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Corpsing
Kayleigh Marie Edwards has been entertaining and chilling audiences with her own eclectic mix of horror and comedy. Now, for the first time, this popular author has collected her works together, reviewing and revising each one to bring you the definitive versions of her unique tales.
From murderous children to nightmarish trips to an ill-fated zombie apocalypse, Corpsing will send you running for the light switch, but smiling as you do it.
Featuring the stories: Bitey Bachman, Bits and Bobs, Siren, Now You See Them, Skin, ‘S’ Day, Barry’s Last Day & ’Twas The Night Before Christmas.
From murderous children to nightmarish trips to an ill-fated zombie apocalypse, Corpsing will send you running for the light switch, but smiling as you do it.
Featuring the stories: Bitey Bachman, Bits and Bobs, Siren, Now You See Them, Skin, ‘S’ Day, Barry’s Last Day & ’Twas The Night Before Christmas.
- GenresHorrorShort Stories
150 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2017
32 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 22, 2020
Thank you Kayleigh Marie Edward's for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a fun and entertaining short read that I was able to read all in one night.
The stories were very original, creative and interesting and jumped right into the good stuff with no fluff or filler in between.
Corpsing had a bit of everything a horror / comedy fan could want from zombies, to monsters hiding in the dark, to very strange weather and even a haunted Christmas tree. The humor added in was a nice touch and worked really well in the horror stories.
I would definitely recommend this one as a fun short read!
My favorites were: Bites Bachman, Now You See Them, Barry's Last Night and Twas The Night Before Christmas.
This was a fun and entertaining short read that I was able to read all in one night.
The stories were very original, creative and interesting and jumped right into the good stuff with no fluff or filler in between.
Corpsing had a bit of everything a horror / comedy fan could want from zombies, to monsters hiding in the dark, to very strange weather and even a haunted Christmas tree. The humor added in was a nice touch and worked really well in the horror stories.
I would definitely recommend this one as a fun short read!
My favorites were: Bites Bachman, Now You See Them, Barry's Last Night and Twas The Night Before Christmas.
June 8, 2020
A fine collection of short, character rather than plot driven, humorous, unearthly stories, which range from such diverse matters as unusual Zombie awakenings to a Worldwide plague of non-stop chicken soup rain - with accompanying frozen chickens! Lots of diversity between the stories, showing great creativity and imagination, but without really delivering any truly shocking heart-stopping moments of out and out terror and horror. In fact, in this respect I thought that the book title 'Corpses' was slightly misleading and not quite what I was expecting. However this anthology proved to be a fun and light-hearted read, delivered by a writer who has successfully combined highly amusing comic moments with some mildly painful, horrific scenarios. Looking forward to reading more from this undoubtedly talented author - lots of talent! Rating: 3.2 stars.
December 23, 2018
This review first appeared on scifiandscary.com, I was provided with a free copy of the book in return for a review
‘Corpsing’ is the debut short story collection from Kayleigh Marie Edwards. At only 150 pages it’s not exactly a mammoth tome, but the 8 stories it contains are all entertaining. I’ve read a few horror collections lately and this was the most consistent and enjoyable. The stories are relatively gentle, often comic, and typically character rather than plot driven.
Edwards is Welsh and there is a nice Britishness to the stories which never overwhelms them. Some authors, especially indie ones, have a tendency to strip local colour from their stories in order to attract an international audience. It was good to see Edwards avoid this, although I think the themes and situations she explores are sufficiently universal to have a broad appeal.
She has a strong and at times grisly imagination. ‘Corpsing’ contains such delights as a killer Christmas tree, an outbreak of zombies in a mental hospital and girl who is gradually shedding her skin. Despite the horror, Edwards never forgets she is writing about people. Her characters are believable, with convincing motivations. She does a great job of making you care about the people in her stories, even if at times they’re demise is the punchline of the tale.
The stories often reminded me of the twisted, darkly comic ones that Roald Dahl used to write for adults. That mix of horror, humour and humanity is a hard one to pull off successfully, but for the most part Edwards manages it. She never quite reaches Dahl’s heights, but ‘Corpsing’ shows a great deal of promise and I’m very much looking forward to reading more from her pen.
‘Corpsing’ is the debut short story collection from Kayleigh Marie Edwards. At only 150 pages it’s not exactly a mammoth tome, but the 8 stories it contains are all entertaining. I’ve read a few horror collections lately and this was the most consistent and enjoyable. The stories are relatively gentle, often comic, and typically character rather than plot driven.
Edwards is Welsh and there is a nice Britishness to the stories which never overwhelms them. Some authors, especially indie ones, have a tendency to strip local colour from their stories in order to attract an international audience. It was good to see Edwards avoid this, although I think the themes and situations she explores are sufficiently universal to have a broad appeal.
She has a strong and at times grisly imagination. ‘Corpsing’ contains such delights as a killer Christmas tree, an outbreak of zombies in a mental hospital and girl who is gradually shedding her skin. Despite the horror, Edwards never forgets she is writing about people. Her characters are believable, with convincing motivations. She does a great job of making you care about the people in her stories, even if at times they’re demise is the punchline of the tale.
The stories often reminded me of the twisted, darkly comic ones that Roald Dahl used to write for adults. That mix of horror, humour and humanity is a hard one to pull off successfully, but for the most part Edwards manages it. She never quite reaches Dahl’s heights, but ‘Corpsing’ shows a great deal of promise and I’m very much looking forward to reading more from her pen.
February 11, 2018
Really enjoyed this collection. Mixing horror and humor is not the easiest thing in the world to pull off and while some aspects of some of the stories didn't work as well for me, instill overall found fhe work to be top rate and fresh in its tone. Some highlights for me. Siren had some wonderfully creepy moments throughout that I thought had a perfect cinematic feel to. S Day will change the way you look at chicken noodle soup forever. And 'Twas The Night Before Christmas was a funny take on a familiar type of tale that ends with one of the best closing lines I've read since Jessica McHugh's The Train Derails In Boston.
July 15, 2017
Excellent collection of super original tales. Spooky, and bizarre, the stories are streaked with dark humour. Easy to read, and i devoured it in one seating. Twas The Night Before Christmas was my favourite, but every story was excellent.
September 12, 2019
It’s not often that I will buy a book of single author short stories; however I bought this one mainly because it contained a short story which I’d seen a lot of people talking about. That story is the lead one in this collection ‘Bitey Bachman’, which takes the run-of-the-mill zombie/rage virus sort of story and moulds it into very often hilarious situations surrounding a feckless security guard working in an Asylum when things go decidedly pear-shaped. When ‘Bitey Bachman’ was first released solo there was a general buzz, the usual ‘well done you’ back patting and so on, but unfortunately these days relatively unknown writers can pump out any old dross and get a pat on the back from their buddies across social media, most of whom won’t have read the book, so it certainly means very little to me as it’s in somewhat the same category as ‘my Mum thought it was excellent’. I was indecisive over ‘Bitey’ but figured if it came my way at some point I’d give it a shot, read it with no intention of reviewing it, which means no disrespect to Kayleigh whatsoever, I’m just careful about the potential for abusing systems and the appearance of favouritism.
I have said that for a reason, although we don’t particularly socialise Kayleigh is no stranger to me as I used to do reviews and articles for the Ginger Nuts of Horror. This could automatically result in a lot of booing from the peanut gallery as it may come across as a form of nepotism that I have chosen to review a former colleague’s book, which would be a total shame as not only is ‘Corpsing’ technically very well written, it is also highly entertaining with a rich seam of comedy gold running through it which Kayleigh mines with apparently effortless expertise. My two favourite genres in any form of entertainment are horror and comedy, so a decent blend of both pushes my buttons, but unfortunately the majority of what’s available out there just doesn’t work because the humour is too often forced and self-conscious. Right from the beginning Kayleigh introduces fun characters who are individuals with genuine personalities and makes you care what happens to them in such an effortless fashion that one can’t help but be charmed.
‘Bits and Bobs’
The short story of hospital worker Steven Plunkett’s experiences at a ‘body farm’ used for training CSI teams is problematic. The facts in the story are all well researched, the general basis is sound enough and it is of course well written, so why do I find it problematic? Simply because I feel cheated, there’s not enough of it. It’s not that it comes to an abrupt end as the story is complete in itself, but that there is such a lot which is of interest here in the situation and characters that it could have been better served being much longer. To me it comes across as if Kayleigh had an excellent idea fully formed and so rushed to get it written down without considering the much greater potential this story has. It’s unfortunate because that’s the only way in which this tale is disappointing, which if you think about it isn’t particularly negative.
‘Siren’
Did you hear a very loud boom? If you did it was probably the sound of the third story in this book hitting me completely out of the blue. Whereas the first two stories have a cheeky comic undercurrent there is no such thing happening in ‘Siren’ with stark horror as experienced by eleven-year-old Lucy interspersed with an altogether bleak story which is as striking as it is gripping. ‘Bitey Bachman’ has horror offset with humour and does a great job with those elements, whereas ‘Bits and Bobs’ is more like a ‘Police Procedural’ drama with a humorous yet nasty slant, both stories set me to thinking this whole collection would be in a similar vein. I was wrong. ‘Siren’ reminded me of the better end of the ghost story spectrum with the classic almost Victorian setup of a ghost child in a misty lake, albeit in a contemporary setting with a suitably chilling ending. The characterisation is spot on and I think this would make an excellent screenplay.
‘Now You See Them’
So far we have had fun with the horror and been given a chill up the spine with the spooky story, now it’s the turn of absolute unrelenting horror with the story of the nasty things little Bobby sees in his bedroom at night. This is a very short story, for once I will say that it isn’t too short because although the writing is of consistent quality the concept here hits much harder with brevity. It is the stuff of nightmares and to have crafted something like ‘Now You See Them’ with such tight prose shows a skill few can match.
