Remember the nine circles of hell written about in Dante’s Inferno? From a frozen corpse bent on revenge to the horrors awaiting an organ donor, Connie Corcoran Wilson takes one on eleven terrifying trips through these dark regions.
The Stories:
“Cold Corpse Limbo” – I’m sure you’ve read stories where a person wronged is bent on revenge. What about a dead person? Sure, some have come back as ghosts or been reborn as vampires, werewolves, or zombies, but what about a corpse? The corpse of one man is out for revenge.
The creepy cover brings to life the cold corpse of Ole Monson. His dead hand reaching for the cross while he peers through the top of his casket is enough to send chills down the spines of many. Me? I love it! The cover promised creepy, somewhat horrifying stories, and it delivered on its promise.
“The Shell” – A young lady on vacation with her family likes to lay on the beach. Little does she realize that she is being watched by someone who isn’t quite all there. Once kidnapped, she finds strength she hadn’t realized she possessed, but is it enough for her to get away?
“Tempus Fugit: Resurrection Cemetery” – A woman has a meeting with a bartender at Chet’s Melody Lounge to talk about Resurrection Mary, the local ghost, and the cemetery. What could go wrong? Well, there is something about this bartender she doesn’t know.
“The Champagne Chandelier” – For some people, their greed continues even after they are no longer alive. Can having too many objects be considered gluttonous?
“A Spark on the Prairie” – What was it really like between the Indians and the white men during the frontier days? This tale takes you back to 1833 to take a closer look at the experience one tribe of Indians had with these new settlers.
“M.R.M.” – How long does it take for a woman to drive her husband to the edge of insanity? Once he goes over the edge, what will he do?
“A Bridge Too Far” – A person’s spouse can drive one to the edge of insanity, but other people can push one there too. Have you ever known a person who was convinced he knew it all?
“Letters to Claire” – Family secrets are brought to light in this tale. A brother finds evidence of an extremely high paid doctor bill left behind by his dead sister. What was it for? Was it the reason for her death?
“Room Service” – Do not ignore the writer. If you make one mad for too long, the consequences could be deadly.
“Oxymorons” – Political corruption and murder run rampant in this tale. If you know too much, will you be killed?
“The Bureau” – Love, infidelity, and betrayal all play their part in this chilling tale. It might make you think twice before becoming an organ donor.
My favorite out of this collection of stories? There is no way I can pick a favorite, but I can tell you which four stories I liked the best. They are “Cold Corpse Limbo”, “The Shell”, “Room Service”, and “The Bureau”.
Favorite Sentences
Had my blood not been frozen, it would have boiled in indignation.
He is mumbling and his breath stinks of old mushrooms that have rotted.
Her eyes remind me of vampire movies where Dracula can hypnotize by merely staring into the eyes of his victims.
Who would have predicted that by nightfall I’d be a murderer?
New Words Learned:
incautious – not cautious; careless; reckless; heedless
sacristy– a room attached to a church or chapel where the sacred vessels, vestments, etc, are kept and where priests attire themselves
palapa – a simple, thatched-roof dwelling, usually open on the sides
banquette – a long bench with an upholstered seat, especially one along a wall, as in a restaurant
keened – wailed or lamented
appurtenances – accessories or equipment
I was sent a copy of this book free of charge by the author in exchange for an honest review. If you would like to purchase your own copy of this book, all you have to do is click on the Amazon link below.
Amazon link: Hellfire & Damnation II
About the Author:
Connie Corcoran Wilson graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in English and Journalism, but she began writing for her hometown (Independence, Iowa) newspaper at the age of 10 and was Editor-in-Chief of her high school newspaper. She continued her education, including a Ferner/Hearst Journalism Scholarship and a Freshman Merit Scholarship at Iowa, and then at Berkeley, WIU, NIU and the University of Chicago.
She holds a Masters (+30) in English, Journalism and Education. Her career path led to teaching 7th and 8th grade language arts (Silvis, Illinois) and teaching writing at 6 IA/IL colleges or universities, including a class teaching film at Black Hawk Junior College. She then established the second Sylvan Learning Center in the state of Iowa and a Prometric Testing site, in conjunction with ETS of Princeton, NJ. She has taught writing and literature classes at all 6 IA/ILQuad City colleges.
Constance (aka Connie) was Midwest Writing Center Writer of the Year, Content Producer of the Year for Yahoo, and Illinois Women’s Press Association Silver Feather Award winner (Chicago chapter.) She was named one of the “10 Most Creative Teachers in America” in a TAB Scholastic Books competition. Her Sylvan Learning Center (#3301) in Bettendorf, Iowa, was named Best Business of the Year by the Bettendorf Chamber of Commerce that year and the free reading program for poor kids she established was the largest scholarship program of its kind among a 900-member chain, for which she was personally awarded a Bi-State Literacy Award by then sitting First Lady Barbara Bush in 1993.
She lives in East Moline, Illinois with husband Craig and in Chicago, Illinois, where her son, Scott and daughter-in-law Jessica and their four-year-old twins Elise and Ava reside. Her daughter, Stacey, a graduate of Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, recently returned from a year spent living and working in Australia and now lives and works in Nashville, Tennessee.
