Excerpt from Review: "...Wow! What a terrific read! I finished this book in a day and a half. Each and every story held my interest and ended with a surprising twist. Mr. Dark’s Carnival and The Pumpkin Boy were the longest and most developed tales and actually ended up being my favorites in the anthology...Halloween Carnival: Volume Two was everything I could have hoped for and more. I’m sad I missed the original volume, but I am stoked that I get to read the rest of the five book series!"

Review copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Trick r' Treat, horror fans, here's your Halloween treat! This is perfect for Halloween!

Great read! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!

This is the second installment of the new horror series: Halloween Carnival, provided to me by Net Galley for an honest review.

MR. DARK’S CARNIVAL by Glen Hirshberg
Halloween is more than just a holiday in Clarkson, Montana; it’s a tradition passed down through generations. Only this year, the ghosts of the past may just be a little closer than usual.

Just what goes on here in Mr. Dark's Carnival? Find out if you dare, and it only appears on Halloween so hurry up! Atmospheric and tense from start to finish. Hirshberg is able to weave this small little world, creating its own mythology in a short span of time, truly a feat in of itself. This was a great story for anytime especially for Halloween.

THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF MY SISTER by Lee Thomas
When David was young, he believed in magic. In fact, he wanted to become a magician himself. But meddling in the forces of the mind has consequences beyond what an eleven-year-old can see.

Nice suspenseful story, Not necessarily horror or for Halloween, but Lee Thomas knows how to create mood.

MISCHIEF NIGHT by Holly Newstein
Cabbage Night, Goose Night, Devil’s Night—they’re all the same. Before the treats come the tricks. It’s all in good fun . . . until someone gets hurt.

Great little story of trying to have a little mischief, doing something wrong on a night when all of a sudden, WHAM! instant karma. Well, maybe some punishments are worse than the crime. Nice little story.

THE GHOST MAKER by Del James
When people need to disappear, I make them vanish. The catch? I’ve always got to be on guard—because that knock at the door may not just be a little monster looking for candy.

Great story. A crime story in a Halloween setting. An air of desperation hangs over the characters here who are just begging to break out into a longer work. Good plotting and action, a bit of gore, great story!

THE PUMPKIN BOY by Al Sarrantonio
When boys start going missing, Detective Len Schneider is determined to make it right. But his partner knows that there are worse things out there than a dead kid.

Previously published in a limited edition, this story complements the Orangefield series. By the way, if you have not read that series you are missing out. Great story that moves along quickly, good action and satisfying ending. You can enjoy this story by itself. And you should.

Great addition to the series.

Great read! This collection kept me entertained throughout. Looking forward to reading the other books in this series.

4.5 stars once again the stories are really good and are a bit strange but not scary or spooky ,but their still good to read doing October,once again thinks NetGalley for letting me read and review these series .

The Halloween Carnival Vol 2 is the second in a five e-book horror series launched just in time for the spooky season. Each book serves up five short stories by genre masters – as well as some talented up-and-comers – for the low cost price of $2.99 and will be released, one a week, throughout October in the lead up to Halloween.

Volume 2 sees stories by Glen Hirshberg, Lee Thomas, Holly Newstein, Del James and Al Sarrantonio. It’s another solid outing but not as strong as the first volume.

Again, it’s the short novella – this time Sarrantonio’s The Pumpkin Boy reprint that is the stand out here. A creepy story of a strange pumpkin boy that snatches children in a small town it’s a gripping procedural with a definite Halloween flavour.

The other stories range from good to very good but don’t tend to embrace the Halloween theme as much as the first volume. Of these, Newstein’s Mischief Night is the strongest and is a gripping two-hander that explores what happens when a Halloween prank goes wrong.

Worth the coin for Sarrantonio’s story alone. To be followed by Volume 3 on October 17.

This is a pretty solid collection of stories. Strong opening, strong closing and a good mix of story types thrown in.
I don't feel like there is a single bad story in the lot or any that any one story let the group down as a whole.
It has definitely peaked my interest regarding the rest of the series and I will check them out. If they are of the same quality, I will be very satisfied.

MR. DARK'S CARNIVAL is one of the best Halloween reads I've had in a long, long time. Very well done. Good characters, an interesting legend and a creepy undertone of mystery. Loved it.

THE PUMPKIN BOY as a decent read as well--even if I felt it was a little long-winded.

The rest of the stories ranged from okay to boring and left the collection feeling unbalanced to me.

None of that matters though, because of Hirshberg's MR. DARK'S CARNIVAL. That alone is worth this collection.

This series is fab and fun! Halloween is my favourite holiday and I’ve really enjoyed reading these to get into the Halloween spirit. These stories are definitely creepy and each one ties into Halloween in some way. The stories aren’t terribly long so they’re quick reads. Very highly recommended! Get a cup of tea and a warm blanket and settle in!

