Book Reviews

If you like dark short stories

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If you are the type of person who enjoyed watching Tales of the Unexpected and finds they enjoy a tale with a sinister twist, then you might enjoy my short stories. Here is what a few Amazon reviews had to say –

“Thoroughly enjoyed these short stories reminiscent of Roald Dahl’s ‘Tales of the unexpected’. Particular praise for ‘Clocking Off’”

“All the stories here have their own flavour. Another review mentioned Tales of the Unexpected and I’d say that’s on the money. Imaginative, well-written, I’m looking forward to more from this author.”

“Six creepy stories that are guaranteed to lodge themselves firmly under the skin. Each story invites the reader into a world where you are certain that from the very first word, things are not going to end with a cheery musical number. They are ‘dark’ stories for a reason. A quick read for those looking for a chilling end to the evening, each tale comes with its own twist. Personal favourites include ‘Doctors Visit’ and ‘Clocking Off’.”

And if you would like to read the story mentioned a couple of times there, you can find it here – Clocking Off

(c) K Wicks

Azalea House – book review

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I haven’t got in much reading at all over the last couple of years, but I noticed this one on social media with this description from a recent reader –

“If you love a creepy haunted house where the ghosts aren’t half as terrifying or tragic as the living people inside it, this is a must read.”

That sounded just the sort of thing I would actually like to read, so rather than think about it and forget. Ordered it straight away, started reading on the day it arrived and finished by the next day! Good pace and plot, with everything else balancing perfectly in between. A most enjoyable read 🙂

(c) K Wicks

Looking for something creepy to read?

~ MKW Publishing ~ 2 Comments

If you are looking for something creepy to read, maybe some of the review comments for Under the Apple Tree and other dark short stories may help you to decide if this book is for you ~

“Six creepy stories that are guaranteed to lodge themselves firmly under the skin. Each story invites the reader into a world where you are certain that from the very first word, things are not going to end with a cheery musical number. They are ‘dark’ stories for a reason. A quick read for those looking for a chilling end to the evening, each tale comes with its own twist. Personal favourites include ‘Doctors Visit’ and ‘Clocking Off’.

“Thoroughly enjoyed these short stories reminiscent of Roald Dahl’s ‘Tales of the unexpected’. Particular praise for ‘Clocking Off’

“Although the stories are set in present day, the author’s writing style is reminiscent of classic horror like Stevenson or Shelley, which can feel odd at times but carries the stories well. And, similarly to the classics, there’s not a lot of gore or curse words, which makes this collection enjoyable for fans of all ages. In a way, Under the Apple Tree: And other dark short stories remind me of scary stories you tell around the campfire or are passed around during sleepover parties, and like those stories these tales stay with you for a long time.”

Having some great names mentioned there in the reviews really was a treat, the whole point of writing is that people enjoy reading it. For a slice of what is in there – please take a moment to enjoy ‘Clocking Off’

(c) K Wicks

The Kingdom Under the Sea – Book Review

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This was an absolute favourite of mine growing up by Joan Aiken, the stories are wonderfully illustrated by Jan Pienkowski, which made it stay in mind long after the book was put down. Both writer and illustrator have inspired me very much with this collection. The whole book is a delight, and I can only hope to bring this kind of enjoyment to a reader with my own books one day.

These stories are all Eastern European fairy tales with a strange surreal quality to them, all vividly brought to life by a great writing style and silhouette style artwork to accompany.

As you would expect from original fairytales, there is a dark twist or theme running through them including a queen being bricked up alive in a wall!

I recommend this if you like a bit of dark, strange and the surreal.

The Kingdom Under the Sea and other stories by Joan Aiken and illustrated by Jan Pienkowski.

(c) K Wicks

Infinity – Book Review

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Having only recently got back into reading short stories I was very happy with this choice.

This story is a bit longer than a short, and a bit shorter than a novella, but it wasn’t noticed once I started reading.

Infinity by Marc W Shako.

Quite an unusual storyline, reminiscent of Logans Run for me, but slightly more gritty and quite fast paced. Each chapter led on well to the next and although the immediate story going on was wrapped up, there was the implication of much more. It would be nice to see the story developed into a full novel. But definite thumbs up from me.

Door and other twisted tales – Book Review

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A thoroughly enjoyable read. A varied collection of strange tales, nearly all the stories kept me engaged and quite hooked from the first page of each. Atmospheric and creepy. Set in very different times and locations, they create a great feeling of weird. I especially enjoyed them as like mine, they aren’t gory, but give you an overall sense of unease.

Door and other twisted tales by Catherine McCarthy