As with all anthologies, this was a mixed bag. Some stories I really enjoyed, some I didn't care for, some weren't my style and some I didn't end up finishing. Overall, though, I found this to be an enjoyable and easy to read collection.

In a Nutshell: An anthology of horror stories, spanning multiple time periods, places, and creatures. Quite a mixed batch.

"In death - No! Even in the grave, all is not lost." - Edgar Allan Poe
This collection of twenty stories begins with the above quote and an editor’s note, the latter of which raised my expectations quite high. Why? Because it made clear that the authors had been given only one condition: no Scooby Doo endings. The ghosts had to be actual ghosts and not humans in white sheets. Other than this, anything was okay.

It is this free-spirited approach that results in the biggest plus point of the collection: the variety. The stories cover many time periods and locations, and include ghosts of various kinds, ranging from kind-hearted to funny to the more common spooky.

At the same time, the variety also proves to work against the anthology. Though the writing is good in most of the tales, they don’t deliver the creeps. I admit that this requirement will be highly dependent on the reader’s expectation from a horror anthology. When I pick up horror, I expect nail-biting situations, and underlying atmosphere of suspense, and a steady buildup to a spectacular finish. Most of the stories did not meet this expectation. And as all my friends here know, I have declared myself to be a scaredy-cat more than once. So if I can read a horror collection without getting a single nightmare, the collection definitely doesn't work.

Of the twenty stories, the only ones that stood out to me were:
👻 ‘The Final Experiment of Eugene Appleton’ by Allan Burd – A predictable ending but the buildup was still excellent. One of the few true horror stories in this book.

👻 ‘I Am Helen Anne Gunthe’ by Caroline Flarity – Loved the concept. Wish there had been more clarity about the transition from woman to hag.

👻 ‘What's Your Secret?’ by Trevor Firetog – Again, the secret is quite easy to guess once you reach the halfway mark, but the unique situation made this a good one for me.

👻 ‘In the Machine’ by Meghan Arcuri – One of the most entertaining stories in the collection, but ironically, it isn’t scary at all. Contains the common ‘ghost in the machine’ trope, but the identity of the ghost made it fun.

👻 ‘Taps’ by Patrick Freivald – Among the best stories in terms of overall impact. Wonderful buildup and a great climax.


Nothing else was that memorable to me. Either they didn’t feel like horror or they dragged too much. A couple were too gory for my liking.

Recommended only to those horror short fiction lovers who focus more on diverse ghostly tales than sinister chills.

2.55 stars, based on the average of my ratings for each of the stories.


My thanks to eSpec Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “Even in the Grave”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

A horror anthology that has a variety of different stories and authors. Each story dealing with past and past sins. There are ghosts, a vortex and a Samuri, that gives a great variety of different and fascinating stories. Each story, although different melds well together and they effortlessly move onto the next story. A sensational horror anthology and it's fast paced read.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and eSpec, NeoParadoxa for this copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I did like this anthology, but usually I am a sucker for anthologies, even when I don’t like one of the stories, I like others and that for me is worthwhile, even if a couple of those weren’t as good, the sum of all parts is what makes it for me… actually this stories felt much more a continuation of “haunted in America”, hear me out, I know haunted is the story of the ghosts of famous sites in America, but there’s a longing that we like to know about the ghosts and the reasons why people are so fascinated with them…

I didn’t really think that this anthology was scary, was more in the sad side than in scary and that is fine, sometimes less horror is better, because the stories become more human.

If you like bittersweet stories, and not so much in horror, than this anthology is for you.

Thank you NetGalley and eSpec Books for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.

I love a good anthology. There’s always something for everyone and even if you don’t like all the stories, you’re pretty much guaranteed to like at least one or two. Which can honestly be worth it, depending on the story of course.

While I’m usually not a fan of ghost stories, the descriptions of some of these stories definitely piqued my interest.

My favorites were (in no particular order):

What’s your secret? by Trevor Firetog
Taps by Patrick Freivald
The Final Experiment of Eugene Appleton by Allan Burd
Rawhide Rex by Rick Poldark

Overall 3.5. I will definitely be looking up more from these authors.

Thank you to NetGalley, eSpec Books and NeoParadoxa for the eARC.

Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever read ghost stories? Even if you have, the stories in this anthology are different. While all the stories have ghosts, the ghosts are all different types, some are wise, some want revenge and others are for you to discover what they are! There is not any badly written stories — most of them are well written. I enjoyed the stories and found some ghosts I never read in a story. I enjoyed reading them.

Some decent attempts in here, but none of the stories felt particularly unique or stood out with “WOW” factor.

I liked the concept of each story having ghosts, but that’s about it.

Thank you to the editors, authors, NetGalley, eSpec, & Neoparadoxa for a copy.

Even in the Grave is an anthology of horror stories that depict a ghost of some sort, and it was really interesting to see everyone's interpretation of your typical ghost. There are 20 wonderful stories in this anthology, but only a few stood out for me (5-star reads)

𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝑯𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒏 𝑨𝒏𝒏𝒆 𝑮𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒚 𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑭𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚:
A haunting read of a terminally ill mother who died and tries her best to find her son who left her, but the story quickly takes a sinister turn. This story is inspired by the Old Hag syndrome, a form of sleep paralysis. I got major goosebumps when I read this; the story is short and simple, but packs a huge punch.

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑺𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕? 𝒃𝒚 𝑻𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒐𝒓 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒐𝒈:
I loved the eerie, uncanny-valley-like feel in this. The story follows a game show where a panel is asked to guess a contestant's secret -- only that the questions are the same every single time and everyone on the show doesn't exist. I thought the idea of your past haunting you is very creative and well done here. It feels like an statement straight from the Magnus Archives, which I really Really loved.

𝑰𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒃𝒚 𝑴𝒆𝒈𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝑨𝒓𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒊:
A short, wholesome and funny story about a girl talking to her late grandmother (who's stuck in the computer) told through IM exchanges. I love how sweet this is, and I got unexpected chills at the end.

𝑻𝒂𝒑𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝑷𝒂𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒅:
Morse code!!! Yes, a ghost communicates with a teen drummer through morse code. I love this fast-paced horror story and I'm still trying to wrap my head around those last few lines (maybe I'm just slow haha)

Overall, I think the stories here are unique and well-written. This book really has that eerie atmosphere a good horror anthology has.

𝐇𝐮𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲, 𝐍𝐞𝐨𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐱𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐀𝐑𝐂!!

Even in the Grave
by edited by James Chambers and Carol Gyzander

Enjoyment: 4
Total rating: 3.64

Even in the Grave is a ghost-themed horror anthology. As such, some stories are better than others, but there is enough diversity to appeal to many short story lovers.

I read a story a night at bedtime and enjoyed the experience. Some stories are creepy, and some are heartwarming. "In the Machine" was a favourite of mine; it's a sweet story of a recently passed away woman using a computer to communicate with her granddaughter.


Disclaimer: In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to the publishers and NetGalley for providing a copy of Even in the Grave

It's an anthology of ghost story, a mixed bag as some stories are better than other but always gripping and well plotted.
I appreciated it and discovered some interesting authors.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Do you believe in ghosts? I love a ghost story and am a huge fan of Edwardian and Victorian gothic horror or tales of unease as they were known, EF Benson, Edith Nesbitt, Sheridan Le Fanu and MR James to name a few, the signalman by Charles Dickins is still my favourite ghost story. None of these ghost stories are as good but they are enjoyable nonetheless.

This is a collection of ghost stories set in various places, locations and times with friendly and really not at all friendly ghosts. Some of the stories are very modern in venue and some seem of another time but all in a way are traditional ghost stories some with an interesting twist.

Like all short story collections some stories work better than others but this was an easy read on cold dark autumn evening.

Even in the Grave unfortunately could have been entitled Dead on Arrival. I know that in an anthology of horror, every story can’t give you the willies, the creepies, or whatever you call that unnerving feeling as the story comes to a close and you get that delicious jolt of irony or horror. Every other offering is very good odds. Perhaps we have all been desensitized by the media coverage 24-7 of life’s gruesome details and ironic twists. There were a few gems to be had, and I have to admit that the editors saved the very best for last.

[Blurb goes here]

This is a collection of short stories, some by award nominated authors, such as Marc L. Abbott and Meghan Arcuri, both nominated for the Bram Stoker Award. This can give you half a clue as to what to expect when reading the collection: great writing. So, aside from a couple of stories (one confusing and the other, underdeveloped), the narrative, in general, is great. That's about the best thing I can say about 'Even in the Grave.'

Having a few significant literary names in the anthology, suggest that reading it, would bring unexpected surprises. It pains me to say that it didn't. I don't mean to be unkind to the efforts of these writers. As I said before, the problem is not the prose, it's the content...the meat, if you will.

So in the interest of giving you a clue as to what I'm referring to, let's go through some of the stories, mind you: there are twenty tales inside the book, but only a handful stayed with me, when finished.

In The Last Experiment of Eugene Appleton, a scientist hires a bounty hunter to catch a ghost. This is no ordinary scientist, he invented faster than light communication using quantum entanglement. After loosing his wife, his sole focus is to try and communicate with the dead. This was an enjoyable read from beginning to end, even though you'll see the ending coming, from miles away. These are short stories, after all.

I am Helen Anne Gunthe. A woman finds what true love really is, when holding her baby boy for the first time. As decades pass, the love for her son transforms into something more sinister. A very interesting story, no need for me to go deeper, I wouldn't dare ruining it for you.

What's your secret. A man is haunted by a black and white TV Show, one that appears in his phone screen, in his TV. The show repeats itself, every day, always at the same hour. Half way through, you'll know what's up. No big surprise here.

Power Out, Wind Howling. Yet another take on the haunted house genre, but nothing remarkable.

Old Spirits and Fine Tobacco. Although masterfully written (you can almost feel the turmoil taking place inside the narrator's mind,) it's a bit derivative. Three friends, while enjoying each other company, listen to the tale of the haunted house they're in.

The Red Mare. The cursed man from tales of old. What really did it for me, was the setting: the early nineteen hundreds. As for the rest of the tale, I'm sure you've read or watched something similar.

In the Machine. This is definitely one you've read before. A slightly different take on Stephen King's 'Mr. Harrigan's Phone': Lucy's grandmother is dead, her sould trapped inside her computer, she's communicating with Lucy through text messages. While the conversation is, at times, funny. The story has no teeth, making it forgettable.

The Source of Fr Santiago de Guerra de Vargas Monstruos Crimes. In the long gone ages of Mexico's conquest by the Spaniards, a priest listens to an ancient Mayan spirit, the spirit's words forcing him to commit heinous crimes against his own men. This is one of those stories that starts strong, and comes up empty.

Insubstantial. Seemingly great, but turns into a confusing mess soon after.

Rawhide Rex. Something is taking the boss' cattle. One of his security guys disappeared, the other one fled the ranch, scare to death after seeing 'a monster come out of the fog'. Now this story was up to an amazing start, and I do mean amazing. Then suddenly it goes for the usual suspects: ghosts. Turning what could've been a great story, into a run of the mill one.

Why not delve into some of the other tales? Sadly, those didn't do it for me...not even close. Most of those, either an imitation of other works, or just making it too obvious for the reader to know what to expect by the end. And while I appreciate the efforts that went into this anthology, I'm sorry to say that I cannot recommend it as a whole.

3.2 Stars

One Liner: Great variety but mixed results

Even in the Grave is a collection of short stories with a common theme- ghosts. The author’s note at the beginning sets the tone and provides information about how the editors came up with the idea for the book.
The stories belong to a range of genres and settings- futuristic to historical, contemporary to dystopian, and more. We also have a plethora of ghosts- helpful, friendly, creepy, vengeful, and terrifying.
Some stories are a little shorter than others, but they all seem to be within a specific word count. That makes the collection more compact in terms of pacing. A few stories were brilliant, and a couple of them were meh! Some had great potential but didn’t wow me much.
As with every anthology, every reader will have their favorites, hits and misses.
Here’s what I liked the best (4-5 stars)
In the Machine: How does an old dead woman communicate with her granddaughter using a computer? Easily the best and least scary ghost story in the book. It was so cute!
Taps: What happens when a ghost communicates with a drummer from high school? Compact and well done, with a good dose of drama.
The Bells: Not all debts are money, and no one can escape their past, especially if the ghosts are determined to have their way. This one ups the impact as the story progresses, and the end is too good.
Moshigawa’s Homecoming: A Japanese historical retelling. Takes time to set the stage but delivers a worthy climax.

These were good but not great (3-4 stars):
House of Cracks: An injured army vet with PTSD tries to move on and start fresh. The ghosts from the past have a role to play. The only thing this didn’t go to the first category was the somewhat bland (detached) POV.
Fetch: Moves between past and present in a historical setting. Who does like a vengeful ghost story? Felt a bit too long.
After Trevor Vanished: Forgetting your first love is not easy, definitely not when it ends in tragedy. Good plot, but the ending felt rushed.
The Spectacles: The spectacles can help solve a past crime but remember that ghosts always know more than humans. Well-written and has a good twist. But feels diluted at the end.
Bruised and Battered Nevermore: Restless ghost, rented apartment, and the quest for truth. An entertaining ghost story.
Rawhide Rex: The title is self-explanatory. A good ending to the collection. I liked it more for the innovative concept.
**
I realized that the more I read about the past, the more it triggers me. The Source of Fr Santiago de Guerra de Vargas Monstrous Crimes is about the Spanish conquest of the Maya, with descriptions of heathens being tortured and killed in hundreds to accept the True God and spread peace and light. The story is gory, too, though it won’t trigger the intended target audience.

To summarize, Even in the Grave would work much better if you spread it over a few days. It wasn’t wonderful, but I wasn’t bored either. There’s no denying the variety of stories in this collection. None of the stories feel repetitive or similar despite having a common theme.
Thank you, NetGalley, eSpec Books, and NeoParadoxa, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

3.5 stars

As with most short story collections, there are winners and some that dont make the cut. This book was primarily winners for me. The writing style was wonderful and easy to read and follow. It’s perfect for those spooky season readers.
Also, I just live that cover art!

Even though the stories were will writen, they were unfortunately not ones that I personally liked. That's not to say they were bad, others might enjoy them. However I found them to be far too benign for my taste.