Book Review: Midnight Masquerade by Greg Chapman
Title: Midnight Masquerade
Author: Greg Chapman
Release date: October 31st, 2023
Full disclosure here – I not only consider Greg to be a great friend, but he’s also done three book covers for me (Churn the Soil, An Endless Darkness and the upcoming When I Look at the Sky, All I See Are Stars). Saying that, Greg’s a professional and he knows my thoughts will be my thoughts on his work. Saying ALL OF THAT – I should also state, Greg is one of my favorite writers. His work shimmers and seethes with creepiness and emotion. I think, of all of his work, the one that isn’t my personal favorite was his his debut novel – which was a great time – and it was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Debut Novel! So, it’s safe to say, I was excited when Greg asked if I’d like to take his next collection, ‘Midnight Masquerade’ for a spin.
What I liked: Featuring nine entries of varying lengths – from short story up to novella – Greg showcases his ability to create masterfully crafted, tension-filled pieces that focus around some truly memorable characters.
I’ve already read a few of these, so I’ll be brief on those, as you can find my longer thoughts in my other reviews, but ‘Vaudeville,’ ‘The Last Night of October’ ‘Left on October Lane’ and ‘Octoberville,’ are just phenomenal stories in their own rights and are worth the price of admission alone.
The new entries are all excellent. ‘The History of Halloween,’ follows a Halloween historian – coincidentally born on Halloween – who finds out that there is some truth to what some people thought might happen to those born on that day. ‘Midnight Masquerade,’ was so well done. This one follows a young woman, Emma, who attends a group meeting for victims. Once there, someone gives her an alternative to the meeting and she takes it. Normally, I wouldn’t pegged this one as my favorite of the new ones, but there was one more that topped it. First though, let’s talk ‘Thirty Years Later.’ While it does tread familiar ground – thirty years later, four former friends are ‘reunited’ over what happened back in high school, stories like these will always have me intrigued and Greg does a great job of keeping the reader on the edge of their seat.
The highlight within this collection for me was ‘Happy Daze.’ With shades of Michael Douglas’ 1993 film ‘Falling Down,’ we meet Harvey the Clown, a man who has dedicated his life to making sick kids smile. When he learns his wife is embarrassed by him and his clown group hates him, things unravel quickly. This was filled to the brim with emotion and showcases Greg’s trademarks perfectly.
What I didn’t like: Having had read a number of these before, my biggest concern for this collection is that those who’ve already snagged the other releases previously may not grab this one, in which case they’ll be missing out on how phenomenal the new stories are. I get it, I really do, I’ve done it as well, but for someone who wants more people to read and love Greg’s work, I worry that this may be a limiting factor for some.
Why you should buy this: If you’ve not read any of Greg’s work before, this is the perfect place to start and even better – this one will be launched on Halloween, so will definitely be a timely release for those loving the Halloween season. Greg’s such a talented writer and I hope this one rockets out of the gate and finds so many more readers to discover and love his work as much as I do.
5/5
