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Midnight in the Graveyard
Midnight. Some call it the witching hour. Others call it the devil’s hour. Here in the graveyard, midnight is a very special time. It is a time when ghostly spirits are at their strongest, when the veil between our world and theirs is at its thinnest. Legend has it, that while most of the world is asleep, the lack of prayers allow the spirits to communicate under the cover of darkness, among the headstones, their whispers rustling in the leaves of the old oak trees. But if you’re here in the graveyard, you can tell yourself it’s just the wind, that the moonlight is playing tricks on your eyes, that it's only the swirling mist you see. But when you hear the graveyard gate clang shut, the dead have something to say. Here are their stories…
445 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2019
378 people are currently reading
861 people want to read
About the author
Kenneth W. Cain
98 books217 followersKenneth W. Cain first got the itch for storytelling during his formative years in the suburbs of Chicago, where he got to listen to his grandfather spin tales by the glow of a barrel fire. But it was a reading of Baba Yaga that grew his desire for dark fiction. Shows like The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and One Step Beyond furthered that sense of wonder for the unknown, and he’s been writing ever since.
Cain is the author of The Saga of I trilogy, United States of the Dead, the short story collections These Old Tales and Fresh Cut Tales, and the forthcoming Embers: A Collection of Dark Fiction. Writing, reading, fine art, graphic design, and Cardinals baseball are but a few of his passions. Cain now resides in Chester County, Pennsylvania with his wife and two children.
Cain is the author of The Saga of I trilogy, United States of the Dead, the short story collections These Old Tales and Fresh Cut Tales, and the forthcoming Embers: A Collection of Dark Fiction. Writing, reading, fine art, graphic design, and Cardinals baseball are but a few of his passions. Cain now resides in Chester County, Pennsylvania with his wife and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
November 6, 2019
Wow, this was a massive but very good anthology of modern horror tales. My favourites were 'The Cemetery Man' by Everson, a lewd and explicit story about sexual intercourse on a cemetery with a nasty twist at the end, 'The Glimmer Girls' true horror about the radium girls who put radium on the hands of wrist watches to make them shine (in my opinion the most gripping story since it is based on true cases), 'Bettor's Edge' on betting getting out of control and 'Tug o' War' (a very special seance and a great set of characters in the house). The authors are presented in short portraits at the end of this book. Very good compilation with no misses and some extraordinary fine stories. Really recommended!
June 13, 2020
WOW! This was one of the best anthologies I have read in a long time! I had a feeling when I first started seeing all the authors that were going to be in this book slowly trickling in and signing up that this book was going to rock!
It is like the all-star team has come to reside within these pages! What an impressive first start for Silver Shamrock Publishing!
With all that being said, there is not one story that I didn't like and all the stories gave me chills and thrills!
Since all of the stories were excellent, I will just name a few here that I enjoyed without giving away spoilers of the stories:
Devil's Dip by Shannon Felton
Justin's Favorite by Jeremy Hepler
Drown by Hunter Shea
Those Who Are Terrified by Elizabeth Massie
Russian Dollhouse by Jason Parent
Sawmill Road by Ronald Kelly
The Graveyard by Lee Mountford
The Cemetery Man by John Everson
New Blood, Old Skin by Glenn Rolfe
Glimmer Girls by Kenneth McKinley
Ghost Blood by Kelli Owen
Swamp Vengeance by Brian Moreland
But all of the stories just swept me away and carted me off to a haunting world of horror, intrigue, suspense, mystery and a thrilling stay in the graveyard!
Giving this awesome anthology five "ghostly" stars!
It is like the all-star team has come to reside within these pages! What an impressive first start for Silver Shamrock Publishing!
With all that being said, there is not one story that I didn't like and all the stories gave me chills and thrills!
Since all of the stories were excellent, I will just name a few here that I enjoyed without giving away spoilers of the stories:
Devil's Dip by Shannon Felton
Justin's Favorite by Jeremy Hepler
Drown by Hunter Shea
Those Who Are Terrified by Elizabeth Massie
Russian Dollhouse by Jason Parent
Sawmill Road by Ronald Kelly
The Graveyard by Lee Mountford
The Cemetery Man by John Everson
New Blood, Old Skin by Glenn Rolfe
Glimmer Girls by Kenneth McKinley
Ghost Blood by Kelli Owen
Swamp Vengeance by Brian Moreland
But all of the stories just swept me away and carted me off to a haunting world of horror, intrigue, suspense, mystery and a thrilling stay in the graveyard!
Giving this awesome anthology five "ghostly" stars!
March 12, 2020
These stories are on US kindle unlimited.
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
November 18, 2019
4.5 stars, rounding up!
MIDNIGHT IN THE GRAVEYARD, edited by Kenneth W. Cain, is the debut anthology from Silver Shamrock Publishing. This collection features 25 stories that run the gamut of horror: from ghosts--some innocent, and others not--humans, animals, psychological, monsters, revenge, redemption, and even nature itself, there is a type of story here for just about everyone.
The incredible truth is, that with this line-up of both established, and newer authors, there isn't a "bad" tale among them. While certain ones obviously stuck with me more than others, there wasn't a single one that I felt I "wasted time on".
I rated the vast majority of these individual selections between four and five stars. For an anthology of any kind, this is astounding. I believe that the variety of the stories, and the varying strengths of the different authors, is what made this such an overwhelming success.
If I were to point out the merits of each story, this would quickly become a five page review. Although I honestly believe each deserves recognition, here are just a few of my personal favorites:
--"Tug O' War", by Chad Lutzke: This one hones in on our sense of wanting to find some sort of solace after the death of a loved one. "I can smell him rotting." Not only did I not see this coming, but it's one that I found impossible to stop thinking about afterwards.
--"Drown", by Hunter Shea: In this tale, we are (re)introduced to the paranormal experts, Jessica and Eddie, who appear in other novels by the author. It is NOT necessary to have read them first, in order to understand this story. This one has a secret at its core that truly surprised me, and a dynamic ending! ". . . Yep, you're broken."
--"Dog Days", by Kenneth W. Cain: This one will mess with you... I was spellbound throughout, and could easily see this becoming part of a longer work.
--"The Glimmer Girls", by Kenneth McKinley: This story was horrific in its implications, and in the fact that it has a basis in reality. Often, the stories with a kernel of truth are the most unforgettable for the fact that they can/did happen--at least, to an extent.
--"Last Call at the Sudden Death Saloon", by Allan Leverone: Here we have a journalist visiting "The Most Haunted Town in America". ". . . Probably not the ideal thing to be known for, but you don't get to pick your fate . . ." This story was oozing with atmosphere from the beginning, and I felt like I was actually there.
--"Russian Dollhouse", by Jason Parent: A Halloween "haunted house" story with a twist--done to perfection! ". . . It's this house . . . It knows . . . This house knows everything." I loved all of the details in this one!
--"Those Who Are Terrified", by Elizabeth Massie: This story of a trio of young children staying at their grandparents' home was my absolute favorite! Almost immediately, when the children refer to their Grandfather as "Sir", the unease began to set in. The best part is that there wasn't much "predictable" about this story--when things hit you, they hit hard! ". . . Well, those who are terrified deserve to be terrified . . . " I had to re-read this one immediately afterwards to be certain I didn't miss a thing.
--"Portrait", by Kealan Patrick Burke: The only thing I will say about this story is that it paints the perfect ending to the anthology!
Obviously, the stories contributed by authors such as William Meikle, Robert McCammon, Thomas F. Monteleone, Catherine Cavendish, Ronald Kelly, and other familiar names were wonderful to lose yourself in, but their names alone will tell you that much. This assortment consisting of well known and up and coming authors has just about everything a horror enthusiast could ask for. MIDNIGHT IN THE GRAVEYARD just made my number one anthology of 2019.
You can get your copy here: https://amzn.to/2KAwHSN
Highly recommended.
MIDNIGHT IN THE GRAVEYARD, edited by Kenneth W. Cain, is the debut anthology from Silver Shamrock Publishing. This collection features 25 stories that run the gamut of horror: from ghosts--some innocent, and others not--humans, animals, psychological, monsters, revenge, redemption, and even nature itself, there is a type of story here for just about everyone.
The incredible truth is, that with this line-up of both established, and newer authors, there isn't a "bad" tale among them. While certain ones obviously stuck with me more than others, there wasn't a single one that I felt I "wasted time on".
I rated the vast majority of these individual selections between four and five stars. For an anthology of any kind, this is astounding. I believe that the variety of the stories, and the varying strengths of the different authors, is what made this such an overwhelming success.
If I were to point out the merits of each story, this would quickly become a five page review. Although I honestly believe each deserves recognition, here are just a few of my personal favorites:
--"Tug O' War", by Chad Lutzke: This one hones in on our sense of wanting to find some sort of solace after the death of a loved one. "I can smell him rotting." Not only did I not see this coming, but it's one that I found impossible to stop thinking about afterwards.
--"Drown", by Hunter Shea: In this tale, we are (re)introduced to the paranormal experts, Jessica and Eddie, who appear in other novels by the author. It is NOT necessary to have read them first, in order to understand this story. This one has a secret at its core that truly surprised me, and a dynamic ending! ". . . Yep, you're broken."
--"Dog Days", by Kenneth W. Cain: This one will mess with you... I was spellbound throughout, and could easily see this becoming part of a longer work.
--"The Glimmer Girls", by Kenneth McKinley: This story was horrific in its implications, and in the fact that it has a basis in reality. Often, the stories with a kernel of truth are the most unforgettable for the fact that they can/did happen--at least, to an extent.
--"Last Call at the Sudden Death Saloon", by Allan Leverone: Here we have a journalist visiting "The Most Haunted Town in America". ". . . Probably not the ideal thing to be known for, but you don't get to pick your fate . . ." This story was oozing with atmosphere from the beginning, and I felt like I was actually there.
--"Russian Dollhouse", by Jason Parent: A Halloween "haunted house" story with a twist--done to perfection! ". . . It's this house . . . It knows . . . This house knows everything." I loved all of the details in this one!
--"Those Who Are Terrified", by Elizabeth Massie: This story of a trio of young children staying at their grandparents' home was my absolute favorite! Almost immediately, when the children refer to their Grandfather as "Sir", the unease began to set in. The best part is that there wasn't much "predictable" about this story--when things hit you, they hit hard! ". . . Well, those who are terrified deserve to be terrified . . . " I had to re-read this one immediately afterwards to be certain I didn't miss a thing.
--"Portrait", by Kealan Patrick Burke: The only thing I will say about this story is that it paints the perfect ending to the anthology!
Obviously, the stories contributed by authors such as William Meikle, Robert McCammon, Thomas F. Monteleone, Catherine Cavendish, Ronald Kelly, and other familiar names were wonderful to lose yourself in, but their names alone will tell you that much. This assortment consisting of well known and up and coming authors has just about everything a horror enthusiast could ask for. MIDNIGHT IN THE GRAVEYARD just made my number one anthology of 2019.
You can get your copy here: https://amzn.to/2KAwHSN
Highly recommended.
January 9, 2020
"Enter, friend. I wish you well, but I've got to warn you. These ghosts are hungry."
-Jonathan Janz (Intro to Midnight in the Graveyard)
Edited by Kenneth W. Cain
Published by Silver Shamrock
This is a HUGE anthology in so many ways. First, it's a big deal for Silver Shamrock to come out of the gate swinging like a champion. I kept seeing TOC updates for this project and I was so impressed with the line-up very early on. This is also a thick one! I think it's over 400 pages and I read this every night on my Kindle, taking down two *maybe* three at a time until I was done. I read everything in order. It's worth mentioning that Jonathan Janz's intro is perfect. Lastly, this is one of those anthologies that accomplishes exactly what it set out to do: Collect an amazing selection of ghost stories. I won't have a lot to say about ALL the stories but I will comment on the most memorable ones for me.
Devil's Dip by Shannon Felton: There's a line in this story that really struck me and stays in the back of my mind when I think of Devil's Dip. "The idea that someone could go through so much shit that their mind began to degrade, or the idea that it was just a random roll of the dice and you were stuck with a bummer brain for no reason at all." This was a great start to the anthology. It had an "IT FOLLOWS" vibe I enjoyed. Creepy.
Tug O' War by Chad Lutzke: This one felt like an old black and white movie. I couldn't even tell you why. Perhaps it was Lutzke's set up with the guys hanging out downstairs while their friend's life fades away on his deathbed upstairs and the widow coming down all "indecent". But I wish I could watch a black and white adaptation of this story. Great storytelling that I've come to expect from Chad Lutzke.
Euphemia Christie by Catherine Cavendish: I LOVED THIS! It has this gothic, Shirley Jackson-esque style that kept my attention all the way through. I enjoyed every moment.
Justin's Favorite by Jeremy Helper: a super creepy telling of a woman alone in a house with an angry ghost. I loved the reason behind this haunting.
Holes in the Fabric by Todd Keisling: All I'm going to say is that this one got me very excited to read Devil's Creek.
Dog Days by Kenneth W. Cain
Drown by Hunter Shea
Those Who Are Terrified by Elizabeth Massie
Cool for Cats by William Meikle
Russian Dollhouse by Jason Parent: I love, love, loved this story! It was perfectly paced, well planned and seriously terrifying. An original take on the "deadly game" trope where some teens are trapped somewhere and forced to "play" to the death. I read this one through my fingers.
Sawmill Road by Ronald Kelly: A classic ghost story! Even though I felt like I had read stories like this one before, it didn't change my feelings of enjoyment and satisfaction. Ronald Kelly put his own fingerprints on this one and it was a fun read.
Bettor's Edge by Tim Meyer
The Graveyard by Lee Mountford
Join My Club by Somer Canon- I liked that this one was short and sad--a real gut punch.
The Cemetery Man by John Everson
New Blood, Old Skin by Glenn Rolfe
The Glimmer Girls by Kenneth McKinley One of my favorites in the anthology I was ADDICTED to this story-absolutely drawn in. I had heard of the historical account this story is based on and it made this telling all the more engaging. I will look for more by this new-to-me author!
Haunted World by Robert McCammon
Ghost Blood by Kelli Owen: MY FAVORITE!! I kind of fell in love with the protagonist, Neil. And I have no idea how Kelli imagined Neil's "ability" or "curse" but it was 100% unique and original and I just loved it. I seriously hope Kelli will develop this character for a novella or novel-length story. He could fight crime or something??
Last Call at the Sudden Death Saloon by Allan Leverone
The Ring of Truth by Thomas F. Monteleone
The Gravedigger's Story by Katherine Meyer Griffith
The Putpocket by Alan M. Clark
Swamp Vengence by Brian Moreland
Portrait by Kealan Patric Burke: What a powerfully grim and somber tale. This was the perfect story to end with and the best possible story to read on this January day that is bone-chilling cold and threatening to snow.
-Jonathan Janz (Intro to Midnight in the Graveyard)
Edited by Kenneth W. Cain
Published by Silver Shamrock
This is a HUGE anthology in so many ways. First, it's a big deal for Silver Shamrock to come out of the gate swinging like a champion. I kept seeing TOC updates for this project and I was so impressed with the line-up very early on. This is also a thick one! I think it's over 400 pages and I read this every night on my Kindle, taking down two *maybe* three at a time until I was done. I read everything in order. It's worth mentioning that Jonathan Janz's intro is perfect. Lastly, this is one of those anthologies that accomplishes exactly what it set out to do: Collect an amazing selection of ghost stories. I won't have a lot to say about ALL the stories but I will comment on the most memorable ones for me.
Devil's Dip by Shannon Felton: There's a line in this story that really struck me and stays in the back of my mind when I think of Devil's Dip. "The idea that someone could go through so much shit that their mind began to degrade, or the idea that it was just a random roll of the dice and you were stuck with a bummer brain for no reason at all." This was a great start to the anthology. It had an "IT FOLLOWS" vibe I enjoyed. Creepy.
Tug O' War by Chad Lutzke: This one felt like an old black and white movie. I couldn't even tell you why. Perhaps it was Lutzke's set up with the guys hanging out downstairs while their friend's life fades away on his deathbed upstairs and the widow coming down all "indecent". But I wish I could watch a black and white adaptation of this story. Great storytelling that I've come to expect from Chad Lutzke.
Euphemia Christie by Catherine Cavendish: I LOVED THIS! It has this gothic, Shirley Jackson-esque style that kept my attention all the way through. I enjoyed every moment.
Justin's Favorite by Jeremy Helper: a super creepy telling of a woman alone in a house with an angry ghost. I loved the reason behind this haunting.
Holes in the Fabric by Todd Keisling: All I'm going to say is that this one got me very excited to read Devil's Creek.
Dog Days by Kenneth W. Cain
Drown by Hunter Shea
Those Who Are Terrified by Elizabeth Massie
Cool for Cats by William Meikle
Russian Dollhouse by Jason Parent: I love, love, loved this story! It was perfectly paced, well planned and seriously terrifying. An original take on the "deadly game" trope where some teens are trapped somewhere and forced to "play" to the death. I read this one through my fingers.
Sawmill Road by Ronald Kelly: A classic ghost story! Even though I felt like I had read stories like this one before, it didn't change my feelings of enjoyment and satisfaction. Ronald Kelly put his own fingerprints on this one and it was a fun read.
Bettor's Edge by Tim Meyer
The Graveyard by Lee Mountford
Join My Club by Somer Canon- I liked that this one was short and sad--a real gut punch.
The Cemetery Man by John Everson
New Blood, Old Skin by Glenn Rolfe
The Glimmer Girls by Kenneth McKinley One of my favorites in the anthology I was ADDICTED to this story-absolutely drawn in. I had heard of the historical account this story is based on and it made this telling all the more engaging. I will look for more by this new-to-me author!
Haunted World by Robert McCammon
Ghost Blood by Kelli Owen: MY FAVORITE!! I kind of fell in love with the protagonist, Neil. And I have no idea how Kelli imagined Neil's "ability" or "curse" but it was 100% unique and original and I just loved it. I seriously hope Kelli will develop this character for a novella or novel-length story. He could fight crime or something??
Last Call at the Sudden Death Saloon by Allan Leverone
The Ring of Truth by Thomas F. Monteleone
The Gravedigger's Story by Katherine Meyer Griffith
The Putpocket by Alan M. Clark
Swamp Vengence by Brian Moreland
Portrait by Kealan Patric Burke: What a powerfully grim and somber tale. This was the perfect story to end with and the best possible story to read on this January day that is bone-chilling cold and threatening to snow.
November 15, 2019
Midnight in the Graveyard was a great compilation of 25 short stories involving ghosts, hauntings or supernatural themes.
Yes, you read that right. 25 short stories in this and not a bad story in the whole book!!
It's really rare to read a whole compilation of short stories and they're all good or great!
I think my favorite short stories in the book where...
Justin's Favorite by Jeremy Hepler
Those Who Are Terrified by Elizabeth Massie
The Graveyard by Lee Mountford
The Cemetery Man by John Everson
The Glimmer Girls by Kenneth McKinley
Haunted World by Robert McCammon
The Ring of Truth by Thomas F. Monteleone
The Gravedigger's Story by Kathryn Meyer Griffith
Honestly, all the stories in this were damn good!
You can't pick a better book involving short stories that involve the supernatural.
Definitely recommend this one!
Yes, you read that right. 25 short stories in this and not a bad story in the whole book!!
It's really rare to read a whole compilation of short stories and they're all good or great!
I think my favorite short stories in the book where...
Justin's Favorite by Jeremy Hepler
Those Who Are Terrified by Elizabeth Massie
The Graveyard by Lee Mountford
The Cemetery Man by John Everson
The Glimmer Girls by Kenneth McKinley
Haunted World by Robert McCammon
The Ring of Truth by Thomas F. Monteleone
The Gravedigger's Story by Kathryn Meyer Griffith
Honestly, all the stories in this were damn good!
You can't pick a better book involving short stories that involve the supernatural.
Definitely recommend this one!
November 25, 2019
4.5/5 stars!
MIDNIGHT IN THE GRAVEYARD is an above average anthology, comprised of ghost stories-all kinds and varieties. I had a blast seeing what each author came up with.
For me, some of the standouts were:
DEVIL'S DIP by Shannon Felton. What a great tale to start off this collection! I've never read anything by this author before, but now I'll be following her career closely. (Love when this happens.)
TUG O WAR by Chad Lutzke. A terribly sad tale that morphed into....something else entirely, (and even sadder!)
DOG DAYS by Kenneth Cain. LOVED LOVED LOVED this! Dogs are involved.
COOL FOR CATS by William Meikle. I loved this one too! (Cats are involved. Surprise!)
THE GLIMMER GIRLS by Ken McKinley. Terribly, terribly, sad. I think the fact that we all knew how it was going to end only added to the poignancy of it.
THE CEMETERY MAN by John Everson. Everson's unique style of mixing the erotic with the horrific is on display here.
HAUNTED WORLD by Robert McCammon. It's McCammon. 'Nuff said.
GHOST BLOOD by Kelli Owen. Imagine if you could see blood anywhere it has ever been spilled. From shaving cuts to mass murders-you see it all. How ghastly!
LAST CALL AT THE SUDDEN DEATH SALOON by Allan Leverone. An abandoned sanitarium in a haunted town-who wouldn't want a drink before going there?
THE PUTPOCKET by Alan M. Clark. This might have been my favorite tale. (I know, it surprised me too!) I felt an almost...Dickensian vibe with this and I really got down with the story and its narrator.
PORTRAIT by Kealan Patrick Burke. Yet another poignant story from a master.
SWAMP VENGEANCE by Brian Moreland. Unexpected, but fun just the same.
I'm going to leave it off here because I liked just about every story in here, but I can't mention them all. My only nitpicking complaint is that perhaps this anthology was a bit too long.
I consider myself lucky to have had the pleasure of interacting with all of the authors in a group read in the Horror Aficionados group. The book and the experience were both a heck of a good time!
Highly recommended!
Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/2De40ad
*I received an e-ARC of this anthology from the publisher in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it! Further, I am one of the moderators of the HA group mentioned above. The fact that this was a group read did not affect my opinion of the contents of the book.*
MIDNIGHT IN THE GRAVEYARD is an above average anthology, comprised of ghost stories-all kinds and varieties. I had a blast seeing what each author came up with.
For me, some of the standouts were:
DEVIL'S DIP by Shannon Felton. What a great tale to start off this collection! I've never read anything by this author before, but now I'll be following her career closely. (Love when this happens.)
TUG O WAR by Chad Lutzke. A terribly sad tale that morphed into....something else entirely, (and even sadder!)
DOG DAYS by Kenneth Cain. LOVED LOVED LOVED this! Dogs are involved.
COOL FOR CATS by William Meikle. I loved this one too! (Cats are involved. Surprise!)
THE GLIMMER GIRLS by Ken McKinley. Terribly, terribly, sad. I think the fact that we all knew how it was going to end only added to the poignancy of it.
THE CEMETERY MAN by John Everson. Everson's unique style of mixing the erotic with the horrific is on display here.
HAUNTED WORLD by Robert McCammon. It's McCammon. 'Nuff said.
GHOST BLOOD by Kelli Owen. Imagine if you could see blood anywhere it has ever been spilled. From shaving cuts to mass murders-you see it all. How ghastly!
LAST CALL AT THE SUDDEN DEATH SALOON by Allan Leverone. An abandoned sanitarium in a haunted town-who wouldn't want a drink before going there?
THE PUTPOCKET by Alan M. Clark. This might have been my favorite tale. (I know, it surprised me too!) I felt an almost...Dickensian vibe with this and I really got down with the story and its narrator.
PORTRAIT by Kealan Patrick Burke. Yet another poignant story from a master.
SWAMP VENGEANCE by Brian Moreland. Unexpected, but fun just the same.
I'm going to leave it off here because I liked just about every story in here, but I can't mention them all. My only nitpicking complaint is that perhaps this anthology was a bit too long.
I consider myself lucky to have had the pleasure of interacting with all of the authors in a group read in the Horror Aficionados group. The book and the experience were both a heck of a good time!
Highly recommended!
Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/2De40ad
*I received an e-ARC of this anthology from the publisher in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it! Further, I am one of the moderators of the HA group mentioned above. The fact that this was a group read did not affect my opinion of the contents of the book.*
August 29, 2022
Twenty five short stories by new voices in horror together in an anthology. As with many anthologies of this nature it is a case of ‘more dud than good’, but the stories are quite short and nearly every one of them can be finished in a fifteen or twenty minute subway ride. Very few hit the spot for me, but that was more a case of not being my kind of horror than being bad. Shannon Felton’s ‘Devil’s Dip’ , Chad Lutzke’s ‘Tug of War’, and Kealan Patrick Burke’s ‘Portrait’ were my favorites.
January 14, 2020
Alrighty!
Please see my status updates for brief feelings regarding each individual story, with the last three here, which I will spoiler tag for the sensitive souls:
This was such a great collection! Admittedly it took me a while, but I'm super slow with e-books. It was a guest author group read for HA and it was an immense amount of fun reading along with everyone and having insight from so many brilliant authors! On that note alone I can't recommend it enough - a great collection from a great bunch of people. Also some great stories behind the inspiration!
This collection is all about ghost stories - hauntings, mysterious deaths, revenge from the grave etc. I love me some ghost stories, so this was always going to be a win. Of course there were some stories that I loved and others that I didn't enjoy so much but overall this is just a fantastic compilation with great variety. There is something to suit all tastes - tension, violence, gore, spookiness, silent contemplation ... plenty to work with.
My highlights:
-Euphemia Christie
-Dog Days
-Those Who Are Terrified
-Russian Dollhouse
-The Graveyard
-Last Call at the Sudden Death Saloon
-Ghost Blood
-The Glimmer Girls
-New Blood, Old Skin
-Swamp Vengeance
I think Dog Days was the biggest standout because it left me wanting more - I would definitely read a full length novel with this plot!
I do feel that the first half of the book is the strongest, because it was one great read after another. They kinda slowed a bit towards the middle, and some were a bit too long-winded for me, making wait too long for the real action to start.
Least Faves:
-The Cemetery Man (way too kinky for me)
-Sawmill Road (I've seen too much Supernatural for this one to have made a big impact)
-Haunted World (how dare you give me that ending)
-The Gravedigger's Story (see point for Sawmill Road)
Overall this is a solid collection and I had a lot of fun reading it. It's the first time I've actually purchased an e-book and it was totally worth it.
If you're looking for an excellent anthology of ghost stories, look no further!
Please see my status updates for brief feelings regarding each individual story, with the last three here, which I will spoiler tag for the sensitive souls:
This was such a great collection! Admittedly it took me a while, but I'm super slow with e-books. It was a guest author group read for HA and it was an immense amount of fun reading along with everyone and having insight from so many brilliant authors! On that note alone I can't recommend it enough - a great collection from a great bunch of people. Also some great stories behind the inspiration!
This collection is all about ghost stories - hauntings, mysterious deaths, revenge from the grave etc. I love me some ghost stories, so this was always going to be a win. Of course there were some stories that I loved and others that I didn't enjoy so much but overall this is just a fantastic compilation with great variety. There is something to suit all tastes - tension, violence, gore, spookiness, silent contemplation ... plenty to work with.
My highlights:
-Euphemia Christie
-Dog Days
-Those Who Are Terrified
-Russian Dollhouse
-The Graveyard
-Last Call at the Sudden Death Saloon
-Ghost Blood
-The Glimmer Girls
-New Blood, Old Skin
-Swamp Vengeance
I think Dog Days was the biggest standout because it left me wanting more - I would definitely read a full length novel with this plot!
I do feel that the first half of the book is the strongest, because it was one great read after another. They kinda slowed a bit towards the middle, and some were a bit too long-winded for me, making wait too long for the real action to start.
Least Faves:
-The Cemetery Man (way too kinky for me)
-Sawmill Road (I've seen too much Supernatural for this one to have made a big impact)
-Haunted World (how dare you give me that ending)
-The Gravedigger's Story (see point for Sawmill Road)
Overall this is a solid collection and I had a lot of fun reading it. It's the first time I've actually purchased an e-book and it was totally worth it.
If you're looking for an excellent anthology of ghost stories, look no further!
April 26, 2022
My thanks, to Silver Shamrock publishing and Netgalley for the chance to read and review. I've had terrific luck this year with Anthologies, and this one was no different! I loved just about every one of these tales. That's a rarity. Also, the very few a didn't love, I still enjoyed. Usually I start getting bored with an anthology, and that leads to irritation. This didn't happen once! There are some genuinely creepy stories in here. This book comes with my highest recommendation!
Yep! Not a stinker in the bunch!
A few that were ripe, maybe..😋
Yep! Not a stinker in the bunch!
A few that were ripe, maybe..😋
November 14, 2019
This is an outstanding anthology by today's crème de la crème of horror authors. There is not one story that disappoints, and all contributions are high above average. The common theme here is ghosts, and we get a wide variety of them: traditional and modern, haunted and gory, human and animal, and everything else in between...
Selecting my favorite stories here is almost impossible, as all of them are more than worth their place in this book. However, if tortured to name my top stories, it would be: 'Those Who Are Terrified (Elizabeth Massie)' which is a rather sad story about a family's darkest secrets. 'Join My Club (Somer Canon)' which is another sad story about two lost little kids. 'New Blood, Old Skin (Glenn Rolfe)' which is both creepy and somehow cute. 'The Glimmer Girls (Kenneth McKinley)' which is the most shocking, especially as it is based on rather gruesome and unbelievable true events.
There's not enough praise to give to this anthology, and if you haven't read it yet: do so now - you definitely won't regret it. Highest recommendation!
(Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for a copy of the book, all opinions are my own)
Selecting my favorite stories here is almost impossible, as all of them are more than worth their place in this book. However, if tortured to name my top stories, it would be: 'Those Who Are Terrified (Elizabeth Massie)' which is a rather sad story about a family's darkest secrets. 'Join My Club (Somer Canon)' which is another sad story about two lost little kids. 'New Blood, Old Skin (Glenn Rolfe)' which is both creepy and somehow cute. 'The Glimmer Girls (Kenneth McKinley)' which is the most shocking, especially as it is based on rather gruesome and unbelievable true events.
There's not enough praise to give to this anthology, and if you haven't read it yet: do so now - you definitely won't regret it. Highest recommendation!
(Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for a copy of the book, all opinions are my own)
October 11, 2019
This book contains stories by some of my favorite authors but they know who they are and so do you. For that reason I'm not going to talk about them (this time)
From the first story "Devil's Dip" by new (to me) author Shannon Felton I felt like this anthology was going to be something special. By the time I got to "The Glimmer Girls" by Kenneth McKinley I knew I was right. I loved that this story was based on the real life Radium Girls! A symphony of macabre tales are perfectly arranged in this delightfully dark anthology. I have now been introduced to several voices in horror that I may not have discovered if not for this book. If you are looking for something spooky to read this Halloween season I highly recommend you grab a copy now.
I received an advance copy for review.
From the first story "Devil's Dip" by new (to me) author Shannon Felton I felt like this anthology was going to be something special. By the time I got to "The Glimmer Girls" by Kenneth McKinley I knew I was right. I loved that this story was based on the real life Radium Girls! A symphony of macabre tales are perfectly arranged in this delightfully dark anthology. I have now been introduced to several voices in horror that I may not have discovered if not for this book. If you are looking for something spooky to read this Halloween season I highly recommend you grab a copy now.
I received an advance copy for review.
October 25, 2019
** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **
Silver Shamrock Publishing decided to swing for the fences with this anthology and boy did they hit a home run. All of the boxes for horror fans are checked off here and how you wouldn’t want to read this is beyond me.
Let’s run the list shall we?
Fantastic cover art done by Elderlemon Design aka Kealan Patrick Burke? Check.
Foreword written by one of the nicest guys out there (and a decent writer some would say), Jonathan Janz? Check.
A who’s who of authors contributing stories that are great reads buts also creepy as Hell? Check.
The table of contents of this thing reads like a bestseller’s list on Amazon, even including the giant of horror that is Robert R. McCammon. I would wager that the number of Bram Stoker nominations and wins in this collection is close to being the most in a single release in some time.
With a list of so many great authors, I found all of the stories very enjoyable.
I’ll highlight a few that really creeped me out or connected with me.
‘Sawmill Road’ – Ronald Kelly. What a great creepy story. I loved the folklore/small-town gossip aspect of what happened to create the bones of this story. Having grown up in a town with sawmills and logging, there were always a few stories floating around about severed limbs and gruesome deaths.
‘Justin’s Favorite’ – Jeremy Hepler. Good grief did this one give me the heebie-jeebies. Hepler packs a novel’s worth of chills into a short story here. I dug the ‘first time owning a house together’ aspect and as things started to unravel, he kept his foot firmly on the gas.
‘Drown’ – Hunter Shea. I adored this story of a ghost chaser struggling with possibly losing her powers. The dynamic of the couple was great and the setting was fantastic. The ending worked fantastically and I’d love to read more about these two.
‘Portrait’ – Kealan Patrick Burke. Not only did KPB design a stunning cover, but he also delivers a stunning story. I really loved the way this one unfurled and Kealan once again shows just why he’s one of my favorite authors.
My top story, the one that I really need to highlight here was ‘Join My Club’ by Somer Canon.
This one was emotional, devastating and if every other story kept the scary at 100, this one sat firmly at 200. A small child dealing with horrible parents finds a possible friend in the shed outside.
At one point while reading this, I was lying in bed with my son asleep beside me. Right at a pivotal point, our heating kicked in and how my bladder didn’t let go is anyone’s guess. Well done – you almost literally scared the **** out of me.
Overall, this is a stellar collection and after having read some novels/novellas from Silver Shamrock already, it’s great to see that they can deliver a stunning anthology.
This is truly a must-read for all horror fans and I think this will be an anthology that people rave about for many, many years to come.
Silver Shamrock Publishing decided to swing for the fences with this anthology and boy did they hit a home run. All of the boxes for horror fans are checked off here and how you wouldn’t want to read this is beyond me.
Let’s run the list shall we?
Fantastic cover art done by Elderlemon Design aka Kealan Patrick Burke? Check.
Foreword written by one of the nicest guys out there (and a decent writer some would say), Jonathan Janz? Check.
A who’s who of authors contributing stories that are great reads buts also creepy as Hell? Check.
The table of contents of this thing reads like a bestseller’s list on Amazon, even including the giant of horror that is Robert R. McCammon. I would wager that the number of Bram Stoker nominations and wins in this collection is close to being the most in a single release in some time.
With a list of so many great authors, I found all of the stories very enjoyable.
I’ll highlight a few that really creeped me out or connected with me.
‘Sawmill Road’ – Ronald Kelly. What a great creepy story. I loved the folklore/small-town gossip aspect of what happened to create the bones of this story. Having grown up in a town with sawmills and logging, there were always a few stories floating around about severed limbs and gruesome deaths.
‘Justin’s Favorite’ – Jeremy Hepler. Good grief did this one give me the heebie-jeebies. Hepler packs a novel’s worth of chills into a short story here. I dug the ‘first time owning a house together’ aspect and as things started to unravel, he kept his foot firmly on the gas.
‘Drown’ – Hunter Shea. I adored this story of a ghost chaser struggling with possibly losing her powers. The dynamic of the couple was great and the setting was fantastic. The ending worked fantastically and I’d love to read more about these two.
‘Portrait’ – Kealan Patrick Burke. Not only did KPB design a stunning cover, but he also delivers a stunning story. I really loved the way this one unfurled and Kealan once again shows just why he’s one of my favorite authors.
My top story, the one that I really need to highlight here was ‘Join My Club’ by Somer Canon.
This one was emotional, devastating and if every other story kept the scary at 100, this one sat firmly at 200. A small child dealing with horrible parents finds a possible friend in the shed outside.
At one point while reading this, I was lying in bed with my son asleep beside me. Right at a pivotal point, our heating kicked in and how my bladder didn’t let go is anyone’s guess. Well done – you almost literally scared the **** out of me.
Overall, this is a stellar collection and after having read some novels/novellas from Silver Shamrock already, it’s great to see that they can deliver a stunning anthology.
This is truly a must-read for all horror fans and I think this will be an anthology that people rave about for many, many years to come.
October 11, 2019
These short stories are my selection of chilling fiction tales of trepidation with what lurks and realms crossed, unknown to be known, living and dead juxtaposition in haunting scenes that impregnate the reader minds.
Good job done by the editor with selection in here.
Tug o’ War by Chad Lutzke
Ceremony and communicating, there will be death and with the scene unravelling reading on with immediacy with a grim set of affairs.
Euphemia Christie by Catherine Cavendish
The seeking out history behind a gravestone, one of a terrible history, scandal or tragedy, connected to arson, fire and family death, with a home haunted and condemned, with line of Enquiries ending in two outcomes, light or darkness.
Holes in the Fabric by Todd Keisling
$250 easy money in this tale, but there is no easy money, but a terrible price, for a task many would steer clear of, clearing remains after fire involving a cult near Devil’s Creek Road.
There were stories of living shadows in the woods.
There was a father Jacob that promised immortality and they are all dead and burnt at the beginning of this tale.
Norma, working for the $250 easy money, will find herself amidst a living nightmare of dead, a nameless void awaits.
Gripping and haunting tale leaving reader pondering on what will become.
This short tale has left me waiting with anticipation and expectation of good for his new novel to come Devil’s Creek.
“Everyone else her age had heard the same stories, the same gossip about the crazy Masters cult near Devil’s Creek Road. The woods were haunted, of course. Ghosts of the damned everywhere. Everyone knew someone who’d driven out here to get a look at the strange compound the cult built in the woods. Everyone had a story about this place.
Now that she was here, she realized she’d have a story of her own. And what a story it would be. Fifty-plus bodies all dead from self-inflicted wounds, the smoldering ruins of a church, twenty macho guys trying to impress the single lady in their presence—maybe she’d write a novel and make a fortune like that guy in Maine.”
Cool for Cats by William Meikle
Can a wee lass spot a con job or is it the real McCoy the world that opened up to Wendy at the graveyard burial.
He is just the housekeeper, he professes, and what is to prevail has been and still is, mistress and cats and all.
A nice concise whipped up little haunting spin.
Russian Dollhouse by Jason Parent
A little wandering into trick-or-treating territory with brother and sister, and other young characters.
They should steer clear of condemned colonial houses.
There is something afoot, could be passed off as an elaborate Halloween prank or trick, or is something more grotesque and sinister awaiting.
The Cemetery Man by John Everson
Everson intends to have the reader heated up in the cemetery with plenty of movement, with no so great decisions and company that loves the dark and shadows, carnal callings in this one.
Two Noir connoisseurs sounds great, but romps amongst tombstones a no go, graver danger awaits, take heed.
Haunted World by Robert McCammon
Begins with one ghost present with three living characters in a day of October, then with sign of tornado a drove of ghosts arriving and reader almost invited to a spirit convention, just don’t get trapped in the haunted world.
Static and lose of power amongst things occurring but plenty of movement with dead and alive.
Last Call at the Sudden Death Saloon by Allan Leverone
A little trip in field of journalism with one Seth, he ventures into a town called Springvale, one with a haunting past and much to explore, along with the mysterious and terrible past what terrible new things wait?
A nice short chilling mystery read.
“Sinister is exactly what I’m after. I’m a journalist and I’m writing a story on Springvale’s unsolved disappearances. The story focuses on the events not as crimes but as manifestations of the town’s supernatural history.”
The Ring of Truth by Thomas F. Monteleone
A marine in dire situation, on precipice of life and sanity, last one left from squad who did bad and with that fill of guilt and terrible actions in war with a memento of a ring and ears to never forget.
One man to another with a dilemma, and possible reaping and returning to chaos.
Portrait by Kealan Patrick Burke
Once a happy family now no more, melancholy left with an eight year old girl an artist with sorrow for the gone, abandonment she feels and what else to follow?
Artistry with words with the fears and yearning for understanding in the rapid changing of circumstances in the life of the young character.
Review also @ More2Read
Good job done by the editor with selection in here.
Tug o’ War by Chad Lutzke
Ceremony and communicating, there will be death and with the scene unravelling reading on with immediacy with a grim set of affairs.
Euphemia Christie by Catherine Cavendish
The seeking out history behind a gravestone, one of a terrible history, scandal or tragedy, connected to arson, fire and family death, with a home haunted and condemned, with line of Enquiries ending in two outcomes, light or darkness.
Holes in the Fabric by Todd Keisling
$250 easy money in this tale, but there is no easy money, but a terrible price, for a task many would steer clear of, clearing remains after fire involving a cult near Devil’s Creek Road.
There were stories of living shadows in the woods.
There was a father Jacob that promised immortality and they are all dead and burnt at the beginning of this tale.
Norma, working for the $250 easy money, will find herself amidst a living nightmare of dead, a nameless void awaits.
Gripping and haunting tale leaving reader pondering on what will become.
This short tale has left me waiting with anticipation and expectation of good for his new novel to come Devil’s Creek.
“Everyone else her age had heard the same stories, the same gossip about the crazy Masters cult near Devil’s Creek Road. The woods were haunted, of course. Ghosts of the damned everywhere. Everyone knew someone who’d driven out here to get a look at the strange compound the cult built in the woods. Everyone had a story about this place.
Now that she was here, she realized she’d have a story of her own. And what a story it would be. Fifty-plus bodies all dead from self-inflicted wounds, the smoldering ruins of a church, twenty macho guys trying to impress the single lady in their presence—maybe she’d write a novel and make a fortune like that guy in Maine.”
Cool for Cats by William Meikle
Can a wee lass spot a con job or is it the real McCoy the world that opened up to Wendy at the graveyard burial.
He is just the housekeeper, he professes, and what is to prevail has been and still is, mistress and cats and all.
A nice concise whipped up little haunting spin.
Russian Dollhouse by Jason Parent
A little wandering into trick-or-treating territory with brother and sister, and other young characters.
They should steer clear of condemned colonial houses.
There is something afoot, could be passed off as an elaborate Halloween prank or trick, or is something more grotesque and sinister awaiting.
The Cemetery Man by John Everson
Everson intends to have the reader heated up in the cemetery with plenty of movement, with no so great decisions and company that loves the dark and shadows, carnal callings in this one.
Two Noir connoisseurs sounds great, but romps amongst tombstones a no go, graver danger awaits, take heed.
Haunted World by Robert McCammon
Begins with one ghost present with three living characters in a day of October, then with sign of tornado a drove of ghosts arriving and reader almost invited to a spirit convention, just don’t get trapped in the haunted world.
Static and lose of power amongst things occurring but plenty of movement with dead and alive.
Last Call at the Sudden Death Saloon by Allan Leverone
A little trip in field of journalism with one Seth, he ventures into a town called Springvale, one with a haunting past and much to explore, along with the mysterious and terrible past what terrible new things wait?
A nice short chilling mystery read.
“Sinister is exactly what I’m after. I’m a journalist and I’m writing a story on Springvale’s unsolved disappearances. The story focuses on the events not as crimes but as manifestations of the town’s supernatural history.”
The Ring of Truth by Thomas F. Monteleone
A marine in dire situation, on precipice of life and sanity, last one left from squad who did bad and with that fill of guilt and terrible actions in war with a memento of a ring and ears to never forget.
One man to another with a dilemma, and possible reaping and returning to chaos.
Portrait by Kealan Patrick Burke
Once a happy family now no more, melancholy left with an eight year old girl an artist with sorrow for the gone, abandonment she feels and what else to follow?
Artistry with words with the fears and yearning for understanding in the rapid changing of circumstances in the life of the young character.
Review also @ More2Read
November 23, 2019
I’ll just start off by saying I usually do not read anthologies. But as I was watching the authors being signed for this one, I was impressed. I’ve read many of them and liked what I had read. So right from the very first story, Shannon Felton’s Devil’s Dip, I was impressed. It’s a damn good story but come on, they all can’t be that good. It’s an anthology! WRONG! There is seriously not 1 bad story in the bunch. Each story is really good, original and different. I rated most stories at 4 or 5 stars. If this is the kind of anthology Silver Shamrock can put together, I can’t wait for the next one. Take my money!
October 8, 2019
Review Copy
Like horror stories? Like ghost stories? Like stories that aren't the same ol' same ol? Then grab MIDNIGHT IN THE GRAVEYARD now. Like right now. The table of contents is a who's who of the horror industry and tells you more than I ever could. While there were admittedly a couple of less than 5 star stories, there were only a couple. The rest were we so insanely terrific that this anthology tops my list of must re-reads each Halloween.
Don't miss out. Highly recommended.
Like horror stories? Like ghost stories? Like stories that aren't the same ol' same ol? Then grab MIDNIGHT IN THE GRAVEYARD now. Like right now. The table of contents is a who's who of the horror industry and tells you more than I ever could. While there were admittedly a couple of less than 5 star stories, there were only a couple. The rest were we so insanely terrific that this anthology tops my list of must re-reads each Halloween.
Don't miss out. Highly recommended.
October 26, 2019
My goal for this October was to read as many scary books as possible. It is a goal which I have so far met more or less with the assistance of both KU and Netgalley. This, the latest from Silver Shamrock publishing, is pretty much a classic anthology for the season. The publishers are relatively new, although I did read a pretty good James Newman novella by them already, and it seems like they are determined to deliver great quality by sticking with the well known genre entities. Which is certainly a safe way of doing things, not to mention it virtually eliminates quality control. All of which is to say this anthology featured well written stories by well recognized names. I was familiar with most of the authors and the couple of names that didn’t ring an immediate bell were nevertheless accomplished genre veterans. With such an impressive line up the overall effect was almost uniform. I mean, yeah, you can differentiate insomuch as Burke will deliver something poetic, Everson will go for raunchy (although here’s he’s almost restrained), Massie will offer subtle beauty, Kelly’s gonna go for a Southern Fried tale and so on, but in general very homogenous sort of even keel anthology. A lot of the stories featured kids, some of the stories indeed featured graveyards. Reviewing short story collections isn’t exactly my forte, I tend to offer an opinion on the entire thing, forgetting individual entries, but the opinion on the entire thing is definitely favorable. I do wish I had the time to read more of these spooky tales at night since this is a genre that mixes with daylight about as much as vampires, but even with the sun shining in the bright blue skies, there are enough disturbing, demented frights in this collection to delight the fans. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
October 15, 2019
Midnight in the Graveyard is an anthology that has stories by a lot of the bigger names in horror fiction. The fear I had was that the fiction might not meet the hype. I’m glad to report that that is not the case. I am more of a novel and novella fan as a lot of short stories can feel incomplete and I’m left wanting more. Thankfully all of these stories felt complete and were entertaining. The stories all contain ghosts or graveyards. The authors write about the subject from a variety of angles. I think this is one of the strengths of this collection as you don’t feel you are reading the same story over and over. I tried to come up with a list of my favorite stories but so many are strong and it is hard for me to rank them. The Robert McCammon and Thomas Monteleone stories were very imaginative and slightly towered above the rest. Kealan Patrick Burke is such a great writer and as always his story was awesome. But this does not take away from any of the other stories. This is a very solid collection from start to finish that I highly recommended.
December 5, 2019
4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.
While not every story was a hit for me, (there were only a couple of 3 star reads), all the rest were 4 or 5, with some genuinely creepy moments, and some serious boundary pushing by a number of authors....(Necrophilia anyone....?).
This is genuinely a great mix of some old established authors who I stalk have been around sharing the scares with us for a number of years - I'm looking at you Mr Shea, Mr Meikle - as well as some you, like my good self, may not have heard of before, such as Elizabeth Massie and Kathryn Meyer Griffith.
This one should definitely be on your bookshelf, or by your coziest chair, ready for those dark stormy nights when you're home alone....
While not every story was a hit for me, (there were only a couple of 3 star reads), all the rest were 4 or 5, with some genuinely creepy moments, and some serious boundary pushing by a number of authors....(Necrophilia anyone....?).
This is genuinely a great mix of some
This one should definitely be on your bookshelf, or by your coziest chair, ready for those dark stormy nights when you're home alone....
November 3, 2019
Silver Shamrock is a relatively new publisher making waves in the horror community with some very well-received titles like Cricket Hunters by Jeremy Hepler and In the Scrape by James Newman and Mark Steensland. It also doesn't hurt that one of their first releases is this anthology, Midnight in the Graveyard. The collection contains 25 stories, centered mainly around ghosts, featuring one of the most all-star casts I've seen compiled in a table of contents. If that doesn't sway you, the whole thing kicks off with an introduction from Jonathan Janz.
When invited to partake in such an anthology, I like to feel like I'm showing up for the marquee names, but getting equally jazzed about the new acts. Shannon Felton gets the motor going with Devil's Dip, plodding into some friends did/saw something years ago and now it's back to haunt them territory. Felton puts a great twist on this trope, and has a debut coming out on Silver Shamrock that I'll now be on the lookout for. Kenneth McKinley's The Glimmer Girls is also a standout, eschewing traditional ghosts for something altogether more monstrous, and working mainly because of its' period setting. Brian Moreland's Swamp Vengeance is a whole lot of fun and benefits from taking us to a pretty different locale.
Equally exciting for me is an excuse to read stories by authors I keep hearing great things about but just haven't had the chance to read yet. Justin's Helper by Jeremy Hepler has one of the best endings/reveals in the book. Dog Days by Kenneth Cain greatly benefits from its presentation, telling us the history of the featured house by letters, journal entries, texts, etc. It's very well-done and quite effective. Cool Cats by William Meikle is a feel-good story in its own quite twisted way. Who doesn't love when bad things happen to bad people? Another writer I've put on my wishlist due to their work in this collection is Glenn Rolfe, whose story New Blood, Old Skin, is very clever and a bit of a send-up to anyone who has ever asked an author why they write horror.
Of course, one expects the familiar names to come through as well. That's why they're familiar. Chad Lutzke unquestionably delivers in Tug o War, and in typical Lutzke-fashion leaves the reader ruminating long after the story is over. Hunter Shea's Drown expands on characters he has written previously, adding a fun and interesting new chapter to their adventures. Bettor's Edge by Tim Meyer gives us a (sort-of) haunted hotel room, a place where the barrier between worlds is a bit thin. Scary stuff indeed. Kealan Patrick Burke wraps it all up with Portrait, which is very typical of his writing style. That is to say, there's an atmosphere of dread, but beauty shines through in the prose, and it puts the perfect cap on Midnight in the Graveyard.
There are also some really enjoyable stories from Catherine Cavendish, Ronald Kelly, Lee Mount, and Robert McCammon but writing about every little thing I liked in here would make the review almost as long as the book. There are a few skips present, but in a themed collection with 25 entries, it's bound to happen. Silver Shamrock has set the bar high with this first collection, and I'm already on board for Midnight in the Pentagram, the follow-up currently in progress. Meanwhile, Midnight in the Graveyard is sending up a signal. We should all be on the lookout for what Silver Shamrock has in store for us next. Make some room on your shelf, my friends.
When invited to partake in such an anthology, I like to feel like I'm showing up for the marquee names, but getting equally jazzed about the new acts. Shannon Felton gets the motor going with Devil's Dip, plodding into some friends did/saw something years ago and now it's back to haunt them territory. Felton puts a great twist on this trope, and has a debut coming out on Silver Shamrock that I'll now be on the lookout for. Kenneth McKinley's The Glimmer Girls is also a standout, eschewing traditional ghosts for something altogether more monstrous, and working mainly because of its' period setting. Brian Moreland's Swamp Vengeance is a whole lot of fun and benefits from taking us to a pretty different locale.
Equally exciting for me is an excuse to read stories by authors I keep hearing great things about but just haven't had the chance to read yet. Justin's Helper by Jeremy Hepler has one of the best endings/reveals in the book. Dog Days by Kenneth Cain greatly benefits from its presentation, telling us the history of the featured house by letters, journal entries, texts, etc. It's very well-done and quite effective. Cool Cats by William Meikle is a feel-good story in its own quite twisted way. Who doesn't love when bad things happen to bad people? Another writer I've put on my wishlist due to their work in this collection is Glenn Rolfe, whose story New Blood, Old Skin, is very clever and a bit of a send-up to anyone who has ever asked an author why they write horror.
Of course, one expects the familiar names to come through as well. That's why they're familiar. Chad Lutzke unquestionably delivers in Tug o War, and in typical Lutzke-fashion leaves the reader ruminating long after the story is over. Hunter Shea's Drown expands on characters he has written previously, adding a fun and interesting new chapter to their adventures. Bettor's Edge by Tim Meyer gives us a (sort-of) haunted hotel room, a place where the barrier between worlds is a bit thin. Scary stuff indeed. Kealan Patrick Burke wraps it all up with Portrait, which is very typical of his writing style. That is to say, there's an atmosphere of dread, but beauty shines through in the prose, and it puts the perfect cap on Midnight in the Graveyard.
There are also some really enjoyable stories from Catherine Cavendish, Ronald Kelly, Lee Mount, and Robert McCammon but writing about every little thing I liked in here would make the review almost as long as the book. There are a few skips present, but in a themed collection with 25 entries, it's bound to happen. Silver Shamrock has set the bar high with this first collection, and I'm already on board for Midnight in the Pentagram, the follow-up currently in progress. Meanwhile, Midnight in the Graveyard is sending up a signal. We should all be on the lookout for what Silver Shamrock has in store for us next. Make some room on your shelf, my friends.
November 28, 2019
A very good anthology of shorts from some of the best dark fiction authors in the business. I'm not going to pick a favorite, but I will say that it was unexpected. Nicely done, Silver Shamrock!
A Solid 4+ Stars!
A Solid 4+ Stars!
December 1, 2019
Every once in a while, and those whiles seem to be getting longer, there are anthologies that simply blow you away. You know the ones....DARK FORCES edited by Kirby McCauley, and Charles L. Grant's SHADOWS series being two that are close to my heart. Collections of stories that defy the odds, and not a misstep in the bunch.....the ones that offer you unforgettable tales by authors you know, and tales by authors new to you, authors whose work you will seek out in the future.
MIDNIGHT IN THE GRAVEYARD, the premiere anthology from Silver Shamrock Publishing, is one of those books.
25 stories by authors who are household names (in decent, literate households), a few actual legends, the best of the crew that have taken over the reins, and some new voices you simply must hear.....because each one is that damn good.
Some personal favorites (because your mileage may vary) include:
DEVIL'S DIP by Shannon Felton
TUG O' WAR by Chad Lutzke
DROWN by Hunter Shea
THOSE WHO ARE TERRIFIED by Elizabeth Massie
COOL FOR CATS by William Meikle
SAWMILL ROAD by Ronald Kelly
THE GLIMMER GIRLS by Kenneth McKinley
THE RING OF TRUTH by Thomas F. Monteleone
THE GRAVEDIGGER'S STORY by Kathryn Meyer Griffith
THE PUTPOCKET by Alan M. Clark
SWAMP VENGEANCE by Brian Moreland
This book resets the bar for horror anthologies, and is a must have/must read for every fan of the ghostly and horror in general.
Highest possible recommendation.
*I received an e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. Well, here it is.*
MIDNIGHT IN THE GRAVEYARD, the premiere anthology from Silver Shamrock Publishing, is one of those books.
25 stories by authors who are household names (in decent, literate households), a few actual legends, the best of the crew that have taken over the reins, and some new voices you simply must hear.....because each one is that damn good.
Some personal favorites (because your mileage may vary) include:
DEVIL'S DIP by Shannon Felton
TUG O' WAR by Chad Lutzke
DROWN by Hunter Shea
THOSE WHO ARE TERRIFIED by Elizabeth Massie
COOL FOR CATS by William Meikle
SAWMILL ROAD by Ronald Kelly
THE GLIMMER GIRLS by Kenneth McKinley
THE RING OF TRUTH by Thomas F. Monteleone
THE GRAVEDIGGER'S STORY by Kathryn Meyer Griffith
THE PUTPOCKET by Alan M. Clark
SWAMP VENGEANCE by Brian Moreland
This book resets the bar for horror anthologies, and is a must have/must read for every fan of the ghostly and horror in general.
Highest possible recommendation.
*I received an e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. Well, here it is.*
October 15, 2019
“Enter, friend. I wish you well, but I’ve got to warn you. These ghosts are hungry.”
So says Jonathan Janz in his excitement-filled foreword to the horror anthology Midnight in the Graveyard, edited by Kenneth W. Cain. There are stories by well-known and newer authors, making for an intriguing combination. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I knew going in that I wanted to devour this volume, in perfect timing for the Halloween season.
The first story is “Devil’s Dip” by Shannon Felton. It starts off with an embittered (which is putting it mildly) soon-to-be/on the verge of divorced protagonist, who is lamenting and wondering how they got to this point in life. It’s told in a very matter of fact, direct manner, which was engaging. Many readers who have made similar life transitions, including getting out of a small town to then return thinking they’ve done better, find out that sometimes they’re not quite so sure. Friendships that seem like they’re real turn out to be something else. Infidelity turns out to be a major theme. Through tragedy, the protagonist re-lives with a high school friend the Devil’s Dip of the title, and why it was named as such. As it turns out, reality becomes very subjective when it comes to this.
Things take a more supernatural turn from that point as the story continues to dwell on the theme that we often idealize the past, even though we know it’s not good for us. Some things are best left undisturbed. This story was a very impactful way to set the overall tone and mood of the anthology and got things off to a great start.
Next up is “Tug O’ War” by rising up-and-comer Chad Lutzke, who has been making waves of late with longer fiction such as Skullface Boy and The Same Deep Water as You. A group of friends goes to visit their dying friend. I can’t say much more beyond that without spoiling the story completely, so I will state that sometimes the things we are convinced will help should be treated with caution because you should really be careful what you ask for.
“Euphemia Christie” by long-time Samhain and now Flame Tree Press author Catherine Cavendish starts, appropriately, in a cemetery. Two friends like to go through and read the gravestones as a curious interest. One of them sees a man who appears to be from the Victorian Era right after she finds the grave of Euphemia Christie. (For those who will read this story wondering what the heck a sexton is, it’s a term for a person who is a caretaker for cemeteries normally, sometimes acting as bell-ringer and in much older uses, a gravedigger). One of the friends takes her curiosity about Euphemia forward and starts doing more research. She goes exploring to the town where this woman was from. A local barman says the protagonist looks a bit like Euphemia. Cavendish does a masterful job grabbing the reader and pulling them in for a good old-fashioned English ghost story with implications of the past trickling down to the present. It draws to a pulse-pounding conclusion that will definitely have an impact.
“Justin’s Favorite” by Jeremy Hepler follows a couple who move into a new house, mysterious details about one of them emerge, and sometimes the ghosts of the past refuse to stay there.
Todd Keisling is one of my favourite writers. His story, “Holes in the Fabric,” takes place in the early 1980s in Kentucky. And the moment I saw it was related to his upcoming novel, Devil’s Creek, which releases next year, I was even more psyched to have this sort-of prequel in my hands; a taste of what is to come. I got a very distinct Lovecraftian vibe, of things that shouldn’t be, childhood friends and loves returned, and so much more. I don’t want to spoil it beyond this, other than to say that it is mandatory reading and should be one of the stories readers make sure to pay attention to.
“Drown” by Hunter Shea is about a couple who go to haunted B&B for their anniversary (his idea). They are more paranormally-enhanced (for lack of a better term) than it seemed at the outset and it leads in an interesting direction.
“Those Who are Terrified” by Elizabeth Massie was one of my favourite stories of this anthology. The protagonist and her sisters did not like their grandfather who is kind of like a real estate tycoon but that’s not quite the right term. He’s just a guy who does real estate deals, and he bought a place that used to be a hospital and he’s planning to turn it into apartments. The kids find something very disturbing in the basement. Beyond that I’d be spoiling what goes on, but I enjoyed the way this story was told and the heart-wrenching conclusion.
“Cool for Cats” by Scottish writer William Meikle was a sort-of throwback to the Tell-Tale Heart with a gender swap for good measure. It was one of the more entertaining pieces of the anthology.
For all the readers out there who are older siblings and had to take their younger kin trick or treating, “Russian Dollhouse” by Jason Parent will bring back memories. There’s an urban legend on their street that Halloween trick or treating stopped because some children disappeared. Kit and her younger brother, Cole, find a deserted house at the end of the lane that no one has lived in for years. They’re soon joined by Kit’s crush, Jordan, and Melissa, a girl hoping to be his girlfriend, and Pedro. They all think the things going on are just special effects and are convinced that one of them has put it all together in an elaborate Halloween Haunted House experience. It has a cool Stranger Things vibe to it. This was definitely one of my favourite pieces in the anthology.
“The Cemetery Man” by John Everson takes on the typical “young people go to a cemetery to make out, something bad probably happens” trope. I liked the twists and turns this story took. Just a heads-up that it’s more erotically-charged than expected, so if that’s your jam, cool, but if you’d rather not get into that, you may want to skip this.
I felt a huge sense of intimidation reviewing “Haunted World” by Robert R. McCammon because he is one of the living legends included in these pages, but also wanted very much to see what lay in fate for the reader. It starts off on a more humorous note than I expected, and leads into an interesting beginning. Without getting into any spoilers, it’s kind of like Night at the Museum but if it had been a horror movie more in the style of Evil Dead.
Speaking of Stranger Things, another story that evokes darker sensibilities of it comes in the form of “Ghost Blood” by Kelli Owen, which starts with a guy who appears to be a projectionist at the movies at a Drive-In. Without spoiling things, he can see something supernatural, but it has side effects on him. I found this story veered into an interesting direction and enjoyed it.
“The Putpocket” by Alan M. Clark is another story I enjoyed. It is set in Victorian London and is from the viewpoint of a young man under dire circumstances. It involves creepy family drama, and isn’t for the faint of heart.
I looked forward to “Swamp Vengeance” by Brian Moreland with much excitement, having devoured the novels he put out in the past. This one takes place in the Florida swamps. Merle, the protagonist, hears something unexpected and disturbing from people he thought he could trust, and that’s all I can say without going into spoilers. He gets involved in some Native American folklore. I really liked this one. Very interesting fare from Brian, and I’m glad to see in the author bios section that we can expect more new work from him next year.
The stories included in this volume are wonderfully perfect for Halloween reading. Even the ones that didn’t grab me quite as much as I had hoped were of all of great quality. The scares herein are familiar ones for the most part, but it evokes the same excitement we have every Halloween season to re-watch the staples of the horror genre. Some of us might like our scares a bit safer and go for Hocus Pocus or The Nightmare Before Christmas. Regardless of what your preference is, this anthology contains some excellent Halloween treats that most readers will gobble up.
So says Jonathan Janz in his excitement-filled foreword to the horror anthology Midnight in the Graveyard, edited by Kenneth W. Cain. There are stories by well-known and newer authors, making for an intriguing combination. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I knew going in that I wanted to devour this volume, in perfect timing for the Halloween season.
The first story is “Devil’s Dip” by Shannon Felton. It starts off with an embittered (which is putting it mildly) soon-to-be/on the verge of divorced protagonist, who is lamenting and wondering how they got to this point in life. It’s told in a very matter of fact, direct manner, which was engaging. Many readers who have made similar life transitions, including getting out of a small town to then return thinking they’ve done better, find out that sometimes they’re not quite so sure. Friendships that seem like they’re real turn out to be something else. Infidelity turns out to be a major theme. Through tragedy, the protagonist re-lives with a high school friend the Devil’s Dip of the title, and why it was named as such. As it turns out, reality becomes very subjective when it comes to this.
Things take a more supernatural turn from that point as the story continues to dwell on the theme that we often idealize the past, even though we know it’s not good for us. Some things are best left undisturbed. This story was a very impactful way to set the overall tone and mood of the anthology and got things off to a great start.
Next up is “Tug O’ War” by rising up-and-comer Chad Lutzke, who has been making waves of late with longer fiction such as Skullface Boy and The Same Deep Water as You. A group of friends goes to visit their dying friend. I can’t say much more beyond that without spoiling the story completely, so I will state that sometimes the things we are convinced will help should be treated with caution because you should really be careful what you ask for.
“Euphemia Christie” by long-time Samhain and now Flame Tree Press author Catherine Cavendish starts, appropriately, in a cemetery. Two friends like to go through and read the gravestones as a curious interest. One of them sees a man who appears to be from the Victorian Era right after she finds the grave of Euphemia Christie. (For those who will read this story wondering what the heck a sexton is, it’s a term for a person who is a caretaker for cemeteries normally, sometimes acting as bell-ringer and in much older uses, a gravedigger). One of the friends takes her curiosity about Euphemia forward and starts doing more research. She goes exploring to the town where this woman was from. A local barman says the protagonist looks a bit like Euphemia. Cavendish does a masterful job grabbing the reader and pulling them in for a good old-fashioned English ghost story with implications of the past trickling down to the present. It draws to a pulse-pounding conclusion that will definitely have an impact.
“Justin’s Favorite” by Jeremy Hepler follows a couple who move into a new house, mysterious details about one of them emerge, and sometimes the ghosts of the past refuse to stay there.
Todd Keisling is one of my favourite writers. His story, “Holes in the Fabric,” takes place in the early 1980s in Kentucky. And the moment I saw it was related to his upcoming novel, Devil’s Creek, which releases next year, I was even more psyched to have this sort-of prequel in my hands; a taste of what is to come. I got a very distinct Lovecraftian vibe, of things that shouldn’t be, childhood friends and loves returned, and so much more. I don’t want to spoil it beyond this, other than to say that it is mandatory reading and should be one of the stories readers make sure to pay attention to.
“Drown” by Hunter Shea is about a couple who go to haunted B&B for their anniversary (his idea). They are more paranormally-enhanced (for lack of a better term) than it seemed at the outset and it leads in an interesting direction.
“Those Who are Terrified” by Elizabeth Massie was one of my favourite stories of this anthology. The protagonist and her sisters did not like their grandfather who is kind of like a real estate tycoon but that’s not quite the right term. He’s just a guy who does real estate deals, and he bought a place that used to be a hospital and he’s planning to turn it into apartments. The kids find something very disturbing in the basement. Beyond that I’d be spoiling what goes on, but I enjoyed the way this story was told and the heart-wrenching conclusion.
“Cool for Cats” by Scottish writer William Meikle was a sort-of throwback to the Tell-Tale Heart with a gender swap for good measure. It was one of the more entertaining pieces of the anthology.
For all the readers out there who are older siblings and had to take their younger kin trick or treating, “Russian Dollhouse” by Jason Parent will bring back memories. There’s an urban legend on their street that Halloween trick or treating stopped because some children disappeared. Kit and her younger brother, Cole, find a deserted house at the end of the lane that no one has lived in for years. They’re soon joined by Kit’s crush, Jordan, and Melissa, a girl hoping to be his girlfriend, and Pedro. They all think the things going on are just special effects and are convinced that one of them has put it all together in an elaborate Halloween Haunted House experience. It has a cool Stranger Things vibe to it. This was definitely one of my favourite pieces in the anthology.
“The Cemetery Man” by John Everson takes on the typical “young people go to a cemetery to make out, something bad probably happens” trope. I liked the twists and turns this story took. Just a heads-up that it’s more erotically-charged than expected, so if that’s your jam, cool, but if you’d rather not get into that, you may want to skip this.
I felt a huge sense of intimidation reviewing “Haunted World” by Robert R. McCammon because he is one of the living legends included in these pages, but also wanted very much to see what lay in fate for the reader. It starts off on a more humorous note than I expected, and leads into an interesting beginning. Without getting into any spoilers, it’s kind of like Night at the Museum but if it had been a horror movie more in the style of Evil Dead.
Speaking of Stranger Things, another story that evokes darker sensibilities of it comes in the form of “Ghost Blood” by Kelli Owen, which starts with a guy who appears to be a projectionist at the movies at a Drive-In. Without spoiling things, he can see something supernatural, but it has side effects on him. I found this story veered into an interesting direction and enjoyed it.
“The Putpocket” by Alan M. Clark is another story I enjoyed. It is set in Victorian London and is from the viewpoint of a young man under dire circumstances. It involves creepy family drama, and isn’t for the faint of heart.
I looked forward to “Swamp Vengeance” by Brian Moreland with much excitement, having devoured the novels he put out in the past. This one takes place in the Florida swamps. Merle, the protagonist, hears something unexpected and disturbing from people he thought he could trust, and that’s all I can say without going into spoilers. He gets involved in some Native American folklore. I really liked this one. Very interesting fare from Brian, and I’m glad to see in the author bios section that we can expect more new work from him next year.
The stories included in this volume are wonderfully perfect for Halloween reading. Even the ones that didn’t grab me quite as much as I had hoped were of all of great quality. The scares herein are familiar ones for the most part, but it evokes the same excitement we have every Halloween season to re-watch the staples of the horror genre. Some of us might like our scares a bit safer and go for Hocus Pocus or The Nightmare Before Christmas. Regardless of what your preference is, this anthology contains some excellent Halloween treats that most readers will gobble up.
November 25, 2019
I just made notes on the stories as I went along and here there are.
Justin's Favorite--several of these stories have been what I would call "traditional" stories. Sort of like the ones you would read in Creepy or Eerie or older anthologies. For me that is a good thing. I find myself skipping some stories in current anthologies because they are more disturbing (eg child abuse, etc.) than scary. Justin's Favorite is one of several that I have read so far that are what I will call traditional and are the type of stories that attracted me to the genre in the first place.
Holes in the Fabric--very original story. I found the concept to be both realistic (somebody has to clean up after horrific events like mass suicides) and horrifying. One of my favorites.
Dog Days--hmmm. Not good. My dog is a Great Dane and is taller than me. He is my reading companion (he is never more than a foot away from me at any time) and was hanging out with me when I read this.
