Dark Musings

by David Boiani

What if real life scenarios were far more horrific than fantasy? What if you could visit the dark, unsettling mind of one man and experience the disturbing stories that originate there? These stories are unconnected, but they all include a similar trait: Fear. They are all based on aspects of life that are haunting yet very real. Experiencing these stories will induce a terror that will stay with you long after the final page is turned...

Genres: Horror

Kindle Edition

Published April 7, 2017

About the author

David Boiani is an American author living in Coventry, RI. He writes Psychological thrillers mixed with a touch of horror. He recently released a collection of short stories called "Dark Musings". He also plans to start "The redemption", the sequel to his debut novel, "A Thin Line", later this year. Visit his website here...
http://www.authordavidboiani.com/

Reviews

[Bill Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

These short stories made for a fun read on a recent couple of train journeys. They are creepy and have various twists but perhaps what was most shocking was how they all related to every day life. They made you wonder whether what we sometimes deem just to be the figment of our imagination is perhaps something more. Some stories are very short and some quite long but they all have engaging characters and a variety of plots. The author adds a comment at the end of each story, which I found interesting. Very enjoyable collection!

[Pat Stanford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book hoping it was a collection of horror short stories. That is not what this is, rather it is a collection of stories with morals to them. Several reviewers (over)used the words "creepy" or "creeped out" and I guess it just depends on how you define those words. The book was neither for me.

The first story should set the tone, and it almost did. It had a spooky feeling from the get go and I was tooling along and then hit several syntax and editing errors which pulled me out of the story and made me stop and forced me to make notes. Definitely not what I want to do while reading for fun.

My suspension of disbelief was also halted in this first story where two cops both pulled their guns on the main character, a "creepy" neighbor, and fired. While we are told this is a bad guy and are shown his handiwork, it is doubtful that this would happen. He didn't really do anything to draw deadly force. They would have handcuffed him and taken him in.

In keeping with "creepy" theme, "The Diner at the End of the Road" was short and fun, but also predictable in the end. The evil parents who kept their malformed child in a cage got their due.

There are several stories which completely lack tension, one of which was a mind numbing story titled, "Motherhood" which I kept reading to see if there was a point to the endless description and mundane dialogue between the two pursuers. The surprise ending was not enough to make up for the lack of tension throughout.

The best was the last titled "Childhood." It read like a poem and was very well executed. Oh, and then he explains that it is, indeed, a free verse poem.

The Afterword sections each of these stories were supposed to explain why the story was written, but all they did was tick me off. Just tell your story and don't be condescending. The purpose of telling a story is to allow readers to draw their own conclusions, not for the author to draw attention back to himself at every opportunity.

I vacillated between 3 and 4 stars. But chose this rating because if this author looks for the errors, the stories can be strengthened. That, and I always root for other authors.

[Nancy Brandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of short stories lives up to the title. They are, for the most part, examinations into the darker sides of the human condition.

I truly did not expect to like these as my reading tastes are more about the "happily ever afters" and "love conquers all." Not much of that here, but I found myself surprised. I want to say pleasantly but that would disrespect the tone of the whole. These are not "pleasant" stories but that isn't to say they aren't compelling and interesting.

Several of the stories here are quite troubling, in their subject matter, but all of them make you think. A few of them rise above the norm and present the surprise twist we tend to expect in short stories.

All in all, if you enjoy the darker side of fiction, you could do far, far worse than seek out this collection. I think this author has a bright (or should I say dark?) future ahead of him.

[Sarah Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book because I enjoyed Darker Musings, David Boiani’s second book of horror stories, so much I entitled my review “just one more story, please!” Here they are, equally captivating, with an afterword between each. There is the same variation between first tense and third, male and female main characters, and the same unguessable twist in the tale.

The Monster is the shortest and most horrific. Motherhood is one of the longest, and could probably be extended into a novella, the descriptions of the settings are so good – but that’s not all. The suspense stretches inside the reader like a piece of elastic, so it must read at one sitting.

[C.A. King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Musings is the perfect title for this collection of short stories. Each one of the tales is frightening, depressing and disturbing.

This book isn't for everyone and I must add a few warnings - violence, rape, suicide, murder - some of which is quite descriptive. These stories are the basis from which nightmares are born.

If you like eerie realistic tales - give this book a try. The twists in some are quite ingenious. I applaud the author for being able to construct a collection of these out of the ordinary tales.

[Iva Kenaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading short stories and in this time of the year, I always seek a bit of quality horror. This book certainly did not disappoint me. The stories are written in such a refreshing, simple way that you feel like reading another and another… Well, it didn’t take me long to finish this lovely collection, and it left me curious to read more by this author.

[Jennifer Loiske · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent collection of short horror stories! Some of them were so scary that they really gave me cold chills all the way, yet I couldn't put the book down. The afterwords after each story were a brilliant idea, giving the reader a little peek inside of the author's head. Even though I probably have to keep my lights on for the rest of my life, I'm glad I found this book.

[Buttercupp77 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories that is uniformly bleak and creepy in nature, which is how they're billed, so that's not a bad thing!

Generally, the writing and editing are well done, although there were a few mistakes that didn't get caught in the editing process. There are also some ambiguous situations: I can't quite tell if the author actually meant "destiny" which is what was published, or "destination" which makes more logical sense in the context of the sentence.

I found that the ideas and story premises were intriguing and worthy of examination. I think the execution could have been improved, though. Once I had figured out the gimmick in this collection (which took about two stories), I found the endings to be predictable.

There were some major missteps for me in this collection:

- the "afterword" sections, which appear following every piece, didn't belong. I didn't find they added anything to my understanding of the story, and I felt rather like I was being hit over the head with a sledgehammer regarding the theme. If the stories had been MUCH more subtle, there would be an argument for such inclusions. But these are not subtle stories.

- the portrayal of women made me cringe. It's not the treatment of women that I take umbrage with, per se (although there may be a case for that as well), but rather, the mannerisms, thoughts, and, in some cases, actions of the female characters. (There's also a story where the developmental stage of an infant is completely off - that may have been intentional, but it wasn't clear to me, as a reader, that this was a conscious choice).

- the dialogue. In many cases, I kept saying "but a (insert profession here) would never say that!" to myself. Also, the dialogue was often trite and came across as "filler" rather than really conveying information.

Still, these are are a fairly quick and easy read (well, thematically, they're not easy!) and while I don't believe they bring anything dramatically new and different to the genre, they are worth a read.

I received a copy of this book through Voracious Readers Only.

[Sean Benham · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Boiani's Dark Musings is a satisfying collection of relatively grim shorts. It's a dark collection of works, musing heavily on death and its trappings, and it's occasionally a very disturbing read. Most of that element stems from the use of violent sexual imagery, so be forewarned. This isn't a collection for everyone.

Well written on a whole and well edited, Dark Musings makes for a straight-ahead read. The dialogue is flat in spots, but the prose never distracts. As with almost any collection of shorts, there are some hits and some serious misses. While one story will have a satisfying payoff, the next may very well have a 'twist' you'll see coming a mile away. I also felt that the author's inclusion of 'afterwords' following each story was a misstep; it felt to me like he was explaining his jokes right after the punchline. Despite my criticisms, the good in this collection far outweighs the less-than-good, and this book never veers anywhere near bad. Recommended for those looking for some brief, macabre reads.

[Kata Mlek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haunting, frightening, yet beautiful and bringing up important truths about us--this is how I feel about David's collection of the best short stories I've read in a very long time.

Short stories are tricky and challenging I think but David gets off the tiger's back and delivers incredible little gems put together in a very wise order. The book starts with the shocking "The Neighbor" and keeps rolling faster and faster, though "Faith" and "Death", my favorite "Room 723", to end with heart-wrenching and emotional "Childhood", the final accent, the last chord.

These stories will definitely stay with me for a while. There's nothing I don't like about David's works. I love his style, his ability to touch the emotions we rarely speak about. He's incredibly talented, yet pays great attention to structure and all the technical details that make a great story. I really, really hope he'll publish another collection very soon--I'm looking forward to it!

