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Dissonant Harmonies
Inspired by specially curated mixtapes, Bev Vincent and Brian Keene present two new spine-chilling novellas...
As a blizzard descends upon the sleepy town of Bayport, Rhode Island, brothers Joey and Frank Shaw investigate the mysterious disappearances of several townsfolk. After the discovery of strange tunnels, tunnels that only Joey can see, the trio suspect something is lurking beneath the snowbound town. Something burrowing. Something hungry. And it looks like Joey might be next in The Dead of Winter.
Did you imagine the world vanishing to a flood or a comet, the hand of God or nuclear war? What if it started with something as innocuous as the Berenstain Bears, and something known as the Mandela Effect? Barricaded in a seedy motel room, one man makes sense of love, loss, and life as the end of the world looms. Do you see what he sees? Do you know what he knows?
As a blizzard descends upon the sleepy town of Bayport, Rhode Island, brothers Joey and Frank Shaw investigate the mysterious disappearances of several townsfolk. After the discovery of strange tunnels, tunnels that only Joey can see, the trio suspect something is lurking beneath the snowbound town. Something burrowing. Something hungry. And it looks like Joey might be next in The Dead of Winter.
Did you imagine the world vanishing to a flood or a comet, the hand of God or nuclear war? What if it started with something as innocuous as the Berenstain Bears, and something known as the Mandela Effect? Barricaded in a seedy motel room, one man makes sense of love, loss, and life as the end of the world looms. Do you see what he sees? Do you know what he knows?
176 pages, Paperback
Published March 16, 2021
8 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
Bev Vincent
129 books97 followersBev Vincent is the author of The Dark Tower Companion, The Road to the Dark Tower, the Bram Stoker Award nominated companion to Stephen King’s Dark Tower series, and The Stephen King Illustrated Companion, which was nominated for a 2010 Edgar® Award and a 2009 Bram Stoker Award. In 2018, he co-edited the anthology Flight or Fright with Stephen King.
His short fiction has appeared in places like Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Borderlands 5, Ice Cold, and The Blue Religion. Four stories were collected in When the Night Comes Down and another four in a CD Select eBook. His story “The Bank Job” won the Al Blanchard Award. “The Honey Trap” from Ice Cold was nominated for an ITW Thriller Award in 2015 and “Zombies On A Plane” was nominated for an Ignotus Award in 2020.
His work has been translated into: Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Serbian, Spanish and Ukrainian.
He has been a contributing editor with Cemetery Dance magazine since 2001 and writes book reviews for Onyx Reviews. He has served as a judge for the Al Blanchard, Shirley Jackson and Edgar Awards.
His short fiction has appeared in places like Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Borderlands 5, Ice Cold, and The Blue Religion. Four stories were collected in When the Night Comes Down and another four in a CD Select eBook. His story “The Bank Job” won the Al Blanchard Award. “The Honey Trap” from Ice Cold was nominated for an ITW Thriller Award in 2015 and “Zombies On A Plane” was nominated for an Ignotus Award in 2020.
His work has been translated into: Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Serbian, Spanish and Ukrainian.
He has been a contributing editor with Cemetery Dance magazine since 2001 and writes book reviews for Onyx Reviews. He has served as a judge for the Al Blanchard, Shirley Jackson and Edgar Awards.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 10, 2022
Being unfamiliar with Bev Vincent's work, and being that I'm a fan of Brian Keene, I thought this volume which includes two novellas, would be a great read. I'm happy to report that I was right!
The first tale, DEAD OF WINTER, was written by Bev Vincent. Much fun was had! This is the tale of two brothers, reunited in their hometown, amidst a mystery involving missing citizens. In the middle of a snowstorm named Bruno, the brothers work with their local police chief to solve the case. This story was just plain fun!
The second tale, THE MOTEL AT THE END OF THE WORLD, involves a couple barricaded in a hotel room. Why? You'll have to read this to find out!
Each novel was written to a soundtrack provided by the other author. Bev provided Brian with a "mix tape," and vice versa. I haven't yet investigated all the songs but I do plan to soon. To be honest, I was intrigued by the idea of writing to a soundtrack provided by someone else. There is an introduction in which all of this is explained, and it includes each song on each playlist.
