a horror story than a rickety old train hurtling through a cold and dark countryside, miles from civilization? This novella was heavy on the creepy atmosphere and Wesolowski's writing was excellent. I didn't find the end entirely satisfying, but I'm glad I took the journey. I'll definitely be reading more by the author as soon as possible.

[JaymeO · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy, claustrophobic, atmospheric, and haunting!

Matt Wesolowski is a new Horror author to me, and this chilling short story completely unsettled me in the best possible way!

Leo boards a train to go home to his mum in Malacstone in Northeast England. He meets two passengers on the train, Jodie and Angus. While Jodie is friendly, Angus gives off bad vibes. He is loud, obnoxious, and talks too loudly on his cell phone. The two new acquaintances cringe while listening to Angus speak disrespectfully to his own mum. When Angus realizes that he boarded the wrong train, he is determined to get off at the next stop. But…the next stop is Underwood…and no one goes there if they want to come back! Leo knows this to be true because his own dad was lost to Underwood.

This gripping short story had me furiously flipping the pages and on the edge of my seat the entire time! I also really loved the inclusion of folklore in this tale. Matt Wesolowski is a terrific writer, and I will definitely search out his backlist.

However, the ending really threw me through a loop. I’m still not 100% certain about what happened. If you read this, I would love to get your interpretations! Feel free to message me with your thoughts.

A special thank you to reviewer Michelle for the fantastic recommendation!

4.5/5 stars rounded down

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/4ish
I really enjoyed this one! A spooky tale about a man catching the train home to his rural small town. A colorful cast of quirky characters, some flashbacks and painful memories about a dad who disappeared to a place called, Underwood. Some folklore and legend about Underwood, witches, and a local legend known as Gangral.
An overall sense of dread and eerie vibes.
A little too long in the middle with some scene loops and filler dialogue but I enjoyed Wesolowski's storytelling voice.
Travel horror
Strange happenings
Fever dreams "nothing is as it seems"
Father figure issues/abandonment
Missing people

[Dutchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re looking for something that just oozes a chilling, creepy atmosphere with a pinch of folklore (OK maybe more than that) then this novella would be it.

Leo is visiting his family in rural upper England. It is so rural that the train going to it is a tiny rickety one with minimal passengers and stops along the way. One of those stops is Underwood, a town his mum has told him to avoid. Along the way he meets very few passengers one being Jodie, who is someone to pass the time chitchatting with and the other is Agnes, a loud belligerent fellow that instantly annoys them both. He even annoyed me and I wasn’t even on the train. Things start to happen on this train ride that seem off and leave the reader with a ton of questions.

As I said before, the atmosphere of this book was just super creepy . You could just feel the chill in the air on the train and then feel the dread/strangeness seep in. I always enjoy folklore in novels, so it was nice to see that embedded in here for the extra creep factor.

This has become one of my new favorite authors. I have yet to be disappointed by anything he’s written.

Thank you to JaymeO for bouncing around ideas on how this ended

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leo is headed back home to Northeast England to visit his mum. While on the train journey an obnoxious and loud passenger boards while screeching into his cell phone. This triggers thoughts from his childhood of the, Gangral, a folk tale that has always terrified him.

When the obnoxious passenger realizes he's on the wrong train he decides to depart at Underwood station. Leo wants to ask him not to go, not to stop in Underwood where the Gangral reportedly habitats but he doesn't.

Then imagine Leo's surprise when hours later the obnoxious passenger re-boards the train but seems...off....different. It isn't humanly possible for him to have beat the train. What is happening?
You'll have to read this to find out.

Matt Wesolowski is a master of atmosphere. The foreboding dread never lets up. The dank gloominess is nearly suffocating. While this novella may be short it is certainly effective in it's creepy storytelling. Loved it! 4 stars!

[Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leo, a postgrad with a chip on his shoulder, is dragging himself back to his Northern hometown on one of those Sprinter trains (if you know, you know). The journey is exactly as miserable as you’d expect: endless delays, an insufferable fellow passenger and, possibly, something weird lurking outside in the dark. Leo’s trying really hard not to think about the Gangral, a childhood horror story that still freaks him out. Then the weirdness escalates: a doppelganger, a phantom phone, the kind of creeping dread that Wesolowski does so well.

