The Best of Indie Horror: Christmas Edition

The Best of Indie Horror #2

by Kevin J. Kennedy, Natasha Sinclair (Editor), R.J. Roles

There’s no better way to celebrate the end of the year than with a seasonal mixtape with The Best of Indie Christmas Edition! Whether you love it or loathe it, Christmas brings out the best and worst in many people the world over — thus, lighting a fire in the bellies of storytellers who wish to strike warm fuzzies or tantalising terror in reader’s hearts. You won’t find the warm fuzzy feeling here; that’s not what we do!

This anthology will dance readers through an array of styles and horror sub-genres, including bizzaro through the looking glass of unique Christmas ornaments; such treats always come with a price. Discover the dark secrets between the Claus’ and Krampus that you’ll never forget. There’s a touch of sci-fi when a lone worker discovers a hidden department in a derelict store. There are family horror tales of obsessive tradition, reunion, and mayhem. This edition promises something festive to satisfy a cornucopia of horror pallets.

In this invite-only anthology, KJK Publishing presents 11 new tales of frightful festive horror shenanigans Matthew V. Brockmeyer, Eric Butler, Matthew A. Clarke, David Owain Hughes, Lex H Jones, Kevin J. Kennedy, Zoltán Komor, Patrick Reuman, RJ Roles, Veronica Smith and Steve Stred.

Don't forget the milk and cookies, and be good kids — someone is always watching. Those damn elves are not to be trusted!

Genres: Horror, Anthologies, Christmas, Short Stories

203 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 15, 2021

About the author

Kevin J. Kennedy is a horror author, editor, and anthologist. He is the owner of KJK Publishing and runs the bestselling 'The Horror Collection' series. He is the author of Halloween Land, The Clown and Nothing is Real.

He lives in the heart of Scotland with his beautiful wife, three cats, Carlito, Ariel and Luna, and a Pomchi called Orko. He can be found on Facebook if you want to chat with him.

Reviews

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas horror that will make your tree and ornaments quake in fear!

I am going to list all the stories as they appear in the book along with a cryptic tidbit for each one and when I mean cryptic I mean I am going to try to make it as vague as possible without spoilers. There are 11 stories total in this collection.


Story: Tradition by Steve Stred
Cryptic Tidbit: A tradition like no other

Story: Top Floor: Seasonal Furnishings and Christmas Decorations by Lex H. Jones
Cryptic Tidbit: Christmas decorations from days long past are better left alone.

Story: Pennies for Santa by R.J. Roles
Cryptic Tidbit: Do not mess with the bell ringer or else.

Story: Clitoris Krampus by Zoltan Komor
Cryptic Tidbit: A clitoris like no other.

Story: Let the Damn Elves Die Already by Veronica Smith
Cryptic Tidbit: Elves are not as innocent as you think.

Story: The Mall Santa by Eric Butler
Cryptic Tidbit: Don't mess with a mall Santa as you might regret it.

Story: Santa Claws by Patrick Reuman
Cryptic Tidbit: A different type of Santa

Story: A Last Chance Christmas Miracle by Matthew V. Brockmeyer
Cryptic Tidbit: A miracle or something else?

Story: Blood, Bullets and Baubles by David Owen Hughes
Cryptic Tidbit: Santa and his elves are not what they seem to be.

Story: Golden Ticket by Matthew A. Clarke
Cryptic Tidbit: Ticket maybe to hell...

Story: The Christmas Cabin from Hell by Kevin J. Kennedy
Cryptic Tidbit: Snowmen and elves launch an attack.

Thoughts:

This was another great collection of Christmas horror presented by KJK Publishing! I am always impressed with the authors gathered for these books and I always seem to find new authors to explore.

These stories will take you deep into the horror realm with barely a chance of escape. So snuggle down deep into your cozy chair, with a hot cup of your favorite beverage, and read this book of holiday horror that will have your Christmas tree shaking in fear! Giving this book five Holiday Horrific stars!

For more thoughts on this review, please see my blog:
https://booknookretreat.blogspot.com/...

[Erica Robyn Metcalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Best of Indie Horror: Christmas Edition is a must-own for fans of holiday horror! From the chilling to the full-blown brutal, this has a bit of everything included in just 11 tales!

Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way. I also ordered myself a copy.

I was saving this one to kick off my holiday reading this year, and it was the most perfect collection to do just that.

This is yet another collection from KJK Publishing that has a little something for horror fans of all types! Do yourself a favor and go pick this one up today!

More here: https://www.ericarobynreads.com/book-...

[Ann Keeran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains stories from lots of the best authors on the planet! Of course, my favorite is Kevin J Kennedy. This anthology is for those adults who have grown tired of Rudolph, Frosty and Santa. Now you can read the more realistic tales of Claus and those evil little elves who are definitely out to get you. Jump on the sleigh for an exceptional ride into the land of Christmas.

[Jeffrey Caston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holiday Horrors for Everyone!

Which is to say, whether you like the cheesy Hallmark Xmas movies (which I do), just plain old regular Christmas in front of a fire (sometimes, as long as I have a good beer or bourbon also in hand, or a stalwart believer that Die Hard is an Xmas movie (I can see the merit to that argument), as long as you like horror, there will be something in this holiday edition put out by Kevin J. Kennedy. These were all solid stories, though some, unsurprisingly, resonated stronger for me than others. Within these pages, you will find…

A family that pays a steep price when they go out looking for a tree and find a lot more than that in Steve Stred's Tradition.

In Top Floor: Seasonal Furnishings and Christmas Decorations by Lex H. Jones, got some serious Silent Hill vibes. A bit of a ride off into the sunset if sunset was hell.

Pennies for Santa by RJ Roles. This MC needed some Christmas spirit as much as he needed the cash.

And then there’s Clitoris Krampus. Well... hmm… What to say…? This one... uh... different. (Which is not necessarily a bad thing.) But one thing for sure, with a title like that ya kinda know what you're in for. I felt like this one definitely fits within a bizzarro genre.

After that, we have Veronica Smith contributing, in my humble opinion, a real standout. Her really well developed story Let the Elves Die Already delved as much into relationships, love, family, and internal struggle as it did Christmas. Very well done.

Who needs a sled when you can use Eric Butler's The Mall Santa for a wild A/F ride? I know I sure don’t. Crazy good and entertaining.

Patrick Reuman's Santa Claws gives an alternate version of what old Saint Nick would be like.

Matthew Brockmeyer’s contribution, which I think was my personal favorite, was A Last Chance Christmas Miracle. It was deep. Impressive emotional content. I find when a writer can convey bleakness and hopeless as the vehicle for horror, it can be the best kind, because it is truly relatable. It pained my heart to see an ending that, while understandable, was upsetting to me because I wanted Seth and Griselda to have an adoptive child-parent relationship where they helped each other. But this is NOT a criticism. This is actually me being emotionally invested so, dang if this one didn’t get to me. Plus it had the best single line in the entire collection: “Goals and dreams whittled away by time and failure.”

Blood, Bullets and Baubles by David Owain Hughes had a lot to unpack. It’s got zombies, lots of fighting, and an alternate Santa and Mrs. Claus trying to plan and execute criminal shenanigans. This one will appear to the die hards who insist Die Hard is a Christmas movie.

Matthew A. Clarke’s Golden Ticket, reminded me of the narrative technique used in the Vampire Chronicles, which I loved, where the MC is narrating to another character a series of VERY bizzarro events.

Kevin J. Kennedy’s own story, which closes this anthology, is The Christmas Cabin from Hell will leave you not trusting snowmen or elves for the rest of your life.

By the end of this book, you’ll be channeling your inner Tiny Tim and saying, “God bless us, everyone” but you’ll be really thinking “Holy S#@$! Bless us for not being one of the poor shlubs in these stories. Whew!”

[Lisa Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Best of Indie Horror: Christmas Edition is a dark collection of Christmas Horror, and some of these stories will mess you up.

I was duly impressed with how disturbing these stories are. The different takes on Krampus alone are enough to bring the horror to your festive holiday season—“Tradition” by Steve Stred is a Krampus themed story that will mess up Christmas traditions in your head forever. In addition to some non-traditional Krampus tales, there’s the horrification of Santa, terrifying elves, corrupt and perverse mall Santas, and other stories that make one want to stay home with the doors locked for the duration of the holidays.

There is nothing festive here. These stories are horrifying, terrifying, and depraved, and are written by some incredible indie horror authors—I see you, Eric Butler.

The Best of Indie Horror: Christmas Edition is the definitive Christmas horror collection.

