Sometimes family life and relationships are scary. The stories in Brother’s Keeper show this, each one in a different way. They are unsettling enough to mess with your dreams if you read any of them right before going to bed.
“Sundown” – Shea and Daniel return to Sundown, Shea’s hometown, for her brother’s funeral.
This is truly a horrifying story. Horrifying because of what happened in it. Horrifying because I could actually see it happening today. Horrifying that people could be filled with so much hate.
I won’t say what happened, but the author did a great job writing it. I just know that I’ll never visit a city called Sundown. Be prepared to cry and cringe in horror.
Favorite Sentence:
After nine 9mm rounds to the chest and upper body, he would never move again.
“A Mother’s Love” – Angelo, an older man, meets Annie on his travels. She Is older, divorced, and has one son who is sick and stays in his room all of the time, so Angelo doesn’t get to meet him. Angelo falls in love with Annie, but there is so much more to her than he realizes.
I kept wondering what there was about her love for her son that was so terrifying. Was she keeping him prisoner? Was she just pretending he was there? No, it couldn’t be that. There was definitely someone in that room. I think the answer will surprise and horrify you as much as it did me.
Favorite Sentence:
We spent the day in San Francisco and had a great time, but when we got back to the house, the dream day turned into a nightmare.
“Brother’s Keeper” – Thomas and Thaddeus are twins. One is autistic; the other isn’t. One of the brothers is a killer; the other isn’t.
Jessie applies for the job to take care of the autistic brother.
The skillfully done ending leaves a bit of a question in your mind about what will happen from then on. Very will-written story.
Favorite Sentences:
He could see that the woman standing and waiting was a pretty young blonde girl—his type.
“Ice-Blue” – Andrea and Sam’s sisterly rivalry goes a bit too far. Andrea won’t hear (and wouldn’t believe) Sam’s pleading explanations until it is too late.
Favorite Sentence:
Her body went into shock as she fell into the icy cold water.
If she was so strong, she wouldn’t have tried to kill herself in the first place, Andrea thought to herself repeatedly throughout the night, getting angrier and angrier every time she thought it.
“The Locket” – Ronnie, short for Veronica, and her husband, Greg, move into her deceased mother’s home, the home Ronnie had grown up in. She wasn’t surprised by the “friendly” ghost there; he had always been around, but his presence did take Greg by surprise. The locket took them both by surprise.
The ending perplexed me. I know why Greg made the decision he made, but was Ronnie happy with that decision?
Favorite Sentences:
Her mind began to clear as if trapped in some fog—a fog made of grief.
She didn’t notice the hot liquid or even the broken ceramic cup because sitting there on the coffee table, where the cup she had just dropped had been sitting, was the locket.
“Quarantine” – Jack is germophobic. He is more afraid of him or someone in his family catching Covid-19 than most. This virus is spreading, and he is determined to save his family from it.
Favorite Sentence:
She watched as this normally mild-mannered man turned bright red, screamed, and started to tear at his suit to get it off.
I received a free copy of this book, enjoyed it immensely, and am leaving this review voluntarily. If you would like your own copy of Brother’s Keeper, I’ve provided an Amazon link below.
Amazon Link: Brother’s Keeper
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About the Author:
David Vorhees a veteran of the States Navy, husband, father of five, and grandfather of five. I have always been interested in the occult and the scarier side of life. I love history and the supernatural and truly believe there is nothing better than a good story.
