I had never read anything by Ronald Kelly before, but I will be looking for his other books now. The Halloween Store was a very enjoyable book filled with short stories. They had just the right amount of creepy to them, think Goosebumps but for teens/adults. The stories were prefect to read when you had just a few minutes free and left you with a bit of Halloween spirit!

Great collection of short stories. The book started out with a bang and never let up. I really enjoyed these stories. My favorite: Pretty little laterns. Very good short story collection. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on this review.

Review to come to blog/goodreads 22nd of January.

I received this book from Netgalley/publisher in exchange of an honest review.

I had my eyes on this anthology for a couple of months but other things kept coming between things. So imagine my delight when I saw this book up on Netgalley. Now I would have no excuses to read the book, now I had to!

This book features various spooky, creepy, horrific stories all with Halloween in the spotlight. We see kids going for trick or treating, heads being used as pumpkin lanterns, murder, masks that do crazy stuff, and more. Before I get into what I rate each story and how I felt about them I want to say that I really enjoyed this anthology (because I did, a lot). The essays were a nice touch at the end. We don't have Halloween here (or at least it is starting up a bit but probably will never be as big as it is in the US, so I love reading stories about them and the essays were just perfect as I learned some more about traditions and what items and things were around during this time. Oh, and I liked that we saw Fear County pop up in at least 2 stories (sometimes I was too far in the story to remember names of stuff).

Story 1: The Halloween Store: 4 stars: I wanted to rate this one 4.5 stars, but the ending... I would have liked to see an epilogue of sorts. Maybe to let us know what happens afterwards. Do the kids remember things? Will anyone be alive? But the story was good and gave a nice dark twist on a story that I have seen more often. Namely Halloween masks and wearing them. Kids, if you need to sign a disclaimer and the masks feel strange? Maybe don't wear them! :P

Story 2: Mister Mack is back in Town: 4.5 stars. Dang this was dark and scary! Kids get abducted, some come back organs mixed up, others gone. Events are repeating and boy Kyle isn't going to let it go any further. I loved the plans that were made, and I loved that they just went for it. I did think it was a shame the time just skipped without any notice, there were things I would have liked to see. Monster <spoiler>defeating</spoiler> too easy. The ending was sudden but sweet.

Story 3: Blood Suede Shoes: 4.5 stars. This was rock and roll creepy. I had my suspicions on what was going to happen but I definitely didn't think it would go this dark. Haha, I should have known after the previous stories. This one really got gory at points and I skipped some sentences as it was just a bit too much for me. My stomach was flipping over. That ending!

Story 4: Clown Treats: 5 stars. Welp, I am not a fan of clowns so this one was even scarier than it already was given what happens in this story.

Story 5: The Cistern: 4 stars. This was scary and I was rooting for our MC. Hell on Earth, for reals. I am giving a bit less rating because the ending and how that just felt short. I would have liked an epilogue of sorts or maybe a few extra pages to expand on things.

Story 6: Pretty Little Lanterns: 3 stars. This just was WAY too gory for my tastes and had me skipping some parts because it was skipping or puking. I prefer not puking so there we go. In this one there is someone making lanterns of people's head. I definitely didn't expect JR to appear that is quite an interesting twist. The ending.... :(

Story 7: The Amazing and Totally Awesome Fright Creature: 2.5 stars. Definitely the least favourite story in this anthology. It felt very much like a Goosebumps episode. Monster was creepy. There was gore, NOPE. And the ending, I am still not sure what to make of that, it was very confusing and wtf and that is why I also deduce points from that.

The Last Halloween: An Essay: 3 stars. An interesting read about the author's last Halloween and how he celebrated it.

My Top 10 Favourite Halloween Stuff of the '60s and '70s!: 4.5 stars. An interesting read, all these items and things in the top 10 sound absolutely amazing and I wish we had that here. Then again, I wish we had Halloween like the US has here.

I really enjoyed this book. Haven't read Ronald Kelly before, but will have to find more of his work now. This book did not have a weak story, and I even enjoyed the two essays about Halloween. This will need to join my October must reading list with Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes and the Halloween Tree. Highly recommend.

So who wants to go back to October? Don’t we all. Well with Ronald Kelly, you can.
You are whisked away to the Halloween’s of your youth, when you planned months in advance for the perfect costume, when you walked down the dark streets with your best friends, and where your biggest concern was that someone was going to give you a popcorn ball or an apple instead of your favorite Snickers Bar.
However, Ronald Kelly shows you there was a lot more you should have been afraid of within these pages.
Nostalgia and friendship combine into a great build up in the story , The Halloween Store, as you follow four friends as they save for vintage costumes and really get into character.
The first story had me laughing out loud several times, while the second story, Mister Mack is Back, is every parents nightmare. Imagine your daughter being abducted by the same creature that abducted you as a child, or the fear of a sheriff when human heads are used as Jack-o-lanterns...again.
Come trick or treating with us but maybe you want to skip your favorite teachers house this year, and don’t go back a visit the festival in your hometown, and never order a Fright Creature through the mail, they eat too much.
This was a fun collection that brings memories flooding back. The writing style was a falling autumn leaf, mesmerizing as you glide into his world. I immediately went and looked up Kelly’s other books because I knew there had to be more to Fear County that the slight mention in this book. That is a place I am going to visit as soon as I can.
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Thank you to NetGalley and Crossroad press for a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The Halloween Store was an impressive collection of seasonal stories. I loved the format - the stories were unique in style and plot but they worked really well together as a collection. It was like a bag of Chex mix - each story was different, delicious and irresistibly pop-able. Once I got started it was impossible to stop. I'm surprised that the author, Ronald Kelly, has not hit my radar prior to now - what he's doing is right up my alley. He strikes a great balance of light, funny horror with imagery and twists that are a little more intense and gory. Some of the stories held a great feeling of nostalgia, others were more modern. Each one is fast paced, quickly developing relatable characters and setting up striking scenes. Check out this vivid description from Blood Suede Shoes: "…the headlights of a car cut through the moonless night. They blazed like the luminous eyes of a demon cat, casting a pale glow up on the two-lane highway and the swampy thicket to either side." I can completely picture myself in the character's shoes, walking down the dark highway.

The stories that make up the collection and a few reflections on each:
The Halloween Store – This was probably my favorite story. A group of kids, coming of age, adventure to the new Halloween Store in town. But they need to be careful about buying their costumes – once they’re on, they don’t want to come back off. This story had a great nostalgic feel. I loved the gang of kids – their sincere, innocent friendship gave me a feeling similar to the Loser’s Club from Stephen King’s IT. My only issue with this story was that I wanted more. I thought there was more that could have been done and explored with some of the stories, The Halloween Store in particular. I was enjoying getting to know the characters and it was all over too quickly. It was such a deliciously sinister idea, I wanted to see events unfold through the night. Just an tantalizing taste left me wanting more.

Mister Mack is Back in Town – When Kyle and Gloria’s daughter goes missing, they fear the worse. Then when she’s found alive but unconscious with some odd medical issues, Kyle knows that his worst fears have come true – the same thing happened to him at her age. He and a friend were lured into Mr. Mack’s traveling museum of horror movie props, but Mr. Mack was not what he seemed. What appeared to be a friendly horror buff was something much more sinister…the time has come for Kyle to face this monster.


Blood Suede Shoes – Rockabilly horror, if that’s a thing. An aspiring rock and roller sold his soul to the devil to become a star – he wasn’t using that soul it anyway. But to keep his fame and his guitar in tune, he needs to keep feeding that guitar. This one was more bloody and gory.

Clown Treats – twisted tale about school children trick or treating at their teacher’s house.

The Cistern – Jud Simmons revisits his rural hometown of Jackson Ridge, Tennessee on a whim while he’s traveling through the area. He hasn’t been back for many years and is curious to see how the town has changed. What luck, he’s just in time for the Halloween Festival. While looking around the town square, he meets a kid named Chigger who convinces Jud to take him to the festival. But Chigger and Jackson’s perceptions of the town may not be what they seemed at first glance… Great imagery in this tale – you can really feel the crisp weather, imagine the sights, sounds and smells of the carnival, as well as the depths of the cistern.


Pretty Little Lanterns – This was another favorite of mine. This tale imagines that Jack the Ripper left London and took up residence in the rural Green Hollow, Tennessee. He has resumed killing but changed his MO a bit – now he turns his victims into human jack-o-lanterns. Sheriff Jonah Townshend is in a race against the clock to find and stop the killer before he strikes again.

Amazing and Totally Awesome Fright Creature! – A pair of young friends find an ad in a vintage comic book for a cool sounding creature that they can order by mail. They’re surprised to find that’s it’s still available on the internet. This was the most modern of the stories. The kids and their creature reminded me a little of Dustin and D’Artagnan from Stranger Things. At first, it’s fun to have a little pet, but things quickly get out of hand. A lot of humor in this one.

The Last Halloween: An Essay – great nostalgic essay about the last Halloween that Kelly went trick or treating. Very relatable piece about growing up.

My Top 10 Favorite Halloween Stuff of the 60's and 70's – I really enjoyed this list. I am a child of the 80's myself, but the eras are close enough that a lot of his observations and experiences still rang true for me and made me laugh.

This is would be great for any horror fan who enjoys short story collections, who likes stories that are scary but not super scary. It would also make a good October book club selection or a seasonal read along. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars - my only issue was that I wanted more. I thought there was more that could have been done and explored with some of the stories, The Halloween Store in particular. I was enjoying getting to know the characters and it was all over too quickly. It was such a deliciously sinister idea, I wanted to see events unfold through the night. Just a tantalizing taste left me wanting more. Thank you to Netgalley and Macabre Ink for an e-copy of this collection in exchange for my honest opinion.

A newly small town Halloween shop opens where the proprietor sells her wares that include a disturbing satisfaction guarantee. A young’uns neighborhood trick-or-treating expedition goes horribly wrong when a dubious clown chooses to give out his own version of goodies. A serial killer by the name of Doctor Jack, given by the small town of Green Hollow, takes carnal pleasure in his creative ingenuity when gutting and carving his own interpretation of pumpkin heads.
The Halloween Store by Ronald Kelly takes the reader on a handful of holiday tours through Halloween festivals, the delights of decorated local stores and childhood innocents where simple nostalgic pleasures reign. His literary paintings of the holiday's sights, sounds and smells often take a dark and perilous path towards unsuspecting dark areas where souls are often bought and sold. The stories read much like a classic Tales from The Crypt comic published by E.C. They contain great one liners at the conclusion of every twisted tale as well as a creepy mail-order advertisement that only the fearless should fill out. Not only does this book provide hours of spooky entertainment it hands out some special goodies in the form of an enjoyable introduction and several captivating essays that should be described as cryptic poetry.
There's something relaxing and enjoyable about Ronald Kelly's storytelling and writing style that no other author possesses. He's that neighbor which can weave a good tale and a pleasure to visit on All Hallow’s Eve knowing the good stuff will be plopped within your trick or treat bag. Although that grinning Jack 0 Lantern on his porch just doesn’t seem right for some reason. A five star Horror Bookworm review. Grab a copy for Halloween or for that matter any day of the year.

Halloween is my favorite holiday and has been since I was little, so I requested The Halloween Store and was excited when I was approved.

The Halloween Store is reminiscent of Goosebumps The Haunted Mask, but has a lot more grizzly and adult content to it. This is full of short stories and is perfect for when you don't want to or don't have time to commit to a single book about the same character(s).

One of the stories was a bit confusing in the time-line, but when I spoke to the the author he assured me that it made sense and that it was a continuation of Mr. Glow-Bones, one of his previous short story books. I read Mr. Glow-Bones, which yes, it did make sense and I ended up really enjoying it (I highly recommend that one too by the way) just as much as I enjoyed The Halloween Store.

Ronald Kelly is a new to me author and I look forward to more from him!

Thank you Neytgalley and the publisher for the eARC. All opinions are my own!

Halloween is about ghosts and goblins creeping around in the night, hoping to scare something sweet from innocent victims. Sometimes, hiding behind a plastic mask, there can be a real killer. You would never know the difference, until you follow the trail of blood.

Seven short stories are set out like a buffet, each full of frightening horrors that you can sample til full. As you settle down to digest your feast of terror, dessert is served. Two essays about Halloweens long ago, so full of nostalgia and excitment, are the cherry on your sundae.
Werewolves, vampires, witches, deranged clowns, and creatures from other worlds come to life in the seven short stories. My absolute favorite story was Pretty Little Lanterns. Pumpkin carving is my favorite part of Halloween. Horrible as it sounds, I have always wondered if you could hallow out a skull and light it up like a jack o lantern!
This book was a lot of fun to read, and reminded me of RL Stine's Goosebumps stories...if they were for adults. I recommend it for a quick read and for a brief scare. You won't find in depth character development or hidden meaning. Its just scary stories told to thrill.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Halloween Store.

Halloween is my favorite holiday so I was excited when my request was approved.

The short stories in The Halloween Store are brief, some are gruesome, yet familiar; a few of them I've read in some form of another elsewhere especially the one about the rockabilly guitarist.

The last two chapters are the author's reminiscences and reflections of childhood Halloweens when he was young and the world was not as scary or threatening to children like they are now.

I'd recommend The Halloween Store to anyone looking for brief scares, and does not want to commit to a full length novel.

Was I scared by any of these stories? No.

But, if you're easily scared and/or if you're young, these stories will scare the daylights out of you.

This review is based on an ARC of The Halloween Store, and Other Tales of All Hallows' Eve which I received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher (Crossroad Press/Macabre Ink).

A frightfully good short story collection! Ronald Kelly's Halloween fiction (as well as his two non-fiction essays) exude a passion for All Hallows' Eve that I can really get behind, no matter the time of year. Although a couple of the storylines I found a little bit dorky--for lack of a better word--I still enjoyed every story for one reason or another and was always eager to read the next one. This is definitely an author that I want to pursue!

I can see myself coming back to this collection time and time again whenever I want to get into that Halloween mood. The Halloween Store, and Other Tales of All Hallows' Eve is hands-down the best Halloween collection I have ever read. It's Goosebumps for grown-ups! What's not to love about that?!

My thanks to Crossroad Press, Ronald Kelly and Netgalley.
These short stories were very bland for me. There were 2 that I rated at 4 stars. That's it.
It's just that I've read short stories that pack a lifetime of personality into them. That's what I expected here. I find myself unable to care if I don't know the characters. Many short story author's can pack a lot of punch with a few short character strokes. This writer couldn't.

I enjoyed reading these Halloween tales that are perfect for anytime of year, really, that you want a creepy/gruesome/fisson-of-fear type short story!