Our Little Group

Eden Book Society #1993

by Patricia Rivers

Abby, Jessica and Ken are stuck in their hometown, living with their parents and working dead end jobs. When Jessica dies in a sudden violent accident, Abby and Ken cling onto their fractured friendship and try to adapt to life without her.

When Jessica arrives back at work one morning, nobody but Abby and Ken seems to realise she's been dead. As the three settle back into their old routines, Jessica starts to act strangely.

It seems like coming back from the dead isn't enough for her. But what is?

The Eden Book Society was a publishing house that produced horror novelettes for a private list of subscribers. It was established in 1919 by the Eden family, handed down through the generations issuing short horror novels to a confidential list of subscribers. Eden books were always written under pseudonyms and were rumoured to have been written by some of the greatest horror authors of their day, many of whom had strong ties to the mysterious Eden family. Dead Ink is reissuing eight novels from Eden's 1993 archive encompassing psychological torments, vampiric intrigue, visitors from beyond the grave and much more.

Are you brave enough to join the Eden Book Society?

Genres: Horror, Novella, LGBT, Fiction

125 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2026

Reviews

[Blair]

Abby, Ken and Jessica became friends at school and now work together at a branch of Tammy Girl, dreaming of getting out of their town and living more exciting lives. Then Jessica is killed in a car accident... and comes back to work a week after her funeral. Abby and Ken are, it seems, the only people who realise she’s supposed to be dead, and although Abby tries to be happy that she’s got her best friend back, she grows increasingly convinced the ‘new’ Jessica is dangerous – and actually, maybe Jessica always was dangerous. This was so good! Definitely the best of this series yet in terms of feeling authentically 90s; the friendship is beautifully drawn and there are some great details. A creepy transformation scene is also well realised, making me picture a Junji Ito drawing come to life. A brilliant mixture of grounded detail and proper horror.

(Part of the Eden Book Society 1993 collection)

[Thomas]

The ending feels a bit rushed and forced, but the whole point of the story is the lead-up to the end, so it's a little forgivable. That journey is something else, though.

[Coral Davies]

So good.

It's got the 90s nostalgia down - rented movies on VHS, Tammy Girl, liberal drug usage, casual sex and a best-friend back from the dead seeking revenge ❤️ sensational.

[Olivia Grace]

I much preferred this to my recent read of ‘The Drain’. There were moments that I was genuinely very unnerved which rarely happens for me when I’m reading.

The ending did feel slightly rushed but overall was wrapped up well. I really enjoyed Ken and Abby’s friendship despite the story only being 120 pages.

I’ll definitely be finding out who the author is behind the pseudonym, to explore more of their work.

[Charley]

This book really took me by surprise. It was so short and yet I was immersed in this world from the first page and felt all the characters had great depth and development. There were some twists I saw coming and others I did not. It was just a perfect spooky but cosy read I highly recommend.

[Bethany]

Wierd!

[Laura Watt]

As other reviews have said, the ending felt a little rushed, but I loved the overall "slasher movie" vibe this story had. Good fun :)

[Ends of the Word]

My survey of the 1993 crop of Eden Book Society reissues continues with Our Little Group by (the fictional) Patricia Rivers. Abby, Ken and Jessica have been friends since school, and they have carried that friendship into young adulthood while working together at the local branch of Tammy Girl. Their "little group" is shattered by Jessica's tragic death in a car accident. Except that she returns to work a week after her funeral as though nothing has happened. What's more, no one seems to find this strange except Abby and Ken, who soon begin to wonder whether Jessica was better off dead than in her current reincarnation. The revenant is a monster in disguise, but flashbacks reveal that the group's dynamics may have been abusive from the very beginning.

This is one of the strongest entries in the latest clutch of Eden Book Society novellas. Unlike some of the other books in the series, Our Little Group genuinely feels like a product of the 1990s, vividly evoking the atmosphere of the period. It contains some disturbing scenes of violence (hardly my favourite thing, though admittedly well written), while also offering intriguing psychological insights into the workings of a friendship group dominated by a toxic, controlling personality.

https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/20...

[Sassy Sarah Reads]

2 stars

This is another entry in the Eden Book Society, and it is my least favorite so far. It follows a friend group of three teens who are codependent, reckless, and toxic. One of the girls in the friend group dies in a car accident. She later shows up to work her shift at the tween boutique a week later, and it seems like no one remembers that she died. Honestly, this novella is pretty boring. Not a lot happens outside of the wishy-washiness of our MC and her and the guy friend waffling about how they can't piss off their undead friend or ask her any questions about being. Their lack of communication is 100% on them, and some of the ending feels like it was changed because I thought the ending implied the sister died in her bed. I mean, the level of violence and gore described means death, but she somehow moved away with her dad at the end???? I can't tell you what their friend even is. Her energy is obviously inspired by Jennifer's Body, but her capabilities are more of a snake than a succubus. I do appreciate what the author is trying to imply with the MC's guilt causing her friend to come back for revenge, but this death was 100% the undead girl's fault for drunk driving and being reckless. I think the author would have benefited from drowning in characterization and developing plot points that actually went somewhere instead of pressing the gas, hitting a wall, and then faltering to mean nothing. I also can't tell which author from the list this one could be. I will read some more of the Eden Book Society selections, and see if I can make a guess.

[Julia]

What a wild ride. Love the concept of this

[Holly]

3.5/5

[Julie Major]

Pretty simple but cute short creepy story

[Callie]

genuinely nothing could have prepared me for the snakening

[Sai]

well yes!