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The Undertaker and Other Macabre Tales
CONTENT WARNING: This collection contains mature content not suitable for all readers
An obsessed professor gathers his acquaintances and claims he can prove the existence of God...by summoning the devil...
An author with writer’s block visits a sleepy village in France, only to discover that the town is host to a sinister secret...
A group of Vietnam War draft dodgers stumble upon a monstrous government experiment in the woods...and it’s just been unleashed…
In this debut collection, author Derek Hutchins invites you to turn off the lights and see what lurks in the realm of shadows. Thirteen tales have been carefully crafted for your horrific delight. So dive in...if you dare!
An obsessed professor gathers his acquaintances and claims he can prove the existence of God...by summoning the devil...
An author with writer’s block visits a sleepy village in France, only to discover that the town is host to a sinister secret...
A group of Vietnam War draft dodgers stumble upon a monstrous government experiment in the woods...and it’s just been unleashed…
In this debut collection, author Derek Hutchins invites you to turn off the lights and see what lurks in the realm of shadows. Thirteen tales have been carefully crafted for your horrific delight. So dive in...if you dare!
- GenresHorror
205 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 2, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 22, 2025
Absolutely outstanding story collection. Starting with the frame story of a sexton being told all those stories by a visitor with a notebook you'll find one highlight after another. Great motifs, good characters, nice situations that have to be faced. The stories could have been written by MR James or Stephen King himself. Never a dull moment, this is it guys. One of the rare story collection I liked every single one of it. Even better than the cover. We want more! Highly recommended.
July 31, 2021
This is a debut collection. I'm still wrapping my head around that. There were 13 stories and a bookend story contained in the prologue and epilogue. I read one a day and completed individual reviews for the stories but there were no misses here. Derek M Hutchins does masterful job at bringing the reader to different settings, different time periods, and hitting multiple very different genres in these stories. My personal stand outs were The Watcher, The Thing Behind the Door, Mangeur D'os, and Snuff. I very much look forward to reading more from this author in the future. My official rating for the collection as a whole is ⚰⚰⚰⚰.5/5 creepy coffins rounded up to 5 on here. Highly recommend!
This book was sent to me by the author for a fair and honest review and honestly, I would have loved it even if I bought it. I'm even thinking about ordering a few copies to gift to friends.
This book was sent to me by the author for a fair and honest review and honestly, I would have loved it even if I bought it. I'm even thinking about ordering a few copies to gift to friends.
July 5, 2021
Y'all these stories were disturbing. Dark and creepy and just disturbing. There are 15 short stories, unless you count the prologue and the ending as one then there are only 14.
I really enjoyed "The Thing Behind the Door" it's very "you get what you deserve" and I love those. I also really enjoyed "Mangeur D'OS" it's just a fun telling of something I feel we have all heard about. The one story I didn't like 100% was "Snuff" and I enjoyed it all the way up to the ending. The ending wasn't bad I just didn't want it to end like that.
Definitely check it out you might find something you really love!
I really enjoyed "The Thing Behind the Door" it's very "you get what you deserve" and I love those. I also really enjoyed "Mangeur D'OS" it's just a fun telling of something I feel we have all heard about. The one story I didn't like 100% was "Snuff" and I enjoyed it all the way up to the ending. The ending wasn't bad I just didn't want it to end like that.
Definitely check it out you might find something you really love!
January 2, 2022
I learned there are people in the world who are afraid of potatoes from one of my favorite stories in this collection. I also had what I call “The Predator Effect” with a couple in here; that’s when a story/movie is so good you instantly start it over from the beginning, you know, like when you watch The Predator. There’s a solid variety here that I really look for in short story collections; no story is like the last. Each story feels like an episode of Tales from the Crypt, often times a lot creepier in the case of “The Proof.” Mangeur d’os was a total banger BANGER, I finished that one and instantly wanted to have a friend who went on a vacation and would send me emails about… well… read the story not my review! The framing of The Undertaker scenes created an atmosphere from the jump for me too. When I read each tale I pictured it being spoken from one person to another in that creepy setting. Anyway, this has been another bad review of a fantastic book that deserves more than this bad review. K thx.