This two novella collection was a BLAST!
*Thanks to Cemetery Dance for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
The first tale, DEAD OF WINTER, was written by Bev Vincent. Much fun was had! This is the tale of two brothers, reunited in their hometown, amidst a mystery involving missing citizens. In the middle of a snowstorm named Bruno, the brothers work with their local police chief to solve the case. This story was just plain fun!
The second tale, THE MOTEL AT THE END OF THE WORLD, involves a couple barricaded in a hotel room. Why? You'll have to read this to find out!
Each novel was written to a soundtrack provided by the other author. Bev provided Brian with a "mix tape," and vice versa. I haven't yet investigated all the songs but I do plan to soon. To be honest, I was intrigued by the idea of writing to a soundtrack provided by someone else. There is an introduction in which all of this is explained, and it includes each song on each playlist.
This two novella collection was a BLAST!
*Thanks to Cemetery Dance for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
April 5, 2023
I really enjoyed this nifty little book. The concept was that each author provided the other with a playlist of songs intended to inspire them in the writing of their story. In all honesty I didn't see much connection between the music and the resultant prose, but I was familiar with (and liked) most of it; the list that Vincent gave Keene was more to my taste. But I really liked both of the stories. I was familiar with Vincent only as a Stephen King scholar and from a few of his short stories, but I have been a big fan of Keene for years. Vincent's novella is set in Bayport and features two brothers, Frank and Joey. There are characters named Morton and Shaw and Franklin, and a few other references to a certain series of blue-bound juvenile mysteries of which I'm inordinately fond. People have been disappearing from Bayport, and Frank, who's grown up to become a detective in Texas, comes home to help solve the mystery. Joey still lives in the old homestead but is something of a druggie ne'er-do-well. There're otherworldly cannibalistic shenanigans afoot, all in the middle of a brutal brumal blizzard named Bruno, and The Dead of Winter is a real chiller of a story. Keene's story, The Motel at the End of the World, is a look at The Mandela Effect and the nature of how reality can change. It's a much shorter story than Vincent's (or maybe it used to be longer, but it got changed...?), but it is quite thought-provoking and packs a nice punch. It has a very unreliable narrator, and I think it succeeds in making the reader unreliable, too. I was questioning my memory of The Bible and The Empire Strikes Back and the hundred or so Berenstein Bear books I read to my daughter years ago. (The unreliable reviewer points out that the unreliable author inserts a sly plug for one of his best-known novels, Dead City by Brian Keene.) As you can tell, I had a lot of fun with both of the stories in the book!
December 6, 2021
Horror Bookworm Reviews
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/
- Frank, returns to his hometown of Bayport to meet up with younger brother Joey. Unfortunately the visit is not for pleasure, but to answer a plea for help. The ongoing disappearances of the town’s citizens during harsh winters tests the brothers beliefs of reality as unnatural forces arrive with the approaching blizzards.
- As the worlds apocalyptic menace nears its unthinkable devastation, a man reflects on memories of the past as he and his wife are trapped in a motel awaiting the world’s end.
- The Dead Of Winter by Bev Vincent. The National Weather Service warns of snow…snow…and more snow. However the advisories of dark basements and unearthly disappearances of individuals have tragically gone undiscovered. Creating a disturbing atmosphere using winter stormy nights and a threat of looming terror, Bev Vincent navigates the reader through a chilling trail of paranoia and trepidation. His underscore of “it’s gonna get a lot worse before it gets better” is an understatement of great proportions. Bring your winter attire and faith in your guardian spirit for this one.
- The Motel At The End Of The World by Brian Keene. Dave Giffen is at the end of his rope as a glowing orange fire of Armageddon jeopardizes his mental wellness. Brian Keene conducts his ability to express a realism of devastation and craziness gone horribly wrong with a flair of unforgettable creepiness. Thoughts of a soulmate’s quirks and foibles along with a commentary on “love is…” emerges as beyond entertaining in this nightmarish novella.
These two stories published by Cemetery Dance are scripted by Bev Vincent and Brian Keene. Exploring how listening to music can influences writing styles, these two authors exchanged a dedicated playlists for one another to listen to exclusively while creating their own melodies of Dissonant Harmonies.
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/
- Frank, returns to his hometown of Bayport to meet up with younger brother Joey. Unfortunately the visit is not for pleasure, but to answer a plea for help. The ongoing disappearances of the town’s citizens during harsh winters tests the brothers beliefs of reality as unnatural forces arrive with the approaching blizzards.
- As the worlds apocalyptic menace nears its unthinkable devastation, a man reflects on memories of the past as he and his wife are trapped in a motel awaiting the world’s end.
- The Dead Of Winter by Bev Vincent. The National Weather Service warns of snow…snow…and more snow. However the advisories of dark basements and unearthly disappearances of individuals have tragically gone undiscovered. Creating a disturbing atmosphere using winter stormy nights and a threat of looming terror, Bev Vincent navigates the reader through a chilling trail of paranoia and trepidation. His underscore of “it’s gonna get a lot worse before it gets better” is an understatement of great proportions. Bring your winter attire and faith in your guardian spirit for this one.
- The Motel At The End Of The World by Brian Keene. Dave Giffen is at the end of his rope as a glowing orange fire of Armageddon jeopardizes his mental wellness. Brian Keene conducts his ability to express a realism of devastation and craziness gone horribly wrong with a flair of unforgettable creepiness. Thoughts of a soulmate’s quirks and foibles along with a commentary on “love is…” emerges as beyond entertaining in this nightmarish novella.
These two stories published by Cemetery Dance are scripted by Bev Vincent and Brian Keene. Exploring how listening to music can influences writing styles, these two authors exchanged a dedicated playlists for one another to listen to exclusively while creating their own melodies of Dissonant Harmonies.
November 22, 2021
Interesting novella by Bev Vincent involving a cannibalistic creature that tunnels into basements and carries people off. All this against the backdrop of a raging blizzard. A short story by Brian Keene about a rambling madman holed up in a seedy motel gives one much to think about. Recommended.
May 2, 2025
What a unique and fun concept. The authors swapped music playlists and then wrote stories inspired by the music they were given. Bev's was a crime horror set in a blizzard, starring two bothers who I grew quite fond of, and Brian's story is a horror about a couple that have barricaded themselves in a hotel room due to the small matter of the world ending. Or is it?
July 19, 2021
I loved both these novellas. If you enjoy horror, read this.
July 20, 2022
Music fueled creativity
I really liked the concept for these short stories. Each author gave each other a playlist of music to spark creativity. It was also interesting to read about the song choices and the feedback on them by the author. I thought both stories were creative and unique. The reason for the 3 star rating?
Bev Vincent: excellent concept for a story. The issue for me was how the story just dragged. I kept reading paragraphs over again. It’s unfortunate too because I enjoyed the story.
Brian Keene: I really bought this book because of him. Here again, loved the plot, but did not
feel that this was up to par with Brian’s usual fare.
Both stories are well written . Pacing? Meh.
I really liked the concept for these short stories. Each author gave each other a playlist of music to spark creativity. It was also interesting to read about the song choices and the feedback on them by the author. I thought both stories were creative and unique. The reason for the 3 star rating?
Bev Vincent: excellent concept for a story. The issue for me was how the story just dragged. I kept reading paragraphs over again. It’s unfortunate too because I enjoyed the story.
Brian Keene: I really bought this book because of him. Here again, loved the plot, but did not
feel that this was up to par with Brian’s usual fare.
Both stories are well written . Pacing? Meh.
November 18, 2021
Dissonant Harmonies has a great concept; two authors, Bev Vincent and Brian Keene, give each other a playlist to listen to while they write something inspired by the music. Each playlist is given at the beginning of the book, as well as the reasoning behind each song being on the playlist. It’s interesting to see each author’s thoughts on their favorite artists and songs.
Vincent’s story had me guessing until the big reveal. People have been going missing in a small town, one a month for three months at a time. A year later, the disappearances start up again, and two brothers and the local sheriff try to investigate the reasons behind these missing cases. Never in a million years would I had guessed the culprit, and it’s this sort of storytelling that keeps me excited about reading. Just when you think you know what’s going to happen, a story comes along that will stump you!
Keene’s story focuses on the Mandela Effect, and how it has been foreshadowing the end of the world. I’ve done many deep dives on the subject, and it was interesting to see Keene’s perspective on the subject matter. This story caught me off guard, going in a completely different direction than it first seems. Any fan of Keene’s work will love this short and its inclusion of The Seven.
Vincent’s story had me guessing until the big reveal. People have been going missing in a small town, one a month for three months at a time. A year later, the disappearances start up again, and two brothers and the local sheriff try to investigate the reasons behind these missing cases. Never in a million years would I had guessed the culprit, and it’s this sort of storytelling that keeps me excited about reading. Just when you think you know what’s going to happen, a story comes along that will stump you!
Keene’s story focuses on the Mandela Effect, and how it has been foreshadowing the end of the world. I’ve done many deep dives on the subject, and it was interesting to see Keene’s perspective on the subject matter. This story caught me off guard, going in a completely different direction than it first seems. Any fan of Keene’s work will love this short and its inclusion of The Seven.
July 26, 2021
Two fantastic little novellas
Vincent’s is the classic monster one , with a nod to inter dimensional
Keene’s is fantastic !! And real mind bending one that will have you checking the notes ….
Vincent’s is the classic monster one , with a nod to inter dimensional
Keene’s is fantastic !! And real mind bending one that will have you checking the notes ….
January 18, 2022
This book is two novellas where each author gave the other author a mix tape that they had to listen to while writing.
THE DEAD OF WINTER by Bev Vincent -this was an incredible story. Two brothers get together to look into the disappearance of an old girlfriend. Even though it is at the beginning of a massive blizzard, they want to get started and they go check out her apartment. What they find should not be there, it shouldn’t exist at all. Could it be connected to the other disappearances in town?
This is a well written story that is pure entertainment. A mix of dread, interesting situations, make it a lot of fun. Add in great characters that you truly feel/fear for and you have a very compulsive read.
THE HOTEL AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Brian Keene - this is a much shorter story about Dave, who has barricaded himself in a hotel room and is writing down what he knows about how and why the world is ending. The Mandela effect is slowly corrupting everything we thought we knew. Things that everyone remembers didn’t happen the way we thought. Subtle changes in what we remember, but how they never were, have gone out of control and the end is nigh.
THE DEAD OF WINTER by Bev Vincent -this was an incredible story. Two brothers get together to look into the disappearance of an old girlfriend. Even though it is at the beginning of a massive blizzard, they want to get started and they go check out her apartment. What they find should not be there, it shouldn’t exist at all. Could it be connected to the other disappearances in town?
This is a well written story that is pure entertainment. A mix of dread, interesting situations, make it a lot of fun. Add in great characters that you truly feel/fear for and you have a very compulsive read.
THE HOTEL AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Brian Keene - this is a much shorter story about Dave, who has barricaded himself in a hotel room and is writing down what he knows about how and why the world is ending. The Mandela effect is slowly corrupting everything we thought we knew. Things that everyone remembers didn’t happen the way we thought. Subtle changes in what we remember, but how they never were, have gone out of control and the end is nigh.
April 6, 2022
This book contains 2 novellas. One by Bev Vincent and one by Brian Keene. They are both brilliant and haunting. I absolutely loved both stories. If I could give them 10 stars, they absolutely deserve them.
December 29, 2021
Two stories. two authors. Two mixtapes. The result -- this book. I enjoyed it quite a bit. The first story had relatable, real feeling people. It's sometimes hard to tell a good story in a novella format, but Bev Vincent pulled it off great. It was a little different from your normal horror story in that the twist of what is going on -- I won't spoil it here -- is something new and interesting. The story and the characters were fun and the environment of being in the middle of a snowstorm is one I know well from living in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
The second story from Brian Keene was also different, concerning the Mandela effect. And while this story was shorter, he still packs a punch at the ending. I enjoyed it a lot as well.
