The Possessing Hour: A Short Horror Story Collection

by Jeremy John Hayes

Every night is a terrifying new beginning.

An anonymous journalist chronicles the terrifying visions that possess them at night, to avoid slipping into madness.

Blood-stained objects materialize inside an old wine box, and the girl who discovers them believes they are murder weapons.

A new father sees a suspicious nurse hovering over the newborns in a hospital nursery, one of whom is his daughter.

Mysterious footprints lead a cemetery groundskeeper to question if an angel statue stalks him at night.

…and many more spine-chilling tales that will prey on your mind.

Experience the phenomenon known as The Possessing Hour, a dark and delightful new horror anthology perfect for fans of The Twilight Zone, The X-Files, and V/H/S.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories

334 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 6, 2025

Reviews

[Milt Theo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those terrific horror debut collections with superb writing but ambiguous endings (though not at all weak or disappointing). There's an undercurrent of very dark humor, a touch of cynicism, and plenty of existential dread. The book has an intriguing framing premise: an anonymous narrator gets "possessed" every night by other people's stories; starts keeping "logs" of the experienced visions; those logs, appearing every five tales, chronicle the narrator's self-doubt and despair, occasionally indicating mental decline due to fatigue, anxiety, and pressure (and culminating in a sort of mental breakdown). The stories inbetween, 25 in total, are wide-ranging, extraordinarily well-written, deeply unsettling, though neither scary nor easy to parse thematically: although the author skillfully employs typical horror tropes (no werewolves or witches, but there are ghosts, cults, cursed media, haunted houses, vampires, zombies, serial killers, and aliens), he obviously prefers to use them in order to highlight the weird and the uncanny. He accomplishes this with complete success.

All the stories kept my interest (annoyingly, however, more than a couple had amazing premises, yet went nowhere). I'll mention the ones I enjoyed most.

"The Last House on Basham Street," the opening story, takes on the haunted house trope, and does wonders with it; admittedly, the ending needs some interpretation, but it's worth pondering a bit on it. "Don't Kill a Butterfly," the story following immediately after, revolves around kids disappearing, and a girl discovering what's taking them (this is one of those annoying stories I mentioned; it ends right when things get interesting). "The Box Where All the Bad Things Go" was a gem, surely a favorite, super-creepy and full of intelligence and suspense. "The S.A.D. Girl," utter madness this story, about teenage isolation. "My Son's Imaginary Friend," awesome story, another of my favorites in the collection, gives a new original spin to the imaginary friend trope; I hope this becomes a novella! "Roger," another tale about disappearances, with all of the passengers of a plane found missing when it lands (another annoying story with a brilliant premise); told in interview format, it hides many surprises! "Where All the Lonely People Go to Die," a sad story about small town mentality and friendship, beautiful prose and one of the best endings in the book. "cc: Featherless," a story about emails sent unintentionally as group messages, exposing the sender's private opinions of her colleagues in the workplace while pop-ups encourage her to come clean - this one had the most thought-provoking ending in the volume!

Overall, this could have easily been a five-stars collection if the endings were a bit more definite, providing also closure rather than just discomfort and atmosphere. But on their own terms they succeed wonderfully, delivering several memorable moments of agitation and unrest, building on original and terrifying ideas. Recommended!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Balthazarinblue · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

At 3am, the unnamed narrator is possessed. Forced to experience the horrifying dreams (or lives?) of five strangers each night, THE POSSESSING HOUR is their attempt to chronicle what is happening to them, and a record of their deterioration.

I love a short story collection with an interesting framing device! This one is very creative and had me hooked from the beginning. The 'possessions' are quite short - this includes over 25 stories - but they felt exactly the right length for how much story each had to tell. Although the stories aren't grouped together by theme, Night Two still ended being my favourite overall. L1N features a new father's terror when a stranger infiltrates the hospital's newborn nursery. In COMING HOME, high school girls are kidnapped from under their parents' noses. In her mother's cluttered attic, a woman finds THE BOX WHERE ALL THE BAD THINGS GO. She can't resist looking inside.

