Darker Waters

by Ted Laughton

A collection of six otherworldly tales from the author of We Burn Our Dead

Tell No Tales — A burned-out spy exiled to a tropical paradise questions his sanity when he finds himself sharing the island with the spirit of his deceased partner.

The Lord of Small Places — An inmate enters into a fight for his and his cellmate’s very souls when they are targeted by a demon prowling the halls of their correctional facility.

Flowers of the Earth — The Devil always gets his due. Will a husband’s desperate bargain with the Gentleman be worth the cost—what is one more day with one’s beloved worth?

Mr. Culver from down the Road — Weary of life, an elderly widower discovers to his supreme frustration that he may be immortal.

Winter Passing — When a group of old friends gathers for a dinner party none wished to attend in the first place, it is anybody’s guess which is colder—the strained relations between them or the malevolent presence scratching at the frosty windows.

The Fire and the Rain — She is a prisoner with no memory of her identity; he is a loving father, a caring husband. Nothing could have prepared them for the truth of who—or what—they really are.

Genres: Horror, Fiction

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 4, 2025

About the author

Ted Laughton was born in Boston and taught literature for many years. He is the author of the fantasy-horror novel, We Burn Our Dead, as well as two collections of short stories.

Reviews

[Samantha✨ [reads everythinggggg] · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️/5

I received Darker Waters by Ted Laughton through a Goodreads giveaway. I had never read any of Mr. Laughton’s books before, so I was excited to check out his writing — and I was pleasantly surprised to find out what he had in store.

Even more pleasant to discover when my book arrived was that Darker Waters is a collection of “otherworldly” short stories — which are always fun and interesting to read!

After going through all of the short stories, I would say they aren’t overly scary, but they are definitely creepy enough to pull you in and keep you in suspense, wondering what’s going to happen next or trying to figure out the underlying angle. I liked how each one felt completely different, almost as if you were stepping into a brand-new world every time you turned the page.

I do wish some of the stories had been a bit longer, while others could have been a little shorter. I also spotted a couple of typos, but beyond that, I really enjoyed this collection.

My fave short stories that really stood out were:
- Mr. Culver from Down the Road
- I found this story to be the most eerie and suspenseful, but also very humorous! It was such a good short story — I would even read a longer version of it.
- The Fire and the Rain
- This one was also very creepy and thrilling. It completely pulled me in, and I would definitely love a longer version — but I loved it as a short story regardless.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

****I won a free copy of this in a Goodreads Giveaway!!!!****

So, I think my issue with this is mostly it's just not for me. Perhaps I read too much into the blurbs about each short story, but I was expecting more horror than I actually got. Maybe that's on me. Now, I will say that I enjoyed the writing style (though there were a few errors, but not too many, just a couple that really caught my eye), thought it was very well-written, very descriptive, immersive. My favorite stories were Mr. Culver From Down the Road (funny in a kind of dark way) and Winter Passing (this one was creepy, I'll give it that!!). The others weren't bad, they just weren't what I was looking for. I was still able to find entertainment in them, the writing able to take me away, which is always a plus. I might look into this author at another time, as I do think Mr. Laughton is a good writer, good at building tension and getting the heart pumping.

[Kelly Brewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alright I ain't all that educated and all but look this book Darker Waters by Ted Laughton I won a digital copy on Goodreads It was like a story in a story but it felt more like character after character like each one done walked in from some other world or planet or wormhole or maybe even a fever dream

One minute its a old man mad he cant die the next its a inmate fightin demons then its a spy on a island with a ghost partner and I was like what in the unholy fire and brimstone is goin on here And I mean that in a halfway good way cause it kept me turnin those digital pages but also kept me confused like I needed a map and a flashlight and maybe a helmet

Not sayin its bad just sayin its wild Like tryin to chase down smoke with a bucket You get to the end of one story and boom you in a whole new universe with new rules and new mess to sort out and my brain ain’t signed up for all that

I liked some more than others like the one where the devil shows up and the dude just wants one more day with his wife That one hit me where my heart used to be But the one with the frosty windows had me thinkin maybe I left the freezer open or maybe I was just cold from confusion

I give it 3 catfish outta 5

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A burnt out spy on a tropical island that finds himself talking with a dead friend. A prison with a deadly inhabitant. A husband desperate to keep his wife alive. A widower who has lost his desire to live. A group of friends that have a very eventful trip together. And two people that discover a dark secret about themselves.

Once again you have characters that are more than just names on a page and stories that are unique and creative.

One of my favorite things about Ted Laughton is that I don’t feel the need to gift him with a thesaurus. I don’t know if anyone else agrees with me, but reading a book with a series of repetitive words within two paragraphs can be very frustrating. Thankfully this is the case with Ted Laughton. I have said this before about his writing, he doesn’t bring the story alone to life, but brings life to the words as well.

Narrators are crucial to audio books. Most audio book people agree that when it comes down to it, the narrator can make or break a book. I truly feel that the narrator for Darker Waters has failed to bring the the book to life in the way it deserves. I almost stopped listening during the first story. I’m not sure if it was due to the narrator or the story itself, either way I’m glad I didn’t DNF it.

[Lici · Rating 3 out of 5]

Painful to read

It's overly wordy with some grammatical errors. The main characters of each story are a bit two-dimensional. If the author took each story and made them into full narratives, where the characters are better developed, it could be quite different.... more readable. I would still strongly suggest making the sentence structure more succinct. By the time you get to the end of some sentences, you forget what the beginning was. There is promise in the creativity, but it definitely needs a rewrite. I want to like this more than I did. The author is good at building suspense, so I might try him again in the future.

[Dee Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Won a copy from Goodreads.

Darker Waters is a compelling collection of six standalone stories. Each story offers a different experience which kept me engaged. The author's attention to detail and ability to build atmosphere made each tale memorable in its own way. While I did not connect with every story, the overall collection was strong and left me thinking about each ending long after I finished.

If you're a fan of well-written, engaging short horror, Darker Waters is definitely worth reading.

[Kris]

I really enjoyed this anthology and Mr Laughton's style of writing.

Each story ranges from merely creepy or somewhat supernatural to visceral and gory to sci-fi so there's something for everyone who enjoys the paranormal. This was a great introduction to Mr Laughton's work and I'm excited to read more from him in the future.

Thank you to Goodreads for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Amanda Briggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the short-story setup in this book. It was fun to take each story on its own, and the dark, moody vibe kept me interested and guessing as I went. Most of the stories pulled me in right away.

The last one didn’t land for me, though—I just couldn’t follow it and ended up losing interest instead of trying to figure it out. But overall, it was an enjoyable, creepy little collection that was easy to pick up and read one story at a time.

[Kendra Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I received this book in a giveaway**

I didn't love the short story format, mainly because I would have read most of these as full-length stories.

The premises were interesting and unique, and the writing was so well done!

[Alan Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received a complementary copy via Goodreads Giveaways.
A collection of stories of the "otherworldly" type. As with all collections some of the content is better than others. Overall the middling star rating.

[Reva · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do enjoy a short story format and this was great for spooky season. I think some of the stories could have benefited from a bit more depth but overall they were engaging. Overall it's a good read for someone who likes reading a story at a time.

[Megan Harvell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved to read each tale!

[Misspennylane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took a while to read, because I had to stop & digest some (most) of the stories. It was good, and very well-written.

[Justine Lavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Stories

I found myself unable to stop reading for quite a few of the stories, wanting to find out what happens next.

[Bianca Summers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and I liked this book! I liked the short stories and how they each felt very different. I wish there was more horror elements to it but that is a personal preference. Fun little read!