[Negan88 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Best of Indie Horror: Christmas Edition (2021) was a surprising and fun quick read. For those who know me well Christmas isn’t quite my cup of tea. It isn’t really a holiday that is fun for me in many years. That is until my wonderful wife entered into my life, and breathed new life into the giving season. So, I thought what better way than to give a Christmas Themed Horror collection a go. With that said, I am glad I did because KJK Publishing really did find a really great mix of authors with different styles and stories with scares, humor, and some bizarre features for the holiday season. Without further rambling here is my first full review (way overdue I know) in quite sometime.

I went into this read blind, and it was quite surprising. Eleven authors, one being Kevin J. Kennedy himself, make up the collection. Some authors I had heard of, some I never have heard of, and others I am well acquainted. I enjoyed most of the stories compiled in the collection. There were a few misses for me, but they were all entertaining. As I don’t want to give away too many spoilers I will break down my top three favorite stories out of these eleven awesome authors. Who are the authors? Well here you go. The line up is Steve Stred, Lex H. Jones, RJ Roles, Zoltan Komor, Veronica Smith, Eric Butler, Patrick Reuman, Matthew V. Brockmeyer, David Owen Hughes, Matthew A. Clarke, and Kevin J. Kennedy.

First I want to say I picked my top three by three categories. One, overall most scary. Two, very creepy and bizarre. Three, absolutely bizarre, funny, and unique. Needless, to say all of the stories are winners, unique, and fun to get into the Christmas spirit for those of us who like a slice of macabre on the side. All of the authors mentioned were astounding, and I suggest you check out the entire collection rather than simply my three favorites. We all have different tastes.

I will start with my favorite for absolutely bizarre, funny, and unique. My pick has to be Clitoris Krampus by Zoltan Komor. I have never read, nor heard of Zoltan, prior to this story but I definitely will be checking out more! The story is a quirky read with Mrs. Claus in the spotlight. She wants so terribly to please Old Saint Nick, and I mean in the adult fashion. Her conundrum is that she has no idea where Santa keeps his special private parts. She sets out on a journey determined to make her hubby happy, and the story takes a turn into a world of oddball lovemaking. Sort of. I was laughing out loud at this the entire time! Wait until you meet Zoltan’s Mr. and Mrs. Christmas, because they are not your average couple!

My pick for very creepy and bizarre goes to Matthew A. Clarke’s Golden Ticket. I am familiar with Clarke, and I’m sad to say this is the first time for me picking up one of his stories. However, he has been on my TBR, and I fully intend to read some of his other works after this! Such as, Coffin Dodgers, Things We’re Easier Before You Became A Fucking Praying Mantis, and The Second Cumming series. These titles can be found on Godless.com. A fantastic litype indie author site, and app for authors to have a bit more freedom in what they publish. If you haven’t heard of it I’m not sure where you’ve been.

Golden Ticket is a fantastic tale that is really indescribable other than it is bizarre and would be an utter nightmare. I suppose it could be bliss for some. I digress. Jonathan meets a strange man with a proposition for him in an alleyway, ah-hmm, courtyard pertaining some exotic baubles. All free as long as he follows the rules. He jumps right on the bandwagon and is taken to worlds he never thought possible in his wildest dreams. When his wife Cynthia joins in things become a bit more complicated, and the mysterious baubles may be a bit more than they both can handle. I felt that this story was hilarious, but the ending was absolutely a nightmare! You better prepare yourself for this slice of bizarre depravity!

Lastly, my pick for the overall most scary story has to be Eric Butler’s The Mall Santa! I am very well aware of Eric’s writing, and have read several of his works. This didn’t have any bearing whatsoever on my choice. This story is very creepy, straight forward, and holiday horror fest! A group of young men decide they are going to break in and steal from a mall Santa that mysteriously brings home a full bag each night. When they break through the apartment it becomes a living hell! The story is completely original, but I kept feeling vibes of a strange mix. Don’t Breathe, Silent Night, Deadly Night, and N0S4A2 very loosely. I absolutely loved this story so much, and guys it may leave you cringing a little at the end.

I could most definitely go on with runner’s up, but we would be here all day. All of the authors have some skills, and their own unique voice in writing. I definitely recommend this to fans of Christmas and horror. You may think it can be like mixing oil and water, but Kevin J. Kennedy makes it go down smooth. Overall, I give The Best of Indie Horror: Christmas Edition (2021) four Christmas tree toppers out of five Elves on Shelves. If you want more afterwards check out the rest of KJK Publishing’s Horror Collections, and don’t forget to check out the indie authors in the anthologies other works. Until next time, my friends.