This is a true variety pack of horror tropes: from vampires to slashers to cosmic horror, and more. It also touches on some emotionally deep topics like loss and depression. It's one of those collections that I fully believe has at least one story for everyone.

I originally had this as a 3.5 star rating as the final story that capped the overall possession narrative left me quite puzzled. I didn't (and still don't) entirely get it. But the more I've had time to sit and think on it, I've bumped THE POSSESSING HOUR up to 3.75 stars. I had a good time with this collection and I found myself frequently reaching for it to read another story. I'll be on the lookout for more work from this author.

I received an eARC for free from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.

[Chuck Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good horror anthology from a new author that I hadn't read before with quite the imagination. Some of the stories were a bit out there, but never in a weird way (with the exception of that last story, woah!) and they all were entertaining, clearly articulated, and memorable.

[Reah · Rating 4 out of 5]

"My eyes take a long moment to register the clock face, but the fleur-de-lis hands point at 4:03 a.m. and counting—thankfully. I fear the day when the hands no longer budge."

"Jealousy consumes me, and I wish I were half as interesting as the lives who possess me. Perhaps I am sicker than I ever imagined."

3.5 stars. Our unnamed narrator finds themselves possessed each night at 3 AM, experiencing in their nightmares the scary lives of five strangers. They describe themselves as a "passenger […] jotting down notes of these horrors." I enjoyed the reader's experience of being a passenger's passenger.

There were some phenomenal stories in here, some stories that didn't stick out quite as much, some that made me eyeroll a bit at the amount of telling (rather than showing), and some that unexpectedly left me cackling. This was a fun collection that spans the horror tropes and genre well, allowing for each reader to find their niche.

The first few stories were fun, particularly Don't Kill a Butterfly -- the concept was unexpected. I was pulled out of it slightly because it wasn't written like how a 4th grader would genuinely communicate. Despite that, I was drawn into the collection and committed to experiencing these nightmares alongside our narrator. L1N was my favorite of the second log because it was uniquely scary and wrapped in the themes of fatherhood.

Most of the stories I adored were after Possession Hour Logs 3 and 5. They were well-paced in suspense and unexpected in the horror tropes they relied on. The standout stories toed the line perfectly, balancing the scare element with strong messaging and wider themes. Here are my favorites:

*Blood Minutes -- fatherhood and sacrifice amidst apocalypse
*Our Neighbors Are Having an Exorcism -- heartwarming and hysterical, I read this aloud to my partner
*Sus_Playlist_2021 -- genuinely terrifying in the age of doomscrolling and hyperdigital lives
*Kickstart -- unexpectedly funny, easy to hear and picture the protagonist
*Where All the Lonely People Go to Die -- small town stagnancy, friendship, and grief all in one
*Beneath the Frozen Surface -- nod to suicidal ideations hiding in plain sight and the remaining desire to live despite pain
*CC Featherless -- the relatable dread of mindnumbing work. I was cackling about this story for at least 5 minutes afterwards

I found some of the narrator's logs to be tedious and a bit repetitive. However, while writing this review, I'm reflecting on and enjoying the subtle threads for the reader to catch in the logs. The foreshadowing is gentle in a way that snuck up on me by the end, and it ties the final story together perfectly.

Thank you to Jeremy John Hayes and to Booksirens for providing me with an ARC for free. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are shared voluntarily.

Highlights/Quotes:
"I'm a zombie chewing on the remains of everyone else's success for survival."

"She saw herself as a cartoon character, guilt looming over her like the shadow of an enormous Acme anvil, which blackened every escape route she tried to take."

"It's like I fell and am tucked away somewhere between the couch cushions. Forgotten."

"He pretended to keep watching, determined not to be a wimp. Is a video capable of hurting someone?"

"The dark clouds housed no tentacle-like lightning bolts or roaring thunder. It was simply a dull sky. There was nothing left but dull skies in Eaton."

"Work had become an out-of-body experience and she could watch herself, another soulless spoke on the wheel of greed, falling in line with the others desperate for some water to drip down to her."

