Midwestern Gothic

Scott Thomas is the author of Kill Creek, a favorite horror novel of mine. Midwestern Gothic is a collection of 4 gothic novellas from his collection of writings.

The Door in the Field, focuses upon a construction worker who can't control his anger and The Boy in the Woods touches on the evil at a summer camp. In One Half of a Child’s Face, a woman sees a mysterious painting while spying on her family and in Wear Your Secret Like a Stone, a store worker makes a haunting discovery while picking books for a Halloween display.
All four are unique and creepy and perfect for your next long story night! #Scottthomas #midwesterngothic.#inkshares

I adored Scott Thomas's KILL CREEK, absolutely adored its window on "We're not in Kansas anymore!" through unexpected twists of Horror set in a mild-seeming Midwest rural locale. Now that I've raced through the four horrifying novellas comprising MIDWESTERN GOTHIC, I'm eager to read KILL CREEK again. MIDWESTERN GOTHIC, in its own inimitable fashion, offers tribute to the Horror authors at the heart of KILL CREEK, extending, as it were, their reach. You needn't have read KILL CREEK to be terrified by MIDWESTERN GOTHIC [but then, WHY haven't you read it?].

This is a book containing four novellas all set in Kansas. If you've read Kill Creek by this author, you'll find some pleasant surprises within these terrifying stories.

And they are terrifying. Each one focuses on various characters but all of them take you in directions you can't imagine from the beginning. Like a fight at a construction site, a kid at a summer camp, or a woman who's trying to get some editing work done. Seemingly innocent things that happen every day. Until the author puts them into horrific circumstances they are not prepared for.

From murder to madness. Inexplicable monstrosities to guilt. Humanity meets its superior in these delightfully twisted tales and you'll be left breathless.

I loved these four novellas. And there are characters from his novel, Kill Creek, that make appearances in each of them. There are also references to certain businesses from previous stories so these all have a feeling of being connected or part of the same universe.

The stories are twisty, mind bending, and creepy as hell. You definitely want to read for yourself and I highly recommend it.

Midwestern Gothic by Scott Thomas is a collection of four horror novellas all set in Kansas, centered around Blantonville, a place you should be familiar with if you’ve read any of Thomas’s other novels. Each story is more unsettling than the last; the author has a foreboding way of writing that makes the feeling of imposing doom something to be choked on. These stories don’t focus on haunted objects, buildings, or people. These stories focus on the land; it’s the land that is haunted: “...for you can own a structure but you cannot truly own the land upon which it sits.” Thomas very successfully gives life to the land, which makes these stories all the more sinister. Here is a breakdown of the stories included in this collection:

The Door in the Field: Follows Ray, a construction worker who, after a terrible accident, has trouble controlling his temper, which leads to devastating consequences. (Favorite quote: “If I’m seeing it, is it seeing me?”)

Wear Your Secret Like A Stone: Follows Tara, an employee of BuyBig (which reminded me of Costco), who is determined to find the woman who complained about the book Tara chose for the store's Halloween display. What she discovers isn’t at all what she bargained for. (Favorite quote: “Nobody is exactly what people think they are. We all wear masks for one reason or another.”)

The Boy in the Woods: Follows 10-year-old Eddie and what should have been his last night at Summer Camp. What unfolds is a night full of unspeakable terror. Something's wrong with the camp counselors. (Favorite quote: “He had once heard that the weight of a soul was a few grams, but the unbelievable heaviness left by its absence was immeasurable.”)

One Half of a Child’s Face: Follows Sienna, recently divorced, who spies on her ex-husband and daughter in the apartment building down the hill. When a mysterious entity visits and threatens to take her child, Sienna will stop at nothing to make sure her daughter is safe. (Favorite quote: “Remember what you lost. But never forget what you still have.”)

Thank you to the author, Scott Thomas, Netgalley, and Inkshares for allowing me to read this ARC early. All opinions are my own. Midwestern Gothic publishes on April 30th.

One of the Best 5 Star Books I've Read This Year!

Scott Thomas is genuinely a master of the craft. When I saw that he had a collection of novellas coming out I knew I was going to love them. His writing style just pulls you under a spell and you'll blink and realize that 100+ pages have flown by as you found yourself devouring his stories. His writing similarly to that to Stephen King seems to be interwoven with characters from all of his work finding homes and mentions through the pages of this story! It makes for such a fun Easter Egg hunt!

The body horror, the psychological terror, and the deliciously devious character writing will ensure that this book will haunt you for ages to come!

The Door in the Field - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

- This story ramps up slowly, but by the ending of this story, you'll know nothing is safe. What a twisting and turning story that truly gave me whiplash because of the reveals. The pacing (even with a slower start) keeps you wanting to know more and the style that this is presented with takes it to the next level.
- There are also some Easter Eggs in this that think long time fans of Thomas are going to LOVE!

Wear Your Secret Like A Stone ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

- I won't be able to put into words how literally terrifying this story was. The way that Thomas chose his words in this story, the sheer journey that the main character, Tara, takes is just literally superb. It truly scared the death out of me. The imagery of what happens appears behind my eyelids every time I close my eyes. This is truly amazing folk horror.
- PS - if you loved Grady Hendrix's Ankle Snatcher then this will give you the cravings you've been having.

The Boy in the Woods ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

- Wow, this is a whirlwind of a summer camp story that is chock full of deliciously devious body horror. This story follows Eddie who has unfortunately been bullied for a majority of his life due to a dog related accident. However, Eddie witnesses something bone chilling seemingly torn from the pages of one of his favorite stories. Kids at his camp aren't right. They are so far from right that Eddie is now in fear for his life.
- Seriously perfect for fans of the Faculty (film) or The Troop by Nick Cutter.
- I'm serious - please give us a glimpse into the Camp's future after the events of this story! What a thrill ride.

One Half of a Child's Face ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- This story didn't grab me as quickly as the others in this collection, however the pay off in this story was so Hitchcock that I loved it just the same. This plays out like some twisted Rear Window but with a terrifying and horrid twist that as a reader I really enjoyed.
- The Easter eggs in this story are really fun too!


All in all this collection is truly spectacular and will stick with me for a while to come. Some of the horror sequences in this story are next level and inspired such bone-deep terror. These stories are fun and have so much for readers!

What a wonderful surprise! I was instantly drawn to Scott Thomas's Midwestern Gothic, as a fan of the gothic and from the Midwest (born and raised in northern IL and recently moved to southern MO, and apparently not too far from the author's hometown, and the town he used as inspiration for the fictional Blantonville in his collection). The last story in Thomas' collection features snippets of an essay on what midwestern gothic is, how the traditional gothic setting of an old house is transferred to the setting of the old land in the midwest, because that's where our historical stories of pain, misery, and horror reside: in the land.

If you're unfamiliar with the American midwest, this book is a great place to start to get the vibe of what it can be like in the rural parts of the middle of our country. Even though I grew up in Illinois and not Kansas, I could still see a lot of what I remembered from my own childhood in settings of these stories, but even if I didn't have that connection Thomas evokes that atmosphere expertly.

This book contains four incredible novellas, all wonderful and engrossing, varying between turning tropes on their head to embracing those tropes in homages to other genres. I also really love that a couple stories also include some cosmic horror, my favorite :)

The Door in the Field - A line in a book that's not meant to be there sends a man on a downward spiral, dragging him and a few of those around him down a path of no return. Spooky, creepy, and something I've actually had nightmares about from growing up surround by cornfields.

Wear Your Secret Like a Stone - "There are shadows in the forest that cannot be trees". Ah! About the dangers of getting stuck in a small town... lol

The Boy in the Woods - Probably my favorite story in the bunch, it's a classic summer camp horror story but with a fun twist. Very enjoyable and fun, has some spooks but not outright scary.

One Half of a Child's Face - A close-second for favorite and the most outright cosmic horror of the bunch. This, focusing more on the protagonist's mental state and the lives of the people in Riverside Apartments, would make for an excellent full-length novel, I think! Great ending as well.

At the end, I learned from the author bio and acknowledgements that Thomas had an hand in RL Stine's The Haunting Hour tv show and that alone would have sold me on this book had I know, because that is one of the best and most underrated kid's horror shows out there, with some genuine scares.

I think Midwestern Gothic is going to be one of my favorite books this year.

Midwestern Gothic by Scott Thomas is an intriguing collection of four eerie novellas from the acclaimed author of "Kill Creek."

It has a strong start with "The Door in the Field," where a construction worker grapples with his inner demons, while "The Boy in the Woods" unveils the dark secrets lurking within a seemingly innocent summer camp. In "One Half of a Child’s Face," a woman's voyeuristic curiosity leads her to a mysterious painting, while "Wear Your Secret Like a Stone" follows a store worker's chilling discovery after her controversial choice for a book recommendation in a Halloween store display. Wear Your Secret Like a Stone and The Boy in the Woods were my two favorites, but all were delightfully creepy and weird.

With each story offering a unique blend of suspense and creepiness, "Midwestern Gothic" promises an unforgettable journey into the depths of the unknown. Perfect for those seeking a spine-tingling read to accompany their next late-night reading session! Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

These are some of the best short horror stories that I've read all year! This author has firmly pulled me in as a new fan and I cannot wait to read more from him. Defining, terrifying, sleep-with-a-nightlight-on type of horror!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

"Midwestern Gothic" by Scott Thomas is a compelling collection that delves deep into the heart of American folklore, intertwining the mundane with the macabre. This anthology of novellas is a testament to Thomas' ability to transform the familiar landscapes of the Midwest into realms of haunting tales and unsettling mysteries.

The book opens with "The Door in the Field" , where we follow Rayland Allen, a construction worker whose bad day spirals into a nightmarish ordeal. Thomas masterfully crafts a narrative that is as much about the internal demons as it is about the external horrors that Rayland faces.

In "The Boy in the Woods" , the innocence of summer camp is shattered by a creeping evil that infects the counselors. Young Eddie Reicher's fight for survival is a chilling reminder of the thin veil between childhood fears and real-world terrors.

"One Half of a Child’s Face" introduces us to Sienna Franklin, a recently divorced mother who becomes entangled in a disturbing mystery centered around a peculiar painting. Thomas' exploration of obsession and the supernatural is both gripping and thought-provoking.

The collection concludes with "Wear Your Secret Like a Stone", as the seemingly innocuous task of setting up a Halloween book display unearths a dark sectet. This story is a poignant commentary on the shadows that lurk beneath the surface of small-town life.

Scott Thomas' "Midwestern Gothic" is not just a series of horror stories; it is a mosaic of the human condition, painted on a canvas of the eerie and the Gothic. The novellas, each around 100 pages, are the perfect length to immerse oneself fully without overstaying their welcome. The interconnections between the stories and nods to Thomas' previous work, "Kill Creek" , add layers of depth and intrigue.

The use of folklore is particularly striking, with each tale drawing from different cultural backgrounds, yet all converging in the Midwestern setting. The references to horror literature throughout the book create a rich tapestry that celebrates the genre and its enthusiasts.

"Midwestern Gothic" is a must-read for fans of horror and Gothic fiction. This is a collection that but resonates with the reader, ensuring Scott Thomas reputation as a master of Midwestern Gothic, and this book is a shining example of his craft.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.

HUGE fan of Kill Creek, so was very excited to read these 4 short stories. Totally exceeded my expectations--especially the returning characters from Kill Creek.

My favorite was A Boy in the Woods. Great twist on the classic summer camp yarn.

Eager to read Scott Thomas' next novel.

Being that the Midwestern United States is not the first place I think of when I hear the word "gothic," I found the title alone intriguing enough to request this from NetGalley. (That and the fact that I'm already a fan of Scott Thomas' work.) As it turns out, this was a great decision on my part!

Midwestern Gothic contains 4 novellas that range from cosmic to gory to just plain scary. If you've read his book KILL CREEK, you are already familiar with Blantonville, Kansas. (Please note that you do NOT have to have read KILL CREEK to read this collection. But if you have, there are some nice Easter eggs here for you!) In my opinion, Blantonville is just as scary as Derry, Maine, Oxrun Station, or Goblin, Michigan. (If you know, you know.)

Within this novella we meet a few of the citizens of Blantonville, but what's most interesting about this book as a whole is that it's the land itself that is haunted. The history of it, the battles over it, etc.. It's not a haunted house, it's not a serial killer, (though there are some), it's just land. Land that has soaked up the blood of its inhabitants for years, even centuries.

Stand alone doors in a field, pathways to other worlds, a smidge of the cosmic, a horrific story of summer camp, and a woman who watches the apartments of her neighbors instead of television. The last tale of the woman watching a nearby apartment building was brilliant. (Rear Window-ish brilliant.) The main character of the story is editing a book about gothic stories in the Midwest, while being a character in a book about gothic stories of the Midwest. Again, I say BRILLIANT!

This novella collection has everything a horror lover like me wants in a book. It has the scares and the gore, but it also has a sense of itself, if that makes any sense. As I was reading, the admirable skills of the author became readily apparent and I devoured the 440 pages within a week. When I wasn't reading I wanted to be. MIDWESTERN GOTHIC made me wish I didn't have a full time job and a family. It was that good.

To sum up, I think this is now my favorite Scott Thomas book, even over KILL CREEK, which I adored. Four novellas, each its own distinct tale, each taking place on that haunted Midwestern land.

My highest recommendation!

*ARC from publisher. Thank you!*

_Midwestern Gothic_ by Scott Thomas is a collection of horror stories that are engrossing, dark, and are so detailed in the gothic setting of the Midwest that the reader feels like they are there with the characters. _The Door in the Field_ tells the story of Rayland Allen, a construction worker with a harrowing past who falls into a very disturbing discovery that chills the reader. _Wear Your Secret Like a Stone_ follows Tara, a supermarket worker dealing with the loss of a close friend and who dreams of leaving town, who becomes obsessed with an old town legend. _The Boy in the Woods_ centers on the child Eddie who suffers with trauma as he struggles to survive one more night at summer camp. And lastly _One Half of a Child’s Face_ follows Sienna, a voyeur of a nearby apartment building where her family lives, as she watches children in the building mysteriously gather around a sinister painting. All of the stories fill the reader with dread and fear and will keep them engrossed. This is a great gothic horror collection.

"In our galley letter for Violet [also by Scott Thomas] referring to the dominance of the horror greats, we wrote that nothing tall grows in the shadow of a great oak. We humbly submit this collection of novellas as more than a seedling in the shade of these great oaks." Inkshares

"...now I know that Kill Creek isn’t the only stain on this world. It’s not one shadow we live in but a series of shadows cast by objects we don’t even know are there. Most people focus only on the sunlight because that’s the way you get through life— you think of the warmth and try to ignore the shiver that runs down your spine or the prickling of your skin when you suddenly pass unexpectedly through darkness."

Author Scott Thomas writing style, if you've sampled his other works, often involves a story within a story, which I quite like. These novellas are no exception. I enjoyed April Staudt's Roeland Park, Kansas trek to meet her mysterious father. "My father was once two people [she says]. This is the story of how he became a third." and so begins the first story within a story. Scott Thomas is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine. His books almost keep me entranced. I can't explain it, but the prose has a melodic, uncanny vibe to it that I can't get enough of. If you enjoyed Kill Creek, go immediately and preorder Midwestern Gothic, which releases Sept 17th.

Even though I'm not a huge fan of short story anthologies, Scott Thomas writing speaks to me. Outstanding work on these. I will now be circling back for Violet.