‘Skin’
What begins with a venomous spider bite becomes something deeply personal with this one seeming as if written from a standpoint of self-hatred, with the central character, pregnant and socially isolated 15-year-old Amy, taking self-harm to horrific extremes. The horror unfolds gradually, deepening in intensity in what is quite possibly the most introspectively unsettling tale in this collection.
‘S Day’
We take a step away from horror as Kayleigh presents the story of Bobby Taylor, an eight-year-old brat whose desire for chicken soup doesn’t bode well for mankind. With yet another perfectly handled change of style the comedic fantasy angle comes as a palate cleanser after the previous couple of stories and although not weak by any means this is much lighter than I would have expected. A fun read.
‘Barry’s Last Day’
Barry Pufton is disillusioned, overlooked for promotion 40 years into his job he decides upon revenge aimed at the young snot who got the promotion. This story appears, to me at least, to be something of an ill fit in this collection as although there is a mild comedic element I found it more dramatically sad. Although a revenge tale that is not necessarily horrific in content it does address a particular looming horror, that of the impending monotony of life after retirement and the accompanying feeling of uselessness. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great story well told, just not what I was expecting and seemed more like something I’d have read in a 1970s pulp collection.
‘twas the Night before Christmas’
The final story in this collection is both fun and gruesome in a manner Kayleigh appears to excel at. Christmas horror stories are often chilling affairs and this is no exception with the tale of two naughty boys and a rather unusual Christmas tree with a life of its own which their parents believe they are lying about. It’s an easy read with an outlandish situation presented in such a casual manner that it’s almost flippant with a rather fun and gruesomely fitting ending.
As a true story side note, when I was a kid we once had a Christmas tree with the usual tinsel and baubles as well as the addition of various chocolate liqueurs, the latter of which had a habit of disappearing. My parents didn’t eat them and so the finger of suspicion pointed firmly at me and my siblings, of course we all denied eating the chocolates. My dad waited a while and set a trap, loading the tree with more liqueurs, leaving a gap in the curtains and going outside where he waited patiently while watching the tree through the gap. It didn’t take long before the thief was unmasked. The villain in question being Fritz, the family cat, who went from floor to sofa to mantelpiece with the final leap at the tree grabbing chocolate on the way down which he then dragged behind the sofa, bit into and lapped up the liqueurs. Moving the sofa revealed lots of hollow chocolate corpses and shredded tinfoil left behind by an inebriated cat. An alcoholic cat stealing liqueurs from a Christmas tree sounds unlikely doesn’t it? But I swear it’s true.
Kayleigh’s story reminded me so much of that as it doesn’t really matter what kids say as they won’t be believed. No matter how bizarre the truth is the parents always desire the most obvious solution and refuse to accept anything outlandish.
Like so many of you I have read vast amounts of novels, anthologies and individual collections the majority of which are from established names in horror and indeed comedy. The saying in theatrical circles ‘dying is easy, comedy is hard’ is one of the truest things ever said in that dying is simple enough, we’re all destined to do it at some point. If truth be told even unintentionally making someone laugh isn’t massively difficult, but deliberately making someone laugh in a story takes incredible skill to get right and Kayleigh certainly has the skill required to not only provide intentional comedy but intertwine it with visceral horror. When setting those elements aside from one another and focusing purely on horror or supernatural storylines the stories are as good as anything else out there today and indeed far better than the majority I’ve read lately. The same can be said for her more tongue-in-cheek stories.
As an established writer’s collection it would be excellent enough, but as a debut collection it is exceptional, it maintains a superb standard which one can only hope will be repeated in future offerings. I’m torn over Kayleigh’s direction because it is usually advisable to find your unique voice, your own style and focus on being as good at one type of thing as you can possibly be. Kayleigh nails comedy; she also nails horror and is adept at combining the two, so no matter what she decides to write in the future I can be confident that I will be in for a good time reading it.
I have said that for a reason, although we don’t particularly socialise Kayleigh is no stranger to me as I used to do reviews and articles for the Ginger Nuts of Horror. This could automatically result in a lot of booing from the peanut gallery as it may come across as a form of nepotism that I have chosen to review a former colleague’s book, which would be a total shame as not only is ‘Corpsing’ technically very well written, it is also highly entertaining with a rich seam of comedy gold running through it which Kayleigh mines with apparently effortless expertise. My two favourite genres in any form of entertainment are horror and comedy, so a decent blend of both pushes my buttons, but unfortunately the majority of what’s available out there just doesn’t work because the humour is too often forced and self-conscious. Right from the beginning Kayleigh introduces fun characters who are individuals with genuine personalities and makes you care what happens to them in such an effortless fashion that one can’t help but be charmed.
‘Bits and Bobs’
The short story of hospital worker Steven Plunkett’s experiences at a ‘body farm’ used for training CSI teams is problematic. The facts in the story are all well researched, the general basis is sound enough and it is of course well written, so why do I find it problematic? Simply because I feel cheated, there’s not enough of it. It’s not that it comes to an abrupt end as the story is complete in itself, but that there is such a lot which is of interest here in the situation and characters that it could have been better served being much longer. To me it comes across as if Kayleigh had an excellent idea fully formed and so rushed to get it written down without considering the much greater potential this story has. It’s unfortunate because that’s the only way in which this tale is disappointing, which if you think about it isn’t particularly negative.
‘Siren’
Did you hear a very loud boom? If you did it was probably the sound of the third story in this book hitting me completely out of the blue. Whereas the first two stories have a cheeky comic undercurrent there is no such thing happening in ‘Siren’ with stark horror as experienced by eleven-year-old Lucy interspersed with an altogether bleak story which is as striking as it is gripping. ‘Bitey Bachman’ has horror offset with humour and does a great job with those elements, whereas ‘Bits and Bobs’ is more like a ‘Police Procedural’ drama with a humorous yet nasty slant, both stories set me to thinking this whole collection would be in a similar vein. I was wrong. ‘Siren’ reminded me of the better end of the ghost story spectrum with the classic almost Victorian setup of a ghost child in a misty lake, albeit in a contemporary setting with a suitably chilling ending. The characterisation is spot on and I think this would make an excellent screenplay.
‘Now You See Them’
So far we have had fun with the horror and been given a chill up the spine with the spooky story, now it’s the turn of absolute unrelenting horror with the story of the nasty things little Bobby sees in his bedroom at night. This is a very short story, for once I will say that it isn’t too short because although the writing is of consistent quality the concept here hits much harder with brevity. It is the stuff of nightmares and to have crafted something like ‘Now You See Them’ with such tight prose shows a skill few can match.
‘Skin’
What begins with a venomous spider bite becomes something deeply personal with this one seeming as if written from a standpoint of self-hatred, with the central character, pregnant and socially isolated 15-year-old Amy, taking self-harm to horrific extremes. The horror unfolds gradually, deepening in intensity in what is quite possibly the most introspectively unsettling tale in this collection.
‘S Day’
We take a step away from horror as Kayleigh presents the story of Bobby Taylor, an eight-year-old brat whose desire for chicken soup doesn’t bode well for mankind. With yet another perfectly handled change of style the comedic fantasy angle comes as a palate cleanser after the previous couple of stories and although not weak by any means this is much lighter than I would have expected. A fun read.
‘Barry’s Last Day’
Barry Pufton is disillusioned, overlooked for promotion 40 years into his job he decides upon revenge aimed at the young snot who got the promotion. This story appears, to me at least, to be something of an ill fit in this collection as although there is a mild comedic element I found it more dramatically sad. Although a revenge tale that is not necessarily horrific in content it does address a particular looming horror, that of the impending monotony of life after retirement and the accompanying feeling of uselessness. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great story well told, just not what I was expecting and seemed more like something I’d have read in a 1970s pulp collection.
‘twas the Night before Christmas’
The final story in this collection is both fun and gruesome in a manner Kayleigh appears to excel at. Christmas horror stories are often chilling affairs and this is no exception with the tale of two naughty boys and a rather unusual Christmas tree with a life of its own which their parents believe they are lying about. It’s an easy read with an outlandish situation presented in such a casual manner that it’s almost flippant with a rather fun and gruesomely fitting ending.
As a true story side note, when I was a kid we once had a Christmas tree with the usual tinsel and baubles as well as the addition of various chocolate liqueurs, the latter of which had a habit of disappearing. My parents didn’t eat them and so the finger of suspicion pointed firmly at me and my siblings, of course we all denied eating the chocolates. My dad waited a while and set a trap, loading the tree with more liqueurs, leaving a gap in the curtains and going outside where he waited patiently while watching the tree through the gap. It didn’t take long before the thief was unmasked. The villain in question being Fritz, the family cat, who went from floor to sofa to mantelpiece with the final leap at the tree grabbing chocolate on the way down which he then dragged behind the sofa, bit into and lapped up the liqueurs. Moving the sofa revealed lots of hollow chocolate corpses and shredded tinfoil left behind by an inebriated cat. An alcoholic cat stealing liqueurs from a Christmas tree sounds unlikely doesn’t it? But I swear it’s true.
Kayleigh’s story reminded me so much of that as it doesn’t really matter what kids say as they won’t be believed. No matter how bizarre the truth is the parents always desire the most obvious solution and refuse to accept anything outlandish.
Like so many of you I have read vast amounts of novels, anthologies and individual collections the majority of which are from established names in horror and indeed comedy. The saying in theatrical circles ‘dying is easy, comedy is hard’ is one of the truest things ever said in that dying is simple enough, we’re all destined to do it at some point. If truth be told even unintentionally making someone laugh isn’t massively difficult, but deliberately making someone laugh in a story takes incredible skill to get right and Kayleigh certainly has the skill required to not only provide intentional comedy but intertwine it with visceral horror. When setting those elements aside from one another and focusing purely on horror or supernatural storylines the stories are as good as anything else out there today and indeed far better than the majority I’ve read lately. The same can be said for her more tongue-in-cheek stories.
As an established writer’s collection it would be excellent enough, but as a debut collection it is exceptional, it maintains a superb standard which one can only hope will be repeated in future offerings. I’m torn over Kayleigh’s direction because it is usually advisable to find your unique voice, your own style and focus on being as good at one type of thing as you can possibly be. Kayleigh nails comedy; she also nails horror and is adept at combining the two, so no matter what she decides to write in the future I can be confident that I will be in for a good time reading it.
January 18, 2021
If you're a fan of short stories, in particular horror, then you should probably get a copy of Corpsing by Kayleigh Marie Edwards. I like the genre. It fits into my day... I love having a book on my kobo that I can sneak bits of without losing the plot.
These bite-sized stories of Kayleigh's are the best combination of horror and humour. it's a fine line that the author is walking but it's pulled off well. Let's face it, there's something inherently amusing in many horror films. Kayleigh has captured that sardonic note in these stories and I really enjoyed them.
I think the standout story for me was the very first in the collection: Bitey Bachman. I’ve read a lot of zombies stories in my time and this one is probably one of my favourites. I actually stopped at one point and began to read it aloud to my partner. It was disturbing and amusing and entertaining all at the same time! Finally! A zombie story that made sense to me. They might not take over the world, but they can sure screw up your day!
This is quite a varied collection. Bits and Bobs reminds the reader that you may think you’ve made bad decisions when drunk…but things could always be worse. Now You See Them: some nightmares are real and you’re paranoid and terrified for a reason. S Day: What if God had a bad day? No, really! What if he did? Barry’s Last Day: don’t make snap judgement because revenge can backfire!
I won’t go into much detail because it would easily ruin the flow of some of these stories. They are well-0written, excellently paced and a very cohesive collection. Even though I knew to expect the unexpected even after the first story…I still found I was never quite able to guess what was going to happen and that was thoroughly enjoyable.
Corpsing is such a wonderful title for this collection. I know it as the term that actors use to describe when they can’t stop laughing and ruin a scene… and I assume that maybe one of the angles the author is going with. But let me tell you there are plenty of corpses in this short collection, so you won’t be disappointed if you don’t like soft-core horror.
I’m not going to list trigger warnings for this collection There would be a lot of them. But, let’s face it, you shouldn’t be reading a horror collection if you’re the kind of person who reads them. There’s enough biting, killing, scaring and gore for any horror aficionado.
Very enjoyable! I’ll definitely be looking for more from this author!
These bite-sized stories of Kayleigh's are the best combination of horror and humour. it's a fine line that the author is walking but it's pulled off well. Let's face it, there's something inherently amusing in many horror films. Kayleigh has captured that sardonic note in these stories and I really enjoyed them.
I think the standout story for me was the very first in the collection: Bitey Bachman. I’ve read a lot of zombies stories in my time and this one is probably one of my favourites. I actually stopped at one point and began to read it aloud to my partner. It was disturbing and amusing and entertaining all at the same time! Finally! A zombie story that made sense to me. They might not take over the world, but they can sure screw up your day!
This is quite a varied collection. Bits and Bobs reminds the reader that you may think you’ve made bad decisions when drunk…but things could always be worse. Now You See Them: some nightmares are real and you’re paranoid and terrified for a reason. S Day: What if God had a bad day? No, really! What if he did? Barry’s Last Day: don’t make snap judgement because revenge can backfire!
I won’t go into much detail because it would easily ruin the flow of some of these stories. They are well-0written, excellently paced and a very cohesive collection. Even though I knew to expect the unexpected even after the first story…I still found I was never quite able to guess what was going to happen and that was thoroughly enjoyable.
Corpsing is such a wonderful title for this collection. I know it as the term that actors use to describe when they can’t stop laughing and ruin a scene… and I assume that maybe one of the angles the author is going with. But let me tell you there are plenty of corpses in this short collection, so you won’t be disappointed if you don’t like soft-core horror.
I’m not going to list trigger warnings for this collection There would be a lot of them. But, let’s face it, you shouldn’t be reading a horror collection if you’re the kind of person who reads them. There’s enough biting, killing, scaring and gore for any horror aficionado.
Very enjoyable! I’ll definitely be looking for more from this author!
April 13, 2021
This is a collection of eight horror short stories, each with a bit of a humorous twist. Our opening story, “Bitey Bachman,” outlines a failed zombie apocalypse in the locked ward of a mental hospital next door to a research facility. The narrator is one of the staff, and tends to look down on the patients and often teases his coworkers. As the story progresses, he eagerly awaits an actual zombie apocalypse from a locked room on the ward. It isn’t what he expects at all, and the irony is funny for the reader to see. “Bits and Bobs” is very short, and has macabre humor of a similar vein, with a man trying to ruin forensic training when unable to work there full time. In “Siren,” a young girl moving into a new home in the wake of her parents’ relationship dissolving. Amidst the trauma of this move and the loss of her known family is a creepy girl in the lake beside her new house. The end was nowhere close to what I thought it would be and was utterly chilling.