Would highly suggest this book to anyone!
The second story from Brian Keene was also different, concerning the Mandela effect. And while this story was shorter, he still packs a punch at the ending. I enjoyed it a lot as well.
Would highly suggest this book to anyone!
May 21, 2021
This whole book is a really neat concept. The provided playlists made this a fun book. I really like the notes on the reasons songs were chosen and the reaction by the author they were provided to.
I really liked The Dead of Winter. I don’t think I’ve read anything other than parts of the Dark Tower Companion by Bev Vincent. The story felt familiar but had plenty of differences from those other stories and tropes.
Brian Keene’s story is great. I really enjoy these stories or books of his that are a bit different compared to his most widely known ones. This is one of my favorite stories told using an unreliable narrator.
I really liked The Dead of Winter. I don’t think I’ve read anything other than parts of the Dark Tower Companion by Bev Vincent. The story felt familiar but had plenty of differences from those other stories and tropes.
Brian Keene’s story is great. I really enjoy these stories or books of his that are a bit different compared to his most widely known ones. This is one of my favorite stories told using an unreliable narrator.
August 27, 2021
An interesting concept, one in which two writers pen novellas inspired by mixtapes made for them by the other. I’ve been familiar with Keene’s work for years but I only knew Bev Vincent as a Stephen King super-fan and scholar of sorts so this was the first piece of original fiction of his I’ve read. His tale takes up the vast majority of the slim volume, about 75% of it or more. On paper the plot of Vincent’s long winter’s tale sounds a bit ridiculous, but he sells it convincingly with wonderful characters and tight writing. Keene’s motel at the end of the world is a short, sharp blast and a fun take on the “Mandela Effect” conspiracy. My only complaint is that Keene’s story is so short it is more of a short story than a fully fleshed out novella.
November 15, 2021
The Dead of Winter - a novella by Bev Vincent is Captivating from the 1st sentence! Being told the story is like being right there with Joe, Frank, and Chief Lauren Morton. Bev Vincent had me reading for pure enjoyment. I laughed, was brought back remembering movies, sights, and feelings. A truly remarkable storyteller. The Motel at the End of the World- a short story by Brian Keene - For people who think about the Mandela Effect; this 1st person narrativeis fast-paced, thought-provoking, and so real-to-life! I absolutely loved this!
December 18, 2021
Wow this was fun!!
A snow-locked scare and a Mandela-effect hit parade that'll have you looking up piece after piece of core cultural fabric to find out just how weird things really have gotten.
The snow storm novella by Vincent would pair wonderfully with the films Werewolves Within or The Wolf of Snow Hollow.
A snow-locked scare and a Mandela-effect hit parade that'll have you looking up piece after piece of core cultural fabric to find out just how weird things really have gotten.
The snow storm novella by Vincent would pair wonderfully with the films Werewolves Within or The Wolf of Snow Hollow.
May 2, 2025
The concept for this book was so fun! Authors Bev and Brian gave each other a music playlist with the task of writing a story inspired by the music they each received. Bev's story was a crime caper set in a snowstorm and Brian's was a potentially apocalyptic horror. I liked both and really enjoyed the book overall!
July 14, 2025
This book is actually two novellas by two great horror/suspense writers. The first was kinda far-fetched, but it was so well-written that the ending didn't bother me. The second was very existential and thought provoking about the "end of days" - do you notice how things are subtly changing without realizing when it happened? Good stuff!
May 17, 2021
I rated this book in April and I guess my rate got deleted. Please don't delete Goodreads! Two brothers and a sheriff try to uncover mystery disappearances of the town. And the second story was a bit confusing mostly speaking in riddles a man's sanity about the end of the world.
August 6, 2022
A very interesting back story on the method on which the book came about, but I felt it to be a bit underwhelming. And that is tough for me to say since I am a Keene fan. Bev's story was good and well written but definitely a slow burn for sure.
June 21, 2022
Horror at its best
I have read stories written by both these authors. I only have one complaint I wish they were longer .
I have read stories written by both these authors. I only have one complaint I wish they were longer .
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews