This was obviously a departure from Tudor's usual full novels, but that's okay. I liked all of these stories well enough and I find myself thinking about them weeks after reading them.

After three years of facing a global pandemic, there is no denying that our world has forever changed. Each of us can probably point to ways our lives were impacted, both big and small. Author C.J. Tudor has had great success writing original horror/thriller novels. In fact, her fabulous book The Burning Girls was one of my favorite reads of last year. Despite this success, she announced that the novel she had worked on through the pandemic and set for release this year just wasn't turning out the way she wanted it to. Living through the lockdown and facing a few personal tribulations just wasn't conducive to her best writing. Tudor made the decision to completely scrap that work and begin a new novel. In place of that now-defunct novel this year, she has opted to release a collection of short stories. A Sliver of Darkness, out today, sees the author apply her signature suspenseful style to several short stories that should more than satiate her readers.

As the title suggests, each story in this collection contains an element of darkness, either a twist or a supernatural component that gives each page an edge of suspense. I particularly enjoyed the first story which featured an elderly woman on a cruise. I had just seen a news story about a woman who chose to live on a cruise ship instead of in a senior center. She was full of so much joy, meeting different people and traveling from port to port. The woman in Tudor's story has lived most of her life on the boat and has grown tired from living there. The more we learn about the ship, the more nefarious this particular voyage appears to be.

I always appreciate short story collections in that they give me a small sampling of an author's capabilities in easy-to-read bursts. I've read each of Tudor's four novels, all of which are fairly different from each other, so I thought I had already seen the full breadth of her authorial prowess. Yes, some of the stories are about what I expected from the author, but others still veered in vastly different directions, showcasing a new layer to her storytelling talent. Each story is preceded by a personal recollection from Tudor sharing how the particular tale came to be. It is in these behind-the-scenes glimpses into the life of the author that A Sliver of Darkness elevates itself beyond similar collections. Tudor reminds us that she has a life outside of her writing, full of events and relationships that have shaped who she is as a person. Through the context of her own life, we better understand the stories that she tells. As most short story collections do, this one left me wanting to read even more from one of my favorite authors. Lucky for me, I won't have to wait very long. Tudor's next novel The Drift releases early next year.

**4.5 stars rounded up**
okay WOW! CJ Tudor really knocked it out of the park with this one! I did not dislike any of the stories in this collection which, for me, is shocking. I always love CJ Tudor’s writing and just the way that each of these stories felt really unique and immersive. WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE!

Obviously, I do have a few favorites that really stood out to me. My absolute favorites in this collection are: End of the Liner, Runaway Blues, and The Copy Shop. But again, none of these stories were less than 3.5 stars for me!

The cliffhangers at the end of some of these stories had me saying “YES PLEASE! MORE OF THAT!” while also giving me a few chills. And of course, I loved the homages made to Stephen King throughout. Another thing I loved, which I have never come across before in a short story collection are “Introductions” before each story explaining where the idea for each story came from, and I absolutely loved that added element. Do yourself a favor and pick this up!

This was exactly my kind of short story collection. 11 brilliant, creative, and short (!) horror vignettes, paired with the author's inspiration for each. In "End of the Liner," land has become uninhabitable and the world's survivors now live their entire lives on Disney cruise ships. One old woman has spent 50 years on board, and is about to be "retired" to make room for a new passenger - but she gets a mysterious note that just might save her from this fate. In "Runaway Blues," a young couple visits a jazz bar and discovers an incredible, unlikely new talent with a potentially dark side to him. In "The Block," a group of young kids decides to break into an abandoned block of council flats and is wholly unprepared for what they are about to find inside.

All of the stories in this collection have creative twists and get you immersed from the very beginning - and I really enjoyed reading how CJ Tudor gets inspired to see horror in the little things she comes across in her day to day life. This is a fun and short read, and great for beginners to horror as well. Thank you to Random House Ballantine for the ARC via Netgalley!

An awesome collection of short stories by a fantastic author. My fav story is called Runaway Blues. It's very Stephen King-esque. Tudor knows how to scare you and twist the ending so you may not even see it coming. There are a few dystopian/apocalyptic stories within A Sliver of Darkness that I didn't love, (mostly because I just don't like the theme), but they are well-written and will scare the beans out of you, so they're definitely worth reading.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this e-arc.*

This is another excellent horror offering from Ms. Tudor, with the exception of her Steven King fan-girling and the glaring error (which I hope gets fixed prior to publication) in the introduction to the story about the Fat Man. It's not a typo, it's so much more than that and that's all I will say.

While I understand not all short stories can be novels and not all novels can be short stories, some of these stories could have been a bit longer. I enjoyed them all quite a lot and read the book in 2 sittings. My favorite was the one about the darkness descending on the world, second was the one on the cruise ship.

Overall this was a delightful way to pass a rainy evening. I would consider reading them a second time.

Loved this book! Not normally one for short stories but I really like this collection. It makes me want to go and read all of her other work.

One thing that initially was not to my liking was the author's explanation of where each story originated. After finishing the book I can say that this was actually refreshing and also made me like/think about each story a little more.

This is a really excellent, eclectic mix of stories. Tudor does an excellent job of setting the scene, so you really feel immersed in the tales. There's a little something for everything in this book, delicious bites of bitter and bad that can be devoured in one sitting. I especially enjoyed The Copy Shop and Butterfly Island. I don't think I'll ever quite look at butterflies the same, though. 4 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the chance to review this advance copy. A Sliver of Darkness is out 11/8/22.

A deliciously creepy collection of 11 short stories, including some absolute gems. 'End Of The Liner' is a seriously solid opening story and my favorite in the whole book. It's grim, suspenseful and such a brilliant take on modern society and the idea of utopia. I also loved Final Course, The Block, The Runaway Blues, The Copy Shop and Dust.

I actually really enjoyed all 11 dark and twisted stories, many of which combine horror with speculative fiction. So right up my alley, especially when it includes commentary about (the ugliness of) mankind. I would have given this a higher rating if not for some lingering questions, especially for Lion at the Gate, Gloria, and Butterfly Island.

I also loved the personal touch in this book. Each story is accompanied by the author's introduction about its conception and I'm just in awe of what she can come up with. Equally admirable is CJ Tudor's honesty in sharing about writer's block, her writing process, as well as the ups and downs of her career. She's definitely an auto-read author for life!

"So tell me - are you afraid of the darkness?"

I love short story anthologies. They are such a great way to get reading done while also being busy. But this was an especially great set of stories! 11 in total, each one was introduced by the author giving a little glimpse in to how the story came to be or what inspired it. Those little tidbits added so much to the story and made each one just a little bit more exciting.

And there is not a bad one in the set! Each one was just the right length, with characters flushed out enough to pull you in but never so long you got bored. Each plot packed a nice punch and a twist that left my mouth gaping! I loved every one! SO glad I gave this one a try!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Overall, 4 stars. Really enjoyable collection. A lot of good ones, I think I only gave <s>one</s> two 3-star. More horror than I was expecting! Gets gory, gets violent, gets horrifying/chilling/creepy!!!

End of the Liner: 5 stars
The Block: 4 stars
Runaway Blues: 5 stars
The Completion: 3 stars
The Lion at the Gate: 5 stars
Gloria: 3 stars
I'm Not Ted: 4 stars
Final Course: 5 stars
The Copy Shop: 4 stars
Dust: 4 stars
Butterfly Island: 4 stars

My gal, C. J. Tudor, has done it again. Her latest release, a collection of 11 short stories entitled, "A Sliver of Darkness," is nothing short of fantastic.

This is the third time I have read Tudor, and I can now say with confidence that she never disappoints. Her writing is consistently good, and her stories are always compelling page-turners, being just twisted enough to attract horror fans while not repelling those who don’t read much of the genre.

What makes “A Sliver of Darkness” particularly engaging is how Tudor takes the time to introduce her stories, revealing insight into the origin of each idea, the where and the when of the stories in relation to the timeline of her life, her mindset while writing. It’s a nice touch.

As with all short story collections, however, some of the stories are stronger than others. But really, every single one is entertaining. There’s not a rotten apple in the bunch.

My personal favorites:

“End of the Liner” – I’m not sure I’ll ever view cruises the same way again.

“Runaway Blues” – An excellent example of Tudor’s talent for creating characters with unique and diverse voices. Also, a very fun nod to Stephen King.

“Gloria” –I have not yet read “The Hiding Place,” so this was my first introduction to the character of Gloria. I know which Tudor novel I will be reading next.

“Final Course” – A surprising tale, one that highlights the dark lengths people will take in the name of survival and protection of their loved ones.

“Butterfly Island” – Please, Ms. Tudor. Expand it into a novella just as you said you might.

And I will leave it at that. Because overall, “A Sliver of Darkness” is a satisfying read. It should not be missed.


My sincerest appreciation to C. J. Tudor, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy. All opinions included herein are my own.

🌚Book Review🌚
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Summary: Time slips. Doomsday scenarios. Killer butterflies. C. J. Tudor’s novels are widely acclaimed for their dark, twisty suspense plots, but with A Sliver of Darkness, she pulls us even further into her dizzying imagination.

In “The Lion at the Gate,” a strange piece of graffiti leads to a terrifying encounter for four school friends. In “Final Course,” the world has descended into darkness, but a group of old friends make time for one last dinner party. In “Runaway Blues,” thwarted love, revenge, and something very nasty stowed in a hat box converge. In “Gloria,” a strange girl at a service station endears herself to a coldhearted killer, but can a leopard really change its spots? And in “I’m Not Ted,” a case of mistaken identity has unforeseen fatal consequences.
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Rating; ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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My thoughts: this was a really fun and unique collection of short horror stories by the author who created Chalk Man. I enjoyed this one! I did find some stories were better than others. Most of the ones at the beginning I absolutely loved. It was unique in that each story had a little author introduction explaining what inspired the story. Definitely a unique horror read and worth it if you enjoy scary stories 🥰 particularly fun to read at night time which is why my photo was taken at night 🥰
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QOTD: do you enjoy reading short stories ?!
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A Sliver of Darkness by C. J. Tudor is a very highly recommended collection of eleven chilling short stories.

After an introduction explaining why the short story collection was released, Tudor follows with eleven excellent short stories. All of the stories are introduced with a personal note, which provides a visceral context to the themes and the reason she wrote the story. The collection starts out strong with "End of the Liner" and follows it with ten more outstanding short stories. Stories include: End of the Liner; The block; Runaway Blues; The Completion; The Lion at the Gate; Gloria; I’m Not Ted; The Copy Shop; Final Course; Dust; Butterfly Island.

The characters are all relatable, realistic people which makes them very empathetic even when the situations they find themselves in seem fantastical. Tudor can make the most bizarre situation seem believable. Every story in this collection was a winner for me. As with any collection, some will resonate more with certain readers than others, but this collection provides ample opportunities for readers to certainly find several stories they will enjoy immensely. In general, fans of the Twilight Zone will appreciate this collection.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Random House via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, and Amazon.

I really enjoyed this collection and really liked reading each story's genesis. And Butterfly Island definitely needs expanding. I wanna know what happens!

"Time slips. Doomsday scenarios. Killer butterflies. C. J. Tudor’s novels are widely acclaimed for their dark, twisty suspense plots, but with A Sliver of Darkness, she pulls us even further into her dizzying imagination."

This is a fantastic collection of short stories by C.J. Tudor. The book begins with a heartfelt note from the author explaining that she had intended to release a full length novel this year but challenges in her personal life made that difficult. She goes on to explain that she did indeed write a full length novel but wasn't happy with it, so she pitched the idea to her publishers to scrape that book and create a short story collection. She also notes in the introduction that one of the short stories is a short version of the book she scraped and leaves it to the reader to figure out which one. I loved this added "mystery" to the collection and have my guesses as to which story she is referring to.
Each of the stories in this collection begin with an introduction from the author, explaining the inspiration behind the story. I absolutely loved this peak into the authors mind with creating each story.

The collections contains 11 short stories, all quite different from each other and all dark, twisty, and a little bit weird. I found myself not wanting to put this book down because I wanted to see what the next story would be about. This is a very well done collection.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballentine Books for this ARC.
Scheduled release date: November 8, 2022.

A strong collection of stories from Tudor. Although some stories were more interesting and enjoyable to me than others, not one was a disappointment. Tudor is great at mixing together mysterious and horror aspects in her stories. She knows what she’s doing.

This is my first C.J Tudor book and I am in love. The writing style was just top notch for me. I was so excited for each story. Even when they story was missing something for me, the writing painted such a different world. Each story's world had a different feeling, but reading it made it seem real and acceptable. Some of the stories will need a trigger and I think will upset or be to hard for some.

"The debut short-story collection from the acclaimed author of The Chalk Man, hailed as "Britain's female Stephen King" (Daily Mail), featuring eleven bone-chilling and mind-bending tales

Time slips. Doomsday scenarios. Killer butterflies. C. J. Tudor's novels are widely acclaimed for their dark, twisty suspense plots, but with A Sliver of Darkness, she pulls us even further into her dizzying imagination.

In "The Lion at the Gate," a strange piece of graffiti leads to a terrifying encounter for four school friends. In "Final Course," the world has descended into darkness, but a group of old friends make time for one last dinner party. In "Runaway Blues," thwarted love, revenge, and something very nasty stowed in a hat box converge. In "Gloria," a strange girl at a service station endears herself to a coldhearted killer, but can a leopard really change its spots? And in "I'm Not Ted," a case of mistaken identity has unforeseen fatal consequences.

Riveting, macabre, and explosively original, A Sliver of Darkness is C. J. Tudor at her most wicked and uninhibited."

Not many authors can get me to pick up a short-story collection, but C.J. Tudor is one of them.

I really enjoyed this collection of short stories by this author. Some were better than others, but overall it was a very enjoyable read and it was a good change of pace. I always enjoy this author's works.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC of this very interesting collection of short stories.