I loved Kill Creek, and I love novellas. It’s satisfying to finish a story, so shorter can sometimes be better. This was going to be a definite yes, for me.
However, I just didn’t love it.
I enjoyed the stories. Being from the Midwest, I could see every story perfectly. They were just a bit too long at times. The Midwest can be so boring, and unfortunately when you describe it so well, the story becomes boring too.
I like the overarching tales, just didn’t enjoy the length. The writing is great, just a bit too much of it.
I will read more from the author, and this could work for other readers just not for me

I couldn’t get into the story just as I thought. Not disappointed but need more depth, I think. I can't remember when was the last time when I read a book in which the whole plot was 100% equal to what was written in the blurb and nothing more. There was no surprise there, no resolution to any of the plot threads and the whole story was blatantly predictable and painfully dull.

Scott Thomas doesn't disappoint. These stories by the author of Kill Creek all evoke strong Americana dread.

After reading Kill Creek when it came out I really enjoyed this novellas from the same author. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the free eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

I read Scott Thomas's second book Kill Creek earlier this year and fell in love with it, so I requested this book immediately. This collection of novellas was incredibly well done. While the first story was my least favorite I thought the other three were amazing. I think the book resonated even more for me after reading Kill Creek because certain characters are referenced and intertwined in the stories of Midwestern Gothic. It was like visiting old friends which I appreciated.

I am so thankful to InkShares, Scott Thomas, and Netgalley for granting me advanced access to this galley before publication day. I really enjoyed the dialogue and plot of this book and can’t wait to chat this one up with my friends!

Excellent book, loved it! Looking forward to more from this author! Apologies for the lateness of my review

Thank you to Inkshares, NetGalley and Scott Thomas for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've never heard of anything referred to as Midwestern Gothic, so the title immediately piqued my interest. I had previously read Kill Creek by Scott Thomas and hoped this would not disappoint. It's made up of four short stories - each story references one of the authors from Kill Creek, although you don't have to have read Kill Creek in order to read Midwestern Gothic.

1. The Door in the Field. It involves a young man with a past, his boss with a secret and a door in a field. This was my favorite story.
2. Wear Your Secret Like a Stone started out strong but ended up going in a totally different direction and i felt like the author was trying to do too many things with this one.
3. The Boy in the Woods is a gory, fun summer camp story about that boy that's always picked on.
4. One Half of a Child's Face about a mother who's always watching and that strange, creepy piece of art.

I commend Scott Thomas for getting it right with this collection of four short stories that are all different but equally creepy and enjoyable!

Midwestern Gothic” is Kill Creek author Scott Thomas at his finest—brilliantly dismantling the serene imagery of small-town America and unearthing something far darker beneath the surface. Through three chilling novellas, Thomas reminds us that the most unsettling horrors are often found in the most familiar places.

The collection opens with The Door in the Field, where Rayland Allen’s night at a backwoods bar spirals into a nightmare drenched in blood and regret. The Boy in the Woods takes readers into the eerie aftermath of a summer camp that devolves into pure terror, blending coming-of-age storytelling with creeping dread. And One Half of a Child’s Face is a surreal exploration of obsession, parenthood, and the strange power of art, as Sienna Franklin witnesses children drawn inexplicably to a sinister painting—like moths to a flame.

Thomas weaves atmosphere like a seasoned storyteller, turning idyllic settings into shadowy landscapes filled with menace. If you love eerie Americana with a dash of psychological horror, this is a must-read. Each novella feels distinct yet thematically connected, unified by the sense that the heartland’s quiet charm is just a façade—and sometimes the monsters are already home.

A rich, often surprisingly moving, collection of horror, dripping with all the trappings of Midwestern Gothic (naturally). Thomas' imagery lingers long after each story has ended.

Personal favourite - The Boy in the Woods. Bloody and brutal.

Scott Thomas has quickly become one of my new favorite authors! This book was excellent! It was atmospheric and mysterious! I loved the setting and characters so much! Totally full of Gothic Fall vibes!!!

I definitely like Scott Thomas more with shorter stories. This is a collection of stories that don't seem to have anything to do with each other, for the most part, but they all exist in the same universe and I was thrilled to see references to Kill Creek, an earlier novel by Thomas. I've always been a huge fan of doing that, building an entire world where the events that happen in one story are real in the others.
The stories are all horror, of course, and there is everything from psychological horror to actual violence. I'm definitely going to read the next book or novella I see with his name on it. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

Thanks to Netgalley and to publisher whom I get this e-ARC of short story collection written by Scott Thomas best known for his novel "Kill Creek".

Honestly, I have mixed criticisms about this book. It took me 2 months to finished it because of some situations that I want to put this down. Think. Then read again and give this book a 3rd chance!

I didn't care to the first and last stories of this book because I think they are the weakest in terms of dry descriptions of writing scenes and characters of the story. I cannot absorb those two stories although they have scare factors but the story was not totally a banger for me.

The remaining two stories "The Boy in the Woods" and "Wear Your Secret Like a Stone" was so horrifying. Scott Thomas gave some goosebumps to establish some stronger points in the story. Every details to the story although slow burns makes me feel sad and scared especially to the story "The Boy in the Woods" those precious climactic part gave me chills!

Overall, I highly recommend this short story collection hope I will be given again an opportunity to review books by Scott Thomas.

Nothing quite hits like rural, small town horror. Not in a “nothing bad ever happens in a town like ours” kind of way, but a “everyone overlooks certain things to keep the peace” way. In a climate that is prone to having secrets shoved beneath the surface, I think the Midwest, and moreover, small town America, provides an interesting setting for gothic horror.

“Wear Your Secret Like a Stone” was my favorite story in this collection. It just felt like an homage to horror in general and I loved the historical context of it.

“The Boy in the Woods” was the story that made me want to cry and almost put this book down.

“One Half of a Child’s Face” terrified me in the same way that ‘Nestlings’ terrified me in that I would rather face a madman with a chainsaw than my own messy thoughts on parenting.

I did enjoy the first story, from then on I just could not get interested.
I had expected it to be less paranormal than it was. And, I just don't like paranormal in books.

Thanks to NetGalley and Inkshares for the ARC.

A Neat collection of 4 horror novellas set in the Midwest. They're also all connected to each other in small ways, and all tend to connect to horror literature as a whole. I liked The Door in the Field the best, I liked the Eldritch horror elements and the framing narrative, placing this in a larger context of a daughter learning where her absentee father has been her whole life, and whether she can forgive him despite what he's gone through. I feel like the ending to The Boy in the Woods was a little lacking. The rest are okay.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6904728049

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/f6056066-41ba-4099-8640-d00bdf4c775e

Check out this review of Midwestern Gothic on Fable. https://fable.co/review/f706c16f-8b5b-42d0-ba1d-7464041f7026/share

This book contains four novellas: The Door in the Field, Wear Your Secret Like a Stone, The Boy in the Woods, and One Half of a Child's Face. All the novellas reference the authors in Kill Creek in one way or another.

As someone who is from the Midwest and loves it, having the exploration of what specifically Midwestern Gothic means was so fascinating, and Thomas's defining of it permeates each story, and it started my brain up pulling other pieces of media that fit this definition perfectly. That it's about the land, the blood shed in various ways to attain it, keep it, reap it, and the way that change us. The generational trauma of centuries of violence, and the terrors colonizers brought with them that grow new roots in these spaces.

While the Boy in the Woods will make you hate mosquitoes even more, I think One Half of a Child's Face was the most compelling story. I was sitting up in my chair as the tension built, and felt physical relief when it resolved.

Overall, a perfect read for a cold fall night, when the wind is loud and the trees are speaking.

This was so fun, especially if you've read and enjoyed Kill Creek! Although it's not necessary to still enjoy reading this, it did add some extra layers due to being able to recognize certain characters or authors. I love short horror fiction, either in novella or short story form, and this was such a cool little collection of 4 very different stories. Despite their differences, they definitely all fit within the same claustrophobic, "American Gothic" vibe -- so good.

Amazing! I could not put this book down! All 4 stories were perfect in the category of Gothic Horror!
With realism, culty vibes and heart pounding horror!
American Gothic is perfect for any VC Andrews fan because it asks the same question, "why cant we trust the people we know" (vca: why do the people who love us hurt us the most)
Stories #2 & 4 are perfect for booklivers with quotes, titles and recommendations while keeping you on edge and terrified for the world around you

cool little string, not sure if the title is really a great fit but this is a nice little vibe idea.