Scott Thomas is a master of horror and “Midwestern Gothic” is a terrifyingly terrific collection. 4 knockout Novellas that will have you thanking the horror gods for Scott Thomas. I was in a bit of a reading rut and this collection snapped me out of it. Thomas gave us one of the finest haunted house novels ever in “Kill Creek” and here he works in the same universe but delivers starkly different horrors. While there are some connecting threads each one stands on its own as a masterwork of horror storytelling. While he may not be as “prolific” as some, in my opinion he can stand along side the horror greats. Read it! Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

It’s official: Scott Thomas can do no wrong! I’ve adored every single one of his novels. Short story collections aren’t my favorite genre, but I decided to take a chance on one of my favorite authors. I’m sure glad I did! Midwestern Gothic has everything I love about Thomas’s works: compelling plots, well-developed characters, and truly chilling scares. The first two stories were 5 stars, the second two 4 stars. Can’t wait to see what Thomas comes up with next. I will be adding the hard copy of this collection to my library as soon as it comes out.

Midwestern Gothic was incredible. I am a huge fan of the macabre, creepy, unsettling, all that is gothic and this story collection knocked it out of the park! My goodness, this was such a refreshing read. I finished it within a night and it left me staring at the wall when I finished. I recommended this to my book club and hope we pick it up in the fall ! This is such a great read for spooky season!

MIDWESTERN GOTHIC by Scott Thomas is everything I loved about Kill Creek. The tension, the atmosphere, and the land. The damn haunted land. Taking inspiration from the four authors in Kill Creem, each short story here is a blast. The Boy in the Woods is my favorite. A beautiful take on camp horror, and I love how the trope is set on its head. A little bit of Friday the 13th Jason origin buy only Jason is the hero in this one. At least how I interpreted it. These are four utterly horrifying, buy more importantly, entertaining and satisfying. Highly recommend.

All hail the king of Midwestern Gothic!

(Thank you to Netgalley, Inkshares, and Scott Thomas for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

Scott Thomas has really knocked it out of the park with this incredible collection of four novellas (with a fun tie to the fictional authors from his first novel, Kill Creek).
There are shades of everything from Gothic horror to folk horror, from cosmic horror to body horror; and all executed with complete mastery.
There's also a very interesting examination throughout on how much we take from the land, the violence we commit both to and on the land itself, and how that comes back to haunt anyone - even the innocent.

Each of the four novellas have a beautifully designed, full-color cover (by Tim Barber) to fit the individual stories.

We open with 'The Door in the Field', a story about a construction worker named Ray. After there's a violent incident on the job, his boss takes him to a sketchy bar out in the middle of nowhere and things get increasingly dark and creepy and weird from there. To me, all the stories have a folk horror vibe, and this one has a cool, cosmic feel to it as well. "We gave the soil its first taste of our blood. Who among us will satiate its thirst?"

Our second novella, 'Wear Your Secret Like a Stone', tells the tale of Tara, her love of a extreme horror novel that's important to her, and the startling journey she must go on to discover the novel's deeper and darker connections to both her and the very place that she's been dying to leave behind. More great Gothic/folk horror vibes. "Salvation comes at a price."

'The Boy In the Woods' is our third novella... Our little hero, Eddie, made me think of Jason Voorhees, if he'd had a different camping experience.
This one has cool, Cabin Fever-ish body horror vibes, mixed with a little of the hellishness that is Nick Cutter's 'The Troop'. It's a gruesome story. It's bleak as hell. I loved every page.
(Not sure what that says about me, but moving right along)

Our final novella, 'One Half of a Child's Face' is my favorite of the bunch. (It also has the most haunting cover art, in my opinion.) This story revolves around a mother, Sienna, the difficulties she's currently enduring, and the fierce love she has for her daughter Maya.
I think it's best to go into this one as blindly as possible, so all I'll say is that it was an awesome way to wrap up an awesome book. "We planted seeds only to let the life they sprouted wither."
4.75 / 5

My thanks to Netgallery and Inkshares for the ARC.

Confession: I added this to my "To Read" pile based on the cover artwork and the synopsis and I didn't even register the author, or that I had read his previous title Kill Creek. It was a pleasant realisation once I noticed the first nod to Kill Creek here, and it suddenly made sense why I was captivated so quickly with this book. Much like Creek, Midwestern Gothic is a stunning piece of writing. And while I definitely enjoyed Creek, I'm happy to say I loved Gothic so much more. Rest assured, however, you do NOT need to have read one to enjoy the other. This book is completely stand-alone.

Scott Thomas succeeds where many less talented writers would flounder, and breathes new life into some rather familiar horror themes. The stories themselves aren't anything particularly *new* per-se, but are handled so beautifully and written so intoxicatingly that I was never bothered by a feeling of familiarity. Instead, I happily lapped up every page. Thomas conjures up vivid imagery in a way I don't often encounter and he develops fleshed out, believable characters that fully captivate me. I really just love his writing style, if that isn't clear yet.

Below are some of the notes I jotted down whilst reading:

- 5% in and I'm already feeling this. Can already tell this will be a 4 or 5 star read...
- Loving how delightfully *readable* this is. There's such a flow that really works for me. So much world-building that actually propels me forward instead of derailing my interest.
- Characterisation is perfect. Every single character is so expertly defined in my head. Fully realised.
- Definitely getting some Derry, Maine/Stephen King vibes here...

To sum it up, Midwestern Gothic has cemented Scott Thomas as an auto-buy for me. His writing prowess is enough to keep me coming back for more and I hope a future book will just scare me senseless. The final novella, One Half of a Child's Face, also proves he could deftly insert himself into the domestic thriller genre if he wanted a break from the cosmic horror. ;)

OMG, you guys, this is, like, absolutely amazing! I was totally hooked from the title to the very last page. Every second, every word, was a perfect blend of eerie and captivating, bringing the Midwest to life in the most hauntingly beautiful way.

The story weaves through the heart of the Midwest, painting vivid pictures of small towns, and the kind of chilling atmosphere that you can practically feel in your bones. The characters felt so real, like people I might run into at the local diner or see at a town festival. Each one was crafted with such depth and authenticity that I found myself completely invested in their journeys.

Scott Thomas has this incredible talent for making the ordinary seem extraordinary, and the way he captures the essence of Midwestern life is just spot-on. The mix of gothic elements with the familiar settings I know and love was both thrilling and nostalgic. It’s like he took the Midwest I’m familiar with and gave it this dark, enchanting twist that kept me on the edge of my seat.

The plot twists were perfectly timed, and the suspense was, like, totally unbearable in the best possible way. I couldn’t put the book down because I just had to know what would happen next. Every story pulled me deeper into the mystery and the beautifully eerie world Thomas created.

In short, if you love a good gothic tale with a Midwestern twist, "Midwestern Gothic" is a must-read. Scott Thomas has crafted a story that’s haunting, mesmerizing, and absolutely unforgettable. Five stars, no question about it! This book is, like, an instant favorite and a total masterpiece!

I'd like to thank Netgalley for the online copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Just finished this collection of 4 novellas. So original, so scary, so good. I really liked the last novella entitled One Half of a Child's Face; plenty of dark frightening imagery. Highly recommended.

5 stars

What a fantastic collection. All 4 of the novellas included in this collection delivered. The way the author wove the stories in and out of each other was so fun, and add in the call backs to the author's prior book, Kill Creek, so good. Fans of Kill Creek are going to love this.

The Door In the Field was incredible. We follow main character Ray who suffered a huge personality change after an accident left him with extreme anger issues. After a violent incident at work on a construction site, Ray's boss takes him to a remote bar for a drink. This story was very violent and very graphic and very, very good.

The Boy in the Woods was an awesome take on the teen summer camp slasher. We follow a ten year old boy with a face disfigured from a dog attack during his early childhood. Again, the author pulls no punches when it comes to the violence but there is so much heart and I really loved this main character.

Wear Your Secret Like a Stone involves a young woman working in a big-box store to save money to escape her small town. Her boss decides to copy a book store's display and has the employees select a book to recommend for Halloween. The main character's selection causes a bit of a stir when a local mom takes offense. This one went in a direction I wasn't expecting and turned into more of a folk horror type of story and I loved it.

In the final story, One Half of a Child's Face, a divorced mother struggles with sharing custody of her daughter with the ex-husband and his new girlfriend, who have moved into an apartment building which is so close to the main character's home, she can watch them through their open windows. This story was the least violent and graphic of the bunch, but still had some intense scenes that made me squirm and had one of the most satisfying endings as well..

Overall, I loved everything about this collection. Fans of Kill Creek will definitely love this latest work by the author.

I enjoyed Scott Thomas's first novel, Kill Creek, despite some misgivings, and when I heard he was publishing a collection of novellas focused on gothic themes but set in the American Midwest, I was sold.

First of all, if you were a fan of Thomas's first book, you'll probably like this one, too. It's set in the same "universe," and each novella is connected to a work written by one of the ill-fated authors who featured in Kill Creek. It's a fun conceit that connects all four stories beyond their location. You might also like Midwestern Gothic because the collection takes you on a tour of various genres (aside from just the gothic). The first story, The Door in the Field is a serial killer-survival thriller. The next story, Wear Your Secret Like a Stone, has notes of mystery and cosmic horror. The Boy in the Woods is like Christopher Pike on steroids, a summer camp romp that mashes up slashers with infection horror. The last novella, One Half of a Child's Face, is a Rear-Window-style paranoid thriller with supernatural elements.

The first one, The Door in the Field, was the weakest for me, even though I liked the ending a good bit. My favorite was probably Wear Your Secret Like a Stone because of its surreal imagery. I'm also a sucker for stories that require the main characters to do research. The protagonist uses microfiche to uncover the town's dark history! Inject it into my veins. Despite not loving the first story, I think the collection is strong enough as a whole to warrant a five-star rating.

I really like the way that all four stories examined the importance of land to the American psyche--not just because of its natural beauty and fertility but also because of the cruelty and suffering caused by conquest of said land. The focus on land is why the collection is called "gothic," but you could easily make a case for calling this folk horror, if that's something you're into. The idea that America is still ruled by the Old Gods, even if we've forgotten their names and stories, is compelling, given how bloody and tumultuous our nation's history is. Just because our image of the Midwest is cornfields and big box stores doesn't mean that there isn't something ancient and terrifying just beneath the soil.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a digital ARC for review.

Midwestern Gothic is a collection of four novellas set in the world of Thomas’s horror debut, Kill Creek . Without sharing any spoilers, I will tell you each of the novellas connect in some way to one of the four horror authors featured in Kill Creek.

I absolutely adored this book. When I scrolled through my kindle, looking for notes for my book review, I kept finding annotations like: “OMG”s and “This is brilliant!” These weren’t particularly helpful when it came time to write my review, but they emphasized just how fantastic this book is.
Midwestern Gothic is rife with description and atmosphere, which does make the book a slower read, but if you’re picking up a “gothic” book, you shouldn’t be expecting it to have a rocket-fast pace.

Each of the four novellas carry the same imagery and themes of gothic horror, but take the genre into fresh and compelling directions. The novellas are chock full with references to gothic media. (I actually squealed with excitement at the mention of Suspiria , one of my favourite horror movies.) One of the novellas is a twist of Hitchcock’s Rear Window, and I freaking loved the execution. Another one felt like Cabin Fever meets Friday the Thirteenth, and I devoured that story in one sitting.

Thomas frequently inserts references to writing and books throughout. The first novella even has an introduction and afterword. All of this made Midwestern Gothic feel quite intelligent, well crafted, and meta.

