Showing posts with label short story collection. Show all posts
Showing posts with label short story collection. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 7, 2026

Give Your Brain a Good Squeeze: All That Slithers is a Collection of Stories that Will Slither Along Your Spine

 


All That Slithers: 13 Stories to Squeeze Your Brain

Fionna Cosgrove

Independently Published, 2025

ISBN: 9780645723380

Ebook, 197 ppg.

Buy link

 

Want a good collection of creepy stories to read? Then check out the short story collection All That Slithers: 13 Stories to Squeeze Your Brain by Fionna Cosgrove. Within the pages of this book, you’ll find stories of mysterious creatures, terrifying monsters, and hideous beasts just waiting to devour an unsuspecting victim. These stories are sure to frighten readers and provide entertaining tales of surprising scares and unexpected horrors.

 

The story “Creepy Critters” was really weird but also interesting. It says a lot about how teens perceive their teachers. Like, it was summer vacation and they didn’t really think much happened in their science teacher’s life, when the teen who is suspicious about her teacher that is completely different realizes that maybe teachers’ lives aren’t so boring and uneventful during the summer after all. I loved how the girls in the story got to show off their intellect.

 

“Cleaver’s Cove” is another good story. This one is recommended for the people who love to fish – especially at night! It’s not one of those “the one that got away” stories; it’s more of a spooky story to entertain and scare anyone who goes fishing in a creepy location.

 

“Sundowner” was a really creepy story. I should have realized that the info provided at the beginning meant something eerie was going to happen. Yes, the story is mostly radio transcripts, but some really scary stuff happens late in the conversation. It was really chilling! More so to discover that the story is based on real events, which readers can learn about at the end.

 

“The Last Sacred Slice” started out as a story about teenagers hanging out with the birthday girl, and of course one of them suggests they do something risky. At first, I was curious why the main character couldn’t remember someone she wrote about in her spell book, but after reading the whole story and getting to the end, it all made sense. Everything became clear. It was unfortunate what happened in the story and more so at the end, but it was also a very creepy story and I wish there had been more to it.

 

The title story was another enjoyable read. You can never trust the slithery things, even those that you could not imagine would be able to slither. This story went from being interesting to creepy and the creepiness factor went up when the strange creatures appeared. I was holding my breath until the end, wondering what was going to happen next.

 

All of the stories in this book held my interest, but the ones mentioned above really stayed with me. The stories are structured so well and well-written. The author really knows how to use mood, setting, and word choice to make these stories creepy and spine-tingling. It’s certainly a good book of stories and I highly recommend them to readers who enjoy short horrific tales.

 

All That Slithers is a collection of creepy and horrific stories that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Filled with a variety of stories that will frighten and delight, it is a book that will offer lots of good scares and terrifying chills. 

 

 

 

Five stars

 

 

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

 


Sunday, October 19, 2025

Stories of Halloween Thrills and Chills: Horton's Halloween Hauntings is a must-read for every fan of horror stories

 


Horton’s Halloween Hauntings: 14 Tales of Halloween

Edited by Chisto Healy

Independently Published, 2025

ISBN-13: 979-8268332650

Ebook, 179 ppg.

Buy link

  

If you’re looking for a collection of Halloween stories to read, look no further than the anthology, Horton’s Halloween Hauntings: 14 Tales of Halloween, edited by Chisto Healy. Not only will you read some frightening and terrifying stories but your love for Halloween will grow thanks to the many stories in this book that put a new spin on many Halloween traditions.

 

Even though this anthology is filled with stories by authors whose work I have enjoyed reading in the past, here are the stories that really stood out for me:

 

“Turnip Head” by Desiree Horton

The veil is thin on Halloween, allowing the dead easy passage into the land of the living. But one woman’s late husband comes back in an unusual way!

 

“Anything for Candy” by Ashley Fox

This was a very dark tale. There are so many stories of Halloween tricks gone wrong, but not many of them explore what happens afterward. This story does, and what happens after the tragedy is all the more horrifying.

 

“Devil of the Eden” by Boe Healy

What happened in this story was completely unexpected! It’s full of scares and a lot of tension. It’s a good father and son Halloween story but it’s also very dark and creepy.

 

“The King of the Gourds” by E.M. Otero

This story takes a very bizarre turn after an expert pumpkin carver starts experiencing some body horror while carving pumpkins. I loved the ending!

 

“Riddles Three” by Z Martin

This is another creepy story that took an unexpected turn! I really enjoyed reading it. I thought the riddles were really clever.

 

“The Birthright” by Eve L. Fell

I was excited to come across this kind of story, as they are one of my favorites. At first, I was frightened by what was happening to the main character, then the story had a twist and it went in an entirely different direction!

 

“Jaq-O-Lantern: The Pumpkin Queen” by Chisto Healy

The name in the title confused me, but I loved the story behind it! Yes, it’s sad, but there is at least some peace behind it. I love how the legend comes to life in this story. There are some horrible things that happen, but it’s a really good story. 

 

While those stories really resonated with me, I enjoyed reading all of the stories in this book. They are all good stories and I was happy for the chance to read these creative tales written by some very talented writers.

 

Horton’s Halloween Hauntings: 14 Tales of Halloween is the kind of book that every horror lover should include in their library. It’s a great book to read during Halloween season, as well as any time of the year. The stories in this book will surprise and terrify readers, keeping them turning the pages for tales that never cease to entertain.

 

 

Five stars

 

 

Disclaimer: This review is completely voluntary. I downloaded a copy of this book through my Kindle Unlimited subscription and I am posting this review by choice.


Wednesday, October 15, 2025

No Spoilers Here: Tell Me How It Ends is a Collection of Horror Stories That Will Surprise, Frighten and Terrify Readers

 

Tell Me How It Ends: A Horror Collection

Desiree Horton

Independently Published, 2025

ISBN-13: 979-8285804628

Ebook, 98 ppg.

Buy link

 

A woman makes a horrifying discovery after her husband’s death. Trick-or-treaters get more than they bargain for after they follow a young girl into the woods. And an unusual convention has an unlucky guest. These are just some of the horror stories that await readers of the book, Tell Me How It Ends: A Horror Collection by Desiree Horton. Within the pages of this book lurk people who delight in committing the most heinous of crimes and monsters eagerly hungry for the humans in their sights. The next story I read was even better than the last one. I read this book in a day, as it was hard to put down! I could not stop reading it once I began, and the cryptic endings made me hold my breath as I got to the very last surprising sentence.

 

This collection of stories starts off strong. The first story, “The Beach House,” had me thinking that it was a story about loss or grief, but then something completely unexpected happens that changed everything I thought I had figured out about this story. This plot twist had me eagerly reading more and what happened next took me by surprise. It’s a great story that lingered in my head long after I finished reading it.

 

“Penny’s Tea” was really horrific! I had no idea what to expect, though I understood what was happening. They say we should trust our instincts when we feel that something isn’t right with our bodies, and the character, Penny, really knew that she was dealing with something not only wrong but also unnatural. Loved the surprise at the end of this story! It’s a great body horror story that sent chills down my spine!

 

“Sweeter than Candy” was another enjoyable read. I have read this Halloween story before, when it was published in Halloween Horrors: A Fundraising Anthology, but of course I read it again and it was just as enjoyable to read again! That’s one good thing about spooky Halloween stories; they can be enjoyed many times over, especially during the month of October!

 

“Family is Forever” was also another awesome story in this book. When I started reading it, I had no idea what to expect. But as I got into this story, I was drawn into the mutual grief the cousins felt over yet another death in the family. They say that grief affects everybody differently, but for Daisy’s cousin, Rosie, she puts her unusual hobby to creative use in coping with the most recent loss.

 

All of the stories in this collection were enjoyable and I loved the last one, the title story, the best.

 

Tell Me How It Ends is a collection of spooky, haunting tales that are sure to frighten, terrify and alarm readers. These stories offer a combination of monstrous characters, horrifying spectacles and spinetingling scares that are unlike any other stories out there. Pick up this book to read if you’re looking for some scary stories to enjoy and you won’t be disappointed.

 

  

Five stars

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I downloaded a free copy of this book through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.


An Island of Monsters: Where the Tide Leaves its Dead is a horror story of survival and rebellion

  Where the Tide Leaves its Dead Bray Mattheson Next Chapter, 2026 Ebook, 266 ppg. ISBN-13: 979-8254255765 Buy link   Casey Da...