July 3, 2021
Also reviewed on www.curiosityboughtthebook.com
The Undertaker and Other Macabre Tales by Derek Hutchins starts off with the reader being introduced to The Undertaker himself. He meets a curious man at the graveyard one night, who claims he can listen to stories of the dead. This is where the book unfolds and delivers an array of spooky tales…
Hutchins has a gift for telling stories from many different perspectives and times. He transports his readers to Brazil, France, a creepy graveyard in the dark of the night and many other locations. I really enjoyed most of what I read within this collection. Some, I didn’t care for as much, but that is to be expected in a book filled with so many stories. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to feel a chill down their spine.
Thanks to the author for the review copy.
The Undertaker and Other Macabre Tales by Derek Hutchins starts off with the reader being introduced to The Undertaker himself. He meets a curious man at the graveyard one night, who claims he can listen to stories of the dead. This is where the book unfolds and delivers an array of spooky tales…
Hutchins has a gift for telling stories from many different perspectives and times. He transports his readers to Brazil, France, a creepy graveyard in the dark of the night and many other locations. I really enjoyed most of what I read within this collection. Some, I didn’t care for as much, but that is to be expected in a book filled with so many stories. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to feel a chill down their spine.
Thanks to the author for the review copy.
November 29, 2021
First of all, the framing of this short story collection is wonderful. The prologue reminded me of the great framing devices used in the Amicus anthology films like From Beyond the Grave and Dr. Terror's House of Horrors. Here we have an undertaker who is drawn to a 'writer' who visits the cemetery nightly. The man regales the undertaker with the stories he hears from the graveyard dead.
The tales are those of the cemetery's inhabitants, so each is told in first person. Hutchins' skill is on display in the atmosphere he creates. Each story is long enough to be immersive. One of the things he does best is build terror and show how that terror is building within the narrator.
This is my first read by Derek Hutchins and it won't be my last. I'd love to see what he could do with a novel! I've no doubt it'll be fantastic.
The tales are those of the cemetery's inhabitants, so each is told in first person. Hutchins' skill is on display in the atmosphere he creates. Each story is long enough to be immersive. One of the things he does best is build terror and show how that terror is building within the narrator.
This is my first read by Derek Hutchins and it won't be my last. I'd love to see what he could do with a novel! I've no doubt it'll be fantastic.
July 18, 2021
This collection of 13 tales were thoroughly creepy and dark. The prologue opens with the reader meeting the Undertaker and being taken on a mesmerising and spooky journey.
From the beginning it was obvious to me Hutchins has a true gift for storytelling. I found myself easily immersed in the various worlds I was guided into which I don’t always find easy when reading short stories. There’s such a variety of scares in this collection too, with a story to suit every reader. This would be a great collection to read over Halloween or on a cold and dreary night.
My personal favorites were:
THE WATCHER, a tale of revenge from beyond the grave. Then there was PROOF, a possession story. THE HOLLOWS includes subject matter touched on before but gave me the chills all the same. GHOST WALKER follows a girl who can communicate with the dead and then there was THE TRAIN OF DOOM which I found incredibly unique. There’s some great witchy action in THE BELLS, a Halloween story set in New England. RUN was an action packed creature feature and finally the collection finished with my personal favourite - SNUFF. This was truly horrifying.
Thank you so much to the author for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
From the beginning it was obvious to me Hutchins has a true gift for storytelling. I found myself easily immersed in the various worlds I was guided into which I don’t always find easy when reading short stories. There’s such a variety of scares in this collection too, with a story to suit every reader. This would be a great collection to read over Halloween or on a cold and dreary night.
My personal favorites were:
THE WATCHER, a tale of revenge from beyond the grave. Then there was PROOF, a possession story. THE HOLLOWS includes subject matter touched on before but gave me the chills all the same. GHOST WALKER follows a girl who can communicate with the dead and then there was THE TRAIN OF DOOM which I found incredibly unique. There’s some great witchy action in THE BELLS, a Halloween story set in New England. RUN was an action packed creature feature and finally the collection finished with my personal favourite - SNUFF. This was truly horrifying.
Thank you so much to the author for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
October 9, 2024
Great for Halloween Reading
These are 13 tales with a wraparound tale and all are solid and entertaining. A shy undertaker who works at night often sees a stranger staring at the stones and writing in a book. He finally works up the courage to ask the stranger what he was writing. The stranger tells him he can talk to the dead and that he writes down the stories they tell. He then proceeds to tell the undertaker the tales.