All this, and there are chilling twists in each of the stories! I adored this book, and it will stick with me for quite some time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkshares for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. This made me a Scott Thomas fan and now I want to go back and read his other two novels. To be fair, I already had both of his other novels on my list to read but never found the occasion to pick either up. Now they have both jumped to the top of the priority list. Something about a good midwestern story really hits my soul despite having grown up entirely in the northeast of the country. I was a little nervous when I started this because it does have connections to Kill Creek (previous novel) and I thought I would be a little lost because I hadn't read that yet. You absolutely do not need to read Kill Creek to enjoy any of these stories but I imagine that I did miss some of the fun connections that fans would pick up. It does make me extremely excited to pick up Kill Creek and see where those connections are. Each of these stories is its own entity and yet these four stories mesh so incredibly well together into one collection. Thomas's writing is absolutely phenomenal. These stories pulled me in so thoroughly that there were multiple days in a row where I almost missed my stop on the train because I was engrossed in the story. The way he immediately made me connect with the characters is not something every author can do and each of these stories thrives on character work. They all have fun plots but the characters shine. I will say that if you are looking for a collection to scare you, this one didn't really scare me in a way other stories can. But it is not a negative for me because they were still phenomenal stories. Midwestern gothic stories are definitely for me!

4.5/5 stars

Midwestern Gothic was gucci. Chef's kiss.

The first story was titled: The Door in the Field. Five stars. This one played out like a movie in my head. Quite honestly, all of the stories in this collection did, but this one especially. I want a spinoff novel exclusively about the serial killer in this book stat!

Novella number 2 was Wear Your Secret Like a Stone. I loved the character relations in this one. Thomas really sold the dialogue and the humor for me. The best part about this was the meaningful conversations about censorship that I know this story will spark. 4.5 stars.

Story number 3 was my favorite in the collection and that was The Boy in the Woods. This felt like an origin story for Jason Voorhees, only cooler and creepier. I LOVED the setting and the urban legend style ending. A banger! Five stars!

The final story in this collection was One Half of a Child's Face. This was my least favorite in the collection, but I still really enjoyed it. It really makes you realize how little you really know what's going on in others lives even when you think you've got the full picture. 4 stars.

This is a terrific novella collection by the author of Kill Creek, one of my favorite horror novels ever! "Midwestern Gothic" includes references to the novel, which is a good thing if you've read the book (many easter eggs to enjoy!), but totally harmless if you have not. The tales range over cosmic horror and folk horror, contain some gore, but they're mostly examples of incredibly good writing (on several levels), four imaginative stories set over the Midwest (Kansas), many times starring the land itself, the element that provides the unifying factor throughout the stories. There's no need to pick favorites, all four novellas are spectacular and none of them disappoints. One of them, however, deserves special mention: "One Half of a Child's Face", deserves to be a novel; it's chock-full of deep insights on the Gothic, on the book itself, and on what makes horror so attractive in general; it should be allowed space to breathe and it should be given the chance to stand on its own, especially as an extended meditation on the theme of obsession. In sum, the collection is a must-read for all horror fans and I cannot praise it enough!

This collection of stories checks all of the boxes on my horror checklist! Gothic, cosmic, slasher, there is something for everyone here. And to tie all of the stories back to authors found in his Kill Creek novel was a stroke of genius. This was a fun read and had me constantly wanting to keep reading late into the night. With the lights on of course!

Before I even finished this I bought another Scott Thomas book. I even went back and reread another book from the author with a new eye. Basically, the stories are all in the same universe and connected at the seams. Everyone here in the 4 stories is having their worst day ever.

The first story, "The Door in the Field", sets up the feeling of the collection. It goes from mundane to violent to completely crazy. I loved the way the fictional worlds are woven together.

In "Wear Your Secret Like a Stone" a young woman who wants nothing more than to leave her small Kansas town but a small interaction with her boss and a customer complaint lead her to find out more about it than she ever thought was possible. And changes her life forever.

Then we have "The Boy in the Woods". This combines the theme of the land itself being the supernatural force with a good, old-fashioned summer camp slasher novella. This is an origin story. But not the one you are expecting.

Among those three it is hard to find a favorite. But it wasn't the last one. "One Half of a Child’s Face", was the only one I didn't fully enjoy. There is a lot at the beginning about a mother who cannot handle her child being a few yards from her for a short period of time. Unfortunately, it lacked the tension of the other three stories. It was kind of a let down way to finish the book.

That last one is probably a matter of taste and possibly of my own head space at the time. You may love it.