(Don’t) Call Mum is part of Wild Hunt Books’ Northern Weird Project, a new series promising ‘novellas from authors based in the North of England and who are also engaging with the North as setting, subject and character’. Keeping the story almost entirely on the train works brilliantly – it’s claustrophobic, eerie, the definition of a liminal space – the perfect setting for a slow slide into the surreal. Wesolowski’s talent for invented folklore is on full display, and the choice to stay in Leo’s perspective is a smart one: not only does it amp up the paranoia, but it exposes his own insecurities and prejudices along the way. Great stuff, can’t wait to see where the series goes next.

I received an advance review copy of (Don’t) Call Mum from the publisher, Wild Hunt Books.

[Gyalten Lekden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Atmospheric and tense, this novella threatens your sense of safety and comfort. The main character is entirely relatable, just the right combination of self-righteous and shameful about being self-righteous, scared & (emotionally) lost but trying to convince himself with enough introspection and awareness to know he isn’t fooling anyone, himself included. He isn’t given a particularly lot to do, instead he finds himself in a locked-room situation, albeit one on wheels. He is carried along by the story, and his anxieties and past collide into something unsettling and unexpected. The novella manages to take an experience many of us have had, of a rather annoying person disrespecting others’ personal space in a public setting and interweaves that contemporary moment with traditional folk horror textures and sentimentalities. As a result, we get a contemporary bit of folk horror that leaves you uncomfortable and constantly checking to confirm that reality hasn’t changed around you when you were distracted. The writing was equally direct and taut, feeling familiar and descriptive but always moving. There were a few narrative ideas that I felt could have been given a bit more attention or tightened up a bit, but that didn’t detract from this being a tight, fun contemporary folk horror story that reminds us that the wonders of modernity can’t speed us away from the terrors of our past.

(Rounded from 3.5)

[Thomas Wagner | SFF180 · Rating 3 out of 5]

[2½ stars] Vibes trump plot in this eerie but somewhat muddled tale of three passengers on a northbound night train into the remote windswept Northumberland countryside. Leo is a jaded postgrad student returning to his hometown of Malacstone to visit his mother. He’s a cynical young man, who at least has enough self-awareness to know that the contempt he projects onto others in his orbit is actually his own poor self-esteem and lack of accomplishment, much of which stems from resentment towards an absentee father. He knows very little about his father at all beyond what his mother has told him, that the man disappeared into a town called Underwood.

Leo just dreams of getting home and enjoying a little Chinese takeaway. He befriends Josie, another student, and chatting with her helps make the trip better. It is made worse by Angus, an obnoxious douchebag who yammers loudly into his phone nonstop and hasn’t even realized he’s boarded the wrong train, believing he’s headed south to London. He does not take it well when his mistake is pointed out.

Readers familiar with online creepypasta will find some conceptual similarities to the Japanese urban legend of Kisaragi Station, though this story has different goals. Wesilowski combines elements of both liminal horror, in the spooky physicality of its night train setting, and folk horror, as we learn of the local legend of Underwood, how the entire town was burned to the ground by a witchfinder in days of yore, and finally of a fearful entity called the Gangral. If you read horror for that atmosphere of dread, you’ll be in seventh heaven here. But we’re given the impression all this lore is going to build to something bigger, scarier and more satisfying than it actually does.

Instead, the story peters out and leaves us with a disappointing lack of resolution concerning at least two of the three characters. (There’s also a fourth character who pops up briefly and is never seen again, but that might have been the intent.) Some critiques of (Don’t) Call Mum have commented that it should have been longer and more fleshed out, and while that’s valid, I also think the opposite could be true. The nightmarish final chapter could have been published entirely on its own as a short story, without any of what comes before necessary to set the scene. It delivers exactly the shudders that the full novella labors and stumbles to achieve.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the very first page, I perceived a sense of doom. Even though there didn't seem anything amiss. Just a bunch of people waiting for their trains, trying to get home. So mundane, so normal. And yet somehow, the atmosphere seemed dark and nearly claustrophobic. Something was coming, I could feel it in my bones. But what?

'(Don't) Call Mum' is quintessential Matt Wesolowski, effortlessly combining a folklore story with a modern setting, and thus creating the stuff of nightmares. There are moments that are entirely relatable. Being on a train, looking out the window, and all you see is darkness. It's remarkably easy to let your imagination run wild. But what if there is actually something out there? What does it want?

The setting works perfectly. I am not familiar with the North of England, but in this story it comes across as dark, depressing, somewhat harsh and unforgiving. Most of the people who live here could be hardy folks, working the land, providing for the posh southerners. Leo knows this life, he grew up here. Surely it would take something remarkable to unnerve him? Or has the childhood tale his mum used to tell him influenced him so much that he maybe suffers from some kind of paranoia?

At a mere 130 pages, this novella packs quite a punch and wouldn't have expected anything less from this author. It's extremely unsettling and deliciously creepy, but also done rather subtly which only intensifies the ambiance. Eerie and tense, you just know this train ride won't end well.

It's wonderful to have Matt Wesolowski back. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long for his next offering.

[Steve Stred · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this to offer a blurb, so won't be posting a full review at the moment, but this novella was phenomenal!

[thevampireslibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ay up Chuck this was creepy as fuck

Full review to come

[Alix · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A short but creepy folk horror tale. This was definitely dripping with atmosphere and I really felt like I was riding in that empty train in the dark up north. I just wish the story had been expanded a bit. It left me wanting more and it didn’t offer much of a conclusion. Still, it’s an eerie little read that lingers in your mind after you finish.

[Abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I've completely missed the whole point of this book?
Some parts had me a bit spooked, but other than that I have no clue what was going on?
I've obviously missed something important other than don't go to Underwood.

[Hazel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very creepy little horror novella. It had a slow start but the payoff was worth it. Wesolowski is extremely good at building atmosphere - one of the few authors who can genuinely creep me out!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well that was a lot of fun. (If spooky suspense is your idea of fun.)

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book on a train, albeit travelling across the similarly sinister and desolate landscape of the fens. It was a grave mistake / exactly the right circumstances (delete as appropriate!)

[Ellen Gail]

After reading Six Stories , an excellent book series that delves into supernatural fears, natural violence, and a history awash in both, I am on board with whatever is next from Matt Wesolowski.

And while we are waiting on this novella / short story to make its grand entrance, there's no time like the present to check out the author's earlier work. Six Stories the series is structured via an engaging and unique format, including snippets of podcasts and interviews. You get multiple versions of "what happened" and "the truth" from various characters, Rashomon style. Each book also has an episodic central mystery, which works to make each installment a mostly contained and cliffhanger free experience. I will note that reading them all in publication order was an extra jolt of enjoyment, as there are reoccurring characters and themes.

If you enjoy reading thrillers that lean into the spookier side of things, particularly regarding local legends and folklore, then Six Stories and all the stories it has within are a must read for you.

And since we are now in throwing distance of the publication date, don't be surprised if y'all see me reading Wesolowski again very soon!

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leo is trying to get home from university to his small town in northern England on the small train that travels the route. At first, the only other passenger is a girl his age who seems OK, though an old woman eventually gets on, and worse, a privileged asshole. To counter the asshole's obnoxious lack of decorum, Leo regales the girl with a folk story about a stop along the way. But the farther north the train goes, the stranger and spookier things get until Leo wonders if his story isn't just a folk tale.
It took a bit for the story to get going, but once it did it steadily built in atmosphere and dread like a classic horror tale. The whole folk tale was creepy and intriguing, if a bit (purposely) vague. The only real downfall the story had was the ending which felt abrupt and not particularly explained. 3.5/5*

[Sophy H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I pre-ordered the Northern Weird Project bundle from Wild Hunt Books and this is the first that arrived. I wasn't disappointed I can tell you. The Northerners have done me proud!

My my Mr Wesolowski, what a masterpiece!!! This was bloody ace! A slow building, creeping, tension inducing story that starts to make you feel verrrrry uneasy! The use of place, setting and atmosphere is second to none and I like that the main protagonist Leo is imperfect in his judgement of others and his occasional cynicism. Matt perfectly uses the weather of the North to further create tension and unease; driving rain, bone-chilling wind, a sense of damp foreboding, and the cramped, claustrophobia of a train carriage adds to the disquiet.

Honestly if you're into horror/thriller, then this is a real treat.

And a lovely surprise from the publishers, my name printed in the back of the book (and others in the bundle) for being an early supporter! Awww how cool is that! I'm bloody chuffed to bits!

A 5 star read for sure.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well that’s put me off getting the train to my parent’s house for a while.

An unnerving flicker at the window, an eerie folkloric tale and a really irritating guy from London blend together to create one hell of an atmospheric read.

[❀ Kylie-Ree ❀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple and unnerving, I loved every second of reading it!

[Morgana · Rating 4 out of 5]

short and creepy, i loved!

[Lucy Tarn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. There were some parts of the book I could feel my spine tingling as the plot thickened, however I feel like the book left me with many unanswered questions but maybe that was the point?

[Irem · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a long-time fan of Matt Wesolowski, this one stings a little to say, but (Don't) Call Mum didn’t quite land for me.

We follow Leo on a short, dread-soaked train ride to Malacstone in North East England. To home. At under 100 pages, this novella should have packed a punch. And to its credit, it does build a thick, ominous atmosphere from the start. That classic Wesolowski unease is present: you feel the wrongness pulsing beneath the surface, a quiet hum of doom with every turn of the page. There’s something profoundly unsettling about how normal everything is. An almost empty train slowly moving in the night. A few strange details that feel just off-kilter enough to make you lean in closer. It’s that liminal weirdness, almost mundane, almost real, that Wesolowski usually excels at.

But while the setup is effective and I was all in on the creeping tension, the payoff didn’t deliver. The ending felt rushed, and instead of pulling me deeper, it left me at arm’s length. It’s a lot of tell, not show, which dulled the emotional impact. I turned the final page thinking, “That’s it?”—not out of shock, but out of unmet expectations.

That said, it’s still worth a read if you’re already a fan. The atmosphere will stick with you after the story itself fades, and it’s short enough to finish in one sitting. Just… don’t start your Wesolowski journey here. This isn’t the one to hook you. Go for Demon or Deity, they’re the ones that truly show what he’s capable of.

[C.J. Daley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Wild Hunt Books for this review copy!

This one really delivered on the small town vibes for me. As the train journey gets further and further away from London, I realized at one point that their journey was still short enough to entirely take place in New York. Really goes to show for folks that have never been. The older train, its technical (and perhaps supernatural) difficulties, as well as its infrequent stops, really sold that achingly far, removed town for me.

What didn’t exactly work for me was that the story spends its time building, creating what would be truly atmospheric, but then the ending kind of hits flat as it’s simply too short for its own good. I was creeped out, I was wondering, I was waiting, and it just didn’t exactly pay out the way it could have.

Still worth checking out as it’s a quick one and you may completely disagree!

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's late when Leo boards the last train home to Malacstone in North East England. Tired, cold, and irritated by the other passengers, he pays little attention to the journey or the way the train struggles through the northern wilderness, breaking down and losing engine power. However, when a strange man boards the carriage, Leo takes note, because this man seems impossible, and his arrival changes everything.

There was so much potential here, so I am rather disappointed to say that I found this novella somewhat underwhelming. Matt Wesolowoski is truly talented at capturing the spirit of the North, embodying its culture, land, and environment in a captivating style. In his story in the Northern Weird Project anthology, Matt's knowledge of the North really shines. The horror elements are also very strong throughout this short story; the setting is haunting and claustrophobic, the air thick with tension, and there were so many moments that kept me on the edge of my seat. But sadly, that's about where the positives end.

There is so much left unresolved in (Don't) Call Mum. I read the entire book in one sitting, with full attention, but I still feel like I have no real idea what the main plot was. We have three main characters whose stories remain unfinished, a half-developed folklore plotline, and no proper conclusion. The blurb promised so much, but the actual content and story fell short.

[KaysHorrorTBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never go to Underwood.

A very atmospheric novella, I read this in a couple of hours at 112 pages so a definite easy read!

Leo is heading home, to the North, and when he says North, he *means* the Nooorth (Jon Snow voice).

People watching across the various stations and platforms, we gain a small insight into his personality, and then on the sprinter to the far North (how many times can I say north in one review?) an arrogant traveller ruins his quiet contemplation.

An arrogant, southerner absolutely disgusted with the North and it's offering, he quickly becomes a source of ire for the few occupants of the carriage.

Where you might think the story's going, it probably isn't and then we reach a very creepy crescendo and just when you're really enjoying it, the story concludes. Damn, short stories can be cruel like that sometimes!

Dripping in folklore, and a very well built atmosphere - I do recommend this for sure. This is part of a collection of short novels for the Northern Weird Project, I've got Turbine 34 to read soon!

p.s. I said north 8 times if you count this one, and 'North'ern. Ok, now 9 times.

[Bokkjellden · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Don’t) Call Mum er en uhyggelig kortroman bygget inni en sliten og trang togvogn med grøsserelementer luskende utenfor. Matt Wesolowski serverer gode karakter, skummel setting og lokale skrekkhistorier. Les les les!

Hele omtalen finner du på bokkjellden.com.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars -
This was just okay. I really liked how atmospheric it was and I did get a creepy vibe as the story progressed but the actual story itself felt kind of open ended or unfinished. I don't mind a story that is a little ambiguous but this one left me a little confused and lost. Hoping the others in this series are better!