A fun set of spooky monster stories, for me a majority of them kind of dragged, or felt like they were a concept for a novel but not really retrofitted into a short story. So they just sort of lacked. That being said, "Best of Luck" by Jason Mott in this collection was actually stunning, please check that one out.

A super fun short story collection by some big name authors! All were a 3.5 ⭐ or above with my favorites being It Waits in the Woods and Best of Luck.

I enjoyed this horror short story collection. It's fun and spooky and all of the covers are amazing! I love them so much and wish so badly that I could get a few on their own as physical copies because they are just that good.

Anyway, some of the stories were better than others, as with all story collections. The ones that stood out the most for me were The Pram by Joe Hill, which comes in at 58 pages, and In Bloom by Paul Tremblay which is 35 pages of excellence.

If you're looking for quick, chilling reads to devour when the lights get low, go on and get this! You won't be disappointed.

This is an amazing collection of short stories that is perfect for the upcoming spooky holidays. A great selection and wonderful authors - perfect introductions to these writers if you haven't read their works before.

The Pram by Joe Hill

Willy and Marianne recently moved to Hobomeck, a small town in Maine where religious folk are known as Sin-Planters, which is not creepy at all. One of the locals loans Willy an antique baby carriage so he can cart his groceries home. Also not creepy.

“”Leave it here,” she said, her voice a kind of angry whisper. “Just leave it.””

Before long, Willy begins to hear a baby in the carriage, a baby that doesn’t exist.

Although I’ve had good intentions for years, this was my first Joe Hill read. It was easy to get into and I enjoyed the growing dread as the story progressed.

Willy’s story highlights, in a way that only horror can, that when resentment and grief are allowed to fester, it can result in something, well, not great. I was convinced I could hear the sound effects associated with the body horror.

One of my favourite bookish things, accidental learning, came into play here. I’m loving learning more about the Ship of Theseus.

I already own a bunch of Joe Hill books. I think it’s about time for a binge.

Content warnings include miscarriage.


Ankle Snatcher by Grady Hendrix

Marcus and Tess both volunteer at a crisis hotline. They may have only just started dating but already their banter is down pat. It feels like it’s meant to be.

They both have survived the dark days of the past.

““When I was six,” I said. “My dad killed my mom.””

Marcus has always followed the rules his father taught him. Then Tess breaks a very important rule.

There was an inevitability to the trajectory of this story, which had me hoping I’d encounter some insides are now your outsides squishiness. The need you had to check under your bed before you went to sleep as a kid may be reignited, and for good reason.

“You can’t hide from the boogeymen”


It Waits in the Woods by Josh Malerman

“No matter how unbelievable they are, some stories ring true.”

Legend says that the demon imp who owns the white and yellow bridge is searching for a replacement for its lost face.

Brenda was fifteen when her sister, Amanda, went missing. Three years later, Brenda decides it’s time to chase the myth. She grabs some supplies and heads into the forest. She doesn’t tell anyone where she’s going.

Along with her recording equipment, Brenda also brings Larry the mannequin, because apparently traipsing in the forest alone in search of a demon imp isn’t scary enough for her.

Myth and reality collide in this story of grief and guilt. I loved Brenda’s tenacity. I wanted to spend more time in the cave and need to know what happens next. I’d be keen to read about the events from Amanda’s point of view.

“Do you have my face?”


In Bloom by Paul Tremblay

Working on a story about Cape Cod Canal’s blue-green algae bloom, Heidi interviews Jimmy, who is apparently the person to talk to about the bloom in ‘83.

Jimmy tells Heidi a story that’s difficult to believe. Until it’s not.

“Honestly, though, I don’t feel a burning need to prove to myself that what I saw was what I saw. I know it to be true, even if it was all a hallucination.”

I was with Jimmy as he yearned to be the son his father wanted him to be. I couldn’t wait to see where his story was leading. The conclusion itself didn’t surprise me but I was expecting the story to wrap up a day later than it did, in a different location.

I probably enjoyed the descriptions of the body horror more than I should admit. It was a lot of fun imagining what unfolded after the final page.


Best of Luck by Jason Mott

Have you ever had a friend with a charmed life? Will’s best friend of twenty years, Barry, has had a recent string of good luck, resulting in all round prosperity. Meanwhile, Will’s luck appears to have run out.

Will knows where his luck has gone, though. He’s so sure, in fact, that he shows up at the architectural masterpiece Barry calls a home with a shotgun. It’s time to introduce Barry to Henry.

I wasn’t sure which of the friends was going to have the worst day but when someone brings a gun to a confrontation, you know it’s not going to end well. Although I had hoped for a specific outcome, the way the events unfolded made more sense.

“Sometimes you have good luck. Sometimes you have bad luck. Everything can ultimately be traced back to luck in some form, right?”


Big Bad by Chandler Baker

“There’s an order to these things, a way that events must unfold.”

Sam knows all too well what can happen when things don’t go to plan so he makes sure everything is done just right. What’s not part of the plan, though, is his wife, Rachel, arriving home late.

With wolves too close for comfort and an unexpected visitor at the door, thing are about to go bad, in a big way.

While I was here for the horror, unexpected bonuses came in the form of Odie and June, Sam and Rachel’s daughters. Odie tries to be a good big sister, despite June being June. As I waited for the inescapable bloodshed, Odie warmed my heart. She’s determined to protect her younger sister from something neither of them understand and I was in awe of her courage.

“There are things we’ve never told you.”


Thank you so much to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the opportunity to read these short stories.

This was a good collection of horror stories, I thoroughly enjoyed each one! I loved that I recognized some familiar names, but then also got introduced to writers I hadn't heard of previously.

Perfect for the season, this collection of short stories from the current masters of horror left me speechless. Giving their own takes on legendary monsters and myths, this is one to keep you up at night. We are in the big leagues here and I expected no less from these juggernauts of horror. My only complaint: I want more! Five amazing stars to this collection as a whole. I give my dues, applaud, and bow down to you all.

Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Original Stories for this ARC.

All of these were great! As predicted, my favorite was by Grad Hendrix, but each story was really perfect for this time of year. Scary without going over the top, I think this collection will appeal to many types of readers.

Fantastic author line up, perfect timing for the spooky season, and gorgeous covers. These were really fun, would have loved to see them in one book bind up as opposed to individual titles since they are short stories.