[Mary Urban · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this book is truly chilling: experiencing the nightmarish lives of others in your own nightmares. The mere idea is enough to make your hair stand on end. From there, the author embarks on narrating these nightmares. Some are more terrifying than others, as is always the case in short story collections. Overall, they weren't very scary for my taste, and some are certainly cliché, but horror is always subjective. However, I would have liked the author to expand on some, narrating them in more detail, because they were worth it. An entertaining read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jordan Drinnon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an ARC copy provided to me by BookSirens.

I have to be honest, I had very mixed feelings on this book. There were good parts and good writing in certain places, but sometimes the writing could feel a little tedious. Sometimes, I felt like there were horror elements added just for shock value. Granted, that’s fine, but it happened too much for my taste to the point where I sometimes didn’t understand the point of what the author was trying to say. However, I did enjoy the book overall and it did have some genuinely creepy moments!

[Karina Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happy Pub Day!!!

This is an anthology of horror shorts that explores the unsettling phenomenon of “the possessing hour” which are those dark, disorienting moments of the night where reality blurs with terror.

Like most short story collections, this was a mixed bag for me. Some stories really stood out with their atmospheric writing, creepy imagery, and endings that made me shiver. Others didn’t land as strongly and felt more “okay” than memorable. But that’s also part of the fun of anthologies, you never know which story will hit you hardest.

What I appreciated most was the variety: haunted objects, eerie cemeteries, unsettling nurses, and strange night-time visions. The themes reminded me a bit of The Twilight Zone or The X-Files, where each piece feels like stepping into a different corner of horror.

Overall, a solid and entertaining collection. Perfect for when you want quick, creepy reads that will leave you looking over your shoulder at night.

[Caitlin Justice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to BookSirens for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The Possessing Hour by Jeremy John Hayes follows an unnamed narrator as they live many haunting lives and tell their stories.
I really enjoyed this short story collection! I thought the connection between all the stories was unique and very well done. My favorite short story was The Box Where All the Bad Things Go because I thought it was very creative and creepy.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeremy John Hayes does an amazing job in writing this horror story collection, it had that horror element that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall feel of this. It was suspenseful and worked with each storyline that was told during this. I enjoyed that each story felt like they were something different.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Eryn Stout · Rating 5 out of 5]

This easy read by voice into each character immersing you along.

I enjoyed each spooky, creepy and/or chilling twist and turn through each page and tale.

Certain you will as well and makes a great gift for your fave horror fanatic.

You won't want to put it down. Like me… "just one more chapter…"

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as part of an ARC program. I thoroughly enjoyed the layout of this book and each short story within it!

[Steven S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book that I read in one seating. I enjoyed the collection that was offered by the author and would recommend.

[Praveen (பிரவீண்) KR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read the full review @ https://kalaikoodam.blogspot.com/2025...

The first thing that attracts us to the book is the abruptness of the stories. They start and end ambiguously. I would say that it becomes the boon and bane of the book. The ambiguity sparks an interest in you initially. The subtle undercurrent of dark humour will also keep you invested. But as we read on, the ambiguity takes the steam off a few of the stories. The author has tried many tropes (vampires, cults, urban legends, ghosts, haunted houses, etc), most of which have worked out really well. But in some of them, I feel it is a miss. Another drawback was the pacing. Some stories did not connect with me, and those stories slowed down my pace. The author had done a good job of making us uncomfortable in some of the stories. I wished that some of the stories could have had a better closure.

In brief, this book could have been a better one if there were a tad less ambiguity. Nevertheless, this is a good collection of stories with an interesting premise that can make you feel uncomfortable at times. A decent one-time read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Aditi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Possessing Hour is a compelling anthology that lingers long after the final page. Every tale interweaves the mundane with the strange, constructing slow-burning horror more than cheap thrills. The first story alone — with its resurrecting home — had me under its spell, and the chill only grows thicker from there. Great for reading in the wee hours, these tales bring gooseflesh and a haunting linger. This is an absolute must-read for fans of creepy, atmospheric horror.

If you’re in the mood for short horror works that leave an aftertaste of dread, this book is for you. From haunted houses to lingering shadows, every story is quick to grip and slow to leave your mind.

Note: I received an advance review copy at no cost, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.