A great book prepping for Halloween - with all the different types of stories, there is bound to be at least one you love.

I was particularly drawn to three of the stories:
'Best Safe Life for You' by Muriel Gray - about protecting the family home against threats. It felt so realistic, although extreme, and the ending was a nice touch

'In the Wabe' by Alison Littlewood - about a missing daughter and a strange bronze statue. Eerie and heartbreaking with great imagery

'Autumn Sugar' by Philip Fracassi - about a young boy trying to find his dog and an earlier incident with his father. Great differing points of view about an event seen from both the adult and child, and it has the most chilling ending

Of course there were lots of other stories I enjoyed, but those were just my stand outs.

Overall, a nice collection of chilling tales that you probably don't want to be reading at night.

*I received a complimentary copy of the e-book from RandomThingsTours and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Close to Midnight
Edited by Mike Morris
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love this time of the year - all the spooky book features!
You MUST add this book for spooks and chills! Great anthology of enticing stories.
20 horror stories - crafted to freak you out and move onto the next! Authors include Jonathan Janz - whom I totally addicted to reading; Ramsey Campbell; Evelyn Teng!
#closetomidnight #horror #horroranthology #horrormustread #horrorshortstories #spookybooks #mustread

This is the third annual edition of a unique anthology. It has no connecting theme so each author was free to let their imagination loose and give us their A game, which they did. There are 20 stories, with 4 of them being wild card submissions during a 2 week open period. I am certainly glad I did not have to choose the winning submissions.

I read anthologies to discover new authors and new story lines. Each story is a roll of the dice, blockbuster or dud. I'm happy to say there were no duds in this one and several that caused me to go check the back libraries of the author. If you have never read anthologies, this is definitely an excellent one to start with. Happy reading to all!!!

A mixed bag really. Standouts were 'Flat 19' by Jenn Ashworth (when cloning yourself goes horribly wrong), 'Collagen' by Seanan McGuire (the quest for beauty has unforeseen consequences, & 'The Nine of Diamonds' by Carole Johnstone (very cleverly done tale about a company whose business is revenge, & my favourite story in the book). Overall, for me this suffered from the usual issue with short stories - they end just when they're getting really interesting. 3⭐

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Flame Tree Press, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

So the spooky season is upon us, so that means it's time for a new collection of short stories from Flame Tree Press. This is their third year so far, and I've devoured them all.

Like the previous collections, close to midnight has a great range of stories from dystopian realities, demonic entities to the downright creepy.

There are twenty stories in the collection, some from familiar names to authors that I don't know, but I will be keeping an eye out for future work from.

My standout stories were:

Remains by Charlie Hughes. This one is my absolute favourite of the collection. A woman is stuck in a sort of purgatory-like state watching the commuters at a train station, her body undiscovered just beyond the platform.

The nine of diamonds by Carole Johnstone. This gripping story came in a close second. A woman's life is falling down around her when she lands a job interview at a mysterious agency that specialises in 'cursing' people.

Best Safe Life For You by Muriel Gray. A brilliantly creepy story about a couple whose neighbourhood is being terrorised by a gang of youths, so they contact a mysterious company to provide them with security.

The Forbidden Sandwich by Carl Tait. A unique tale about a care assistant is told about a sandwich by one of his patients that will induce brilliance for a short time. He tries it out regardless of the consequences.

Going Home by Evelyn Teng. An almost fairytale-like story about a young boy returns home, but his parents are not acting the way they used to.

Rise Up Together by Adam LG Nevill. A mind bending story about a man who goes to visit his friend in a weird town with some very unnerving residents.

Honestly, if you love short and sometimes shocking horror stories, you can't go wrong with this collection! I will be looking forward to next year's collection.

LOVE this book, love the entire 3-book series. What a carefully crafted anthology! The stories are creepy without being gorey; there is a lot of effective psychological horror. I enjoyed all the stories and one of my favorite things about this series is the exposure to new authors I've never heard of. I think most of them are British and aren't published as widely here in the US. But I learned about Alysa Whitely from this series and many more. Thank you!

I’ve read the previous two volumes edited by Mark Morris and the standard of this one compare favourably with ‘After Sundown’ (which featured the likes of Grady Hendrix, Catriona Ward and C.j. Tudor – now riding high in today’s horror scene but virtually unknown to me at the time) and also ‘Beyond the Veil’, which I reviewed on a flame tree press blog tour almost a year ago to this date – spooky!)

I usually read anthologies or short story collections in order for this volume I dipped in and out without any negative impact on my reading experience.

As usual there’s a few authors I know within the collection: the likes of Muriel Gray, Stephen Laws and Ramsey Campbell (whose tale ‘The Operated’ is one of my favourites – a medical procedure offering the cure for everything but not fulfilling all its promises and a higher price to be paid than first anticipated).

That being said, there’s other authors in the anthology whose work is completely new to me – and that for me is where Mark’s collections really work. It’s a voyage of horror discovery (whether it’s spooky season or not).

Other tales from writers new that tingled my spine were ‘The Forbidden Sandwich’ by Carl Tait (a secret ingredient awaits that May leave a bad taste in the mouth), ‘The Floor is Lava’ by Brian Keene where one man’s visit to the bathroom takes an unexpected flow and ends with one of my most feared phobias, and ‘In the Wabe’ by Alison Littlewood – an emotional and unsettling tale of a missing daughter made all the more real by the fact I’ve actually visited the story’s main setting – and it contains a few tips of the (mad) hat to Alice in Wonderland.

All in all this is another great collection procured by Mark – and heartily recommended if you like shorter, sharper shocks from your scary stories.

On a general note, I loved the anthology. The editing work is well done. Each story had a spotlight of its own. Each of them were allowed to exist by itself without being drowned by the others. This anthology for me is a good example of how to create and maintain a dark and atmospheric ambiance, throughout a book.

Another day, another anthology I simply had to read because it includes a story by Seanan McGuire.

Wolves by Rio Youers

No one else can see the wolves that have begun appearing to Kieran.

‘“What is this?”
“The way forward,” Kieran replied.’

Best Safe Life For You by Muriel Gray

Andy is certain he’s found the best home security money can buy and it only costs £5 a month.

“Used to be a good neighbourhood this. You let things run wild, well then.”

Souvenirs by Sharon Gosling

There’s only one thing Reg wants to take with him to Wisteria Lodge.

‘“It was there,” he said. “It was always there.”’

The Operated by Ramsey Campbell

Beal has just received some bad news when someone offers him a solution.

“I’m going to be fixed.”

In the Wabe by Alison Littlewood

Vivian has been missing for three years. Her mother is determined to find her.

‘What do you eat under there?
Years. They taste just like milk.’

I Promise by Conrad Williams

Alex’s father may have died but he’s not gone.

“Dad … what are you doing here?”

Flat 19 by Jenn Ashworth

Eve needs a break from her life. W can help.

“And where will I go, while it all … happens?”

The Forbidden Sandwich by Carl Tait

If you believe the story the tour guide told Dr Melgar, when you add a certain ingredient to a tomato sandwich, you will become brilliant. For a time.

“I keep worrying they will serve the Forbidden Sandwich.”

Autumn Sugar by Philip Fracassi

The smell of burning autumn leaves brings back fond childhood memories for Charles.

“I thought you finished the leaves yesterday.”

Collagen by Seanan McGuire

Our quest to defy our age ultimately leads to our undoing.

‘We had so many warnings. Warning after warning, and we ignored them all, because that’s what people do.’

Remains by Charlie Hughes

The Railwayman visits her station over and over again.

‘The Railwayman wants my remains.’

The Floor is Lava by Brian Keene

Mark knows Marsha is right when she urges him to go to the doctor.

‘But that fear was nothing compared to the terror and panic he’d been experiencing for the last half hour.
Ever since the bathroom floor had become lava.’

The True Colour of Blood by Stephen Laws

His father has something important to tell him about their bloodline.

“It’s the blood, boy. It’s all about the blood.”

The Nine of Diamonds by Carole Johnstone

Annie really needs this job.

“Have you ever just wanted to walk up to someone and say I curse you?”

Room For the Night by Jonathan Janz

Mr Nelson is paying Stu to stay one night, alone, in his bedroom. It sounds like easy money.

“That’s when the trouble always begins.”

Welcome to the Lodge by Alison Moore

Helena is about to spend her first night at a sleep clinic.

‘“Does everyone here suffer from nightmares?” he asked.
“Everyone. It’s what we do.”’

Going Home by Evelyn Teng

Isla’s parents made a really big mistake. Now they’re trying to fix it.

“We made our choice. Now we have to live with it.”

The Spaceman’s Memory Box by Laura Mauro

If you get the blue marble, you have to knock on the Spaceman’s door.

‘There’s nothing harder to let go of than the thing you almost had’

Bags by Steve Rasnic Tem

Hank’s father is dying and it’s up to Hank to clean out his father’s hoard.

‘“Keep the ones you love close,” he whispered hoarsely. “They’re all you have in the end. To the rest of the world, your food.”’

Rise Up Together by Adam L.G. Nevill

Mike moved to the seaside town five years ago and since then he’s become old before his time.

“I leave the curtains closed. Never open them at the back. Or the windows. Back is kinda … out of bounds. So please don’t open them.”

While I didn’t personally find any of the stories scary, I enjoyed them. I had four favourites: Jenn Ashworth’s story of a women who gives pieces of herself to the different roles she plays in her life, Carl Tait’s artist struggling to capture the image in his head on canvas, Seanan McGuire unravelling the cause of humanity’s unravelling and Charlie Hughes’ story of a killer getting rid of the evidence of his crime.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for the opportunity to read this anthology.

Hi and welcome to my review of Close to Midnight!

Massive thanks to Anne Cater for the invite and to Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for the eARC!

Close to Midnight is the third volume in an annual, non-themed horror series of entirely original stories, showcasing the very best short fiction that the genre has to offer, and edited by Mark Morris. This new anthology contains 20 original horror stories, 16 of which have been commissioned from some of the top names in the genre, and 4 of which have been selected from the 100s of stories sent to Flame Tree during a 2-week open submissions window.

I love short stories, but I’m very particular about them: I need them to tell me a full story in a limited number of pages, the ideal short story is a novel told in a fraction of the pages it would normally take to tell. As I’ve come to expect from the Flame Tree anthologies, there is not one short story in this collection that doesn’t meet that requirement, which once again made me a very happy reader.

Like its predecessors, Close to Midnight is an eclectic collection of stories, tackling many of the horror subgenres and I had a great time with it. It was the contributions of authors like Jonathan Janz, Adam Nevill, Alison Littlewood and Ramsey Campbell that drew me to this collection but I was happy to discover a bunch of new-to-me authors whose stories are every bit as good.

For those of you who like to know exactly what you’re buying, here’s an overview:

Wolves (Rio Youers): I had no idea what was going on and I still don’t but a creepy and isolated cult-like setting always does the trick, so no complaints here.

Best Safe Life for You (Muriel Gray) is short but it hits that horror sweet spot like a boss. Word to the wise: if your spouse suggests you get a dog to increase the safety of your home, just go with it.

Souvenirs (Sharon Gosling) shows that people aren’t always what they seem, including helpless old folks, who have a history, including some souvenirs, that might surprise you, and not in a good way. This story did surprise me in a very good way, though!

The Operated (Ramsey Campbell) proves that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Although it makes for a very entertaining tale. Just remember: if anyone refers you to an obscure organisation to have god-knows-what implanted so you’ll never be sick again, run for the hills!

In the Wabe (Alison Littlewood) is one of the creepiest missing child stories I’ve ever read, mystery and chills galore in a taut short story by an author I seek out for precisely this type of tale.

I Promise (Conrad Williams) is more heartbreaking than scary (although there are some chills as well). A terribly sad tale that makes you ponder loss, mourning and the power of promises.

Flat 19 (Jenn Ashworth) is one of my favourites in this collection. Don’t we all need a break once in a while, a flat 19 where time is of no importance and you can just be without having to perform a billion tasks and fulfill the roles of mother, wife, daughter, career woman, … Be careful what you wish for, though.

The Forbidden Sandwich (Carl Tait)… Holy tomatoes but WTH did I just read?! Great build-up and a nice slice of body horror.

Autumn Sugar (Philip Fracassi) filled me with dread from the very beginning. A terrible, horrible, heartbreaking story that packs the enormous punch I’d been dreading from the get-go. Despite this, or maybe because of this, it’s one of my favourites in this anthology.

Collagen (Seanan McGuire) is body horror at its finest (or gooiest? 🤔)

Remains (Charlie Hughes) is a thrilling ghost story that had me on the edge of my seat.

The Floor is Lava (Brian Keene) is exactly what it says on the tin, the floor is lava, until it isn’t and that might be worse still…

The True Colour of Blood (Stephen Laws) is about family ties and it shows that open endings are often the creepiest of all.

The Nine of Diamonds (Carole Johnstone) is a cleverly plotted psychological horror story about guilt and redemption.

Room for the Night (Jonathan Janz) is a chilling and suspenseful combination of night terror and creature horror.

Welcome to the Lodge (Alison Moore) is a scary slice of tech horror.

Going Home (Evelyn Teng) is a Grimm kind of fairy tale. Rather gruesome but I loved it.

The Spaceman’s Memory Box (Laura Mauro) is a bit of a weird yet oddly charming tale told in the second person singular.

Bags (Stephen Rasnic Tem) starts out scary because of physical ailments but ends up being scary for a whole other reason.

Rise Up Together (Adam L. G. Nevill): talk about going out with a bang, loved it!

I absolutely love horror short story anthologies! It's a great way to discover new-to-me horror writers and each story can be vastly different while still being creepy. I find myself reading through anthologies quickly to get reviews done on time, and then I get a physical copy and take a slower trip through the stories for a second time. And this collection is no different. I read through this once to be able to post my review. And I'm at the top of the hold list at my local library to get my mits on a physical copy so I can look each author up, re-read their story and really soak in the creepy vibes.

I have never been disappointed by a story anthology in this series. I read both of the prior collections -- Beyond the Veil and After Sundown. Thoroughly enjoyed each one! That's why I'm back for the 3rd round! Wouldn't miss it for the world!

This collection has 20 stories. Most of the authors were new to me. Some I have read before. I liked some of the stories better than others. But, there weren't any that I didn't enjoy reading. Nice varied mix of horror stories. They are all horror tales, but there is no central theme. I liked the surprise of each new story going off in its own direction.

Very entertaining and creepy story collection! I'm definitely eagerly awaiting the next collection! I will add to this review once I get my hands on a physical copy and can take my time meandering through the tales again. Sometimes with horror you just have to take time to stop and smell the blood, if you know what I mean.

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Flame Tree Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Flame Trees new anthology is a strong collection of stories that include stores from Masterson, Neville and Keane but mixing them with some lesser known writers who sometimes outshine the masters. This has a story for everyone from the norm to the downright bizarre given a balance to this collection.

Each story is excellent and everyone is as good as the last but some will stick out as a favourite due to taste but if you look at this extremely well put together anthology, they all shine excellently.

Excellent award winning anthology that has something for everybody.

High quality collection of stories. Close to Midnight delivers a full package of horror, with a great lineup of authors, veterans of the horror genre, like Ramsey Campbell, Philip Fracassi, Brian Keene and Adam Nevill, adding stories of their own. The stand alone stories, also include a bit of sci-fi and 'eco-horror', as well as, the usual gamut of
subgenre horror, from classic monsters to body and psychological horror.
High recommendation.

Flame Tree Press and Mark Morris have put together a truly unique horror collection in Close to Midnight. This collection features 20 stories that range in subject from folk horror to body horror to psychological horror and more! These stories are mostly fast paced so you'll find yourself racing through this collection salivating for more. Check out Close to Midnight for stories to shock you, keep you up at night and truly make you think. All of which are staples of a great Flame Tree Press publication!

5 Stars!

I love short stories and Flame Tree Press is the best publisher of dark fiction today, so any collection of stories from them is a must read. Close To Midnight, edited by Mark Morris, is the third annual anthology of dark fiction that brings together stories from some masters of the genre as well as unsolicited tales chosen from an open submission period. I knew I was in for a treat when I cracked this one open to sample the sinister treats that lay within.



The anthology starts with “Wolves” by Rio Youers about a town that has been guarded (or maybe controlled) by a family for generations with little question of the family’s power. This changes with a murder and the appearance of giant wolves around the town. No one can say for certain if the wolves are real, but the danger that comes with them is. It is a strong story and a good way to kick off an excellent anthology and gives the reader a good idea of what is to come. The stories in this anthology do not always feature monsters, but they all walk on the dark side as well as keep the reader thinking about what is coming next, or what is coming after the last word is read.



The anthology has stories from familiar names that shine. “The Floor is Lava” by Brian Keene is a bit of a departure from the other stories in the anthology as it has a humorous angle to it. The story is horror, though, as an old man finds that his floor has been replaced with lava while he is using the toilet, and then learns that this change is just the beginning. Jonathan Janz checks in with “Room for the Night” about a man who wants to prove he is not insane and is getting nightly visits from a boogeyman. This story has a little humor thrown in as well, but it is heavy on the horror. Mixed in with these stories from familiar names are strong stories from some not as well known, and it is these stories that make the anthology shine. “The Nine of Diamonds” by Carole Johnstone tells the story of a woman getting hired by a company that gets just revenge on people commissioned by those who were wronged. There is, of course, much more to this and the twists of this story make it one of the best in the book. Alison Littlewood’s “In the Wabe” tells the story of a woman who loses her daughter in a park. The story is inspired by Alice in Wonderland and is surreal and terrifying.



The two best stories in the anthology were also split between an author I know well and one I was not familiar with. “The Operated’ by Ramsey Campbell is as good as expected. It is a chilling tale of a man who gets a new treatment for cancer only to find that it has unexpected side effects. When he tries to get help, he discovers that the man who referred the treatment only did so to get a cure for his side effects. Even worse, the only way the man can get better is if he does the same to someone else. Just how far will someone go to be cured? The other story that shines the brightest in this collection is Laura Mauro’s “The Spaceman’s Memory Box.” This story is about a girl who must go to a house that has become an urban legend in her neighborhood. Her friends have a game in which they go into a home and take a unique item from it. The girl finds herself at the astronaut’s house and is faced with the dilemma of whether she should carry through with the theft. This is not a horror story but it is chilling in its insight into the human psyche and makes the reader think about the choices we all make in life.



All of the stories in Close to Midnight would rate at least three stars and this is a very good anthology overall. This is not surprising given that it is from Flame Tree Press, but it is still an impressive accomplishment. This book gets the highest recommendation for fans of dark fiction and is sure to be one of the best anthologies of the year. An anthology is never going to have all 5-star stories, but Closer to Midnight gets a 5-star rating for being an exceptional collection of chilling tales.



I would like to thank Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for this review copy. Close to Midnight is scheduled to be released on October 18, 2022.

I believe I've said before how much I love a good collection of short stories. This collection was superb. It opened strong with a folk horror tale that I hated to see end, it was that captivating. But I was quickly sucked into each story that followed. There was a wide variety of styles and none disappointed. Now I need to go look up the first two book in this series to read what I've missed.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys short story anthologies. There aren't any extreme horror stories in the group, so it might not be for the hard core horror fans. But for those who enjoy more subtle horror adventures, this is definitely for you. Creepy, disturbing, slightly off-putting can all be used to describe these stories. I give it five out of five stars.

This book is due to be published October 18, 2022. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Flame Tree Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Another collection of short horror stories that kept me reading late into the night. Creepy, thought provoking and so much more. Full of new authors stretching their twisted imaginations for the first time. Definitely got my heart racing and at times chilled me to the bone. A really good read for the spooky season.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

What a great collection of authors and horror stories! I love a collection of short stories that allows the flexibility to dip in and out between the stories as time allows. And this one is perfect!
As with all short stories collections, I enjoyed some of the stories more than others, but they were all entertaining and well written.
This collection of 20 short stories is perfect to read during spooky season - I would suggest reading a story before bedtime throughout the month of October for a scary good time!

I don't read a lot of horror, but this is a nice collection. Good variety, good authors, and good writing overall. I hope this find an audience. Recommended.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!

Close to Midnight is the third entry in this annual series of original horror anthologies published by Flame Tree Press and edited by Mark Morris. Like previous volumes, the contributions come from a superb array of leading contemporary authors, plus a couple carefully selected from work submitted during an open submission window. As I noted in my reviews of After Sundown and Beyond the Veil, this is a perfect way of ensuring quality whilst also allowing an opportunity for emerging writers, something that helps keep the genre fresh and progressive.

Although this anthology is a non-themed, it's natural that a global event such as the Covid pandemic will undoubtedly have influenced the tone of the stories, so it's no surprise to see that many of the entries touch on loss - both literally and metaphorically - as well as a lack of control. Rather than being a negative, this actually gives the anthology a loose connective thread, and illustrates, through a superb diversity of quality prose, how the past few years have affected our lives.

As with any collection of short fiction, I should qualify things by saying that not all will work for every reader. I preferred some to others, as is my personal taste, and I'm sure every reader will have differing favourites. That's the nature of anthologies and short story collections, and this personal divergence is one of the reasons I enjoy them so much. However the overall quality of stories in Close to Midnight is incredibly high, so much so that I wouldn't be surprised to see a couple of them make the annual Best Of lists for 2022.

Rather than going through each tale separately I'll just highlight a couple that stood out for me in particular. Alison Littlewood's In the Wabe details a mother's anguish over her five year old daughter Vivian, who vanished one day in Central Park. References to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland are alluded to, and the story has some superb elements of the uncanny as it messes with age and perception. It does a brilliant job of reminding us of how quickly life goes by. It's a story tinged with regret, but it works both as an example of weird fiction and also as a dark unsettling reminder of what we once were and what we will eventually become.

I Promise by Conrad Williams is a quiet piece, telling the story of Alex, grieving the death of his father, and how the whole process is taking its toll on his relationship with his girlfriend. Beneath the darkness there's an honesty to the prose that will resonate with anyone who has lost a parent.

Jenn Ashworth's Flat 19 deals with a woman struggling under the weight of being the woman she is expected to be - a wife, mother, work colleague, and other facets of her personal and creative life that she is trying to juggle. Eve takes the opportunity to escape this mundanity for a while, and possibly comes to regret the decision. It's an engaging story, and says much about a woman's role in the modern world.

Remains by Charlie Hughes is one of the best ghost stories I've read in years. It's a chillingly sad tale, narrated by a murder victim whose body has been concealed in the urban wasteland of London's Crofton Station. I loved the omnipresent narrator. It's an elegiac story, and one that says so much about life in its brief wordage. I found myself thinking of this one long after I had finished the anthology, and it alone justifies the price of the book. Brilliant stuff.

Alison Moore's Welcome to the Lodge is another entry tinged with melancholy and imbued with a strange dreamlike quality, as Helena visits a sleep disorder clinic in an effort to rid her of her nightmares. As ever, Moore never puts a foot wrong, treading a fine line between leaving things to the reader's interpretation and giving us just enough hints to touch on the numinous.

Rise Up Together by Adam LG Nevill - the final, and longest story, in the anthology - is about a man's trip to an out of the way coastal town to see an old friend. The unsettling details of the story are carefully built, and like any good weird tale, subtle and cumulative in their impact. This is another story that deals with a loss of control and touches on the events that take place outside of our understanding. It's a fine tale to finish off what is a great collection of horror stories.

Close To Midnight illustrates what great shape the genre of horror is in. This series from Flame Tree Press seems to be getting better and better each year. There is much to look forward to. If you're a reader who enjoys quality fiction of the dark kind, this is a series to be cherished. There isn't a bad story in the entire book. Here's hoping that it does well enough for the series to continue. Highly recommended.