“Now You See Them” is a new take on the monsters under the bed, short but horrifying as the meaning truly sinks in. As someone who is scared of spiders, “Skin” was especially horrible. At first, it was just the spider bite and growing infection. Then it was Amy’s terrible using boyfriend, the isolation when she was sick, and then the twist ending that made my jaw drop. “S Day” made me laugh out loud, and the bad trip in “Barry’s Last Day” was actually kind of sad at the end. The collection closes out with “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” is an entirely different take on Christmas Eve tree decorating horror.
While there’s a strong component of the bloody and fantastic, a lot of these stories are also predicated on relationships. The people are subject to horrors when they don’t have strong and supportive relationships to fall back on.
“Now You See Them” is a new take on the monsters under the bed, short but horrifying as the meaning truly sinks in. As someone who is scared of spiders, “Skin” was especially horrible. At first, it was just the spider bite and growing infection. Then it was Amy’s terrible using boyfriend, the isolation when she was sick, and then the twist ending that made my jaw drop. “S Day” made me laugh out loud, and the bad trip in “Barry’s Last Day” was actually kind of sad at the end. The collection closes out with “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” is an entirely different take on Christmas Eve tree decorating horror.
While there’s a strong component of the bloody and fantastic, a lot of these stories are also predicated on relationships. The people are subject to horrors when they don’t have strong and supportive relationships to fall back on.
March 5, 2021
I received free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Exploring themes of adolescence, monsters, and humour, Kayleigh Marie Edwards new collection, Corpsing is a set of eight dark tales that will keep you hooked to the last page.
While no story in this collection could be seen as a ‘miss’, my favourites would include the story ‘Skin’ which tells the tale of a young girl’s painful loss of innocence through a seemingly innocuous spider bite and a knuckle head boyfriend. Another gem had the air of a Douglas Adams piece – ‘S Day’ tells the story of a global and unique pestilence wrought on the world by an annoying child. Aptly sticking to the title of the collection, each of these stories has a combination of dark terror and humorous antics woven into them, accompanied by compelling characters and writing that flows from Edwards fingers like an inky river.
Corpsing is a horror collection that lets a crack of light into the darkness of it’s pages, and marks Kayleigh Marie Edwards as a dark fiction writer to watch in the future.
Exploring themes of adolescence, monsters, and humour, Kayleigh Marie Edwards new collection, Corpsing is a set of eight dark tales that will keep you hooked to the last page.
While no story in this collection could be seen as a ‘miss’, my favourites would include the story ‘Skin’ which tells the tale of a young girl’s painful loss of innocence through a seemingly innocuous spider bite and a knuckle head boyfriend. Another gem had the air of a Douglas Adams piece – ‘S Day’ tells the story of a global and unique pestilence wrought on the world by an annoying child. Aptly sticking to the title of the collection, each of these stories has a combination of dark terror and humorous antics woven into them, accompanied by compelling characters and writing that flows from Edwards fingers like an inky river.
Corpsing is a horror collection that lets a crack of light into the darkness of it’s pages, and marks Kayleigh Marie Edwards as a dark fiction writer to watch in the future.
January 1, 2021
Do you like your horror with just a slice of humor? Or your macabre with a dash of mirth? If you do then CORPSING is for you.
This has just the right amount of quirky fun without making you roll your eyes. Have no fear though if you like to have your skin crawl as there is plenty of outright tense situations such as “___’s sobs turned into audible whimpers as tiny but sharp fingertips took a hold of his eyelashes and tugged his eyelids upwards.” No spoilers so I left off the victims name.
One story, Siren, I found incredibly creepy because I read it outside next to the lake at midnight on New Years Eve. Now that’s my idea of a good time.
‘S’ Day I found very humorous as it is told from the point of view of an angel who is tired of people whining.
This was entertaining from start to finish with only one story that I wasn’t a fan of. It is near impossible to write a collection where every story is great so this is a great big win. I look forward to more from Kayleigh Marie Edwards
This has just the right amount of quirky fun without making you roll your eyes. Have no fear though if you like to have your skin crawl as there is plenty of outright tense situations such as “___’s sobs turned into audible whimpers as tiny but sharp fingertips took a hold of his eyelashes and tugged his eyelids upwards.” No spoilers so I left off the victims name.
One story, Siren, I found incredibly creepy because I read it outside next to the lake at midnight on New Years Eve. Now that’s my idea of a good time.
‘S’ Day I found very humorous as it is told from the point of view of an angel who is tired of people whining.
This was entertaining from start to finish with only one story that I wasn’t a fan of. It is near impossible to write a collection where every story is great so this is a great big win. I look forward to more from Kayleigh Marie Edwards
May 21, 2022
Corpsing by Kayleigh Marie Edwards is a superb collection of horror comedy short stories that will give you chills, even while you laugh.
I’m a huge fan of horror comedy to begin with. While this author was new to me, I was immediately in awe of their creativity and wonderful storytelling.
Choosing a favorite from this collection is impossible for me. I loved each story so much!
If you’re looking for a collection to entertain you with it’s original tales that mixes the chilling with a wonderful level of humor, then you need to pick this one up!
I had an absolute blast reading this collection and I already cannot wait to dive back into the tales. And sign me up for anything Kayleigh writes in the future!
Check out my full review here: https://www.ericarobynreads.com/book-...
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author per request of an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
I’m a huge fan of horror comedy to begin with. While this author was new to me, I was immediately in awe of their creativity and wonderful storytelling.
Choosing a favorite from this collection is impossible for me. I loved each story so much!
If you’re looking for a collection to entertain you with it’s original tales that mixes the chilling with a wonderful level of humor, then you need to pick this one up!
I had an absolute blast reading this collection and I already cannot wait to dive back into the tales. And sign me up for anything Kayleigh writes in the future!
Check out my full review here: https://www.ericarobynreads.com/book-...
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author per request of an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
May 28, 2019
Kayleigh Marie Edwards' collection of 8 short stories here and engaging, creepy, and in a number of cases, fun. There's a nice balance between the gruesome and the amusing throughout. While those with more comic elements certainly raised a smile, I think it was the more sinister stories that had the greater effect. 'Siren' and 'Skin' are two of the longer tales in the collection, and the increased length allows them to develop further, to build to something more substantial, which I really appreciated. Edwards displays her range of talents with the incredibly effective 'Now You See Them' which shocks in but a few pages.
As soon as I head one tale, I was eager to go back for more. There's something different to enjoy in each story, and it never felt like Edwards was retreading the same ground.
As soon as I head one tale, I was eager to go back for more. There's something different to enjoy in each story, and it never felt like Edwards was retreading the same ground.
January 4, 2021
While the cover of this short story anthology written by Edwards did not exactly pull me in, her writing certainly did.
It is rare that I am able to say that I loved every little tale that was woven throughout this short collection, but I honestly did. Each story was fresh and original.
If you are a horror fan, Edwards is a writer to watch. Each of her characters were immediately captivating and brought to life. I look forward to seeing what else she will publish in the years ahead. I am thrilled to add another author on my will read/want to read list.
It is rare that I am able to say that I loved every little tale that was woven throughout this short collection, but I honestly did. Each story was fresh and original.
If you are a horror fan, Edwards is a writer to watch. Each of her characters were immediately captivating and brought to life. I look forward to seeing what else she will publish in the years ahead. I am thrilled to add another author on my will read/want to read list.
November 29, 2017
some brilliant tales in this books
December 28, 2023
I just love the mix of dark humour and horror. It's so hard to get that balance right but this is just perfect.
November 1, 2020
Eight spooky and creepy stories featuring kids in lakes, dickhead guys, dead kids lurking in the dark, and more! I flew through this book.
I spotted this book in September over at the amazing Mediadrome blog (check it out)! And decided to buy it as soon as I could. I am happy I discovered this book because it had some great stories.
I wrote a very mini review for each of the stories, are you ready? Here we go!
Bitey Bachman: Star rating, 3.5 stars: A failed zombie apocalypse story, though given the ending, teehee. It is about a guy working in a mental prison and normally things are already pretty weird but this is a night that will stay with Brian for a long time. I did find it weird how Amy just assumed that Brian was a prisoner there, wth? Girl, I get you are new but that was just dumb. The zombie stuff was scary, but also gave me a giggle. I wasn’t a fan of the characters per se, but the story was good.
Bits and Bobs: Star rating, 2 stars: A dude who cannot do jobs because he just sucks decides to take a piss at his old job and OMG I just wasn’t a fan of this story that much. I rated it two stars because I believe I heard about that farm in one of the crime shows I used to watch, and for the title which matched the story perfectly. Oh and another reason, but I won’t say that one.
Siren: Star rating, 4.5 stars: A story that started as 5+ stars, went to 5 stars, and ended with 4.5 stars. It was good, but good lord in the end I am conflicted who I dislike more, the mom or Lucy. It was a creepy, and at the end gory, story.
So so not a fan of the mother. I get that your hubby hurt you, but talk to your kid. She is eleven, she needs to know. You cannot just rip her away from all she loves and knows without explanation and then demand her to understand it all. No just no. Though… she never deserved that.
Now You Can See Them: Star rating, 5 stars: HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP OMG OMG OMG OMG.
Skin: Star rating, 3 stars: A girl gets bit by a spider and something bad is going on with her leg. I did like the whole creepy/gory part, some of the revelations along the way, and then there is how we find out more and more what is going on with the girl. But I just wasn’t a fan of how no one took Amy seriously and how much of a dick Martin was (really dude, we girls don’t want sex all the time, that doesn’t mean we are being mean or playing games). Also that dad, please. The ending, holy crap!
‘S’ Day: Star rating, 2.5 stars: This was actually had me scratching my head. I am not sure how I felt about the story, but I did get a little giggle from the fact it was raining chicken soup for 40 days and nights. And frozen chickens. This was a very strange addition to the book.
Barry’s Last Day: Star rating, 2 stars: Sorry, Barry was just an old man yelling at all the clouds. Good lord man, if you are so unhappy than find something that brings you happiness instead of being a dick towards wife and son and also that dude at your work. But the trip was kind of funny… though the ending OMG. NOPE.
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas: Star rating, 4.5 stars: Dad decides to ignore the wise advice of his sons, yes, you don’t dig up Christmas trees from the freaking graveyard, just NOPE. But OMG, this one got better with each page and, while properly inappropriate I had a giggle when the kids figured out what the tree was. Oh my goodness. I did think it was harsh that they completely forgot about two things when they figured it out. But it was a scary story and oh boy, I am glad I got a tree that is just fake and that in my country you can’t just chop trees like the way they did in this book.
———-
There were stories I really enjoyed it and that I will definitely remember. And one I read aloud to my hubby (the one with Bobby).I would rate this book Star rating, 3.5 stars in total.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I spotted this book in September over at the amazing Mediadrome blog (check it out)! And decided to buy it as soon as I could. I am happy I discovered this book because it had some great stories.
I wrote a very mini review for each of the stories, are you ready? Here we go!
Bitey Bachman: Star rating, 3.5 stars: A failed zombie apocalypse story, though given the ending, teehee. It is about a guy working in a mental prison and normally things are already pretty weird but this is a night that will stay with Brian for a long time. I did find it weird how Amy just assumed that Brian was a prisoner there, wth? Girl, I get you are new but that was just dumb. The zombie stuff was scary, but also gave me a giggle. I wasn’t a fan of the characters per se, but the story was good.
Bits and Bobs: Star rating, 2 stars: A dude who cannot do jobs because he just sucks decides to take a piss at his old job and OMG I just wasn’t a fan of this story that much. I rated it two stars because I believe I heard about that farm in one of the crime shows I used to watch, and for the title which matched the story perfectly. Oh and another reason, but I won’t say that one.
Siren: Star rating, 4.5 stars: A story that started as 5+ stars, went to 5 stars, and ended with 4.5 stars. It was good, but good lord in the end I am conflicted who I dislike more, the mom or Lucy. It was a creepy, and at the end gory, story.
So so not a fan of the mother. I get that your hubby hurt you, but talk to your kid. She is eleven, she needs to know. You cannot just rip her away from all she loves and knows without explanation and then demand her to understand it all. No just no. Though… she never deserved that.
Now You Can See Them: Star rating, 5 stars: HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP OMG OMG OMG OMG.
Skin: Star rating, 3 stars: A girl gets bit by a spider and something bad is going on with her leg. I did like the whole creepy/gory part, some of the revelations along the way, and then there is how we find out more and more what is going on with the girl. But I just wasn’t a fan of how no one took Amy seriously and how much of a dick Martin was (really dude, we girls don’t want sex all the time, that doesn’t mean we are being mean or playing games). Also that dad, please. The ending, holy crap!
‘S’ Day: Star rating, 2.5 stars: This was actually had me scratching my head. I am not sure how I felt about the story, but I did get a little giggle from the fact it was raining chicken soup for 40 days and nights. And frozen chickens. This was a very strange addition to the book.
Barry’s Last Day: Star rating, 2 stars: Sorry, Barry was just an old man yelling at all the clouds. Good lord man, if you are so unhappy than find something that brings you happiness instead of being a dick towards wife and son and also that dude at your work. But the trip was kind of funny… though the ending OMG. NOPE.
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas: Star rating, 4.5 stars: Dad decides to ignore the wise advice of his sons, yes, you don’t dig up Christmas trees from the freaking graveyard, just NOPE. But OMG, this one got better with each page and, while properly inappropriate I had a giggle when the kids figured out what the tree was. Oh my goodness. I did think it was harsh that they completely forgot about two things when they figured it out. But it was a scary story and oh boy, I am glad I got a tree that is just fake and that in my country you can’t just chop trees like the way they did in this book.
———-
There were stories I really enjoyed it and that I will definitely remember. And one I read aloud to my hubby (the one with Bobby).I would rate this book Star rating, 3.5 stars in total.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
October 7, 2020
You can check out my full review at: https://mediadrome.wordpress.com/2020...
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars for Goodreads.
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars for Goodreads.
January 19, 2021
I love Kayleigh's mixture of Horror and comedy. A couple of these I had read before but it was fun to revisit them. The last story in it was particularly amazing and had me laughing out loud at the end (which is always hard to explain when your better half asks questions)
March 3, 2021
3.5 stars for this collection of dark and funny stories! Most had my smiling away to myself thinking this shouldn't be funny! Snappy and fun little read to start the year. Best of the bunch for me were Skin and Siren, also really liked Now You See Them!
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