What do you think?
Rate this book
McCool Mythos: Tales of the Dark and Mysterious
Think carefully before turning the cover...
Prepare yourself for an escape into a world of the harrowing and peculiar. McCool Tales of the Dark and Mysterious is a collection of bite-sized tales brought to you by the brother/sister duo, John R. McCool III and M.I.H. McCool in their debut collaboration.
From stories following average people facing supernatural horrors to legends of strange circumstances involving even stranger creatures, each tale is sure to make you think twice before shutting off the light.
Prepare yourself for an escape into a world of the harrowing and peculiar. McCool Tales of the Dark and Mysterious is a collection of bite-sized tales brought to you by the brother/sister duo, John R. McCool III and M.I.H. McCool in their debut collaboration.
From stories following average people facing supernatural horrors to legends of strange circumstances involving even stranger creatures, each tale is sure to make you think twice before shutting off the light.
144 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 4, 2021
1 person is currently reading
52 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 15, 2023
I review a lot of anthology novels, and even when done by only one author or two authors, they’re usually a mixed bag. So color me pleasantly surprised: I really enjoyed nearly every story in this collection of shorts. I found the brother-sister duo of the McCool siblings to be a good pairing- they both are excellent writers. The stories all were well described, well plotted, and many had interesting twists or unusual ends. The one irksome thing about the novel was the formatting- while it looked great, my copy had different sizes in text, in spacing, and just overall could have used some touching up. However, it featured incredible artwork, and set the vibe rather well. Some of the latter half of the novel really blew me away with the way the stories went.
While I don’t want to spoil the stories themselves, I will say that my favorite stories in the book were Diem by M.I.H. McCool, Don’t Forget that Sarah Existed by M.I.H. McCool, Wisteria Manor by M.I.H. McCool, May Queen by M.I.H. McCool, The Night Shift by M.I.H. McCool, and Reflection by John R. McCool III. My least favorites included Home by M.I.H. McCool, Just Like Me by M.I.H. McCool, and Awaken by John R. McCool III.
Overall, I really enjoyed this quick series of stories. As a writer myself, it is my belief that you write better when you have someone to bounce your writing off, and I think that worked in their favor. It’s a book I’m happy to keep on my shelf with my other dark and mysterious horrors, and I really hope to see these two work together again with more McCool Mythos in the future.
While I don’t want to spoil the stories themselves, I will say that my favorite stories in the book were Diem by M.I.H. McCool, Don’t Forget that Sarah Existed by M.I.H. McCool, Wisteria Manor by M.I.H. McCool, May Queen by M.I.H. McCool, The Night Shift by M.I.H. McCool, and Reflection by John R. McCool III. My least favorites included Home by M.I.H. McCool, Just Like Me by M.I.H. McCool, and Awaken by John R. McCool III.
Overall, I really enjoyed this quick series of stories. As a writer myself, it is my belief that you write better when you have someone to bounce your writing off, and I think that worked in their favor. It’s a book I’m happy to keep on my shelf with my other dark and mysterious horrors, and I really hope to see these two work together again with more McCool Mythos in the future.
August 18, 2023
4½☆
(Some stories are definite 5☆, some are 4☆, average it to 4½☆)
I really enjoyed this anthology!
You quickly become immersed in every story. They are each easy to read, easy to follow, and even easier to enjoy.
A few special mentions I especially loved...
"Don't Forget That Sarah Existed!" (M.I.H. McCool): We recently moved to a smaller town with a population of a few thousand, and I could totally see something like this actually happening... which just gives the whole story another level of creepy. Deep down, we all believe there's something weird going on in small towns...
"Just Like Me" (M.I.H. McCool): This one. This one is heartbreaking. I think it may be the shortest story in the book, but I truly felt it said the most. It grips your emotions, squeezes, & doesn't let go. I will never forget this story!
"Reflection" (John R McCool III): This one... this should be a movie. Seriously!
Both M.I.H. McCool & John R McCool III are fantastic storytellers!
If you loved Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark (and seriously, who didn't?), you'll absolutely love this book!
Side Note: There's something about the way M.I.H McCool's stories read that remind me of the stories my grandma used to make up on a whim. I don't know if it's the way her sentences flow, her choice of words... whatever it is, it made reading her stories comforting, in a way. I rarely reread books... but I will definitely revisit this one often!
(Some stories are definite 5☆, some are 4☆, average it to 4½☆)
I really enjoyed this anthology!
You quickly become immersed in every story. They are each easy to read, easy to follow, and even easier to enjoy.
A few special mentions I especially loved...
"Don't Forget That Sarah Existed!" (M.I.H. McCool): We recently moved to a smaller town with a population of a few thousand, and I could totally see something like this actually happening... which just gives the whole story another level of creepy. Deep down, we all believe there's something weird going on in small towns...
"Just Like Me" (M.I.H. McCool): This one. This one is heartbreaking. I think it may be the shortest story in the book, but I truly felt it said the most. It grips your emotions, squeezes, & doesn't let go. I will never forget this story!
"Reflection" (John R McCool III): This one... this should be a movie. Seriously!
Both M.I.H. McCool & John R McCool III are fantastic storytellers!
If you loved Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark (and seriously, who didn't?), you'll absolutely love this book!
Side Note: There's something about the way M.I.H McCool's stories read that remind me of the stories my grandma used to make up on a whim. I don't know if it's the way her sentences flow, her choice of words... whatever it is, it made reading her stories comforting, in a way. I rarely reread books... but I will definitely revisit this one often!
October 8, 2023
Great Read to Kick Off Halloween
I was gifted this book from the author and it was immensely enjoyable. It had an old school Tales from the Darkside vibe with alittle Masterpiece Theatre mixed in. These short stories ranged from spooky, macabre, sad, scary and heartwarming.
Honestly my favorite stories were:
"A Grandmother's Gift". That story just warmed my heart to overflowing.
"Just Like Me" Told from the POV of a doll, it was just sad.
"Wisteria Manor" was a creepy one but also it also taught a value lesson. "Listen to your elders when they warn you about something" they aren't always the ramblings of old folks. Sometimes the stories they tell may very well save your life.
"Don't Forget That Sarah Existed" we've all heard stories of what happens in small towns. Especially those that flourish better than larger cities but no one likes to talk about the sacrifices made to make those "Blessings" happen.
"Reflection" was definitely one of the more sinister stories that makes you wanna think twice about looking in mirrors especially old antique ones.
Each story in this book has stories so intricately written and imaginative that you can't help but to let your mind wander and conjure up all types of alternative endings or thinking how else things could have paned out for those who found undesirable fates.
Definitely a great spooky read for October and a good segue into the Halloween season.
I was gifted this book from the author and it was immensely enjoyable. It had an old school Tales from the Darkside vibe with alittle Masterpiece Theatre mixed in. These short stories ranged from spooky, macabre, sad, scary and heartwarming.
Honestly my favorite stories were:
"A Grandmother's Gift". That story just warmed my heart to overflowing.
"Just Like Me" Told from the POV of a doll, it was just sad.
"Wisteria Manor" was a creepy one but also it also taught a value lesson. "Listen to your elders when they warn you about something" they aren't always the ramblings of old folks. Sometimes the stories they tell may very well save your life.
"Don't Forget That Sarah Existed" we've all heard stories of what happens in small towns. Especially those that flourish better than larger cities but no one likes to talk about the sacrifices made to make those "Blessings" happen.
"Reflection" was definitely one of the more sinister stories that makes you wanna think twice about looking in mirrors especially old antique ones.
Each story in this book has stories so intricately written and imaginative that you can't help but to let your mind wander and conjure up all types of alternative endings or thinking how else things could have paned out for those who found undesirable fates.
Definitely a great spooky read for October and a good segue into the Halloween season.
March 6, 2022
McCool Mythos Tales of the Dark & Mysterious was a fast, fun & spooky read! There's a bunch of different stories like GWENDOLYN’S SPRITZ COOKIES she is trying to figure out the secret ingredients to her grandmother's famous cookies! But each story has a spooky touch. Overall it was well written & I really enjoyed reading it!
Thank you Silver Dagger Book Tours & M.I.H. McCool & John R. McCool III for sharing this book with me!
Thank you Silver Dagger Book Tours & M.I.H. McCool & John R. McCool III for sharing this book with me!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews