I did not like this book. I didn't like the stories I read and found them boring, like a lot of other Cthulu stories. This one wasn't for me.

Powers beyond human comprehension weave within and beyond our world, driving people to madness, solidifying into keys that might unlock humanity’s doom. Many organizations seek these keys from the shadows. But do they seek to protect the world from the dangers these artifacts present or to fuel their own power through them. Can anyone be trusted with such power? Secrets in Scarlet delves into the horrors beyond Arkham to find out.

With nine authors and nine stories, Secrets in Scarlet is decidedly different than my usual choice of material for reviews, which makes it a bit tricky to talk about as a whole. There were a few moments where I had to remind myself that anything that seemed to be building importance to a character between stories was likely pure happenstance. The Lady with the Red Parasol may have caught more writers’ attention, but that does not mean that she is any more important than any other member of the Red Coterie. It also has the effect of making both the Foundation and the Cipher Bureu feel way less important to the setting than the Coterie, given they get comparatively little attention in the book.

But, the nature of this being a collection of short stories also means that it can feel far more expansive than a novel by a single author could. The stories span the globe, as close to Arkham as New York and as far away as North Africa nearly a millennium in the past. It expands the world, making the threat seem much more real for not being centered in New England, while also making the Red Coterie feel much more dangerous. This is an organization that has roots far off into the past, that has held together and spread into every corner of the globe. An organization with members who vary from having joined to try and protect humanity to those who signed up as a means to gather more power with no regard to the human cost. It feels good for the sort of world spanning conspiracy to have several voices behind it for its big introduction.

That said, several of the stories here do feel less like horror and more like adventure stories just due to the pacing. Which feels like it is mostly down to the stories’ nature as short stories, they are limited in how long they can be and thus limited in how much time can be taken to build up an atmosphere of dread or to play with the characters’ perceptions of the reality they live in. This is not exactly to the anthology’s detriment, a variety of stories within the collection allows for a wider view on everything. It can be a bit jarring though.

Overall, Secrets in Scarlet gets a four out of five from me. I liked some stories better than others. But it did a solid job of introducing the Red Coterie and expanding the world that Arkham Horror operates within. Ultimately, I find myself hoping that the ideas introduced here will be expanded upon in future novels, perhaps including a couple of the stories included here being expanded on.

Thank you NetGalley and Aconyte for the ARC. This is a great collection of stories with a wide variety that will keep you wanting more. I think I will buy it soon.

This was a brilliant collection of short stories. I really enjoyed reading it and finished it in one evening as it was very hard to put down. I loved just how varied the stories were. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting as this is my first arkam horror book. But I loved it all the same. My favourite stories were in art truth by James Fadeley, crossing the stars by MJ Newman and the red and the black by Josh Reynolds. These were definitely 5 star stories for me. They were all very different in styles but worked so well together as they had a central theme. I loved the pace . They certainly had my heart racing. They wereso thrilling and exciting. You can definitely tell that something big is coming. I really recommend giving this book and series a go.

So much praise goes out to the authors and publishers for creating such a thrilling, page turning collection of stories. I will definitely be reading more books in this series.
The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog today https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/secrets-in-scarlet-editied-by-charlotte-llewelyn-wells-aconyte-4-stars under ladyreading365

'Secrets in Scarlet' is a collection of loosely-connected stories, set in the world of Lovecraftian horrors that is the Arkham series, but it's like no other 'Cthulu' book that I've ever read.

Every author focuses on different characters, with their own traumas and priorities, yet all linked by a mysterious cult that identifies itself with items of red about their person. Some protagonists know that magic and this underworld exist; others do not... until they are forced to recognise and respond to it. Once you've been sucked in to such a world - so to speak - there is no way out, not even with death.

The variety that this anthology framework allows was just a pleasure. I never knew what would come next, be it a detective, an assassin or a thief. As with all of the titles in this series, the authors seem to be deliberately diverging and expanding on the Lovecraftian mythology (in ways that he would most definitely not have approved of!), exploring what folk from very different walks of life would do when found in such unique circumstances.

I've no doubt that every reader would have a favourite story here, and there are certainly characters that I'd love to see again (Carrie Harris!). If a follow-up were to appear, I'd be on it as fast as a cultist on a strange red-bound tome!

Definitely recommended. One of my favourites in this series.

The Akham Horror series is full of mystery, whether it's unknowable things from being our reality, secretive cults hidden beneath the surface, or artefacts of civilisations long forgotten, the series loves to blend mystery with the frightening. The latest book from Aconyte moves away from the rain-soaked streets of Arkham and heads out into the wider world as we learn about organisations, and one in particular shrouded in both secrecy, and scarlet.

The first story in the collection is 'The Man in The Bubble' by David Annandale, who introduces us to one of the key organisations in the book, The Foundation, a group of shady government agents led by the no-nonsense Commissioner Qiana Taylor investigate an explosion in the hear of New York City. Giving out the cover story that the explosion was caused by a gas mains, they actually go deep beneath the city's surface, where they find an ancient pyramid. They discover that a potentially deadly artefact, the Coronal Prism has been taken and delivered to one of the richest businessmen in the city. Knowing that the artefact could spread death and destruction if left unchecked, Taylor sets out to acquire it.

This is one of the shorter stories in the book, but is a nice introduction to this world. It only gives us one of the main groups, and The Foundation seems to be the one most likely to be doing good in the world, and working for the betterment of humanity. As such, it feels right to start with them. They're set up as guards against the darkness, as people who make it their mission to keep the world safe. Beginning here, with the 'heroes' makes it easier to start to understand that there are various groups operating for their own ends, looking to gain power through these artefacts and rituals. I also really enjoyed that Taylor is a strong, powerful Black woman in a time where both of those factors would exclude her from being in a position like the one she's in. She has authority, knowledge, and power that most people would kill for, and she uses it to help people who would look down on her for the colour of her skin and her gender. I wish we could have had more with her, because she felt like a fascinating character who could easily carry her own novel.

'City of Waking Dreams' by Davide Mana tells the story of inspector Li Flint of the International Criminal Police Commission, who has travelled to Shanghai to search for a mysterious woman. Over the course of his investigation he manages to track down the woman, identified by her red parasol, but soon begins to have strange experiences whenever she's around. With ghostly figures coming after him, criminals out for his blood, and his ally taken prisoner, Flint has to put on a daring rescue mission with multiple lives on the line.

This story definitely feels like a detective noir type tale, with an out of town detective trying to make headway into a city that he doesn't know, unsure of who to trust. One of the things that works well for this story is that Flint doesn't know about the otherworldly monsters and artefacts when the story starts, doesn't know that the person he's tracking down is more than she appears, and as such it takes a while for anything spooky and weird to even happen. You kind of forget that it's an Arkham story, and so when the horror kicks in it takes you by surprise.

'Brother Bound' by Jason Fischer introduces us to Desi, and his older brother, Javier, who end up getting involved in something that will forever change Desi's life. Living with their uncle on a sugar cane plantation, Desi watches as his uncle makes money whilst his workers break their backs for pittance, and his older brother goes out and drinks and gambles his life away. One day, when Javier's friend gets arrested by the local police, but is released by a mysterious group of Americans, Javier tells his brother that they will need to go on the run. When his friend turns up dead Desi realises that Javier, and the entire family, are in danger.

This story is one of the more interesting early entries, as it starts to throw a wrench into the works. Up to now the book has seemed to make a pretty clear distinction as to what the two factions we've been introduced to are like. The Foundation are trying to do good things, whilst the people in red, the Red Coterie, are the villains. But this story flips that around as the Red Coterie come across as almost heroic in the final acts of the story. The best villains are those that see themselves as the heroes of their own stories, and that seems to be true here too. This story also gives us another staple of Lovecraftian horror, as we get ancient, underground civilisations, and a magical knife. The Mirroring Blade itself if a hell of a thing, a weapon that seems to kill whoever it strikes not only in this world, but every possible reality. This was a great story that took some unexpected and dark turns that I really loved.

Carrie Harris' 'Honor Among Thieves' tells the story about the Varela sisters, Rosa and Milagros, professional thieves who've been hired to steal a crimson hat and coat that will be displayed at an upcoming party. Planning out the heist, complete with tear away clothing and costumes that will allow them to sneak the items out, the two sisters believe that they'll make some easy cash. However, when the plan goes wrong and one of the sisters if forced to put the coat on, she discovers that it allows the wearer to move through dimensions.

I love a good heist story. Something about watching professional criminals plan out a perfect crime, and then watching as something invariably goes a little wrong and they need to think on their feet in order to get out of it just does it for me. And the Varela sisters are a really interesting pair of characters to follow. This story also once again shows the Red Coterie in a more benign light, and even seems to indicate that there are good people amongst its ranks. I really like that each new story here seems to change the way you think about this group, and that it's not an easy good vs bad scenario.

'A Forty Grain Weight of Nephrite' by Stephen Philip Jones brings the readers back to the US, where Kymani Jones, an individual researching special artefacts called 'keys', which contain mystical properties. After issuing a warning to the owner of one of these artefacts that it may soon be stolen, they're called in to consult when it is. After proving how the object was stolen from within a secure vault, Kymani finds them self caught up in a plot to secure the object, with the Coterie on one side, and the Foundation on the other.

This is a really neat story that starts as an interesting locked room style mystery, and soon turns into a larger plot that involves hidden societies, fights to the death, and secrets beneath the city. The story has a sense of history to it, as we get insight into where some of these objects come from and the effect they have as they pass down through the years, it has danger and action, with some great fight scenes, and it has a lead with they/them pronouns, something that I wasn't expecting for a story set in this era; but thoroughly loved.

Lisa Smedman's 'Strange Thing's Done' is one of the most interesting and creepy stories in this set, and one that I'd love to see made into a short film or an episode of television. The story centres on Rex Murphy, a journalist from Arkham who's been sent on a trip up to Alaska on a story. Journeying on the SS Martha, an old steamship, Rex finds himself in the company of several interesting characters, and decides to interview several of them in order to pass the time. However, Rex soon begins to notice some odd events, as passengers he's sure were on the ship suddenly vanish, with no one having any memory of them. As even Rex's memories begin to change a man with a red cravat tells him that reality is being changed by something on the ship, something that he's hunting, and that Rex needs to help him.

The changes to reality, the alteration of events, and the way the story changes around Rex are one of the more interesting parts of this story; and it's amazing every time it happens and we get to see the new, altered reality settling into place. It also feels like the closest this collection gets to a monster story, as this creature stalks people through this small, confined space in the middle of a dangerous location. People can't just run away, they're stuck on a ship in the frozen wilderness, tapped with a creature they don't even know is hunting them, because they can't remember the other victims. It's terrifying, and I loved it.

'In Art, Truth' by James Fadeley tells the story of Ece Sahin, an academic and member of the Coterie, who wears a red hijab. The curator of the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, Ece is researching into artwork from the post-Byzantine era in public, whilst secretly searching for information that could lead to the locations of more artefacts. When she discovers that someone is stalking her work, checking out the same books she does using secret names, she finds herself uncovering ancient secrets, coming face to face with another dangerous society, the Readers of the Elder Word, and sees her having to fight for her life.

This story is filled with history and culture, and Fadeley seems to put a lot of passion into bringing the world of art history to life as we learn about ancient civilisations, changes in regimes, fights for equality, and academic research. The story is packed with small details that make it all the more interesting. We don't skip over things as Ece does her research, but are with her each step of the way, making the discoveries at the same time that she does. It's also interesting to see a member of the Coterie on the back-foot, as she is for much of this story. So far the members of this group have been portrayed as confident, powerful, and some even cruel, but she feels the complete opposite for much of this story. It makes a surprising change that shows that there are all kinds of people on all sides of this conflict

'Crossing Stars' by MJ Newman is a story split across centuries, telling two narratives that slowly feed into each other. In one, we find ourselves in the ancient world, watching as a group investigate ruins said to hold relics of 'those who came before'. Our chief protagonist for these segments are Haresha Izem, a woman married to the group's leader, Razin. Along with the two of them are Razin's adviser, Haresha's warrior friend, her pet lion, and several guards. Despite being well trained and well prepared, nothing could prepare them for what they find waiting for them in the ruins. The other story brings us to the present day (for the stories in this book at least), where we discover that an academic, Luciana Diallo, is being told these stories by her patron, Amaranth. As the stories unfold it becomes clear that there's more to this than just someone regaling another with a simple story; and that something more sinister lies at the heart of it.

This story works really well thanks to the two different narratives, and the way that they weave in and out of each other. I think that it becomes clear what's happening pretty early on, with the audience figuring it out before Luciana does, but because the why and how is still a mystery it still works well, with the reader wanting more information as soon as possible to try and figure out the mystery. The segments set in the past are wonderfully told too, and it's great to see an Arkham story set so far in the past, with different types of people involved than we normally get. Instead of having detectives or academics facing eldritch horrors with guns, you've got warriors with swords and bows; it's fantastic. I'd love to see more stories in this universe embrace these kinds of settings.

The final story in the book, 'The Red And The Black' by Josh Reynolds, introduces readers to Trish Scarborough, an agent of the Cipher Bureau (also known as the Black Chamber), a secretive branch of the US government. Having been assigned to a case that led to her discovering about the existence of the 'keys', her journey has led her to Venice, where she finds herself being pursued by a figure in a red carnival mask. As Trish desperately tries to get her hands on a book that contains secret histories of the Red Coterie, she finds herself in the sights of deadly assassins.

After a few stories that have shown the Red Coterie in a more flattering light, this final story reminds readers that this group has a lot of blood on their hands, and that they're not afraid to do terrible things in order to achieve their goals. The way they stalk Trish, the way she's constantly looking over her shoulder and searching for people wearing red really reinforces how sinister they are; and it makes them into some great antagonists. The setting works wonderfully for this too, and the narrow, twisting streets of Venice makes for the perfect playground for a sinister game of cat and mouse.

Secrets in Scarlet is a wonderfully fun and interesting anthology collection. The stories are incredibly varied in style and setting, with a wide range of interesting protagonists to get your teeth stuck into. The book doesn't make clear distinctions between good and evil, and allows readers to see the grey that makes up this world instead, letting you make up your own mind. Fans of the franchise will find a lot here to entertain them, and the only real thing that you can say about the book that's bad is that it doesn't seem to last nearly long enough; and that you'll come away wanting more.

I didn't read a lot of Arkham and this collection of short stories was quite entertaining and good way to learn more about this series
Not all the stories are at the same level but they're all entertaining.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Stand, Lion, and Roar.
𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆: Strange Things Done
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Normal
𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲: Anthology
𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Horror Adventure
4.5/𝟱

🌱THE EXCELLENT
~ Numerous voices, characters & threads
~ A series of short stories that build a larger story
~ Various locations & backstories, bring richness to the overall narrative

In the 1920s, across the world, antiques, hidden & cursed, are being fought over by three groups - the Outsiders, the Foundation & the Red Coterie. Although the para-dimensional entities seek to cause humanity harm, there are special ‘keys’ & red items that can be used against them to save us. But not everyone in possession of these items is noble & motivations are not clear. As the Outsiders continue to meddle with the fabric of our reality & more people become aware of their presence, we’ll see what Earth’s unlikely heroes can do - if anything.

🌵
When I first saw the title I believed this was about DC’s Arkham (🦇 & friends) - BUT, No. I was submerged in several tales of the paranormal, dangerous gifts & abilities & morally grey characters who are trying to keep the Outsiders out. I love how different voices maintained the eerie feel of the overall story. It was very well done.

✨𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱.

🌱THE MEH
~ The last story ruined the whole mood and experience 🙄


♡🌱 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲 ;)

Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC of Secrets in Scarlet, coming out October 18, 2022. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Secrets in Scarlet explores life beyond our world in a collection of stories. Each chapter is a new story written by a different author. There’s a secret world, full of paranormal forces and horrors. In every crevice of the earth, lies the unknown and a group of people who are stealing objects of magical power. They call themselves defenders of humanity. Their mission is to fight off darkness. But what are their intentions? Should they gain such power?

The Man in the Bubble
The Commissioner Qiana Taylor of the secret organization the Foundation investigates some destruction. They find the Coronal Prism which is a lost artifact.

City of Walking Dreams
This story was actually broken up into smaller chapters. It follows Li Flint who is an inspector. The Foundation is also in this story. I really enjoy Chinese stories. It felt like an old detective story set in the 1950s or before. It was fast paced and well written.

Brother Bound
I love 1920s and 1930s gangster stories. Desi and Javier had an interesting dynamic as brothers. They were slightly chaotic with their choices, but I loved that they looked out for one another. There’s just something I love about gangsters avenging their families and become the boss.

Honor Among Thieves
Milagros and Rosa are twins sisters living in Buenos Aires. They have a reputation as flighty heiresses, but there’s more to them than meets the eye. They carry a darker secret that they hide from most people. I loved this story!

A Forty Grain Weight of Nephrite
Set in San Francisco’s Chinatown, this story follows Kymani Jones. Kymani is in search of Bi, which is a sky disc that brings destruction. This story was a little hard to follow. It was hard to picture what Bi actually was.

Strange Things Done
Rex Murphy travels to Alaska for a story involving dog sledding and a sea voyage, but soon encounters strange occurrences. I loved this chapter! It was mysterious and dark. I couldn’t tell what was reality and what was fiction. This was my favorite story!

In Art, Truth
Ece is a researcher in the Republic of Turkey. She and her assistant Haluk uncover something big in their research, something that could put their lives in danger. This was definitely an interesting story. I enjoyed that this story explores what happens when you have power and don’t use it.

Crossing Stars
This is a story within a story. Amaranth is relaying a story about Haresah Izem she her lion Khalid to Luciana. She tells her of Haresah’s great love Razin and the power they had together. This story was wild and dark! I enjoyed the twist.

The Red and the Black
Trish Scarborough is in Venice researching the red line that stretches across history and connects the past to the present and future. She’s on the hunt for a book that is the key to solving the greatest mystery, but she has to find it before the Red Coterie finds her. I loved this story! I think it was the perfect ending to the collection.

Overall, this was a really fun, interesting read! I don’t normally read anthologies, but I really enjoyed this. The stories were very unique and different from each other. I’m not sure if there should’ve been more of a connection throughout them all. I think they all had similar themes such as power, wealth and love. However, I’m not sure how threaded together they were. I think some of the stories were more connected than others. Stranger Things Done was my favorite story. I also loved the Red and the Black because it was a mystery about a book in Venice. The mysterious and horror aspects of the book were my favorite. While I enjoyed the discourse on power dynamics, a couple of those stories were a little confusing to me.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys short stories with fantastical and horror elements!

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For more information visit marvel.com. © 2022 MARVEL

#Marvel #MarvelEnt #Aconytebooks #review

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2OHKZ6EDRH57C/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you NetGalley and Aconyte Books for this opportunity.

My knowledge regarding Arkham Horror was quite minimal before reading this anthology. I know it was based on the Cthulhu Mythos by Lovecraft and others. I know there are quite a lot of books based on it and it has a devoted fan base. I was always a bit interested, so jumped on the wagon when I saw this on Netgalley.

This collection is a very good jumping on point for new reads, the setting is based on locations all over the world, each story has feature people in red in some form, has some very interesting characters and introduces readers to the basic premise of the world of Arkham Horror among other things.

Now on to the stories -
'The Man in the Bubble by David Annandale'
We are introduced with the Commissioner Taylor of the Foundation as they investigate and try to locate a mysterious artifact that could be very harmful in the wrong hands. An average story which serves as an introduction to the Foundation.
3.5 out of 5 stars.

'City of Waking Dreams by Davide Mana'
A story set in which Inspector Li Flint comes to Shanghai in search of the Lady with The Red Parasol. Quite an interesting story with brilliant setting, some nice characters and snappy dialogue.
4 out of 5 stars.

'Brother Bound by Jason Fischer'
The story of two brothers, who gets caught in something more than the bargained for, and learns of ancient artifacts and dark magic. This story had an enthralling beginning and some delightful background into the history of cane and sugar tread. One of the better stories in this anthology.
4.5 out of 5 stars.

'Honor Among Thieves by Carrie Harris'
Another story of siblings, twin sisters Mila and Rosa, who agrees to do a heist for the mysterious Sanguine Watcher, but things soon get out of hand quickly. Nice little story with twists and turns.
4.5 out of 5 stars.

'A Forty Grain Weight of Nephrite by Steven Philip Jones'
Our main character Kymani Jones, is searching for a sky disc or Bi with mysterious powers, which was taken by a mysterious organization. A story full of twists and turns and people with unexpected motives and switching loyalties. One of the best stories in the collection, I didn't expect the small little twist in the at all.
5 out of 5 stars.

'Strange Things Done by Lisa Smedman'
Another brilliant story, set in a boat that is travelling to Alaska. The main character is a reporter who notices strange things going around him. A different kind of horror, but nonetheless a chilling experience.
4.5 out of 5 stars.

'In Art, Truth by James Fadeley'
A story set in Turkey, detailing about a female researcher who is investigating about a mysterious artist. Despite a nice setting the story is a bit too slow for my liking and nothing is really resolved in the end. One of the weaker stories.
3 out of 5 stars.

'Crossing Stars by MJ Newman'
Plotted as a story within a story, where a mysterious patron tells her new employee a story that might not be just a story. Had a nice beginning but gets pretty predictable quickly and even seemed to drag a bit despite having potential.
3.5 out of 5 stars.

'The Red and the Black by Josh Reynolds'
Set in Venice, it tales the tale of Trish Scarborough, who is seemingly working to find a red book before the members of the red coterie, or is she? Very enjoyable little story, as is to be expected from this skillful author, with a new perspective and some interesting twists.
5 out of 5 stars.

Overall, as can be expected from any anthology, this had some ups and downs. But I did enjoy reading most of it and it most certainly made me very interested in the world of Arkham Horror, where I will be sure to be a visitor again.

Cumulative score - 4 out of 5 stars.

For more reviews and stuff check out my blog -
http://ihate00critics.blogspot.com/

"A secret organization ruthlessly seeks power over supernatural terrors in this globe-trotting anthology of arcane mystery and adventure, from the bestselling world of Arkham Horror.

Beyond our world lies another, one full of paranormal forces and eldritch horrors, and once that membrane has been pierced, life can never be the same again. In every corner of the globe, persons unknown are seizing objects of extreme supernatural power. They declare themselves defenders of humanity, fighting off the darkness which presses against the veil shrouding our reality from the unknowable. But do their claims of altruism ring true? And should they be permitted to wield such power? From the world of Arkham Horror comes an exciting new anthology that delves into new mysteries.

The Man in the Bubble by David Annandale
City of Waking Dreams by Davide Mana
Brother Bound by Jason Fischer
Honor Among Thieves by Carrie Harris
A Forty Grain Weight of Nephrite by Steven Philip Jones
Strange Things Done by Lisa Smedman
In Art, Truth by James Fadeley
Crossing Stars by MJ Newman
The Red and the Black by Josh Reynolds"

I am ALWAYS here for more Arkham!

As always I want to start by saying that I was given a copy of this to review. My review is honest and left voluntarily and avoids spoilers. #ArkhamHorror #ArkhamHorrorAnthology #AconyteBooks #Netgalley #SecretsinScarlett #LottieLlewellyn-Davies #DavideMana #DavidAnnandale #JasonFischer #CarrieHarris #StevenPhilipJones #LisaSmedman #JamesFadeley #MJNewman #JoshReynolds

I have to say that I adore both the Arkham Horror games and HP Lovecraft’s tales (but most certainly not his racist views) and that the Arkham Horror prose novels by Aconyte have easily become some of my favourite books in recent years. It was actually an Arkham Horror title that introduced me to the world of Aconyte, Josh Reynolds The Wrath of N’Kai. Secrets in Scarlet is the fourth Anthology and second to contain a link presence throughout the short stories.

Each story stands alone but has a thread connecting them. Each story involves someone, often adorned with a crimson pieces of clothing or accessory who are seizing powerful supernatural objects known as ‘keys’. These illusive people call themselves defenders of humanity, saving the world from the darkness that presses against the veil between worlds keeping us safe from the unknowable. But can these claims ring true, and even if they do should they be permitted to rule such power? Each story builds on this theme, seeing people from all walks of life and professions ending up dealing with one of these illusive Scarlet individuals.

As you can expect from Aconyte and their authors, but may not expect from an anthology, each story is brilliant. It is hard to pick a favourite but I do have to say that City of Waking Dreams, A Forty Grain Weight of Nephrite and Honor Among Thieves were up there but so where all of them! I loved the collection of interesting protagonists and I am excited to see who of them make it into the new LGC campaign!

The thing I really adore about the Arkham Horror novels is how they are inclusive. As already mentioned I love Lovecraftian horror but often when re-reading his tales I am left with the uncomfortable reminder of the racism he held. While it can be argued it was ‘of the time’ it still leaves a bad taste in your mouth if you are anything like me. Thankfully Aconyte’s novels suffer no such fate. We have multicultural stories that deal with things like race and culture respectfully and that is not only a win for the future of literature be it tie in or not but also means I can enjoy the eldritch horror I adore with no bad taste in my mouth! It also means we get amazing characters like Kymani Jones who is a non-binary character and I adored their story! Rosa and Milagros (I love her!) and Inspector Li Flint among others such as Desi, Haresah and Rex! Each character is wonderful, unique and I instantly became invested in them and their lives but the best part for me was nothing felt forced in to tick a box.

In short this collection is perfection, yet again. A host of memorable tales and characters that come up against the supernatural unknown and either overcome the madness presented or perhaps succumb to it. If you love Lovecraftian Horror or the Arkham Horror games then you are sure to love this collection. Or if you are new to both things you are still sure to enjoy this collection of fantastic stories and characters.

The book is composed of nine stories that were interesting and compelling, although I wouldnt be inclined to label them as horror, they're more dark mystery.

Each of the stories features a character in red, hence the books title. The characters are diverse, the world building fantastic and the stories fast paced and kept me entertained for several hours.

Many thanks to The Book Network for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐💫 (3.5)

I was excited to read this book based on my love of the table top game that inspired it and the general Lovecraft Lore. It is also exciting to see a diverse set of authors and characters reclaiming the lore. It's important to do that and especially exciting considering the racist history of the author, to see people taking it in a progressive direction is wonderful.
The story had an interesting idea with it being both anthology and having the sense they all connect to a larger happening. Unfortunately, I don't think he anthology is quite there yet. It misses the mark in pacing and does not carry the reader through the pages. I would have liked to see a larger scale from this story, to have it more strongly connected into the weird and macabre that flows through the game.

I am always excited for a chance to read an ARC of an Arkham Horror novel so when I got the chance to read Secrets in Scarlet I was very eager.

This is different from the prior novels in the line that I am familiar with as this is a collection of short stories with varying subject matter but a unifying...presence. Each of the stories features, in some way, a collective of people in red who are seeking "keys" and fighting against the eldritch and unknown. The stories are all pretty fun and I'll give a brief run-down below. Most of the stories are more noir mystery with a few horror elements peppered in, which isn't what I expected (but wasn't particularly unwelcome either)/My biggest gripe was the lack of investigators from the Arkham Files that I tend to love seeing crop up with only two stories including characters that we know and love from the properties (though I know that this includes characters that have yet to be announced as part of the Arkham Horror LLC game).
~ The Man in the Bubble - the commissioner of the secret organization The Foundation investigates the scene of some mysterious destruction and this leads to a swift search for a lost occult artifact.
~ Brother Bound - a man discovers the mysterious way his older brother is making money and gets more than he bargained for when he learns magic is real.
~ Honor Among Thieves - a pair of thieving sisters are coerced with performing one final heist before they can get out of Bueno Aires by a mysterious figure named The Sanguine Watcher.
~ A Forty Grain Weight of Nephrite - Kymani Jones (a non-binary character which was awesome to see!) knows that someone MIGHT steal something specific and investigates to find it when it does go missing.
~ Strange Things Done - Rex Murphy, while taking a trip by boat up through to Alaska, starts to notice people and things going missing and can't quite explain why. (This was my absolute favorite story in the book. I loved it! So fun!)
~ In Art, Truth - a fascinating story surrounding a researcher for our clandestine band of red-wearing individuals.
~ Crossing Stars - a mysterious person tells a fantastical story and we learn a bit more about the potential truth within (this was a really fun story...probably my second favorite in the book)
~ The Red and The Black - Trish Scarborough is working to find a red book before the members of the red-wearing faction can get to it, racing through the city of Venice.

As stated about my favorites were Strange Things Done, followed by Crossing Stars, and then probably Honor Among Theives. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Arkham world or those that enjoy fun vaguely-interconnected mysteries with horror elements.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aconyte Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Aconyte Books for an advanced copy of this horror anthology that introduces new organizations and dark troubles for players of the Arkham Horror game system.

The world is a dark mysterious place with sects, cults, mystics, government agencies, industry trade groups and more vying for power and even more for dark materials to control creatures with dread names or even to help these creatures rule the world. The morality and goals of these groups seem as flexible and weak as the barriers between our reality and the eternal darkness. Secrets in Scarlet:An Arkham Horror Anthology, is a collection of nine stories introducing new groups, new ideas and a larger world of evil to the Arkham Horror Game System.

Leaving the borders of Massachusetts far behind the nine stories range all over the United States, even to Alaska, south of the Equator, Europe and Asia. New groups are introduced, new characters and even better new forces of evil. Some groups seem to work for the benefit of humans, investigating crimes, and having a better idea of what they are dealing with, others seem morally dubious, and magically endowed. Greed is the basis of quite a few stories, one about a creature that can rewrite it's past and change the minds of others is more of a survival story. Brave men, and even better braver women face the darkness, looking back at the abyss, sometimes suffering, sometimes becoming stronger, but always finding the world different from what they knew before.

Anthologies are tricky because sometimes a weak story can ruin the experience of reading. This book has none of these problems. The stories are all different, all good, a few Honor Among Thieves by Carrie Harris being a standout story, are excellent. I was only familiar with two authors, David Annandale and Josh Reynolds, but am now looking forward to reading more stories by these other authors, either in the Arkham Horror universe or in their own worlds. The characters are more diverse than one would expect in stories set in 1926, but that is a very good thing. And knowing how annoyed H. P. Lovecraft would be by having women and minorities in his stories, makes me smile.

A great collection not just for readers familiar with the game Arkham Horror, but for horror fans in general. People with knowledge of Lovecraft and his tales will have no problems following along, for gamers this will be great fun, and add many ideas to their own games. I have slept on many of the books by Aconyte only becoming familiar recently, and enjoy everything they do. Plus I was able to read two stories by two of my favorite writers, and that's always a good thing. A nice collection filled with eerie stories. A lot of fun.

I am absolutely obsessed with the Arkham Horror board games and books so I was really excited to read the newest book set in the Arkham Horror world.

This collection of short stories is really entertaining and has all the Lovecraftian and 1920's elements that you would expect from an Arkham Horror book.

As the stories are connected by theme and not by plot, newcomers to the world of Arkham Horror would be able to read and enjoy these tales without needing any prior knowledge about the world.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the authors for giving me a free digital copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

A collection of short stories set in the world of Arkham Horror, Secrets in Scarlet introduces a society of dedicated investigators, thieves, and occultists who try to contain the eldritch nightmares and dangerous artifacts that litter the world. Wonderful writers offer their takes on the mythos, from a bold thief who steals to support her sister to a doomed voyage in Alaska. Fun and creepy, excellent mini-bites of horror that left me eager for more novel length stories from the authors.

We arent in Arkham anymore.

Secrets in Scarlet was edited by Charlotte Llewelyn-Wells and is a collection of stories based in Arkham Horror LCGs upcoming expansion featuring stories from familiar faces such as Josh Reynolds and David Annandale, as well as many newcomers.

A secret organization seeks to control keys that will allow them to control a dark power, but they arent the only ones searching for them, and they may not even be the good guys. Secrets in Scarlet draws elements from pulp horror, Raymond Chandler detective stories, and grand heists to create stories that would fit perfectly being listened to from a 1920s radio drama.

Each of these stories does a great job of feeling fresh and unique to each other story in the collection and combines Lovecraft, Indiana Jones, and Oceans 11 to create a globetrotting adventure with diverse locations and an equally diverse cast.

Every single Arkham Horror title is a hit for me including this one. What I really loved about this, was it is a collection of short stories. Each one pulls you into that Lovecraft, gothic, and cosmic horror atmosphere. Even if you don’t know anything about Arkham Horror, this will be a great read. I can’t wait to have all of the new Arkham horror physical copies.