What do you think?
Rate this book
The Gloom in the Corner: A Psychological Horror Novella
Marina is lying somewhere. She can't see or move, and doesn't remember anything—only that her son, Levi, has been taken into a mental health facility after his disturbing emotional breakdown. And then came the unnerving phone calls from a private number.
Someone is there with Marina, talking to her, asking questions. Together, they must uncover what really happened.
"The thing is, the worst is always right around the corner. If it’s not tomorrow, then it’s the day after, but one thing’s for it is coming."
The Gloom in the Corner is a haunting and disorienting psychological horror tale about the darkest depths of grief, guilt, and motherhood—in the vein of Iain Reid's I'm Thinking of Ending Things and Samanta Schweblin's Fever Dream.
Someone is there with Marina, talking to her, asking questions. Together, they must uncover what really happened.
"The thing is, the worst is always right around the corner. If it’s not tomorrow, then it’s the day after, but one thing’s for it is coming."
The Gloom in the Corner is a haunting and disorienting psychological horror tale about the darkest depths of grief, guilt, and motherhood—in the vein of Iain Reid's I'm Thinking of Ending Things and Samanta Schweblin's Fever Dream.
68 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 7, 2025
4 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Chris Burton
18 books11 followersChris Burton is a Hungarian fiction author living in Budapest, specialising in short stories, novellas, and grammatical mistakes.
Drawn to dark tales from a young age, Chris began publishing his unsolicited creations in 2024, blending elements of horror, thriller, mystery, fantasy, sci-fi, weird fiction and grotesque, sometimes with traces of dark humour.
In everyday life, Chris works in the field of [REDACTED], has chronic insomnia, and experiences intrusive thoughts more frequently than what is considered a healthy amount by healthcare professionals. In his spare time, he runs his own horror-inspired alternative rock music project but respectfully refuses to share any other specific details.
Drawn to dark tales from a young age, Chris began publishing his unsolicited creations in 2024, blending elements of horror, thriller, mystery, fantasy, sci-fi, weird fiction and grotesque, sometimes with traces of dark humour.
In everyday life, Chris works in the field of [REDACTED], has chronic insomnia, and experiences intrusive thoughts more frequently than what is considered a healthy amount by healthcare professionals. In his spare time, he runs his own horror-inspired alternative rock music project but respectfully refuses to share any other specific details.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 24, 2025
The Gloom in the Corner is a haunting and disorienting psychological horror tale about the darkest depths of grief, guilt, and motherhood.
This book found me while in the midst of helping my own adult son battle through a severe depressive episode. It drew me in and held me in a vice until the very end. I felt the moms grief and guilt in my very soul.
I read the whole book in one sitting, and am ready to go back to the beginning and read it again. This book will be at the forefront of my memories when looking back on this season of my life. Thank you for helping this mom feel a little less alone during this tough season of motherhood.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book found me while in the midst of helping my own adult son battle through a severe depressive episode. It drew me in and held me in a vice until the very end. I felt the moms grief and guilt in my very soul.
I read the whole book in one sitting, and am ready to go back to the beginning and read it again. This book will be at the forefront of my memories when looking back on this season of my life. Thank you for helping this mom feel a little less alone during this tough season of motherhood.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 25, 2025
⭐️ Book Review: The Gloom in the Corner by Chris Burton
📖 A Psychological Horror Novella
The story begins with Marina, disoriented and unable to move. When she finally opens her eyes, she sees only a dim, blurry whiteness surrounding her. Confused, she asks where she is—and a familiar voice responds that it doesn’t matter, only that she’s safe. He urges her to go back to the beginning—the day when the bad things started to happen. The things that should never happen to anyone, but did. Together, they must uncover the truth of what really happened.
This novella dives deep into psychological horror, focusing on themes of grief, guilt, and trauma. While I really wanted to love this book, it landed somewhere in the middle for me in terms of fear factor. I’m the kind of reader who wants a story to make me afraid to fall asleep at night—and this one just didn’t quite get there.
However, it did make me stop and think about the weight of the mind, how grief and guilt can twist reality, and how we process pain.
⭐️ 3 out of 5 stars — A thought-provoking read, but not one that kept me up at night.
📖 A Psychological Horror Novella
The story begins with Marina, disoriented and unable to move. When she finally opens her eyes, she sees only a dim, blurry whiteness surrounding her. Confused, she asks where she is—and a familiar voice responds that it doesn’t matter, only that she’s safe. He urges her to go back to the beginning—the day when the bad things started to happen. The things that should never happen to anyone, but did. Together, they must uncover the truth of what really happened.
This novella dives deep into psychological horror, focusing on themes of grief, guilt, and trauma. While I really wanted to love this book, it landed somewhere in the middle for me in terms of fear factor. I’m the kind of reader who wants a story to make me afraid to fall asleep at night—and this one just didn’t quite get there.
However, it did make me stop and think about the weight of the mind, how grief and guilt can twist reality, and how we process pain.
⭐️ 3 out of 5 stars — A thought-provoking read, but not one that kept me up at night.
November 16, 2025
This was a short but good read. Definitely a psychological horror and while the ending was obvious (at least to me) taking the ride with our narrator was entertaining just the same. If you're looking for a short and sad read to refresh you, this is a great choice.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 3, 2025
This was an excellent book and a quick read that kept me until the very end. As a mom of an older son, I could definitely relate to the story. I would definitely recommend reading this book!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews