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Notches: A Collection
A Collection of dark, twisted and some humorous stories including an epic dark poem from the tormented mind of M. Ennenbach. Each story will give you a window into the darkness of the soul. Fueled by raw, powerful emotions. They will chew you up and spit you out, leaving you quivering on the floor in a gruesome mess begging for more. Are you brave enough to traverse the dark path laid before you or will you become another notch on the wall?
- GenresHorror
161 pages, Paperback
First published February 26, 2019
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259 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 13, 2019
Once in a great while, we stumble across a work of literature that transcends not only our expectations but genre and definability itself. NOTCHES by M. Ennenbach is one of those works, and it cannot be stressed enough that reading this collection will not only entertain you, but it will awe you as well.
The collection starts off with a story of subtle horror with BLUE. It's a quiet piece, and while it's short and fast-paced, it also manages to work as a slow burn, and by the end, we are not quite sure what has befallen our protagonist entirely, but we feel his pain and loss as we read his words to his sweet love some distant place away. With NOISES we are treated to a masterful and beautiful tale of love lost and a life felt to have been wasted. We can see the life was indeed NOT wasted, but we understand and care for the character so deeply that we feel his pain as uniquely as if it were our own. The ending is at once heartwarming and horrifying as the rug is pulled from under us in what can only be described as a masterclass in misdirection literature. We even have an epic poem on offer here with PERSEPHONE, as gods and humans mingle and serch for love and the sacrifices we make for desire.
WINDOWS is a standout with a look into the mind of a broken person, broken by life and those who should love him the most, and where that might lead a person. But keep in mind, your experiences are never alone and unique to you in this world. The final three stories are comedies, dark comedies, and you'll find yourself doubling over with laughter at the deadpan genius of these tales. COFFEE TRIO is perhaps my new favorite short-story of all time, about a man in love with coffee, and his dealings with an unfortunate tweaker along three major points in his life. Simply brilliant doesn't cover how wonderful this story is.
And there's several more. NONE of the tales in these pages are yawners. Not a single one. I am typically a very slow reader, even when I quite enjoy a book. It's why I listen to so many audiobooks. It usually takes me a long time to finish a physical book. Not the case with NOTCHES. Putting the book down was not only difficult but at times damn near impossible! The stories, the characters, the dialogue (more on this in a minute) are all masterfully orchestrated works of art, culminating in stories that transcend and defy genre entirely.
Speaking of the dialogue, the last two stories are quite heavy with it. In fact, the next to last story is ENTIRELY dialogue, no descriptors outside of what the characters are saying at all, and it was brilliant. At no point are you lost or confused or lacking information to formulate a clear picture in your mind. The last story is likewise done, and equally masterful. This is evidence of an author who, while new on the scene, has an absolute grasp on their craft and is flexing their literary muscles to a jaw-dropping extent, all without ever seeming to break a sweat.
So, it's obvious I'm a fan of both M. Ennenbach and NOTCHES. There simply isn't a negative critique I can give to this book. Death's Head Press has picked up another gem with this collection, their first to be released as a newly formed Press, and it could not have been hit further out of the park. I encourage you to get this on your Kindle or snatch up a paperback as soon as you can, and dive into what I'm calling the VERY BEST collection of 2019, and quite possibly well beyond. I don't see this one being topped anytime soon, that is, unless Mr. Ennenbach decides to drop another one on us soon. And I'm praying he does.
I can't wait for more from M. Ennenbach. I'll be snatching up anything and everything he releases henceforth if it even contains a modicum of the brilliance NOTCHES contains. I don't think the man knows how to write a bad sentence. And for this to be a debut release, well...I can't imagine what we're in store for in the future.
Brilliant author. Brilliant collection. Brilliant stories. Incredibly good writing. 11 out of 5 stars. Get yourself a copy and discover what I have: the best new writer on the scene. On ANY scene.
The collection starts off with a story of subtle horror with BLUE. It's a quiet piece, and while it's short and fast-paced, it also manages to work as a slow burn, and by the end, we are not quite sure what has befallen our protagonist entirely, but we feel his pain and loss as we read his words to his sweet love some distant place away. With NOISES we are treated to a masterful and beautiful tale of love lost and a life felt to have been wasted. We can see the life was indeed NOT wasted, but we understand and care for the character so deeply that we feel his pain as uniquely as if it were our own. The ending is at once heartwarming and horrifying as the rug is pulled from under us in what can only be described as a masterclass in misdirection literature. We even have an epic poem on offer here with PERSEPHONE, as gods and humans mingle and serch for love and the sacrifices we make for desire.
WINDOWS is a standout with a look into the mind of a broken person, broken by life and those who should love him the most, and where that might lead a person. But keep in mind, your experiences are never alone and unique to you in this world. The final three stories are comedies, dark comedies, and you'll find yourself doubling over with laughter at the deadpan genius of these tales. COFFEE TRIO is perhaps my new favorite short-story of all time, about a man in love with coffee, and his dealings with an unfortunate tweaker along three major points in his life. Simply brilliant doesn't cover how wonderful this story is.
And there's several more. NONE of the tales in these pages are yawners. Not a single one. I am typically a very slow reader, even when I quite enjoy a book. It's why I listen to so many audiobooks. It usually takes me a long time to finish a physical book. Not the case with NOTCHES. Putting the book down was not only difficult but at times damn near impossible! The stories, the characters, the dialogue (more on this in a minute) are all masterfully orchestrated works of art, culminating in stories that transcend and defy genre entirely.
Speaking of the dialogue, the last two stories are quite heavy with it. In fact, the next to last story is ENTIRELY dialogue, no descriptors outside of what the characters are saying at all, and it was brilliant. At no point are you lost or confused or lacking information to formulate a clear picture in your mind. The last story is likewise done, and equally masterful. This is evidence of an author who, while new on the scene, has an absolute grasp on their craft and is flexing their literary muscles to a jaw-dropping extent, all without ever seeming to break a sweat.
So, it's obvious I'm a fan of both M. Ennenbach and NOTCHES. There simply isn't a negative critique I can give to this book. Death's Head Press has picked up another gem with this collection, their first to be released as a newly formed Press, and it could not have been hit further out of the park. I encourage you to get this on your Kindle or snatch up a paperback as soon as you can, and dive into what I'm calling the VERY BEST collection of 2019, and quite possibly well beyond. I don't see this one being topped anytime soon, that is, unless Mr. Ennenbach decides to drop another one on us soon. And I'm praying he does.
I can't wait for more from M. Ennenbach. I'll be snatching up anything and everything he releases henceforth if it even contains a modicum of the brilliance NOTCHES contains. I don't think the man knows how to write a bad sentence. And for this to be a debut release, well...I can't imagine what we're in store for in the future.
Brilliant author. Brilliant collection. Brilliant stories. Incredibly good writing. 11 out of 5 stars. Get yourself a copy and discover what I have: the best new writer on the scene. On ANY scene.
March 24, 2021
Notches is an excellent collection of short stories penned by M. Ennenbach. There is something here for every taste or personality. A bit of horror, a touch of tragedy and loss, the bleak despair of the human condition, the doldrums of just being caught up in our existence and finding the humor or will power to keep going.
The opening story “Blue” is a desperate tale full of love and longing, and an unfolding mystery that grows more horrifying with every passing night. There are two more tales of loss and sadness, “Chances” and “Noises” that will have you remembering and grieving those time when you also faced such pain and loss.
There is a gorgeous epic-length poem that is a beautiful telling of the tale of Persephone. I do not have words appropriate enough to describe this tale, you must read Notches for yourself and discover it with the same complete awe and wonder that I did. Several other tales are more surreal and bizarre, such as “T-rex and the Baby Doll,” “Coffee Machine” and “Customer Service” will make you chuckle and cringe as each situation unfolds with endings that are perfectly penned. “Customer Service" made me laugh out loud, several times, as did its follow-up story, “Interview.” Each story reads like a full-length novel so rich and relatable are the characters and emotions found within, regardless of the story they tell.
Ennenbach is more than an author, more than a poet. He is the personification of the human condition. His ability to draw you in and hold you there, deep inside each story, to feel the pain, the grief, the despair, and desolation within, is almost unparalleled by authors today.
He is truly an expert storyteller, no matter how he chooses to tell his story. Get to know him. Remember his name because you will be hearing it again, again, and again.
The opening story “Blue” is a desperate tale full of love and longing, and an unfolding mystery that grows more horrifying with every passing night. There are two more tales of loss and sadness, “Chances” and “Noises” that will have you remembering and grieving those time when you also faced such pain and loss.
There is a gorgeous epic-length poem that is a beautiful telling of the tale of Persephone. I do not have words appropriate enough to describe this tale, you must read Notches for yourself and discover it with the same complete awe and wonder that I did. Several other tales are more surreal and bizarre, such as “T-rex and the Baby Doll,” “Coffee Machine” and “Customer Service” will make you chuckle and cringe as each situation unfolds with endings that are perfectly penned. “Customer Service" made me laugh out loud, several times, as did its follow-up story, “Interview.” Each story reads like a full-length novel so rich and relatable are the characters and emotions found within, regardless of the story they tell.
Ennenbach is more than an author, more than a poet. He is the personification of the human condition. His ability to draw you in and hold you there, deep inside each story, to feel the pain, the grief, the despair, and desolation within, is almost unparalleled by authors today.
He is truly an expert storyteller, no matter how he chooses to tell his story. Get to know him. Remember his name because you will be hearing it again, again, and again.
August 17, 2019
This won’t be a “review” really. Just a simple fact. This book fucking rules. Buy it. Read it. Buy it for a friend too.
5/5 Skulls
☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️
5/5 Skulls
☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️
April 23, 2021
April Review 5: Notches: A Collection by M. Ennenbach
I guess being released by Death's Head Press gives the impression that M. Ennenbach's collection is an assemblage of extreme horror short stories; it is not. Ennenbach's writing brings to mind the dark magical realism of Gary Braunbeck, the brutal and soulful crime stories of Ed Gorman, and the knack for bizarro/bizarre horror from Bentley Little. Imagine being a writer who can channel all of that!
In 1. Blue , Ennenbach provides "chills" with the story of a mining expedition plagued by "blue-skinned demons" while staying in a snowy lodge. Ennenbach uses a Stephen King-inspired scare to perfection as well as providing a bleak ending. Also, the adaptation of the epistolary style of storytelling was fitting and added to the increasing dread. 2. T-Rex and the Baby Doll is bizarre horror in the vein of Bentley Little. The point of these stories is to scare and weird you out, a feat this tale achieves. 3. Noises is the tale that brings Braunbeck to mind, with a touching and relatable protagonist suddenly confronted with what seems to be a magical moment in a life filled with abject misery. Then Ennenbach swoops in for the kill. "Noises" is a truly haunting tale that runs the gamut of human experience from sadness, joy, to eventual misery (acceptance?). 4. Infatuation brings us back to the real world with its realistic take on true love, as well as the expectations around it. A story about relationships without the horror and fantasy trappings should not be compelling: Ennenbach makes the tale fascinating, though, through the meaningful insights made by the female character (it is told from her POV) as she goes through her weird and unsavory job. 5. Persephone is a re-telling of the Persephone Greek myth in the form of narrative poetry. This part of the collection may not be for horror fans, but I appreciated it for being well-told and compelling. 6. In March 15 , Ennenbach goes for the now-trendy subgenre of "loop horror." This story is a truly maddening tale that takes on a deeper meaning when you consider that the loop happens on a fateful day in the main character's life. 7. Windows is a blast from start to finish, a brutal and somber crime tale about a man who, in his violent way, tries to fight back against the world that hates him. He soon realizes that nobody can derail his perfect getaway but him. Ennenbach's prose and themes remind me of the late Ed Gorman, a titan in the field of crime and horror.
I must confess not liking 8. Coffee Trio that much, although this dystopian tale has its fair share of dark humor; I was just not drawn to the subject matter. 9. Customer Service , however, is a laugh riot from beginning to end. No spoilers for this one. The last story 10. Interview is connected to the previous one, and although it may not be as funny, it is still a great companion piece.
"Notches" is an eclectic collection from a talented writer; he can channel the "greats," and his writing is superb. Now let's read his splatter western!