Bettor’s Edge by Tim Meyer: Many ghost stories involve angry and vengeful ghosts. Ghosts stick around for a reason, and apparently being majorly pissed off is a common one. Setting this story in a Las Vegas suite and the whole gambling angle gave a new setting to a classic type of story.
The Graveyard by Lee Mountford: I am liking that old school vibe of this whole collection and this story is no exception. A traditional ghost story that serves as a cautionary tale.
Join My Club by Somer Canon: Such a sad story. I wish that the story line was less common in real life.
The Cemetery Man by John Everson: John Everson is certainly original, I will give him that. I have been enjoying him ever since Covenant. It was so dark and twisted. Then came the sequel, Sacrifice, which was even MORE dark and twisted. Loved them. This story was also delightfully sick but in a much more humorous way. At least to me. Don’t judge me….
New Blood, Old Skin by Glenn Rolfe: I am sure every horror writer gets asked “where do your ideas come from?” This gives an unsettling answer to that question.
The Glimmer Girls by Kenneth McKinley: Absolutely loved this story. The time period was so well created that I just fell down that rabbit hole. It also reminded me of the best stories from the old EC Comics or early Creepy/Eerie.
Haunted World by Robert McCammon: Robert McCammon is one of my favorite authors and I would have bought any collection with him in it. He doesn’t disappoint. I don’t want to give away anything but to tease it a bit you can say that even when you live in a haunted world filled with ghosts, it can still get worse. Very unsettling story.
Ghost Blood by Kelli Owen: I have been reading Kelli Owen since she made me afraid of flies… This was a ghost story without an actual ghost, which made it even more surprising. A very original concept.
Last Call at the Sudden Death Saloon by Allan Leverone – Seriously, when will people ever stop wandering into creepy small towns? If they don’t at least have a Walmart or McDonalds, don’t stop! Some people just go around buying trouble.
The Ring of Truth by Thomas F. Monteleone: An unsettling story where the living monsters are worse than the dead. War is certainly hell or can buy one a ticket to get there. I wish the background story wasn’t a recurring actual reality during wartime.
The Gravedigger’s Story by Kathryn Meyer Griffith: A very traditional ghost story with a huge emotional impact. The principal character was so well drawn that it was easy to feel the gravedigger’s pain and be moved.
The Putpocket by Alan M. Clark: Not all ghosts mean us harm. Some reach out from the other side to help us. I fell down the rabbit hole on this one--great creation of the time and place for a sort of Dickensian story.
Swamp Vengeance by Brian Moreland: The swamps are created so well you will be swatting it imaginary mosquitoes.
Portrait by Kealan Patrick Burke: I have bee reading KPB since The Turtle Boy and have read practically everything along the way. There are a few horror writers that are first and foremost great writers and they just happen to write horror. KPB is one of those--and I think he is especially good at short stories and novellas. He almost never follows the standard tropes so you have no idea where the story is going. The closing scene is so horrific and dark (and so KPBish) it is perfect.
LOVED this collection and like some people have said, I usually don't go for short stories that much.
Justin's Favorite--several of these stories have been what I would call "traditional" stories. Sort of like the ones you would read in Creepy or Eerie or older anthologies. For me that is a good thing. I find myself skipping some stories in current anthologies because they are more disturbing (eg child abuse, etc.) than scary. Justin's Favorite is one of several that I have read so far that are what I will call traditional and are the type of stories that attracted me to the genre in the first place.
Holes in the Fabric--very original story. I found the concept to be both realistic (somebody has to clean up after horrific events like mass suicides) and horrifying. One of my favorites.
Dog Days--hmmm. Not good. My dog is a Great Dane and is taller than me. He is my reading companion (he is never more than a foot away from me at any time) and was hanging out with me when I read this.
Bettor’s Edge by Tim Meyer: Many ghost stories involve angry and vengeful ghosts. Ghosts stick around for a reason, and apparently being majorly pissed off is a common one. Setting this story in a Las Vegas suite and the whole gambling angle gave a new setting to a classic type of story.
The Graveyard by Lee Mountford: I am liking that old school vibe of this whole collection and this story is no exception. A traditional ghost story that serves as a cautionary tale.
Join My Club by Somer Canon: Such a sad story. I wish that the story line was less common in real life.
The Cemetery Man by John Everson: John Everson is certainly original, I will give him that. I have been enjoying him ever since Covenant. It was so dark and twisted. Then came the sequel, Sacrifice, which was even MORE dark and twisted. Loved them. This story was also delightfully sick but in a much more humorous way. At least to me. Don’t judge me….
New Blood, Old Skin by Glenn Rolfe: I am sure every horror writer gets asked “where do your ideas come from?” This gives an unsettling answer to that question.
The Glimmer Girls by Kenneth McKinley: Absolutely loved this story. The time period was so well created that I just fell down that rabbit hole. It also reminded me of the best stories from the old EC Comics or early Creepy/Eerie.
Haunted World by Robert McCammon: Robert McCammon is one of my favorite authors and I would have bought any collection with him in it. He doesn’t disappoint. I don’t want to give away anything but to tease it a bit you can say that even when you live in a haunted world filled with ghosts, it can still get worse. Very unsettling story.
Ghost Blood by Kelli Owen: I have been reading Kelli Owen since she made me afraid of flies… This was a ghost story without an actual ghost, which made it even more surprising. A very original concept.
Last Call at the Sudden Death Saloon by Allan Leverone – Seriously, when will people ever stop wandering into creepy small towns? If they don’t at least have a Walmart or McDonalds, don’t stop! Some people just go around buying trouble.
The Ring of Truth by Thomas F. Monteleone: An unsettling story where the living monsters are worse than the dead. War is certainly hell or can buy one a ticket to get there. I wish the background story wasn’t a recurring actual reality during wartime.
The Gravedigger’s Story by Kathryn Meyer Griffith: A very traditional ghost story with a huge emotional impact. The principal character was so well drawn that it was easy to feel the gravedigger’s pain and be moved.
The Putpocket by Alan M. Clark: Not all ghosts mean us harm. Some reach out from the other side to help us. I fell down the rabbit hole on this one--great creation of the time and place for a sort of Dickensian story.
Swamp Vengeance by Brian Moreland: The swamps are created so well you will be swatting it imaginary mosquitoes.
Portrait by Kealan Patrick Burke: I have bee reading KPB since The Turtle Boy and have read practically everything along the way. There are a few horror writers that are first and foremost great writers and they just happen to write horror. KPB is one of those--and I think he is especially good at short stories and novellas. He almost never follows the standard tropes so you have no idea where the story is going. The closing scene is so horrific and dark (and so KPBish) it is perfect.
LOVED this collection and like some people have said, I usually don't go for short stories that much.
January 5, 2020
4.5
Hope to add more of a review later. In my updates I put in a lot of my favorite stories. Really cool book w HA. First anthology.
Hope to add more of a review later. In my updates I put in a lot of my favorite stories. Really cool book w HA. First anthology.
April 29, 2022
3.5 stars I don't know why iv been getting into short ghost stories lately
October 21, 2019
Editor Kenneth W. Cain collated an outstanding collection in this volume, from new authors to up-and-comers to the long-established. Every story is significantly scary, and as the Introduction by author Jonathan Janz recommends: Don't read at night. I concur. Even reading these in the daytime is scary enough; reading at night is asking for Nightmares.
MIDNIGHT IN THE GRAVEYARD is the debut of Silver Shamrock Publishing (release October 15 2019).
MIDNIGHT IN THE GRAVEYARD is the debut of Silver Shamrock Publishing (release October 15 2019).
March 1, 2021
A very good collection of short horror and ghost stories!!
They are to many to review each of them..
But nevertheless my favourites ones as follows:
"Drown" 5 stars
"The Ring of Truth" also 5 stars
"Swamp Vengeance" 5 stars
And "Portrait" 5 glittering stars..
A book full of monsters, ghosts, ghouls, zombies and populated with eerie dark and sinister places..
Although death as a coffin nail, some of them can still bite!!!
I would strongly recommend this precious anthology to lovers of short stories and sophisticated horror novels..
Let me say that reading this stories before going to bed and alone in the living room could enhance the enjoyment and experience!!
Dean;)
They are to many to review each of them..
But nevertheless my favourites ones as follows:
"Drown" 5 stars
"The Ring of Truth" also 5 stars
"Swamp Vengeance" 5 stars
And "Portrait" 5 glittering stars..
A book full of monsters, ghosts, ghouls, zombies and populated with eerie dark and sinister places..
Although death as a coffin nail, some of them can still bite!!!
I would strongly recommend this precious anthology to lovers of short stories and sophisticated horror novels..
Let me say that reading this stories before going to bed and alone in the living room could enhance the enjoyment and experience!!
Dean;)
January 6, 2020
What a fabulous collection of stories about ghosts (both living and dead), ghouls, love, loss, death, despair, redemption and revenge.
Featuring a who’s who of contemporary writers, editor Kenneth W. Cain has collected stories that thrill, chill, amuse and cause one to ponder life.
Robert McCammon gives us a tale of what if the dead (all the dead) decided to come back.
Kelli Owen gives us a reason to not go anywhere we can’t clean.
Kealan Patrick Burke “paints” a horrifying tale of grief and loss.
John Everson tells us how not to follow one’s hormones.
There are so many more! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll be moved.
In other words, read this collection. You won’t be disappointed .
Featuring a who’s who of contemporary writers, editor Kenneth W. Cain has collected stories that thrill, chill, amuse and cause one to ponder life.
Robert McCammon gives us a tale of what if the dead (all the dead) decided to come back.
Kelli Owen gives us a reason to not go anywhere we can’t clean.
Kealan Patrick Burke “paints” a horrifying tale of grief and loss.
John Everson tells us how not to follow one’s hormones.
There are so many more! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll be moved.
In other words, read this collection. You won’t be disappointed .
January 11, 2020
Wow! This is a great anthology of short stories about graveyards and ghosts. What is even better was I met several new to me authors. I will be looking for their books to read. There was not one story that I didn’t enjoy. It’s a rare occurrence for me to enjoy every short story. I think that this is a must read for anyone who enjoys horror.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
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