A taxi driver parks in an alley so he can rest after his long shirt, and suddenly his windshield is shattered, and two people run away, leaving him unable to move or make a sound. When a delivery person finds the cabbie later, he calls the police, and the cabbie watches as the police process the scene, thinking that they're checking out the body he believes in in the back seat of the cab.

While all this is happening, the cabbie reminisces about his life, and we see a person who has a family that he loves, but that he also has regrets, like all of us do, about roads not ventured or people not told about their impact.

The twist of the story is easily divined, but the horror is the cabbie's realization of his situation. Author L. Marie Woods then has the unnamed narrator initially want revenge against those who took away all his choices, then eventually come to terms with the things he has done with his life.

It's a thoughtful and sad story, with a wonderfully realized main character.

Thank you to Netgalley and to RDS Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my review.

An epically unnerving tale that makes it almost hard to breathe, it's so well written that you are right there alongside the main character going through it with him. This one packs a punch that punctures right through you, there's something that's purely redemptive about the ending, something that just clings to you afterwards. Wood just came on the scene and owned it, and I'm totally here for it!! Eerie is a word that cannot touch the experience that is 12 Hours!

A bit heavy-handed with its message, I found it hard to truly appreciate the message because of how often it was reiterated. I don't mind repetition but this felt excessive; as if the author thinks the reader incapable of grasping the basic concepts. I can appreciate repetition as a means of artistic expression, but this didn't feel like that. All this made the story drag and lose much of its potential.

First and foremost I want to thank NetGalley and RDS Publishing for approving my request to read this installment of the Selected Papers from the Consortium for the Study of Anomalous Phenomena series.

While I have been going backwards in the series, starting with Asylum and then 12 Hours and I have Bleak Houses ready to go... I love that these are stand alone books and don't need to be read in any particular order.

12 Hours is a story about a cab driver who pulled into an alley to get a little rest in before taking on the rest of his shift. While he is sleeping he is awakened by someone breaking into the cab. You follow him through the event and the aftermath thereof. The reader absolutely figures out what is going on before the main character does. Which was sad once I realized what was going on and he was still trying to figure it out.

The story itself was a wonderful concept. As you find out information about his life there are things that I was really invested in but of course since it only follows him, never got any more information or any closure to those aspects. Once he realizes what is going on I think it was about 60% into the story and then the last 40% just dragged on for me. The ending was confusing as well. There was no sense of closure or finalization to the story. Overall it was good for a one time read. There isn't any action aside from the event at the beginning and there isn't any thing.... scary or disturbing in it so I had to give it 3 stars out of 5 because to me it was just Ok.

A cab driver pulls over for a break and considers some coffee to watch the sunrise. Moments later he is attacked and robbed. We learn some of his story as he waits for help to arrive. We relive his past mistakes, his regrets, how he was not a good man to his wife but we also learn how much he loves his daughter and the list of things he wishes he did differently. In the end, we see him accepting of death.

I like this novella and I loved the author's writing. The words just flowed so beautifully and I couldn't believe how much was packed into this short story. Thank you NetGalley and RDS Publishing for the copy of this book.

I received this eARC courtesy of NetGalley and Raw Dog Screaming Press.

This short story, although very well-written, was downright depressing. Not just that, but also claustrophobic and unsettling. Considering the setting and premise, I think this was intentional. The content didn't work for me but it would be right up the alley of suspense or horror fans.

My rating's 3.5 stars rounded down to 3.

A down-on-his-luck cabbie pulls into an alley to take a break. We are in the catbird seat for his final moment and then treated to an afterlife inner monologue. The pacing is staccato as this sad sack realizes that he is dead. We witness his disbelief, his anger, his helplessness, fear, and regrets. Just as the police seem to be closing in on his assailant, this short story comes to an abrupt end. And I do mean abrupt. The reader then has to come to their own conclusion as to whether this ending is genius or frustrating.

Really enjoyed the book from start to finish. Author wrote this with great pace. This book is now one of my top books of the year for sure. Loved every second of this book

Having read (and thoroughly enjoyed) the first in the Selected Papers from the Consortium for the Study of Anomalous Phenomena collection (what a glorious mouthful!), Kate Maruyama’s Bleak Houses, I was excited to jump back in with L. Marie Wood’s 12 Hours.

From start to surprisingly emotional finish, 12 Hours is a wild ride. Opening with a cabbie trapped in his own car as he - and we, albeit heart-wrenchingly quicker - works out what has happened, Wood’s novella is an absolute masterclass in suspense, reveals, and the more emotive side of horror.

As he awaits rescue, we learn more and more about him. His life, his loves, his mistakes - a life literally flashing before our eyes in an almost stream of consciousness from the trapped man. No better nor worse than the average person, Wood places a seemingly banal cabbie into the centre of a psychological horror, and the final result kept me glued to every single one of its 80 pages.

With two such strong starts from the CSAP papers (sorry but I’m not typing that out again!), I can’t wait to see what the next instalment - Sarah Hans’ Asylum - brings to the table.

This wasn't fantastic if you ask me, it was sort of long and drawn out, even for a short story. It's basically a cab driver gets killed then he just talks a lot about absolutely nothing. All the interesting bits are in the first 20 or so pages of the book. Honestly, just skip it.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿!

The story is about a Cabbie who is just about finish a tough night shift. All he wants is to enjoy a hot coffee and watch the beautiful sunrise.

But then, his front window breaks and he gets mugged. As he waits for help, we get to hear the Cabbie's thoughts.

The events in the book have been recorded by the Professor and his team for 'Selected Papers from the Consortium for the Study of Anomalous Phenomena'.

The author did a great job with the POV! We get just enough hints about certain elements and the story unfolds bit by bit.

The main character talks about the mistakes he made in his life and seems to regret them... but while reading, I wasn't always sure if I should feel sorry for him or not.

This 80-page novella was dark, intriguing, and quite a bit sad. The Cabbie's emotions and thoughts felt real, even though it's a horror story. The reality hits you early on, but you still want to keep reading to find out what happens next.… and how HE will react to it… what HE thinks!

I enjoyed the fact, that this can be read as a standalone piece, even though it's part of a series.

𝑰'𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒂 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒄𝒌, 𝒖𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈.

Short stories/ novellas are a true example of an author's skills. The story in 12 Hours is 80 pages long. L Marie Woods manages to grab the reader's attention as we watch with horror a cabbie get robbed and injured in the first few pages. Then in fewer pages than most chapters in a novel, we share the cabbie's experience as he wonders if his life is over and reviews his history. Has he truly lived his life to make a difference in the lives of others? Who will remember him? As he must wait for someone to find him and then wait for help to come, the picture he draws could give pause to most of us. Then Wood brings together all the questions to give an answer that's sure to leave you talking about this book for a long time. This is the first of Wood's titles I have read but with this example, I need to find her back library. It's no wonder she has so many awards.

First time reading L Marie Wood, and won't be the last. Really enjoyed this story. Great plot/story, great pacing, and a character that you really come to like. #12Hours #NetGalley

A thought provoking read, very well written in that we felt as though we were the MC, or at the very least, next to him. Although some reviews mention that this is "predictable" for its genre, I would have to argue that the story wasn't in the plot of what had actually happened to the man, and it was not nearly as important as the self realization the MC was having about who he was and what his life and regrets were like. It was a satisfying read, I would be interested in reading more from L. Marie Wood and encourage anyone to pick this up if they like short reads that make them ponder their own lives. Thank you to this author, NetGalley, and RDS Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my voluntary and honest review.

What an amazing book to start the new year off with. I’d like to thank the author and Netgalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book pulls you in from the very beginning, no easing you in nope bam action in the first page. While this is only a short story, it was done to perfection. No page felt unnecessary. If anything it left me wanting more! I wish this was a full novel but it was 5 stars regardless for the amazing writing and unique storyline. Definitely recommend everyone reads this as it’s short and sweet ( not so sweet but you know what I mean)

This was a short, kind of predictable little horror. It was fun for what it was, and I don't feel like I needed to know more about the main character, but when I found out that it's a series I'm intrigued enough to look for more by this author.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

I would like to thank NetGalley and by RDS Publishing for the opportunity to review this book….honestly it was an okay book I enjoyed but, either I read to many stories, watch a lot of television or both that are similar to this genre it was kind of predictable to me.

Unfortunately not a very engaging read. While the prose was lovely, it felt like there was no proper hook (at least, not one clear enough to have me invested in the story). I did finish it, but only because it was short enough to warrant seeing it through to completion. 2/5.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Raw Dog Screaming Press for the eARC of this great novella!**

For only being 80 pages long, 12 hours really packed a punch. I was excited to learn that this novella is part of a series, as I am definitely interested in reading more like this from L. Marie Wood.

We jump right into the story into the mind and internal dialogue of a cabbie that is stuck staring at the ceiling of his cab. When I tell you I was stressed while reading this - I am not exaggerating.

Check this one if you like chilling horror, creeping suspense, and all-around great novellas!

The cabbie has had a slow night so he decides right before sunrise to take a break maybe have a little nap or go get a coffee but definitely it’s time for a break. After pulling in the alley he doesn’t even know how it happened but a guy with a balaclava is on top of him holding him down his window is broken and before he knows it they’re running away. He knows his neck is hurt and thinks he just needs a good stretch but when he reaches for the car keys nothing happens he tries to scream but doesn’t think anyone can hear him as the life in the city starts thriving around him a delivery driver comes in ask him to move the cab because he hast to make a delivery he’s in a hurry and his two other deliveries he’s already late for, but one look at the cabbie and he knows he needs to call the police. While all this is happening the Kirby is thinking of his beloved Karen his childhood and many other things he’s also wondering why no one will talk to him. This was such a good short story I have never heard of Elle Marie Woods but that was a preamble before the story talking about her and her achievements in so I definitely want to see what other books is written because they said there were a few and after this one I would definitely like to read those. I want to think DRS publishing and net galley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.