Written by Andy C. on 12/02/2021

[Jessie B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas+Horror= This awesome collection of short stories, that will surely put you in the festive spirit! Christmas trees that want you to be the decorations, evil elves, Krampus clits, killer Santas, Christmas meth, I mean miracles, times of Christmas past and some really mean snowmen, what more could you ask for? Really, this a brilliant, well put together anthology. Alot of great writers sharing their masterpieces and skills. Get that fire roaring, grab some mugs of hot chocolate and gather around the tree for these unusual Christmas tales. Santa Claus is coming to town. Will you be on the naughty or nice list?

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must have for your Christmas horror needs..

I struggled with wanting to zoom through and simultaneously take my time with this awesome anthology. It's hard to even pick a favorite with such a great lineup. Highly recommend.

[Linda Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indie Horror

If you like horror, blood and lots of gore this is the Christmas book for you...Always did like Mr. Kennedy's books..He takes horror to another level

[William Bitner Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Best of Indie Horror: Christmas Edition
By Steve Stred, Lex H. Jones, RJ Roles, Zoltlan Komar, Veronica Smith, Eric Butler, Patrick Reuman, Matthew V. Brockmeyer, David Owain Hughes, Matthew A. Clarke, and Kevin J. Kennedy

Genre - Fiction/Horror/Short Story/Anthology/Multiple Authors
Pages - 203
Format - Digital (Kindle)
Publication - KJK Publishing, November 15, 2oo1, ASIN: B09LYZ8H34
Rating - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reviewed by - William C. Bitner, Jr. (https://booksinmylibraryblog.wordpres...)

Ho, ho, ho and deck the halls with boughs of holly...is not what you’ll find within the pages of this yuletide themed horror anthology. If you’re a fan of the jolly holiday movies like “Black Christmas”, “Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale”or “Silent Night Deadly Night” you will fit in comfortably for a cold winter’s night or two of reading. If not, you might want to turn the lights on and be aware of your surroundings at all times whilst preparing yourself for the scare of a lifetime this season.

KJK Publishing has once again delivered a stellar book, with an array of short stories by some of the very best Indie Authors from various locations on the map. I’ve read the majority of these authors before and they continue to live up to their moniker of “Best Of”.

Found with the pages you will find the following:

Tradition by Steve Stred

“He’d been obsessed with all things Christmas for as long as he could remember. From a very early age, the part of the holiday season that meant the most to him was the tradition of finding a tree, bringing it home, getting it placed and decorated.” (This year will bring a different conclusion.)

Top Floor: Seasonal Furnishings and Christmas Decorations by Lex H. Jones

“Jack Hewis department stores had always held pride of place in the sleepy town of Shellingley. Sat right there opposite the city hall building, it was the type of shop people would come from miles around to visit. Not only were their goods of a high quality that could be relied upon, but they came with a slightly higher price tag, meaning that goods bought from Hewis’ would be displayed around the home like a badge of honour” (None of that would be true on this particular evening, the shelves would be empty along and the store was “dead”.)

Pennies for Santa by RJ Roles

“Working for Saving Grace of America wasn’t exactly his dream job . . . hell, he only worked it for a few months out of the year . . . but it did have a few perks. The two he valued most were that he didn’t have to work with anyone, and he was able to skim a little out of the collection bucket before turning it in at the end of the day.” (Todd Carter’s plans go as planned for a short while but he soon finds he’s messing with the wrong group of elves.)

Clitoris Kraampus by Zoltan Komor

“It was on their wedding night that it became clear that St. Nicholas had another physical disability, namely that he had a …” (This one is so twisted and demented...and all so deliciously crude.)

Let the Damn Elves Die Already by Veronica Smith

“But those ugly ass thin bendy elves? I freaking hated them. Their hands were glued together in front of them, and their legs could fold up inside the ring of their arms.” (And then one night these sinister, evil elves would come to life.)

The Mall Santa by Eric Butler

“I want you two to watch for him one last time in the morning. He walks by with a bulging sack, and I say we pay a visit to the house after he leaves.” (This is my first time reading Eric Butler. That being said, I am anxiously searching his catalog of stories and am looking forward to reading more of his work. The moral of the story. . . Sean gets more than he bargained for with this particular ‘Mall Santa’).

