Title: Thriller
Author: Don Bruns + others
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Publication Date: July 11, 2023
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thriller is an anthology of short stories, each one derived from a song title off the iconic Michael Jackson album. It's always a challenge to rate an anthology for me, as each author has their own style and pace. I would like to say that while I enjoyed every story, my absolute favorite was by Don Bruns: Wanna Be Startin Somthing. The pace was fast, and I enjoyed all the different characters and found myself rooting for the mc. It is a terrific start to a great collection of stories. Baby Be Mine by Dahlia Rose was a perfect example of an absolute nail-biting thriller with a touch of romance, which I normally avoid. In this case, I found myself completely indulging in the romance of the storyline and snarky heroine. These are just two of the many stories you will find in Thriller that I was captivated by. A couple of stories were a little more drawn out and had a slow burn feel to them, which is not my preference. Overall, a solid four-star anthology! Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the opportunity to review this ARC.


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Okay, so I am so thankful to Blackstone Publishing/Audio, Don Bruns, Netgalley, and Libro.fm for granting me advanced physical, digital, and audiobook access to this collection of horrific tales, all to the tune and theme of Michael Jackson's Thriller album. Thriller: An Anthology of New Mystery Short Stories is set to hit shelves on July 11, 2023, and you really need to get your pre-orders in now, because this book is worth the listen.

Whether you're cozying up by a campfire and are in search of some scary stories, or cozied up with a blanket indoors, there's always a need for spooky stories and it makes for the perfect evening mood setting.

I wasn't 100 percent sold on this book but someone had recommended it and so I gave it a go!

It was well worth the read! The whole book is 9 different authors and their take on the song thriller as a short story! I had no idea you could get so many uniquely different variations of the same song into a literary work of art. I liked some more than others but overall I was glad I read it.

Heather Grahams was my favorite by far but I would highly recommend this clever book of short stories to anyone who loves anthologies.

4 stars, thank you netgalley for my gifted copy

This is the second collection in the Murder and Mystery series. There are eight different stories by nine, award-winning authors. Each of them has written their own interpretation of the Thriller song list.

This was a really interesting anthology. I struggle with reviewing these because there are so many short stories and I think they are all individually different with different ratings. I will say that the first story was my absolute favorite. It had everything I want in a short story and then some. It was wonderful. The next was not bad, but not my favorite. The third was not for me and I had no idea what was going on – which is interesting for it being a short story. The fourth was a good solid read, but I wish this one would have been a little better flushed out and longer – parts were too choppy and abrupt for me. The fifth was a really good story and I love the gay romance aspect of it along with the mystery. The sixth was alright but it felt that it didn’t fit the book as a whole as much. The seventh was very repetitive and I didn’t enjoy. The eight was a great story and another one that I wanted more from, great read overall.

Overall, I really enjoyed this anthology. I liked how they all had similar veins and just seemed to fit together (except for the one). I would recommend this book and it is a quick read.

Thank you so much to the publisher Blackstone Publishing, and Netgalley, @netgalley, for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Some inevitable typos and grammar errors that can happen in ARCs. Most anthologies have a section about the contributors so I hope that makes it into the finished copy.

A lot of the stories were campy and over the top. My analytical side kept poking at plot holes or characters making dubious choices. The best story was Billie Jean. It felt plausible while also being entertaining. The rest were good to middling.

"From Beat It to Billie Jean, the songs we know and love take on a brand-new, thrilling connotation in this anthology edited by Don Bruns.

In this second collection in the Music and Murder Mystery series, nine award-winning, bestselling authors have written their own interpretations of the Thriller song list. With original work from some of the best mystery authors out there, the anthology includes stories from Heather Graham, Jeffery Deaver, William Kent Krueger, Dahlia Rose, and David R. Slayton, among others.

With poignant, frightening, and intriguing stories from some of the best writers in the genre, this eerie collection is sure to keep you up at night - and maybe even haunt your dreams."

I just love this idea of reinterpreting pop culture because who hasn't written their own stories in their heads listening to songs?

Woah. Just woah. I did not expect to like this book as much as I do. So many good stories. I had a good time.

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for a review.
I requested this book because of the cover but I stayed for the creepiness! I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read more by this author! I love a good horror/thriller!

3 stars

This is a good compilation of authors doing some fun short stories. Nothing ground breaking here but all were good reading!

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.