I guess being released by Death's Head Press gives the impression that M. Ennenbach's collection is an assemblage of extreme horror short stories; it is not. Ennenbach's writing brings to mind the dark magical realism of Gary Braunbeck, the brutal and soulful crime stories of Ed Gorman, and the knack for bizarro/bizarre horror from Bentley Little. Imagine being a writer who can channel all of that!
In 1. Blue , Ennenbach provides "chills" with the story of a mining expedition plagued by "blue-skinned demons" while staying in a snowy lodge. Ennenbach uses a Stephen King-inspired scare to perfection as well as providing a bleak ending. Also, the adaptation of the epistolary style of storytelling was fitting and added to the increasing dread. 2. T-Rex and the Baby Doll is bizarre horror in the vein of Bentley Little. The point of these stories is to scare and weird you out, a feat this tale achieves. 3. Noises is the tale that brings Braunbeck to mind, with a touching and relatable protagonist suddenly confronted with what seems to be a magical moment in a life filled with abject misery. Then Ennenbach swoops in for the kill. "Noises" is a truly haunting tale that runs the gamut of human experience from sadness, joy, to eventual misery (acceptance?). 4. Infatuation brings us back to the real world with its realistic take on true love, as well as the expectations around it. A story about relationships without the horror and fantasy trappings should not be compelling: Ennenbach makes the tale fascinating, though, through the meaningful insights made by the female character (it is told from her POV) as she goes through her weird and unsavory job. 5. Persephone is a re-telling of the Persephone Greek myth in the form of narrative poetry. This part of the collection may not be for horror fans, but I appreciated it for being well-told and compelling. 6. In March 15 , Ennenbach goes for the now-trendy subgenre of "loop horror." This story is a truly maddening tale that takes on a deeper meaning when you consider that the loop happens on a fateful day in the main character's life. 7. Windows is a blast from start to finish, a brutal and somber crime tale about a man who, in his violent way, tries to fight back against the world that hates him. He soon realizes that nobody can derail his perfect getaway but him. Ennenbach's prose and themes remind me of the late Ed Gorman, a titan in the field of crime and horror.
I must confess not liking 8. Coffee Trio that much, although this dystopian tale has its fair share of dark humor; I was just not drawn to the subject matter. 9. Customer Service , however, is a laugh riot from beginning to end. No spoilers for this one. The last story 10. Interview is connected to the previous one, and although it may not be as funny, it is still a great companion piece.
"Notches" is an eclectic collection from a talented writer; he can channel the "greats," and his writing is superb. Now let's read his splatter western!
March 7, 2019
These are exactly the types of stories I enjoy. A bit bent, dark in its humor, but stories which underneath it all, are actual everyday, relatable stories. I found it entertaining and engaging. The written quality is excellent and reads smoothly and quickly. I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys the absurd, dark humor, or even existential writing. It’s a fun ride and I look forward to Mr. Ennenbach’s next release. Oh, and did I mention there is an epic length poem included? This has it all.
April 15, 2019
Amazing collection! definitely a new name in horror, and someone to keep an eye on. Each story is very distinct and takes you deeper into what is truly a disturbing psyche. Blue, the first story, is one of my favorites and is a sad, disturbing piece of historical fiction. It sets the pace for this collection that keeps drawing in the reader for every story thereafter.
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February 5, 2023
Like 'Dreamwhispers', Notches is a solid story collection by M. Ennenbach . The range of style and emotion in this collection makes for something that will appeal to many readers. Between stories that can make you laugh to stories that go right for the jugular, Ennenbach knows how to write fiction that is entertaining and effective. Noises, Customer Service, and Chances easily being the stand outs for me.
November 9, 2019
Welcome to this week’s Freakish Friday my Fellow Book Dragons. On this cold November evening we open a bag of mixed Gems by Gem Maker M. Ennenbach. They vary in size and color, shape and atmosphere. Some are blood red, others a grayish-blue, others bluer still, some are green. All are poisonous. Some have the stink of Hades sulfur. We must be careful with them. They must all go back in this bag, you see, we cannot let even one get away. We cannot trust them on their own. That’s it..give them all back and I will lock them away, then we can discuss them.
Notches is one of those nasty ( and I say that in the nicest way possible) story collections that grabs One by the eyeballs and belly from the get go and doesn’t let go until One has read the entire book. I enjoyed all of these stories immensely except the last three. There was too much profanity and pornography, though the very last story had an extremely interesting twist and so I was more forgiving of it. But that was only three and there are eight other stories in the book that I will read again. There are five of those eight that I will definitely read each year at Halloween and of those five there are three that I will hold in my heart as three of the best horror stories I have every read. I am going to talk about one of those in more detail and then there is a paranormal romance poem that I will treasure and read to with my granddaughter because like myself and her mother, we love Greek Mythology.
Ennenbach recalls for me H.P. Lovecraft, Shirley Jackson and M.R. James. His story ‘Blue’ is one of those where Ennenbach seems to have channeled the great English horror writer, M. R. James. Ennenbach takes us back in time to the late 1800’s. It is late Autumn. We find H. writing to his beloved wife Matilda that the surveyors he works for are making slow going of a job for their mining company bosses and it seems the Appalachian Mountains may be their home for the winter. He cannot stop having bad dreams, neither can the other guests of the inn where he abides. It seems a little “blue” girl haunts them, floating outside their windows and tapping all night long in their dreams. They awake to find nothing. They laugh at the one person brave enough to tell of his dream, but it is nervous laughter, because they have all had the dream. Who is this blue girl, is she just a figment of cabin fevered men wanting to leave the mountains and go to where it is not dark at 3 p.m. each day? Is she something more? You will have to find that out for yourself.. this Dragon doesn’t do spoilers.
In ‘Persephone’ Ennenbach has shown genius in taking the story of Persephone, Hades and Demeter and turning it into one of the most entertaining stories I have ever read. Persephone is not the one from my Greek professor’s dry lecture all those years ago. She is vibrant,smart and a woman to be admired. I shall treasure my copy of “Notches” for a long time to come, all because of this poem and the story ‘Blue’. This poem gave me chills. I read it and have read it and Blue through again since I finished the book.
If you want stories to make the hair stand up on the back of your neck, stories to make you laugh out loud (all the while being really glad you aren’t in them) and stories that make you say, “YES! You deserved that!” to some really nasty villain.. then you must really get a copy of “Notches”. The cover is one of those that really does give you a good idea of what is going on inside the pages. I can’t wait to see what Mr. Ennenbach has for us next. But I am going to do it from way over ….here. You can get it now on Amazon for only $2.99 on Kindle. Holidays are coming, if you know someone who loves horror…this is a great stocking stuffer as it’s also in Paperback.
Until tomorrow, I remain, your humble Book Dragon, Drakon T. Longwitten
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Notches is one of those nasty ( and I say that in the nicest way possible) story collections that grabs One by the eyeballs and belly from the get go and doesn’t let go until One has read the entire book. I enjoyed all of these stories immensely except the last three. There was too much profanity and pornography, though the very last story had an extremely interesting twist and so I was more forgiving of it. But that was only three and there are eight other stories in the book that I will read again. There are five of those eight that I will definitely read each year at Halloween and of those five there are three that I will hold in my heart as three of the best horror stories I have every read. I am going to talk about one of those in more detail and then there is a paranormal romance poem that I will treasure and read to with my granddaughter because like myself and her mother, we love Greek Mythology.
Ennenbach recalls for me H.P. Lovecraft, Shirley Jackson and M.R. James. His story ‘Blue’ is one of those where Ennenbach seems to have channeled the great English horror writer, M. R. James. Ennenbach takes us back in time to the late 1800’s. It is late Autumn. We find H. writing to his beloved wife Matilda that the surveyors he works for are making slow going of a job for their mining company bosses and it seems the Appalachian Mountains may be their home for the winter. He cannot stop having bad dreams, neither can the other guests of the inn where he abides. It seems a little “blue” girl haunts them, floating outside their windows and tapping all night long in their dreams. They awake to find nothing. They laugh at the one person brave enough to tell of his dream, but it is nervous laughter, because they have all had the dream. Who is this blue girl, is she just a figment of cabin fevered men wanting to leave the mountains and go to where it is not dark at 3 p.m. each day? Is she something more? You will have to find that out for yourself.. this Dragon doesn’t do spoilers.
In ‘Persephone’ Ennenbach has shown genius in taking the story of Persephone, Hades and Demeter and turning it into one of the most entertaining stories I have ever read. Persephone is not the one from my Greek professor’s dry lecture all those years ago. She is vibrant,smart and a woman to be admired. I shall treasure my copy of “Notches” for a long time to come, all because of this poem and the story ‘Blue’. This poem gave me chills. I read it and have read it and Blue through again since I finished the book.
If you want stories to make the hair stand up on the back of your neck, stories to make you laugh out loud (all the while being really glad you aren’t in them) and stories that make you say, “YES! You deserved that!” to some really nasty villain.. then you must really get a copy of “Notches”. The cover is one of those that really does give you a good idea of what is going on inside the pages. I can’t wait to see what Mr. Ennenbach has for us next. But I am going to do it from way over ….here. You can get it now on Amazon for only $2.99 on Kindle. Holidays are coming, if you know someone who loves horror…this is a great stocking stuffer as it’s also in Paperback.
Until tomorrow, I remain, your humble Book Dragon, Drakon T. Longwitten
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
March 23, 2019
An offbeat collection of short narratives with striking themes at the core of each piece. Some are grim, some are forlorn, some are surreal, and some even offer a dose of perverse hilarity. There's something in this collection for everyone, really. My favorite pieces include the darkly offbeat stories "T Rex and the Baby Doll" in which its protagonist's humdrum suburban routine takes a strange and terrifying turn when he comes home from work and discovers something nasty in the bedroom; "March 15th," in which a heartbroken lover keeps suffering through the same torturous day over and over; "Windows" in which a man's psychopathic tendencies emerge after a tragic series of events; and the darkly funny connected tales "Customer Service" and "Interview," involving a notorious sex toy company and its...product issues. All in all, highly recommended. I look forward to reading more from M. Ennenbach.
September 1, 2019
A glimpse of an ingenious writer
It is a short story collection filled with humour, heartaches, beauty and love. After reading Notches, I felt it was like a tasting tour in an ingenious writer's mind.
It is a short story collection filled with humour, heartaches, beauty and love. After reading Notches, I felt it was like a tasting tour in an ingenious writer's mind.
November 2, 2020
Notches is an unexpected, eclectic collection from M. Ennenbach. These stories showcase both his talent as a writer and his impressive subgenre range.
“Blue” is a dark and evocative Lovecraftian tale; not in the cosmic sense but in the mysterious, ominous letter style of the story, the building dread, the quality of the tale. I truly love this story.
“Chances” is a deep and haunting tale, almost too deep to be horror, but ultimately frightening in its own way.
“T Rex and the Baby Doll” is a crazy, morbid, bizarro horror story with pockets of dark humor one is afraid to laugh at.
“Noises” is a dark tale, told in first person and very well-presented. Hard to say much about this one without giving something away, and I abhor spoilers in reviews.
“Infatuation” is a strange tale about a woman falling in love. It is the dark tragedy of a woman who doesn’t respect her clients because she doesn’t respect herself starting to see beyond her day-to-day. I think the content may shock some readers, but I find it a sad in a psychological horror context.
“Persephone” is a clever interpretation of the story of Persephone told in evocative verse.
“March 15th” is a twisted psychological horror about a special kind of hell.
“Windows” is a dark, compelling tale with a surprise ending. A truly well-crafted story.
“Coffee Trio” is a bit of bizarro and humor. A fun, irreverent read with a lot of violence.
“Customer Service” is, as one can expect, a genius extreme customer service horror story.
“Interview” is the unexpected follow-up to “Customer Service.” It is an apt hypothetical of the corporate world.
This is a brilliant collection with something for most every horror preference. The only thing one might find questionable about this book is the seeming curse of the invisible ghost comma found here and there. But it is not disruptive and most are easy to miss entirely with such captivating, flowing stories. Definitely shelf-worthy and recommended.
“Blue” is a dark and evocative Lovecraftian tale; not in the cosmic sense but in the mysterious, ominous letter style of the story, the building dread, the quality of the tale. I truly love this story.
“Chances” is a deep and haunting tale, almost too deep to be horror, but ultimately frightening in its own way.
“T Rex and the Baby Doll” is a crazy, morbid, bizarro horror story with pockets of dark humor one is afraid to laugh at.
“Noises” is a dark tale, told in first person and very well-presented. Hard to say much about this one without giving something away, and I abhor spoilers in reviews.
“Infatuation” is a strange tale about a woman falling in love. It is the dark tragedy of a woman who doesn’t respect her clients because she doesn’t respect herself starting to see beyond her day-to-day. I think the content may shock some readers, but I find it a sad in a psychological horror context.
“Persephone” is a clever interpretation of the story of Persephone told in evocative verse.
“March 15th” is a twisted psychological horror about a special kind of hell.
“Windows” is a dark, compelling tale with a surprise ending. A truly well-crafted story.
“Coffee Trio” is a bit of bizarro and humor. A fun, irreverent read with a lot of violence.
“Customer Service” is, as one can expect, a genius extreme customer service horror story.
“Interview” is the unexpected follow-up to “Customer Service.” It is an apt hypothetical of the corporate world.
This is a brilliant collection with something for most every horror preference. The only thing one might find questionable about this book is the seeming curse of the invisible ghost comma found here and there. But it is not disruptive and most are easy to miss entirely with such captivating, flowing stories. Definitely shelf-worthy and recommended.
March 19, 2022
Notches is a collection of eleven amazing, diverse stories. They are all brilliant in their own way but I have a few favourites. Blue is a story written in the form of several letters by a man in the 1800s to his wife whilst he is away. As we go through each letter, it’s clear something sinister is going on as the man is faced with the possibility of never being able to get back home to his wife. Beautifully written, it drew me in very quickly and kept me spellbound; it’s one of my favourites in the collection. Another is Noises, a heartbreaking story about love and loss. A beautiful story which touched my heart deeply and brought a tear to my eye. Chances was a quick read, and gave me a glimpse into a sad, lonely soul who is faced with a life-changing decision. What decision would you make in his place? I found T-Rex and the Baby Doll a fun, quirky little story. There is a story based on the Greek goddess Persephone, written as a poem with beautiful words and imagery. It was an absolutely gorgeous experience to read. There is a brilliant crime story, a couple of fun, offbeat and humorous stories. I honestly loved them all but my absolute favourite is Noises. Mike’s writing is pure bliss and leaves you in awe of his great talent. Please, if you haven’t read anything yet by this wonderful author, do yourselves a favour and read Notches. It honestly astounds me how this author isn’t flying around the world yet doing book tours. He is that good!
March 10, 2023
*I'm not going to give you the 'what this book is about' blurb - you can read that elsewhere.
1. Of course this is 5-stars. Ennenbach's beautifully tortured mind just speaks to my heart.
2. The breadth of emotion throughout this collection is impressive. There's love, laughter, heartbreak, and murder - literally something for every taste! I especially appreciate the dark sense of fatalistic humor that pulses through many of the stories, it truly tickled my funny bone in the most relatable way.
3. A few of my favorites/thoughts on certain stories:
Chances = Damnit, Mike. This was heartbreaking. And you're wrong; your words absolutely impact so many of us.
Noises = 😳...oh, okay. This ending flipped me on my head and spun me around!
Coffee Trio = contains one of my most favorite quotes I've ever read.
Customer Service immediately followed by Interview = HILARIOUS, well played, sir 👏.
4. Read it. *for my non-horror friends - this is one you could get down with!
1. Of course this is 5-stars. Ennenbach's beautifully tortured mind just speaks to my heart.
2. The breadth of emotion throughout this collection is impressive. There's love, laughter, heartbreak, and murder - literally something for every taste! I especially appreciate the dark sense of fatalistic humor that pulses through many of the stories, it truly tickled my funny bone in the most relatable way.
3. A few of my favorites/thoughts on certain stories:
Chances = Damnit, Mike. This was heartbreaking. And you're wrong; your words absolutely impact so many of us.
Noises = 😳...oh, okay. This ending flipped me on my head and spun me around!
Coffee Trio = contains one of my most favorite quotes I've ever read.
Customer Service immediately followed by Interview = HILARIOUS, well played, sir 👏.
4. Read it. *for my non-horror friends - this is one you could get down with!
February 10, 2023
"Notches" by M. Ennenbach
From one of the most beautiful minds in horror, take a stroll through this collection and prepare to have your entire heart ripped out of your body. Of these eleven stories there were four that stood out to me the most.
"Blue" is an incredibly sad tale, told in a series of letters. A young man writes to his love, hoping that he will be able to make it home soon and be by her side, but things just aren't looking good for him. Inside this story are the blue people, which could be a number of things based off the reader. For me personally, I felt they were vampires and they made this story ultra creepy.
"Chances" is the story that really ripped me apart emotionally. I found it the most relatable and it was heavily discussed in our buddy read. It also made me think of a particular scene in Beetlejuice where the man and womab are awaiting their fate while seated on the couch.
"Noises" is a story about a man whose hearing impaired whose lover has chosen to leave him. The relationship has become trying, with him not sharing the same emotion he used to, becoming quite closed off. This decision was hard for his lover, she especially wanted a different ending for them. But this man has chosen to believe otherwise, that she left him due to his hearing impairment. This tale spoke absolute volumes to me and you simply have to read it to understand the experience of it.
"March 15th" was incrediy reminiscent of the movie "Groundhog Day". Our main character has experienced a break up and every day is the same as the last. Same song, same routine, same heartbreak.
Ennenbach's prose is so moving and so raw that this collection deserves to be read at least twice.
From one of the most beautiful minds in horror, take a stroll through this collection and prepare to have your entire heart ripped out of your body. Of these eleven stories there were four that stood out to me the most.
"Blue" is an incredibly sad tale, told in a series of letters. A young man writes to his love, hoping that he will be able to make it home soon and be by her side, but things just aren't looking good for him. Inside this story are the blue people, which could be a number of things based off the reader. For me personally, I felt they were vampires and they made this story ultra creepy.
"Chances" is the story that really ripped me apart emotionally. I found it the most relatable and it was heavily discussed in our buddy read. It also made me think of a particular scene in Beetlejuice where the man and womab are awaiting their fate while seated on the couch.
"Noises" is a story about a man whose hearing impaired whose lover has chosen to leave him. The relationship has become trying, with him not sharing the same emotion he used to, becoming quite closed off. This decision was hard for his lover, she especially wanted a different ending for them. But this man has chosen to believe otherwise, that she left him due to his hearing impairment. This tale spoke absolute volumes to me and you simply have to read it to understand the experience of it.
"March 15th" was incrediy reminiscent of the movie "Groundhog Day". Our main character has experienced a break up and every day is the same as the last. Same song, same routine, same heartbreak.
Ennenbach's prose is so moving and so raw that this collection deserves to be read at least twice.
April 14, 2025
This was a fun read!
I really enjoyed this one. After being stuck in a reading slump, I tore through this one within a day or 2. It's not easy for a short story to pull you in and keep you invested, but each story in this collection does just that. While I can't say every story was for me (there was a story or two I just didn't connect with) the experience is excellent overall. In my opinion "Noises," "Persephone," and "Windows" alone make this worth the price of admission.
I really enjoyed this one. After being stuck in a reading slump, I tore through this one within a day or 2. It's not easy for a short story to pull you in and keep you invested, but each story in this collection does just that. While I can't say every story was for me (there was a story or two I just didn't connect with) the experience is excellent overall. In my opinion "Noises," "Persephone," and "Windows" alone make this worth the price of admission.
November 26, 2020
Brilliant!!
I will Notch this one up as a success!! This book really got to me....in a good way! I found I could relate to a lot of it, some of it was chilling, some scary, and some, like Customer Service, were hilarious!! Brilliant, couldnt put it down, and didnt want to put it down!
I will Notch this one up as a success!! This book really got to me....in a good way! I found I could relate to a lot of it, some of it was chilling, some scary, and some, like Customer Service, were hilarious!! Brilliant, couldnt put it down, and didnt want to put it down!
April 2, 2020
Excellent collection of works from M Ennenbach. Some dark, some strange. Some humor. This makes me thirsty for more more more.
May 3, 2020
Neat book. Kinda freaky.
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