Santa Claws by Patrick Reuman

“He blew her a kiss. After closing the door behind him, he took in a deep breath and reached into his pants pocket. He left his hand in his pocket for a moment, his fingers wrapped around something cold and metal before sighing and withdrawing the small ring of keys. He reached to the top of the bedroom door where the padlock dangled, closing it then inserting the key.” (What list will y0u land on this year, naughty or nice?)

A Last Chance Christmas Miracle by Matthew V. Brockmeyer

“It was Christmas Eve, and his father was celebrating by churning out a batch of his famous peppermint-flavored shake-and-bake meth. He’d need the whole family to buy up as much Sudafed as they could, there was a two-box limit per person, and Poppa was going to need a lot of Sudafed.” (It’s a happy hillbilly Christmas. Matthew never fails to entertain with his somewhat tilted sense of humour.)

Blood, Bullets and Baubles by David Owain Hughes

“The first game finished at the stroke of midnight and Bruno emerged the victor. The next two games, also going Bruno’s way, left Hammer thinking the man wasn’t as thick as he appeared to be.” (At the end of the night it will be Klaws that holds the killer hand.)

G0lden Ticket by Matthew A. Clarke

“I reasoned that the Spirit of Christmas the man had spoken of might have been some new experimental drug, as there was no logical way anything I was experiencing was real.” (This one will have you clenching every sphincter in your body. Welcome to Bauble Village. Bizarre little short story Mr. Clarke.)

The Christmas Cabin from Hell by Kevin J. Kennedy

“When Colin arrived at the cabin, it looked a little more run-down than the picture had shown from the outside. He needn’t have worried. . . “ (Don’t judge a thing by its appearance. Things are not always what they seem. Kevin is a master storyteller and doesn’t disappoint with this dark atmospheric tale.)

As a collection, this was one of my favorites in KJK Publishing’s long list of titles. I always enjoy these anthologies and look forward to the next.

Gruss vom Krampus! And to all a good night. . . if you survive.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas Horror stories with a festive twist you don't want to miss!!!

Wow, what an amazing line up of indie author's in this Christmas edition book.

Every individual story by each author was unique in its own devilish Christmas spirit, they were all brilliant I struggled to decide on a favourite, I just couldn't.

It has it all horror, shock value, cringe factor and brutal not for the faint hearted. I even spoke out loud, no way your having a giraffe at moments throughout the book.

Some of the stories are going to stick with me for a while and will be hard to shake off. Definitely don't think I'm going to be able to look at an elongated Christmas bauble the same again arghhhh 😱😱!!

Impish devil's, elves, snowmen, Santa's that I couldn't of ever imagined could be so bloody awful literally.

This book is an excellent read with brilliant author's own twists not to be missed.

I couldn't put the book down, just think nice thoughts when you go to bed after reading it!!!!

[Deb Soward · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of Christmas horror from KJK Publishing was just the right amount of spooky and scary to fill my horror loving heart.
There are 11 tales by different Indie Authors that make up this well written Anthology. There are a variety of horror subgenres to satisfy all readers. From bizarro, to creature feature, to human monsters and supernatural beings, these tales will deliver. Read this by a warm fire, wear some cozy socks, and drink some hot chocolate, because you will need it after reading this chilling Anthology. I will never see elves the same way again. I think I will throw any or all elves I have away and I certainly do not want to go to a tree farm searching for a perfect tree after reading this.

[Todd Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic collection of authors. Kennedy fills this book to the brim with Christmas evil. I wish I had my Christmas tree up while I read this book. Some of my favourite author are in this collection. Krampus will be delighted reading this to his minions. Clarke, Roles, Kennedy, Shred, and Butler hit home runs. Each story is great.

[Christa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic addition to any horror fan’s shelf, especially those who find themselves searching every December for holiday horror fare that can become tradition. Anthology favorites were Matthew V. Brockmeyer, who always delivers quality horror with a slick, bloody punch, and Steve Stred’s opening piece, which set the tone with a tale of familial discontent that culminates in a shocking display of tradition gone wrong… and very, very bloody.

Kevin J Kennedy and editor Natasha Sinclair have together an excellent, eclectic anthology here, and I thank KJK Publishing for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Phil Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having recently read his novella, Halloween Land, and enjoying it immensely, I was eager to dive into The Best of Indie Horror: Christmas Edition, presented by Kevin J. Kennedy, and I can't recommend it enough! The book offers a mixing-pot of eleven holiday tales from some of the most talented writers today, such as RJ. Roles, Steve Stred, Veronica Smith, Patrick Reuman, and many others. I love holiday-themed horror, turning tropes on their head, exchanging sweet-smelling candy with coal, replacing Santa with Krampus. These are no lullabies so prepare yourself for a scary good time this Christmas season.

[Tara Paulsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like your festive fiction on the bizarre and gory side, this collection is right up your street. Kevin J. Kennedy presents another great horror anthology, The Best of Indie Horror: Christmas Edition, comprising eleven indie horror shorts festooned with gruesome tales that spin, twist and dazzle like gaudy baubles of evil. There’s no shortage of wicked elves, hellish shopping malls and murderous Santas here.

‘Tradition’ by Steve Stred, in which one man’s pursuit of the perfect Christmas tree doesn’t go to plan, segués beautifully from infectious Christmassy excitement to shock-and-awe slaughter.
‘Top Floor: Seasonal Furnishings and Christmas Decorations’ by Lex H Jones will give you nightmares beyond your worst-ever shopping experience with its creepy mannequins and claustrophobic nostalgia.
In ‘Pennies for Santa’ by RJ Roles, it’s candy canes at dawn as we enter the corrupt world of shopping mall charity collection turf wars.
In ‘Clitorus Krampus’ (yes, really!) by Zoltán Komor, Mrs Claus is looking for Santa’s sugar plum sweet spot, but it isn’t where she thinks it is! Prepare for a saucy Krampus Kunnifest…
Veronica Smith’s disturbing ‘Let the Damn Elves Die Already’ sucks the reader into a world of mania and violence where Christmas gives Halloween a run for its money.
Eric Butler bestows yuletide suspense and butchery in ‘The Mall Santa’ as Willie and his friends go looking for his missing sister Alice - and make a grisly discovery.
‘Santa Claws’ by Patrick Reuman will have you locking the kids away on Christmas Eve with its macabre angle on what happens to Santa’s Bad List nominees.
‘A Last Chance Christmas Miracle’ by Matthew V. Brockmeyer follows Seth’s family of misfits as they indulge in a garish spectrum of criminality from hard drugs and hookers to poisoning and murderous intent. (Just the usual Christmas fun, then!)
David Owain Hughes’ full-on tale ‘Blood, Bullets and Baubles’ pulls no punches, opening with a post-assassination poker game between six gangsters and progressing to an orgy of blood, guts and corpses: think ‘Tarantino-meets-Shaun-of-the-Dead.’
Surreal story ‘Golden Ticket’ by Matthew A. Clarke takes a cheeky sex fetish experience to another dimension and concludes with a wry twist.
‘The Christmas Cabin from Hell’ by Kevin J. Kennedy rounds off the hair-raising romp with a tale of two siblings' Scottish log cabin holiday that unravels into a bizarre assault from which they desperately try to escape.

There's something for everyone: Krampus, elves, beasts, snow leopards, massacres, decapitations, haunted mannequins, gangsta Santas... If you're up for a good blood-curdling Christmas read with a huge dose of black humour, there are some delectably ghoulish morsels to sample in this festive buffet of horror shorts, presented by Kevin J. Kennedy and edited by Natasha Sinclair. Pour yourself a glass of something strong, lock the doors and windows, and hunker down with this collection over the holiday season.

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some good stories (and one absolutely FANTASTIC story) here, a couple that were midling, and two that I couldn't even finish. But that's kind of what you get with anthologies. I don't mind coming across stories I don't like in anthologies, but I think my only real problem here is that a lot of the stories were similar. It was like, "insert traditional Christmas thing here, but make it evil and full of blood". Still, I did enjoy my time here, and if you're looking for a good Christmas horror anthology, check this one out!

[Jim Glover · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Kevin J Kennedy anthologies. In fact I own almost all of them. Could not wait to dive in and read this one on Christmas horror.I loved it and the only reason it received 4 stars is because I didn’t care for one of the stories subject matter. That being said, it was a great fun read. Some were actually creepy as hell too. Highly recommend this book, as I have with all of his collections.

[Shahna (VanquishingVolumes) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Decent Holiday Smattering of Horror

This anthology was a wild ride. Some storied were just graphic and dark, while others were creepy and unsettling. A good Christmas read overall.

[Jason Nickey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good collection of Christmas horror stories. Fun read for the season