Night Shadows by Stephen L. Brayton

Black Rose Writing, 2024

ISBN: 9781685134143

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

Buy: Bookshop.org | Amazon.com

Night Shadows fits perfectly in the B level ranks of horror fiction.  There is nothing really new or unique in it, but it’s sure entertaining, and enough to keep the pages flipping.  It’s a decent one for a few hours of horror escapism.

The ingredients that make up the story are all ones you’ve seen, many times.  Weird, killer creatures?  Got it.  Two mismatched law enforcement agents?  Yep, it’s here.  A book of black magic styled after the Necronomicon, and an eccentric professor to explain it all?  Check.  Plot twist at the end that can be guessed?  That’s here too.  All the usual elements, but still fun when used well, which the author does.  There’s enough go-juice in the writing to keep the reader’s interest and the pages moving, just not at the “up all night” (sleep all day) level.

The best parts of the book are probably the night shadows (the book’s antagonists) and the cop on cop interplay.  The shadows are nasty fun and do a good job wreaking bloody havoc around Des Moines, Iowa, as they multiply the city’s homicide rate exponentially over the course of a few nights.  The book is messy enough for the gorehounds, especially when the strip club gets trashed. The mismatched cops bit works well, with Detective Reznick’s sarcastic, everyday-joe attitude paired with Agent Campisi’s Vulcan-like demeanor.  Everything goes smoothly in the story, until it purrs comfortably across the finish line of its 236 pages.  If a bit of touch-up could have been used anywhere, it would be with the mystery element.  The idea of a house being present that has no business existing was excellent, and could have used some more elaborating.

Bottom line, In the Night Shadows is not a must-buy, but it is a fun read. if you have the spare cash, give it a look, and enjoy watching the city’s darkness tear apart its inhabitants.

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson