A fun chilling story by Joe Hill. The ending was a bit predictable but the storytelling was engaging and kept me going throughout.

The short story is more complicated than it may seem. In order to be successful, the author needs to pull the reader in quickly and get them invested. Then, they need to keep it simple; it is short, you don’t have time to get into a heck of a lot of details, they don’t matter here, keep them for your full-length novels. Finally, and this might just be me, I love the “you got me moment;” I like to be hit at the end with something I didn’t see coming, but I should have.

Hill did a reasonable job with Ushers. I’m with you on the Martin guy, what is his real story? Just happens to not be where he was supposed to be when massive tragedies struck. There is more to this than meets the eye. He really did keep it simple, enough details to make the story work, but not so much that the crux of the story was lost. And it had a decent moment at the end, it worked and made sense, but I wanted something more.

Ushers is a good short story, not a great one; then again, the great ones are few and far between. What was it missing? I really don’t know, but there was something lacking.

*3.5 Stars

This feels like Joe Hill at his finest, he's crafted a wonderful short story that drives from beginning to end, each word holds weight and I liked that a lot. I love this fun period of short stories really having their moment.

I love Joe Hill so much, so my expectations were high for this short story. It did not disappoint! It’s written well, with character dialogue that’s believable, modern, and interesting. Plus the story was honestly super fascinating! I seriously could have a read a whole novel about this, not just a short story, and enjoyed it so much. Wonderful job!

Great short story!
Martin, a man only 23 years old, is "unofficially" being interviewed by detectives about his decision to NOT get on a bus that derailed--killing many. What the men are really curious about is the number of other times that Martin had escaped death, inexplicably.

His story is quite . . . unpredictable.

Recommended!

*I received an eCopy of this title from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my personal opinion.*

Premonition? A coincidence? Or perhaps… something darker.
Since this book is only 29 pages long, and if I say anything more I would spill the beans. So go in blind as I did and enjoy.

I’ve always wanted to read a novel by Joe Hill. But had been nervous to try as horror, well…scares me!🫣
But being as this was a short story I thought it was the perfect time to dip my toes into a quick sample of this author’s work.
And yes, I was a tiny bit unnerved but I’ll definitely be back for more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories

My first read from Joe Hill and it won’t be my last. This was short and to the point and when your in a reading slump, sometimes a short story is all you need to pull me out of it. At the very beginning I had no idea where this was going. I had no idea how Martin was doing it. I was pleasantly surprised and also slightly scared with how real this is.

Death comes for all of us at some point.

Joe Hill once again proves he’s a master of horror with Ushers, a terrifying short story that grips you from start to finish. Martin Lorensen, a young counselor with an uncanny ability to survive catastrophic events, is a fascinating protagonist. His charm and resilience mask a darker truth, and as two federal agents dig deeper into his past, the tension becomes almost unbearable.

The story brilliantly balances a chilling atmosphere with razor-sharp dialogue, creating a narrative that feels both intimate and deeply unsettling. Hill's prose is as vivid as ever, painting scenes of quiet terror that linger long after the final page. The twists are unpredictable yet perfectly crafted, leaving you questioning what it truly means to escape death.

Ushers is a compact but powerful tale that delivers on every level. Fans of supernatural horror and psychological thrills will find this story unforgettable. A definite 5/5!

This author has such a talent for creating worlds that suck the reader right in whether it has a whopping 1,000 pages or a mere 30. This story felt eerie and foreboding from beginning to end. It is a story that is not only chilling but also makes you wonder about the mystery that is death. The fact that this author was able to accomplish this in the limited number of pages says it all. Another great story from a phenomenal author. I give this one four and a half stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Original Stories for this digital copy.

What a great surprise! This is my first Joe Hill book, but it won’t be my last! I was hooked right away and was disappointed when it ended. I wanted more! I love how Hill packed so much into a short story.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review this short story.

Ushers is a gripping short story by Joe Hill.
This was a well-written, tense, short story. The writing had me gripped throughout.
Written expertly well, this novella will immediately draw you in til the very last word.

Detectives interview a suspect of mass casualty events and come run into a mysterious supernatural response. This was my first Joe Hill experience. It was a short story and a great introduction to the author. I am impressed and excited to read more from him.

Short but sharp! Ushers is a tale about a seemingly non official interrogation of a man who seems too lucky to keep escaping death, it's told in a casual manner but the buildup of what is being said gets more and more intense. I think it's best to go into this one blind and enjoy where it takes you. I also really like the aura of his father's world coating this story, it reads as an homage to someone Joe loves and respects but still makes it his own work.

I really enjoyed this witty story and the last line must have made my eyes pop open like little lightbulbs because whoa... Joe Hill really shines in Ushers, you are immediately transported into what is happening and read on with dread knowing that something is probably brewing under the surface. Wish this was a full length novel or even a series, this has such amazing potential for more. Really well done by Joe, makes me want to read more of his work. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-book of Ushers in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first time reading Joe Hill and I'm very interested in reading more of his work

This is a perfect horror story that I didn't give 5 stars just because it doesn't have much originality in the theme but I really liked the writing style so for me it's a 4 and a half stars

Thanks to the author and publisher for making it available on NetGalley

Unbelievably chilling short story. Ushers are the angels of death that show up just before someone is going to die. This story started off a little shaky for me. I wasn't sure where it was going. But once I caught on and realized the story was toeing the line between mental instability and the ability to see death about to happen, I was hooked.

This book was a nice surprise! I was looking for a quick novella to read and this one fit the bill. But I wasn’t expecting to be so intrigued by the unique premise. The idea of being able to see these ushers taking someone to their final resting place and not being able to really do anything about it is terrifying. The characters were also very engaging and the writing style extremely easy to follow, but also very atmospheric. Loved it!

I don't often read short stories, so when I started this I thought "how much can really happen in less than 30 pages?". Well, I guess enough was said to have the concept of ushers forever embedded in my mind.
While at first, I thought this would go in the direction of the movie Final destination -I'm still scared of driving behind a logging truck! - this story left me feeling less traumatized and instead more at peace with our finality.
An enjoyable and at times humorous story with a thought-provoking concept!

I had a really good time.
I thought the pacing was good.
The story progressed really well and left me with some things to think about at the end.

I knew this was going to be short, but wow, Joe Hill made every word count. This is a story about death, how it’s always there, unavoidable, and he manages to capture that in just 30 pages. I wanted a little more—but at the same time, it felt like just the right amount. I’ve read The Pram and NOS4A2, and with each one, Hill’s style pulls me in more. He’s not about flashy scares; instead, his stories slowly build this sense of unease that sneaks up on you.

The characters in Ushers felt authentic, and the dialogue flowed naturally. Even though I saw the ending coming, I enjoyed the way he got us there. There’s so much to dig into and think about. I just finished it, but something tells me this one will stick with me for a long time.

A very, very short but chilling story. Concise but impactful. Am I the last person alive to realize that Joe Hill is Steven King’s son?

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this arc.