I've kinda been loving these Halloween Carnival books, and this one was one of my favorites. True, there were a few stories that didn't hit the sweet spot, but they weren't stinkers by any means.
Glen Hirshberg-Mr. Dark's Carnival-This was the best damn ghost story that I've read recently. The fact that in takes place here in Montana, just an hour down the road was an added bonus! I've often found certain areas of Montana to be creepy....Something about the emptiness of the plains and prairies just disturbs me.
Al Sarrantonio-The Pumpkin Boy-Whew, seriously one heckuva tale! I know this one's been out awhile, and I've heard others talk about it, but it didn't sound all that great to me. So, I was wrong....The whole thing made my skin crawl, and the ending was terribly sad. I wasn't expecting that. So now I'm going to have to see what else I can find and read by this author.
This is one book I'd recommend. My thanks to Hydra/Random House and Netgalley.

Like the first volume it contains 5 short stories which are perfect for Halloween reading or any time of year when you'd like to enjoy a little bite of horror and dark fiction.
MR. DARK’S CARNIVAL by Glen Hirshberg
Halloween is more than just a holiday in Clarkson, Montana; it’s a tradition passed down through generations. Only this year, the ghosts of the past may just be a little closer than usual.

THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF MY SISTER by Lee Thomas
When David was young, he believed in magic. In fact, he wanted to become a magician himself. But meddling in the forces of the mind has consequences beyond what an eleven-year-old can see.

MISCHIEF NIGHT by Holly Newstein
Cabbage Night, Goose Night, Devil’s Night—they’re all the same. Before the treats come the tricks. It’s all in good fun . . . until someone gets hurt.

THE GHOST MAKER by Del James
When people need to disappear, I make them vanish. The catch? I’ve always got to be on guard—because that knock at the door may not just be a little monster looking for candy.

THE PUMPKIN BOY by Al Sarrantonio
When boys start going missing, Detective Len Schneider is determined to make it right. But his partner knows that there are worse things out there than a dead kid.
The books are amazing. When I started reading I couldn't put it down.

Halloween Carnival Volume 2, edited by Brian James Freeman was received direct from the publisher. Halloween anthologies are like a box of chocolates, in that you never know what you are gonna get. Of these five authors of these novellas, I had only heard of and read one. The stories as presented, in my opinion are not very horrific, meaning they are thinking mans "horror," set to a Halloween setting, many may enjoy this, I personally "likes me some gore." My final score is the average of each if the five stories. Fall is the air and it is time to read some Halloween stories, maybe just maybe you should start with this one.

3.5 stars

This is the second in a series of five Halloween Carnivals. The anthology features 5 different authors and are centered on Halloween. I like the idea that the publisher is releasing one a week in October, gearing up for the holiday.

As with all anthologies, I had my favorites. I have read some of Al Sarrantino's Orangefield books and stories in the past and enjoyed them. The Pumpkin Boy did not disappoint. My favorite of the bunch though was Glen Hirshberg's Mr. Dark's Carnival. A college history professor well-versed in local legends finds out the truth behind long-rumored tales of Mr. Dark's Carnival. There is a lot of background and story building up to the end, which while close, I did not quite guess. I found it strangely alluring - both the story and the carnival. Definitely the best, in my opinion.

Halloween Carnival Vol 2

Mr Dark's Carnival – The elusive Mr Dark's Carnival happens on Halloween, always in a different location and by invitation only. Except there is no proof that it actually exists. A small town professor in Montana lectures his class about Mr Dark each year, teaching them about first hand sources, (reliable sources) and gathering real proof. While he wants to believe in the Carnival, he's skeptical, until he receives an invitation. - This story was pretty good. It was definitely scary. Following the directions on his invitation, the professor finds himself at the carnival and thrown into a haunted house with one of his students. The spooks in the house aren't the usual haunted house fare though. There are no jump scares. It's just terror, unnerving, and real. 5 Stars!

The Facts in the Case of my Sister – A young boy is obsessed with learning magic. He hypnotizes his sister one night when she is afraid of a monster in her closet. While hypnotized, he tells her that she isn't afraid of monsters. That she doesn't even believe in them. Years later his sister is in an accident and the doctors don't think she's going to make it through the night. He says the special words, putting his sister under hypnosis one more time, so she can tell them all what happened to her. - This story was sad. Heartbreaking. And hopefully teaches a lesson. This one doesn't really have anything to do with Halloween, but it's still a good story so I give 4 stars.

Mischief Night – An old drunk and a young prankster have a run in on Mischief Night. This story is really short and not at all scary. If anything it was just really sad. 3 stars

The Ghost Maker – This story is about a hitman, who has worked his way up in the ranks of criminals. One Halloween, he's getting ready for a party when his boss knocks on his door, dressed as one the guys he'd killed. He shoots him and the story ends. I actually hated this story. 0 stars.

The Pumpkin Boy – This was one of the longer stories in this volume. It started off great, featuring a very steam-punk-esq Pumpkin Boy. A metal, creaking body and limbs with a jack o' lantern for a head. A small boy named Jody sees the pumpkin boy in the field outside of his house and follows it across several pumpkin fields before he loses sight of it. The story then switched over to a local cop, following Jody's disappearance. So what started as a super creepy, almost fantasy steampunk story, turned into a basic crime drama. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't what I wanted it to be. The Steampunk Pumpkin Boy was by far the best part of the story. 4 Stars.

Overall, I didn't think these story were very Halloweeny. Most of them were about crime, and while people are scary, I want to read about ghosts and goblins, not hitman and cops. So overall I give this volume only 3 stars.

The second volume in this series. I enjoyed volume one, and I enjoyed this volume too.

MR. DARK’S CARNIVAL by Glen Hirshberg
This story was really interesting. I loved the "urban legend" feel to it, and the ending was great.

THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF MY SISTER by Lee Thomas
Emotional, psychological horror. Not really what I was expecting from this series.

MISCHIEF NIGHT by Holly Newstein
Interesting, not scary.

THE GHOST MAKER by Del James
I liked the concept of this story. The payoff wasn't there for me.

THE PUMPKIN BOY by Al Sarrantonio
I really enjoyed this one. Had an interesting and unique storyline. The Pumpkin Boy was awesome.

My two favorite stories were also the longest in the book. Overall I think this is a nice collection of stories.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second in a series of five anthologies that will be released next month, in time for Halloween.
Like the first volume it contains 5 short stories which are perfect for Halloween reading or any time of year when you'd like to enjoy a little bite of horror and dark fiction. My absolute favorites were the first 3. Not that the others weren't good but I have previously read all of Al Sarrantonio's Orangefield books (so should you!) and this one is just not dearest in my heart.
The Ghostmaker by Del James was just not my type.

Living in a small town where local legends abound (I live in the same town as the real Conjuring house) my favorite story had to be MR. DARK’S CARNIVAL by Glen Hirshberg in which everyone has heard of the infamous carnival that is rumored to appear only on Halloween but none of them has ever attended. Stories about it abound, but there are no first hand accounts of what really goes on there. Perhaps it is just a myth and doesn't really exist. This year Professor David Roemer is about to find out.
THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF MY SISTER by Lee Thomas was more of a psychological/mystery/suspense
Something horrible has happened to David's estranged sister. We don't know what, only that he is called to rush to the hospital, where slowly we learn how events from childhood led to the suffering of today.
MISCHIEF NIGHT by Holly Newstein When a man in an alcoholic stupor goes to investigate a noise in his basement what could possibly go wrong?
A solid 5 stars to each of those 3 stories and highly recommended for all fans of dark fiction.

HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL VOLUME 2 is the second of five anthologies from Random House/Hydra and editor Brian James Freeman due out the second week of October 2017. And like I expected, it's more than satisfying and just a bit chilling.

This volume has two novella length stories by the incredibly lyrical Glen Hirschberg and the king of Halloween Al Sarrantonio. Either story on it's own would be reason enough to buy and read this edition, but together - it's a no brainer. Both MR. DARK'S CARNIVAL and THE PUMPKIN BOY are worth reading every Halloween.

Lee Thomas's THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF MY SISTER was a well intentioned horrifying read that I never want to read again. I hope people learn from it.

MISCHIEF NIGHT was just sad. Not really a horror story, it felt out of place in this collection. It was quite dark however.

THE GHOST MAKER was also dark fiction. Enjoyable, and while I liked it, it didn't seem to belong here. A good story all the same.

This is a must read if you're at all into thrills and chills. Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to the whole series today.

I received my copy from the publisher.

Halloween is coming and it times to get in the mood. I love a good scary or creepy story. This book has 4 of them. They were more on the creepy side then scary but I as happy with the book. This is the 2nd book in a series. I am not real sure how many books are in the series. I do have have books 2 through 5 so far. Each story in this book is written by a different person. The writers all have their own style of writing and you can that through this book. I enjoyed all 4 stories. If I had to pick a favorite it would be the one by Lee Thomas. It is named The Facts in the Case of My Sister. My choice is not to say that their was anything wrong with the others I just liked it better. This is a short book and a quick read, but well worth it.

I received this book from the Author or Publisher via Netgalley.com to read and review.

Review: HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL VOLUME 2
Ed. By Brian James Freeman

Want a series that deftly combines brand-new work with reprints from established authors? Check out the HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL series, capably edited by author Brian James Freeman, from the publisher who gave us THE HORROR LIBRARY Series. Volume 2 brings two of the scariest stories ever for me: Alibris Sarrantonio' s classic PUMPKIN BOY, and Glen Hirschberg' s MR. DARK' S CARNIVAL. (So glad I read in daylight!) These two and three more stories will find their slot in your imagination, and the memories will linger on.