[Sue Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark musings by David Boiani.
A Collection of Short Stories.
What if real life scenarios were far more horrific than fantasy? What if you could visit the dark, unsettling mind of one man and experience the disturbing thoughts that originate there? These fifteen stories are unconnected, but they all share a similar trait: they're haunting, yet unnervingly real, and promise to induce a terror that stays with you long after the final page is turned. In Death, a man's phobia plays a major part in his mortality. In The End of the Road Diner, the special on the lunch menu may not be what is advertised. And in Incubus, a specter haunts a bed and breakfast.
STORIES INCLUDE:
The Neighbor
Loss
Faith
Death
Room
Conception 
Aaron
The Monster
The End of the Road Diner
A Midwinter's Evening Tale
Motherhood
Inferno
Roulette
Incubus
Childhood
A good collection of stories. Some were better than others. 4*.

[Shannon Bayless · Rating 5 out of 5]

A purposeful haunting, a family man fighting for his life, a little girl preyed on by a monster--these are how some of the stories start. They end up somewhere between the fantastic and the frightening. Although some stories were dark, some were sort of uplifting. None of them were especially gory; the focus was on twists, not on mindless gore.

I liked that these tales, for the most part, had a sort of morality to them. Having said that, my favorite, about an emotionally stunted stock broker, was pretty much all about the twist ending. Most of the twists were foreshadowed well, so, even if they surprised me, I could go back over the events in my head and see how they led up to the conclusion.

I really enjoyed this collection and hope to see more from this author.

[Connie Lacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short story collection is not for everyone. You have to like dark, creepy, stories. The squeamish need not enter here. And you can’t be squeamish about blunt, sometimes violent, descriptions of the sex act – even rape – because there are a number of them. But if you DO like disturbing scenarios – nasty ghosts, child stalkers, unpleasant cannibals, demented sexual offenders, etc., then this collection might be worth a read. The stories are often told as cautionary tales. But I had to read them on my lunch break, rather than at bedtime. Many of the stories are too dark for bedtime reading. I was pulled out of the story occasionally by switches from past to present tense, and some of the dialog was mundane.

[Laurel Heidtman · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first story, The Neighbor, to the last, Incubus, I enjoyed every page of this book of short stories. While I liked them all, I’d have to say my favorites were The Neighbor, Room 723, Aaron (now THAT one was truly scary!), and Motherhood. A few stories had a touch of the supernatural, while others were very much grounded in reality—often an ugly reality, but reality nonetheless.

I especially liked the Afterword the author did after each story. He either shared what triggered the idea for that particular story or what he was trying to accomplish with it, or he provided the reader with food for thought—like how do we really know the people we come in contact with every day. I highly recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys short stories with a bit of chill to them.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

The short stories in this book delve into the darker side of humanity. I think many people have wondered what their lives would have been like if they had done something different on a certain day. I know I have. These stories will look into the lives of many people from all walks of life, and the stories will leave you wondering if their lives, too, would have been different if only one event had been change. And not only something you did differently, but also how other people's actions can affect your outcome. Masterfully done to get you thinking about the inner workings of the human mind. What you see on the surface is likely not what the person is experiencing. Food for thought: don't judge others; you don't know what they're going through.

[Dorothy Ann Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of Dark Musings by author David Boiani. I, Dorothy Bell received a free copy of Dark Musings in exchange for an honest review. Dark Musings in a compilation of short stories written in the first person which instantly engaged me as a reader. All of the author’s stories had an underlying spookiness about them, but they also examined love, why we love and how we love, human fears, relationships and the questions we ask ourselves in the middle of the night as we lay awake—questions about our self-worth, our existence. I suggest you read Mr. Boiani’s short stories like you would devour a box of fine chocolates, one at a time, you can even pick and choose, but savor and enjoy.

[Jana Petken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crisp writing, straight to the point, nails it. I loved the way the stories were put together. The author's narratives and skill with the written word were on every page. Definitely, a great book if you're travelling and want to read the different stories periodically, although the stories are so good you might be like me and binge from beginning to end.

I really enjoyed this collection of short stories, bordering on horror and suspense. They were imaginative and fresh and I can only wonder where the author got his ideas from.

I wish the book had been a little longer overall. Guess I enjoyed it a little too much.

[Gordon Bickerstaff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark and thought-provoking reflections

This is a collection of short fifteen stories that are both challenging and intriguing that cover a range of different subjects. Some of the stories I didn't like and some I did, although I would say they are all thought-provoking issues. Some of them are very dark/scary and some are uplifting, and evoke quite a cocktail of emotions. Some of the twists in the stories are foreshadowed but still surprising none the less. I did like the way the author added a postscript after each story to give some context. Recommended.

[Steven Brandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Musings will take you on a journey through many perspectives, from priest to serial killer. It is an interesting collection of short stories that reflect upon a number of subjects both grisly and philosophical.

While there are many stories that venture into the supernatural, a few deal with horrific aspects of the ordinary world--including (be warned!) graphic sex, rape, and violence.

In addition, you will also find a reflection from the author at the end of each tale, describing what motivated him to write the story and what he hoped to achieve.

[Johanna Craven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a dark and fascinating collection of short stories, great to dip in and out of. There are some great twisted endings, despite the stories' length and some of the stories ("Aaron" for example) are extremely unsettling and gripping. Boiani also tackles some big issues such as religion, birth and death. My favourite stories, "Faith" and "Conception" are two such examples. A really interesting and thought-provoking collection.

[Shirley Penick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book overall, it is group of short stories on various topics all under one cover. Some of the stories I did not like so well, but I don't think anyone is supposed to "like" them. They are thought provoking. Some had a very interesting twist at the end which gave me a surprise. It was also fun to see the afterword thoughts of the author and how the story came to be. Some stories might be disturbing to read, fair warning!

[Leta Hawk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fairly-enjoyable, pretty fast read. Most of the stories were well told, with just enough creepy to have me glancing around the room to make sure I was still alone, but one or two bothered me enough that I didn't finish them. The quality of the stories varied greatly--some were very well-written, while others just left me cold. I think with a little more editing, it could be a five-star read.

[B.J. Tiernan · Rating 5 out of 5]

DARK MUSINGS is a well-written collection of short stories that will definitely get under your skin and hang with you for a while. Well-developed plots and characters lend to the believable and conversational narrative that guarantees to keep the squeamish looking for things that go bump in the night. WARNING: Violence and graphic descriptions may scare off the timid, but for the lovers of dark bedtime stories, this is the book for you. Well done, sir.

[Fiona Cooke Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of dark tales with a mix of themes and a word from the author at the end of each story. Some stories stood out more than others, my personal favourites were - The End of the Road Diner - a place you definitely wouldn't want to visit, reminiscent of early Stephen King and Motherhood - a tale with a great twist. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

[Ian Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

These tales were dark, creepy, often spine-tingling. They played a little like morality plays, and they were rife with twists, some more than others. All in all, a great collection for those who have no desire to sleep at night, lol. The tone felt more like dark thriller than horror, but some might feel I’m splitting hairs.

[Max Power · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this dark collection of stories. Story telling is my number one priority when it comes to reading a book and if the author tells a good story then its a thumbs up for me and David Boiani certainly knows how to tell a good tale. Might be a little graphic for some so be warned, but that being said it was an enjoyable read with a good mix throughout.

[Jin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gave me the shivers

When I started this book I was like OK another thriller. I am used to reading books that scare me but not like this one. I was totally creeped out. The author did a great job and it is clear that the research, which went into character development was thorough. Loved it. Great work and a must read.

[Bruce Polkinghorne · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting collection of simple little tales with a spooky bent.
Horror stories tend to follow a set of standard tropes of ghosts, demons, possessions, werewolves, zombies and vampires. While there is a component of some standard tropes in some of these stories, the most interesting of these point out that there are horrors happening in the real world around us.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an evocative compilation of dark stories that are imaginative and gripping. There are blunt descriptions of sex and violence that are not for the faint of heart. Some of these stories came across as cautionary tales. Some stories touch on the supernatural. I commend the author for these truly dark and thought-provoking short stories.

[May Panayi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of dark short stories; does what it says on the tin; makes you think about dark topics. I especially liked Faith as it did not go anywhere near what I was expecting. A lot of the stories had the reader rooting for the antagonist, then feeling a bit guilty about it later. Most entertaining and hard to put down.