Highly recommended, I usually keep a short story collection going while I read novels, reading one a day or between novels. However these are so good I caught myself reading all of them in two sittings.
These are 13 tales with a wraparound tale and all are solid and entertaining. A shy undertaker who works at night often sees a stranger staring at the stones and writing in a book. He finally works up the courage to ask the stranger what he was writing. The stranger tells him he can talk to the dead and that he writes down the stories they tell. He then proceeds to tell the undertaker the tales.
Highly recommended, I usually keep a short story collection going while I read novels, reading one a day or between novels. However these are so good I caught myself reading all of them in two sittings.
July 25, 2021
Derek Hutchins’s debut book The Undertaker and Other Macabre Tales is an anthology, a designation it wears proudly on its tattered and bloody sleeve. The stories within this collection bring about the nostalgic feeling of a lazy day on the couch, channel surfing and coming across an episode of Tales from the Darksideor Are You Afraid of the Dark and watching it to the conclusion with thrill and delight.
No wonder, too. Hutchins holds an MFA in Writing for Film and Television from Emerson College and has written for the anthology style podcast "The Bad Vibes Podcast" from and If his debut short story is any indication, you can definitely see his education and prior experience brought forth on the page. Most stories are perfectly bite-sized, getting in and getting out with the necessities to take you on a quick and wild ride.
These are a varied collection of tales, a nice blend of styles. From the epistolary “Mangeur D’os” in which a young writer exchanges e-mails with her friend while on vacation while things slowly start to ramp up to the classically told tale “The Banshee” which takes place in Brazil, there are unique narrators and settings, old-timey ghost stories and noir tinged ventures.
One of my favorites was “Ghost Walker”, which takes the set-up of The Sixth Sense, and wonders, “what if the kid wasn’t so scared and quivering all the time, but instead was a spunky young gal with an attitude?”
Another was the noir tinged “Snuff” that left me hoping for a recurring character and series and had me saying, “no, no, no” at the end.
If there’s any negatives with the collection, it’s that some of these stories end rather abruptly and I felt they could’ve held their endings for just a beat more. Also, with any collection there are going to be some stories that simply don’t work for you. This is simply the case with anthologies. Even The Twilight Zone never batted a thousand.
We don’t channel surf like we used to anymore; technology has changed all that. However we do scroll around on our phones, and this collection is tailor-made for that. Pop it into your e-book reader or keep a hard copy in your car, and instead of looking through social media while you’re in the waiting room at the doctor’s office or mechanic, read a few of these instead.
No wonder, too. Hutchins holds an MFA in Writing for Film and Television from Emerson College and has written for the anthology style podcast "The Bad Vibes Podcast" from and If his debut short story is any indication, you can definitely see his education and prior experience brought forth on the page. Most stories are perfectly bite-sized, getting in and getting out with the necessities to take you on a quick and wild ride.
These are a varied collection of tales, a nice blend of styles. From the epistolary “Mangeur D’os” in which a young writer exchanges e-mails with her friend while on vacation while things slowly start to ramp up to the classically told tale “The Banshee” which takes place in Brazil, there are unique narrators and settings, old-timey ghost stories and noir tinged ventures.
One of my favorites was “Ghost Walker”, which takes the set-up of The Sixth Sense, and wonders, “what if the kid wasn’t so scared and quivering all the time, but instead was a spunky young gal with an attitude?”
Another was the noir tinged “Snuff” that left me hoping for a recurring character and series and had me saying, “no, no, no” at the end.
If there’s any negatives with the collection, it’s that some of these stories end rather abruptly and I felt they could’ve held their endings for just a beat more. Also, with any collection there are going to be some stories that simply don’t work for you. This is simply the case with anthologies. Even The Twilight Zone never batted a thousand.
We don’t channel surf like we used to anymore; technology has changed all that. However we do scroll around on our phones, and this collection is tailor-made for that. Pop it into your e-book reader or keep a hard copy in your car, and instead of looking through social media while you’re in the waiting room at the doctor’s office or mechanic, read a few of these instead.
June 13, 2023
Do you have a book you've been dying to get to forever? I've had this on my list too long and I'm so happy I finally read it because Hutchins is a strong voice in the horror genre and I love finding new authors.
The beginning and ending tie back together in a satisfyingly circular way. In thr middle are random tales that really give the reader a great range of stories. My faves were:
PROOF: I love a good demon story. That's all I'll say here.
MANGEUR D'OS: Told in email correspondence, a writer has stumbled upon what just may be real monsters in a small French town while taking a vacation to write. Chilling!
A STRANGE ATTRACTION: Patrolling the area a tragic suicide took place, a security guard forms a scary attraction he must fight in order to survive.
I definitely recommend this one!!
The beginning and ending tie back together in a satisfyingly circular way. In thr middle are random tales that really give the reader a great range of stories. My faves were:
PROOF: I love a good demon story. That's all I'll say here.
MANGEUR D'OS: Told in email correspondence, a writer has stumbled upon what just may be real monsters in a small French town while taking a vacation to write. Chilling!
A STRANGE ATTRACTION: Patrolling the area a tragic suicide took place, a security guard forms a scary attraction he must fight in order to survive.
I definitely recommend this one!!
July 22, 2021
“The Undertaker and Other Macabre Tales” is a spooky collection of 13 short stories, a prologue and an epilogue. The collection starts off with the reader being introduced to the undertaker, who came across a grave yard writer who claims he listens to stories of the dead. At that point, the book unfolds with spooky stories and sets the tone for the rest of the book
Hutchins transports the reader with ghost style storis to different locations: the woods, a university, a train and an apartment, just to name a few. The reader really gets a taste for Huctchins writing style. The stories were creepy and some had a foreboding
feeling of dread but all of them hookedthem hooked me immediately. I would have liked some of them to have been a little longer.
As with most collections, some stories work for me better than others. Some of my favorite stories include:
The Watcher - A creepy revenge story.
Proof - A professor tries to prove the existence of God.
The Bells - I love Poe. This homage to Poe was enjoyable.
The Thing Behind The Door - If you are told not to touch it maybe you should not.
The Cooler- Be careful answering the door 👀.
Snuff - A detective story.
Thank you Derek Hutchins for my review copy.
4 stars
August 17, 2021
This was a really fun collection of short stories.
At first, my biggest complaint was that some of the stories ended too happily. But as the stories went on, I appreciated not knowing if things would end well or not - I felt a lot more suspense since I knew the author could've ended it either way.
A few of the stories didn't connect with me quite as well, but it was made up for by the stories I loved and the stories that really creeped me out. I'm excited to read more work from this author.
Highly recommended for lovers of horror short stories.
At first, my biggest complaint was that some of the stories ended too happily. But as the stories went on, I appreciated not knowing if things would end well or not - I felt a lot more suspense since I knew the author could've ended it either way.
A few of the stories didn't connect with me quite as well, but it was made up for by the stories I loved and the stories that really creeped me out. I'm excited to read more work from this author.
Highly recommended for lovers of horror short stories.
September 14, 2022
I'm not normally a horror fan, but I am so glad I picked up this collection. Each story is unique, well-written, and yes, very scary. I'm not embarrassed to admit that I've had more than one nightmare since reading, but that truly is the mark of a good horror book. Derek has a unique ability to pull you in and make you feel like you're experiencing every tale in real time, which is both terrifying and impressive. If you're a fan of horror (and even if you're not), don't miss out on this collection!
April 13, 2022
Excellent Collection
This is an excellent collection of short horror stories. The wrap-around story that frames this book is clever and really pulled me in. Several stories went places and didn’t expect, and stick with me still. Definitely recommend it to fans of short horror.
This is an excellent collection of short horror stories. The wrap-around story that frames this book is clever and really pulled me in. Several stories went places and didn’t expect, and stick with me still. Definitely recommend it to fans of short horror.
October 25, 2022
Good Solid Horror
Derek Hutchins is a new author to me. I discovered his work at a book giveaway. His short stories are eerie and macabre as the title states. I look forward to more of his work.
Derek Hutchins is a new author to me. I discovered his work at a book giveaway. His short stories are eerie and macabre as the title states. I look forward to more of his work.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews