The Gothic Shift

by B.D. Bruns

From Reader's Favorite
The Gothic Shift is a macabre collection of four darkly twisted novellas that are sure to intrigue, thrill, and spook even the bravest reader. Reminiscent of classic Gothic horror stories by the likes of Edgar Allan Poe, it is Bruns' style of writing that is most pleasing.


“I found this book to be an extreme delight. Bruns builds each piece with subtle tension rather than in your face horror. But do not misunderstand that statement, the horror is very real. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up.”
—Horror Novel Reviews


"Atmosphere defines Bruns' Gothic Shift. I enjoyed the subtleties of this collection. The stories in this volume are little nibbles at the edges of your mind. Recommended."
—Hellnotes


“A juicy collection of stories, with some great character development and a lot of original ideas. Recommended!”
—Horror After Dark


“This man has seen it all!” - Deborah Roberts, ABC 20/20


“Bruns' prose … proves his steady and deliberate writing voice.” - Writer’s Digest


“Bruns has tension building down to an art form. I was squirming in my seat to find out what would happen in the end." - Reader’s Favorite Reviews


“Bruns... creates well-imagined, realistic settings for his lively characters.” - Kirkus Reviews


REVIEWS


“Bruns has created a brilliant novel here. He mixes horror, love story, and detailed descriptions of a beautiful historical setting with a perfect balance.” - Critical Blast


"This is old-school horror like H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe. It scared the bee-jeezus out of me." - Revolution SF


“This story is a good, scary, Gothic style, keep the lights on all night, haunting story. Bruns has started slow and built up the creepy sensation to a bursting point. The war hero trying desperately to save his younger sister from the evil. The young fisherman fighting to save the girl he loves. The priest who knows the secret but is unable to tell.” - Reader Review


“Great character development and a lot of original ideas. Recommended!” - Horror After Dark


“The descriptions in the book were fantastic, and made me feel like I was actually in 19th century Italy. The village of Amalfi came to life for me, along with its characters.” - Reader Review


“I loved Grapaldi, who Giuseppe thinks of as a troll living in the darkness beneath the mill. Blind and ancient in years he's wise and perceptive, bringing light to the mystery that haunts the Apuzzo family.” - Reader Review


"Subtle terror. A suspenseful, interesting book. Recommended." -Readfulthings


"Solidly based on psychological as such, it provides a powerful blend of images and experiences that rely on well-developed protagonists and settings steeped in historical background and different acts of courage. Literary fans of the horror genre will find it an absorbing story that sacrifices light predictability for depth and solid development, making In the House of Leviathan a standout." -Midwest Book Review


"The setting is highly visible and visceral. In the House of Leviathan has an almost Lovecraftian air to it. I felt as though I could see and feel everything very clearly in my mind’s eye. I found the paper mill processes highly fascinating, and enjoyed seeing the sort of village that emerges in such a region. The town and its people were fascinating, and–it just works. I love it." -Errant Dreams


"Bruns is devoted to remaining true to the core pillars of horror." - Downtown Magazine


“[Bruns] spends time crafting the setting without making you feel weighed down with description. His deft hand likely stems from his years as a travel writer.” - The Wicked Library (UK)

Genres: Horror, Audiobook, Ghosts, Romance

ebook

First published December 28, 2013

About the author

Brian David Bruns has traveled to over 50 countries to gather material for his bestselling books. He’s won over 20 national and international book awards, including the USA REBA Grand Prize. On two separate occasions he has been featured on ABC 20/20. 

Bruns’ travel adventures span from entering the Pyramids of Giza and swimming in the Panama Canal to climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and touring Torture Museums in Estonia. He has attended ceremonies from the descendants of cannibals in the South Pacific and has been consulted by a ghost tour in Malta. After residing in Dracula’s hometown for several years, Bruns moved to Las Vegas with his Romanian wife, where they live with two cats, Julius and Caesar.

He usually writes as Brian David Bruns.

Reviews

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection consists of four unrelated stories. I will briefly touch on each of them so you can get a feel for the style of this book. Three of these stories have an historical background.

Naked Molly takes place in the winter of 1799 in the port town of New Orleans. At the time New Orleans was in a state of flux and this story takes place right in the middle of it. A scheming, conniving main character that I could not stand had a ghost of a beautiful woman running around naked in his home and on his roof. This was my least favorite of the stories, but even this one had a great ending.

The Swamp Hive Taking place in 1862, this tale plops us down right into the horrors of the Civil War. A slightly mentally challenged man, Frank, whose life is saved during a bar room brawl, is beholding to his savior, Jimmy. Then they both join the Confederacy to fight and fight they do. I wouldn't think that any author could come up with anything more brutal and scary than the civil war, but this he did and he did it well. This was my favorite story of this collection. I know I will be dreaming of The Finger People for a while to come. *shudder*

Blue Caribou is the name of a ship out to discover the Northwest Passage. The story starts out in August of 1859 and things are fine. The captain makes a few adjustments to the course of the ship and before you know it, the ship is stuck in the ice, in complete darkness for months. Even though this story reminds me a lot of "The Terror" by Dan Simmons, I still enjoyed it. I sometimes think of the horrors that crews on ships like these experienced while stuck in the ice for months, and sometimes even years. Imagine no fresh water, rationing of food, scurvy and the like. It's scary stuff, not even including the insanity that often results.

The Gothic Shift is a modern day story that was flat out strange. I liked it! A young aspiring actress is working as a waitress and rehearsing for the lead in a play at night. Her schedule is upended by a gentlemen who comes to her restaurant and cleans out the shrimp buffet. Every night. And every night he eats one more additional plate of shrimp. This goes on for days, 29.5 exactly, and while the customer isn't gaining any weight due to his obnoxious eating habits, his waitress does. I don't know what else to say about this strange story, other than I liked it a lot.

At the end of each story is a picture or a drawing related to the tale, and I liked them.

Never having heard of this author, I didn't know what to expect when I started this book to review for Horror After Dark. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this collection and the originality of the stories. The only drawback was that there were slightly more than the average number of typos and misused or misspelled words. Illusive instead of elusive, for instance. For that I did deduct one star. Other than that, this was a juicy collection of stories, with some great character development and a lot of original ideas. Recommended!

I received a free copy of this book to honestly review for Horror After Dark and that is what I have done. http://www.horrorafterdark.com/

[Kristine Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio Book Review. As summer turns to fall, and cooler temperatures start to creep in, there’s nothing better than having spooky tales to shift the mood from sunny to somber and get in that Halloween frame of mind. For those who only want to dip a toe into the macabre world, short stories are great bang for the buck. The Gothic Shift is a perfect book for getting your creep on and includes four novellas, each with its own narrator, each horrific in its own unique way. The full audio book clocks in at under ten hours, but since there are four stand-alone stories, you can listen and leave it between stories. But you won’t want to -- I started listening at the beginning of a four-hour drive, tucked it in my pocket while I unloaded, and finished it as I sat at my desk and got to work.

“He wore a brown quilted waist coat
that was deplorably unfashionable.”

For readers who enjoy a good ghost tale, “The Ghost of Naked Molly” will provide sufficient chills (and some unintended laughs if your son’s girlfriend happens to be named Molly). Readers meet Diego, a snobby, judge-y rich guy who lives in a haunted house, and Horace, a sixty-year-old, hot-blooded Yankee opportunist who is interested in carnal relations with Molly because, duh, she’s beautiful and naked. For some reason, Horace fails to see past the nudity to realize Molly’s dead (eyes up, Horace) and becomes obsessed with having his way with her -- if only Diego will present her to him to do the deed. It’s 1799, and some people are objects, not humans, and they are to be traded and sold, not considered. That’s scary enough, but what author Brian David Bruns does to give readers the creepies is slowly build the story around that premise and the suffering of those who are objects -- and how one gets her ghostly revenge. Sadly, the revenge doesn’t feel too sweet – justified, yes, but there is no real resolution when you are this ghost. This story left me melancholy. I am not sure which of the three male narrators performed this story, but he performed several different accents and made it easy to tell who was speaking, and his spin on each voice guided the listener to specific feelings toward each character. On this one, listening at regular speed was a little too slow, but 1.25x was a little too fast.


“Dead isn’t against the rules. Trashy is.”

The second story is “The Gothic Shift,” and it is my favorite of the four. Brian David Bruns skillfully describes the characters so that readers/listeners have an excellent visual of each. Paired with the narration by Brittany Morgan Williams, each of the characters becomes even more realistic and defined. In hindsight, the story was reminiscent of Stephen King’s Thinner (though “The Gothic Shift” would be Fatter) with the feeling of a curse being fulfilled time and time again. There are stories within stories in this one, and Bruns gives readers snapshots of the characters that are enough for us to fill in a bigger picture. The mysterious Mr. Armand, whose size waxes and wanes, is at the center of the story and is quietly driving it to the satisfying resolution (though I needed a little more information because I couldn’t quite put two and two together). This story is sprinkled with humor and sarcasm and subtleties that make it delicious – even as we are repulsed by the gluttonous habits of Mr. Armand. While “The Gothic Shift” doesn’t provide horror through ghosts or blood and guts, the unease of knowing of the existence of powerful and misunderstood forces in the world is what keeps you listening. The narrator was well-cast for this story, and other than a few odd pronunciations, she nailed the performance. Her pacing was perfect, and I listened at regular speed. (Side note: every time she said an exasperated “Waaaayne,” for me it conjured up Stacy from Wayne’s World. Ha!) Another favorite quote: “Misery enjoined them both in a group hug.”


“Who knew what secrets lay beneath those choppy waters? Untold horrors were right below him, unseen, waiting.”

The third story is “The Finger People,” and though initially I thought it would be my favorite, it ended up being my least favorite because of the holes, awkward transition to the climax, and then a flat resolution. But don’t skip it. Even with the flaws, there is a lot there, and the memory of the story sits in a fog around you because the author’s gift for descriptive writing brings the scenes to vivid life. There are two different kinds of horror happening in this story: the very real horror of the Civil War and the horror of nightmares with creatures who feed on the dead. These two stories operate independently for the most part but with some overlapping because war kills, and death brings the creatures. Both stories were equally fascinating and repulsive, as seen through the eyes of our main character Francois…or Frank…or Francis, who isn’t clearly defined. Is he very young or just very innocent? Mentally impaired or uneducated? All or none of the above? He definitely marches to the beat of a different drummer, and we get glimpses into his past that show he always has, but I needed a little more there, and the ending was a bit of a let-down. The narrator for this one is very good, but he has an interesting version of a southern drawl, and his pronunciation of many words (anything with an “ou” sound like in “out” or “about;” huge was “yuge”) leads me to believe he’s not a southerner. Whether you hear the difference or not, he’s perfect in giving distinct personalities to each of the characters, and his pacing is perfect, so I listened at regular speed.


“The Arctic could not be explained, just experienced.”

The final story in the audio book is “The Penultimate Mr. Nilly,” and it would probably be my favorite if it had been placed earlier in the collection. But I do really like this story, not just because “penultimate” is a favorite word of mine, but because it was psychological and realistic/situational horror. The story is one of love/hate for me because it was so dark and dismal -- my emotions paralleled those of the crew of the ship and we all – crew, ship, and I -- were sinking from the get-go. The story is full of doom and gloom and when a small, speckled ray of hope manages to appear, the horror of man’s descent into madness shatters all things good in life. In this story, author Brian David Bruns again gives the readers descriptions that put them in the middle of the setting, but his characterization is top notch. As the main character descends into madness (à la The Shining), the dread drapes itself over the readers. Paired with the narrator, who masterfully performs a variety of accents of the international crew members, readers leave the story – and the book – feeling weighed-down in tragedy and loss.

Having seen the order of the stories in the print version, which would leave the readers feeling up instead of down, and given the audio-only issues created with the choice for the first story (see below), I am stumped at why the stories were arranged differently for audio. In any case, I do recommend listening to The Gothic Shift to get immersed in a variety of eerie stories that will stick with you and creep back into your brain well after you’re done listening.


ABOUT THE AUDIO BOOK: My only real complaint is that this audio book and I got off to a rough start. Since I read The Gothic Shift with my ears, and didn’t have the benefit of a table of contents to show me the names of the stories or structure of the book, my son and I (road trippin’) had a bit of confusion when we first began listening. In the audio version (which I now know is ordered differently from the digital print version), the first story is "The Ghost of Naked Molly." Readers first hear the name of the story, then, “One,” then “Two,” then “Mississippi Fog,” then “Dead Man’s Diary,” then “One,” etc. The sub-chapter numbers were unnecessary and took us out of the story - and we even thought a time or two that we were starting a new story. Old school audio listeners would have pulled out the CD case to see what was going on. With digital, I was so lost that I looked up the book on Kindle, peeked at the “Look Inside” feature, and reviewed the table of contents (helpful!). Some verbal cues from the narrator to signal chapter and sub-chapter shifts would have helped a ton. (For example, saying “Chapter one, part two” and then, “Chapter two: Mississippi Fog.”) What’s puzzling is that in the print book, "The Ghost of Naked Molly" isn’t the first story. If the audio had just stuck to the same order as the print, the confusion would have been eliminated because TGONM is the only one of the stories that has the funky sub-chapter numbering system. (It’s perfectly fine and not funky if you’re reading with your eyes and not your ears.)

Thank you to Audiobook Promotions for providing me an Audible code in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give. This full review and other special features on Hall Ways Blog.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

BD Bruns' first foray into the horror genre does not disappoint. It's horror for people who don't normally enjoy horror, as well as for those who appreciate the subtler side of the genre. With bits of Lovecraftian imagery sprinkled throughout, it's got charm, suspense, humor, and spirit, without the gratuitous gore and violence common in most current horror offerings. If you've read and enjoyed Bruns' other books, but you're afraid to give this one a try, let me allay your fears. You won't be scared to turn out the lights after reading this one - but you will definitely be left pondering the intricacies of the worlds he's created for your enjoyment in these wonderful short stories.

I look forward to reading more in the next entry in the series!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Gothic Shift is a perfect slow burn story collection for the Halloween season. Each tale builds the suspense leading up to the final, sometimes surprising, horror. There are 4 tales contained in this book but I’m a little confused at the title for each story – Audible has one set of story titles and GoodReads has another. Story 1: The Ghost of Naked Molly. Story 2: Wax and Wayne (aka The Gothic Shift). Story 3: The Swamp Hive (aka The Finger People). Story 4: Blue Caribou (aka The Penultimate Mr. Nilly).

My two favorites were The Ghost of Naked Molly and The Swamp Hive. I felt The Ghost of Naked Molly really captured the American Gothic horror tale. Part ghost story, part historical fiction, the story really does a great job building the suspense. Set in New Orleans in 1799, the city is in transition. Many of the rich and powerful are wondering who will end up controlling the city. Plenty of backroom deals have been made over the years by these rich men who are trying to retain property, wealth, and power. While the story puts a lot of emphasis on Molly’s sexuality, she’s also a mysterious and powerful figure. I liked that the men who would continue to use her don’t get what they expect. Ha!

The Swamp Hive was really intriguing. While I was sucked into this tale right away, I really had no idea where it was going. I love being surprised! Set during the American Civil War, Frank owes his life and current station in the military to Jimmy, who is something of a local hero. Frank is driven to face his numerous fears and do what he can to help Jimmy out. I did not see that coming! I don’t want to spoil it so just know it was deliciously creepy and somewhat alien.

Wax an Wayne didn’t do much for me. Set in modern times, it involves a buffet with lots and lots of shrimp. Fat and skinny are the strong themes in this book. Most of the characters were whiny and that is what turned me off of this particular story. The waitress focuses a lot on her looks (no matter her size) as does her own body-obsessed boyfriend. In the end, I think I missed the point as I left this story feeling like it needed a little something more to make sense.

Blue Caribou was good but not stellar. I do love a good survival story and this one is set in the Arctic in the mid-1850s. It’s dark, cold, and the crew can’t expect assistance any time soon. A bit of luck provides some seal meat but the crew is starting to suffer from scurvy. This was a fun little tale even though it wasn’t my favorite.

All told, there are very few women in this story collection. There’s Naked Molly (and we get to hear all about her nipples several times), a sick house slave, and a whiny waitress. I would have liked to see more female characters since women are everywhere. Besides that, this audiobook was a delightful way to spend a day as I decorate for Halloween. 4/5 stars.

The Narration: Scott Bennett, Brittany Morgan Williams, Thomas Stone, & Gary Furlong really brought these tale to life. Each one did a great job. Bennett was great at French and Spanish accents as well as being a senior citizen with way too many lascivious thoughts. Williams played a whiny and figure-obsessed waitress quite well. I loved how she captured the steroid-popping boyfriend to a T. Stone was magnificent as Frank (who is a little mentally challenged). Furlong (who I have enjoyed on other audiobooks) brought his quality performance to this Arctic story. The pacing was perfect and there were no technical issues with the recordings. I was impressed that the volume from story to story didn’t vary, as so often happens with individual recordings. 5/5 stars.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Brian David Bruns. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

[Fee (Ebook Addicts) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story:
This is a series of four stories, that are just perfect for the upcoming holiday of Halloween. I do love a good ghost story and wash story in the production gave me just enough chills whilst listening at night in the dark.

We are met with a mix of old fashioned American Gothic horror in ‘The Ghost of Naked Molly’, right through to modern day horror with The Gothic Shift.

When I review an audio book I try if I can, to read the book alongside listening and luckily the book version was available on the Kindle unlimited program.

However the audio and book are very different versions, the Audio starts with The Ghost of Naked Molly whilst the books begins with The Finger People. Why they have chosen to start the audio on a different book I am not sure, but it did confuse me when I started listening and reading.

Another thing that confused me was the chapters for each story - for example in the first story "The Ghost of Naked Molly" the chapters start “One,” then “Two,” then it suddenly jumps to  “Mississippi Fog,” which made me think that I started the second story. I felt the subheading were unnecessary and definitely caused a lot of confusion whilst listening to start with. All the stories follow the same format so I knew what to expect as I continued to listen.

The narration:
Each story is told by a different narrator - Scott Bennett, Brittany Morgan Williams, Thomas Stone, Gary Furlong, and each did a great job at bringing the stories to life. The audio was crisp and clear and the for all there were several narrators the stories flowed seamlessly from one to the next.

Overall:
I wish the Audio had followed the the Book version it would have made for easier listening with regards to the many sub-headings, curious as to the reason for the change.

[Pat Eroh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love short and creepy and these four stories are awesome. I like being able to start a story and stop to sleep although with this book, the temptation to start the next is almost as compelling as it is to start a new chapter. These stories are awesome and will give you the creepies!

I received this book from Reading Deals and am voluntarily giving my honest opinion.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had this on my eReader for the past year, and I just read it on a long flight. Excellent book with unique stories. It was an excellent escape from the world for a couple of hours.

[Fee (Ebook Addicts) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story:
This is a series of four stories, that are just perfect for the upcoming holiday of Halloween. I do love a good ghost story and wash story in the production gave me just enough chills whilst listening at night in the dark.

We are met with a mix of old fashioned American Gothic horror in ‘The Ghost of Naked Molly’, right through to modern day horror with The Gothic Shift.

When I review an audio book I try if I can, to read the book alongside listening and luckily the book version was available on the Kindle unlimited program.

However the audio and book are very different versions, the Audio starts with The Ghost of Naked Molly whilst the books begins with The Finger People. Why they have chosen to start the audio on a different book I am not sure, but it did confuse me when I started listening and reading.

Another thing that confused me was the chapters for each story - for example in the first story "The Ghost of Naked Molly" the chapters start “One,” then “Two,” then it suddenly jumps to  “Mississippi Fog,” which made me think that I started the second story. I felt the subheading were unnecessary and definitely caused a lot of confusion whilst listening to start with. All the stories follow the same format so I knew what to expect as I continued to listen.

The narration:
Each story is told by a different narrator - Scott Bennett, Brittany Morgan Williams, Thomas Stone, Gary Furlong, and each did a great job at bringing the stories to life. The audio was crisp and clear and the for all there were several narrators the stories flowed seamlessly from one to the next.

Overall:
I wish the Audio had followed the the Book version it would have made for easier listening with regards to the many sub-headings, curious as to the reason for the change.

[Darcia Helle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hesitate to pick up a book labeled as 'horror', not because I don't like the genre but because it's overrun with zombies. No offense to anyone, but I'm just not a fan of zombie fiction. I was happy to find that this collection of stories does not contain zombies, nor does the author rely on the use of detailed gory scenes to add the horror factor. The horror here is mostly subtle, the kind that creeps slowly under your skin until you suddenly realize you're in the midst of madness.

This collection consists of four unique stories. Bruns handles plot, setting, and characterization exceptionally well in all four.

The first, called 'The Ghost of Naked Molly' takes place in New Orleans in 1799, and has the feel of an old-fashioned haunted house tale.

'The Swamp Hive' is set during the civil war in 1862. The realism here is stunning. This was my favorite of the bunch.

'Blue Caribou' takes place in 1859 on the ocean, and has the feel of an action/adventure story with a dark psychological twist.

'The Gothic Shift' is the lone modern story, and might have you thinking differently about how you treat the people around you. You might also want to avoid buffets that offer shrimp.

All of these stories are fairly long, more novelettes than short stories. If you're looking for horror stories that sneak under your skin and suck you under, this is the perfect collection.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Gothic Shift is a collection of some creepy tales. I found them to be fun stories. My favorite was The Ghost of Naked Molly, which is set in late eighteenth century New Orleans. I had the pleasure of listening to the audible version of the book. There are four narrators: Scott Bennett, Brittany Morgan Williams, Thomas Stone, Gary Furlong. Each one did a fabulous job bringing the terrifying stories to life.
I am giving The Gothic Shift four stars. I would recommend this book for readers who enjoy disturbing, frightening, ghoulish and weird tales. It is a perfect fit for Halloween reading.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through Reading Deals, so I could give an honest review." This book is different than the type of books I normally read. The stories are well written and definitely on the bizarre side. I'm glad I read it.