These creepy stories have possession, serial killers, revenge, betrayal, ghosts, and a terrifying creature of the night. Narrated by David Sweeney-Bear, these stories entertained me,one of them giving me the creeps.
Just staring at the cover of this book for very long could prove to be unsettling. I would recommend listening to or reading these stories during the daylight hours, not as you’re about to fall asleep, especially if you’re prone to nightmares.
“21” – I knew I was a monster; I never denied that. This monster, rejected by the army, has a mission that turns one family’s vacation deadly. Could his rejection by the army only be an excuse to carry out his savage desires?
“The Box” – This particular story, my favorite one from this collection, gave me the creeps. I’m surprised it didn’t cause me to have a nightmare. Why? Because I’m a grandmother and my name is Lisa.
Jack, Lisa’s husband, made a living selling things online. He couldn’t find any information on one item he brought home. It was an attractive marble box, so they decided to keep it on the mantle. But there is something about that marble box. When their four-year-old granddaughter accidentally breaks the box, its deadly contents are unleashed.
If you don’t know what is inside a strange box, you would be better off not to keep it.
“Retribution” – Capital punishment is suitable for murderers, but what if the relatives of the victim were offered the opportunity to kill the murderer themselves? Nothing could go wrong with that, right? The murderer would not longer kill. The relatives would rest, knowing they had revenged their loved one’s death. There’s no way a serial killer could find a way to trick a system like this, right?
A bit of a murder mystery filled with deception and betrayal, this story is my second favorite from this collection.
“Scratches” – This one could cause nightmares. What would you do if you heard scratching in the walls of your bedroom? Would you call pest control and have them investigate? Would you find a way to get rid of what was doing the scratching yourself?
Furious at whatever this was that was making the scratching noises and what it was doing to his marriage, this guy tears off the skirting board to find and get rid of the offender. He really shouldn’t have done that.
“Trick or Treat” – This is one awesome haunted house story! Kids too old to go trick-or-treating talk their parents into letting them do so, but knocking on doors and asking for candy isn’t what most of them have in mind. Instead, they visit the Monroe house which is said to be haunted with skeletons that chase people away. When they are invited inside the house and enter, they find themselves in a predicament. Will they survive to see another Halloween?
“Tunnels” – Lily believes in ghosts, but her husband doesn’t. She talks him into taking a tour of some empty tunnels near their home that are supposed to be haunted. A time that was intended to be exciting with some possible frights turns into a horrifying experience that nearly costs them their lives.
Once you hear these spooky stories, you’ll be hooked and only want more from this talented author.
I was sent a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review and then purchased the Kindle copy. If you’re a fan of horror stories, I highly recommend this book. If you would like to purchase a paperback or Kindle version of this book to read or the audiobook version to listen to, I’ve provided Amazon links for them below.
Amazon Links:
Tunnels and Other Short Stories: Collection II (Kindle)
Tunnels and Other Short Stories: Collection II (Audiobook)
Tunnels and Other Short Stories: Collection II (Paperback)
Recommended Article: Embrace the Darkness and Other Short Stories – a Review
Favorite Sentences:
mrskyce, flickr
The entire five inches went in, destroying his brain in a fraction of a second, gloopy grey and red lumps sticking to the knife as I retrieved it.
The heaving sound stopped as she looked at him, smiling widely, her teeth blackened by whatever substance was on her face.
On the night that it happened, revenge was the only thing on my mind.
My eyes widened with terror as I realized that my freshly removed tongue was now blocking my airways.
As we stepped into the fresh air, our path was blocked by the grave-digging skeletons, heads cocked to one side as they surveyed us.
We watched her mouth slowly open, wider than should be humanly possible, before she released a blood-curdling scream.
New Words Learned:
fairy lights – small colored electric bulbs strung together and used for decoration, esp. on a Christmas tree
skirting board – In architecture, a baseboard (also called skirting board, skirting, mopboard, floor molding, or base molding) is usually wooden or vinyl board covering the lowest part of an interior wall. Its purpose is to cover the joint between the wall surface and the floor.
About the Author:
P.J. Blakey-Novis lives with his wife and four children in a small town in Sussex, England. As well as being a keen cook and wine enthusiast, Peter has been writing poetry and short stories for almost twenty years. It had always been an ambition to complete a novel and, after the success of his debut, The Broken Doll, it has been fantastic to have the opportunity to turn a hobby into a new career. Since the release of The Broken Doll in February 2017, Peter has released the follow-up novel, Shattered Pieces, as well as three collections of short horror stories, and a children’s book. Peter has had work published in a number of anthologies, is the Editor-in-Chief of Indie Writers Review, and is the co-founder of Red Cape Publishing.
