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Jagged Edges & Moving Parts by Pete Mesling

Other Kingdoms Publishing

ISBN :978-0-578-67738-5

Available: Paperback and Kindle edition

Jagged Edges & Moving Parts is a mega-collection featuring twenty-seven pieces, collecting both reprints and some new work by versatile author Pete Mesling. These include short stories of standard length, some micro-stories, and a few literary snapshots.

Horror fans will find a variety of subjects addressed by a talented writer able to disturb, entertain and entice the readers.

Commenting upon each single tale would be an impossible task, but among the huge amount of  material featured in the book, some stories are especially worth mentioning.

“The Things We Teach Our Young” is a solid piece where an Islamic truck driver giving a lift to a wounded hitchhiker turns out to be a terrorist on his way to performing an attack, while “A Pound of Flesh” is a vivid description of how a potentially romantic dinner ends up as an unexpected, painful nightmare.

The enticing “Not for All to See” revolves around a family curse featuring an inhuman creature who needs to be finally defeated, while the tell-tale titled “Crossing Lake Serene on a Dare” is a well-crafted story where a childish dare brings about dire consequences.

“Voices in the Crawl Space” will both terrify you and bewitch you with its load of malice and violence.

“In the Chillest Land”is a superb, tense tale portraying two men who, during a climbing expedition experience a terrible situation facing a dangerous, alien animal.

To me, the best piece in the collection is the outstanding “And a Little Child Shall Lead Them”, a very dark, creepy tale, conveying a sense of deep disquiet and dread and showcasing Mesling’s great ability as a storyteller. Recommended.

Contains: violence

Reviewed by Mario Guslandi