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Book Review: Death’s Sweet Echo by Len Maynard and Mick Sims

Death’s Sweet Echo by Len Maynard and Mick Sims

Tickety Boo Press Ltd., 2015

ASIN: B018YK61XM

Available: Kindle edition

Maynard and Sims present thirteen stories, reminiscent of some of the classics. The tone, atmosphere, and themes of these tales of the supernatural are unique to each story, spanning different time periods. A haunted house in an old New England town holds dark secrets; a widow is being followed by someone who claims to be her dead husband; a confused man runs through the rainy streets of London late for a life altering appointment, only to find he was too late anyway.

A few stories stand out. “Another Bite of the Cherry” opens with the frustrated thoughts of an Egyptian girl trapped and immobile in her sarcophagus. who, along with her parents, had been taken and mummified by someone who usurped the position of Pharaoh. The story fast forwards to post-war England. Lizzie Stirling, an out of work actress, has to settle with a job she was once too proud to take, in a nude revue on the small stage. She’s been offered another bite of the cherry, being able to work on the stage again. She makes a few friends, including the leading man of the club’s shows. This friendship turns into more, much more.

“I’m Here” is set after the Great Depression. Poor William Burton lost all of his investment. He reluctantly accepts an invitation to a Christmas party, with a gift he is less than proud of because he has very little disposable income. There are drinks, a lavish meal, and party games, which William dislikes. Then, there are the looks his former love bestows upon her husband, an opportunist who grabbed her up at William’s most difficult time. William, however, finds this all to be an illusion, in a most upsetting way.

In “Sweet Decay of Youth”, Daniel doesn’t want his small group of college friends to abandon him, and he does what he can to ensure his place amongst them. In “Silver”, Maria talks of the silver people in the lake at the Drysdale Clinic, a mental health facility. Her father doesn’t believe her at first, but after the groundskeeper is attacked and the assault is blamed on Maria, things start to fall into place. In the tale called “Guilt Casts Long Shadows”, Martin is wracked with guilt, and he finds out what happens when he doesn’t make proper amends.

Maynard and Sims are true masters of the short horror story. You would be missing out if you skipped over this collection, especially if you like classic horror. They don’t rely on blood and gore to drive their tales. Don’t get me wrong– I love a good, bloody short story myself– but sometimes I like to pick up something that leaves more to the imagination. There really is something appealing to leaving the brain to do some of the heavy lifting, and this book allows for that. Recommended.

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker


Posted on October 18, 2016 by , Reply

Book Review: They Say A Girl Died Here Once by Sarah Pinborough

They Say A Girl Died Here Once by Sarah Pinborough
Earthling Publications, October 2016
ISBN-13: 978-0996211833
Available: $35 signed & numbered hardcover; $400 lettered edition

It’s time once again for Earthling Publications’ Halloween present to horror readers. For the past 11 years, Paul Miller has given the gift that keeps on frightening; not once has he chosen a story, or author, that has disappointed. Every year, Earthling offers something different– a new twist on the classics, or a story that delves into a dark corner of the genre’s history.

This time, he has chosen author Sarah Pinborough, who has penned novels in various genres but always seems to return to horror, where she originally staked her claim, through a number of paperbacks from the defunct Leisure line, as one of those “writers to watch.”

With the success of Mayhem and The Forgotten Gods trilogy, she proved she wasn’t a flash in the pan. She is a master of thriller writing. Her ability to create a dark, horror-infused atmosphere lifts every one of her novels into a realm few writers have reached. Last year’s Death House pushed her into the ranks of the horror-writing elite, and should have swept the awards.

Now she’s back, with They Say A Girl Died Here Once, a ghost story that is as much a psychological thriller and a mystery as it is a horror novel. This disturbing family drama centers on teenage Anna and her family: her mother, little sister, and grandmother. While the tale of a family moving into a house with a dark past is a common trope, Pinborough sidesteps the expected, and delivers a new take on haunting, dark, family secrets.

Anna and her family have moved into a new town to escape the “thing” that happened to her back home: an incident that has fractured all her relationships, as well as her own sanity. She attempts to fit in with the teens she meets, and to participate in the normal activities of high school. Anna’s mother works odd hours, so Anna is also tasked with taking care of her grandmother, Evelyn, who is in the advanced stages of dementia. Evelyn’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic. She begins wandering the house, often winding up at the basement door, and speaking phrases that make little sense. The discovery of what has happened, both in the house and in the town, makes Anna curious enough to delve into the mystery, as she attempts to decipher the words of what has been speaking through her grandmother. What ensues pushes the tale down a new avenue in ghost stories. Each relationship Pinborough weaves is tenuous at best, from the creepy handyman who courts Anna’s mother, to the rebellious friend, to the other teens bent on finding out what the “thing” is in her past.

In lesser hands, They Say A Girl Died Here Once could have been just another ghost story. With her exquisite writing, Sarah Pinborough molds it into something special and unexpected. Her deft hand in creating atmosphere as a character is on display here, along with the individual characters who drag the reader into the depths of her nightmarish visions.

With this author, and Earthling as the publisher, this novel is very much recommended. The only downside is the limited print run, so pick it up quickly.

Reviewed by David Simms


Posted on September 21, 2016 by , Reply

Women in Horror Month: An Invitation to Toni Morrison’s “Beloved”

On the heels of Tor.com’s blog post stating that the horror genre doesn’t claim Toni Morrison’s novel, Beloved, I feel like it’s necessary to set the record straight. As much as I would personally like to claim it for the horror genre, some people might consider that appropriation, given its topic and the context in which it was written– and certainly, horror isn’t the only genre represented(it has also been described as magic realist, historical fiction, and African-American fiction, and Morrison has said she prefers to be identified as simply an American writer). But as a widely read person and a reviewer of horror fiction, I personally, and as a representative of Monster Librarian, will argue that it most certainly should be included (I have always considered it to be part of the genre) as it spotlights one of the most innovative and powerful depictions of horror and the Gothic by women, in recent literature.

In the way that it taps into the feelings we attach to American history, Beloved is a unique book that I am not sure any other can quite measure up to.  I won’t argue that it doesn’t also have a relationship to other literary genres and styles. But there is room in the horror genre for things we haven’t yet even imagined, and there is certainly an honored place for Beloved. 

 

 

Posted on February 25, 2016 by , Reply
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