One Spooky-Ass Creature . . .

THE SAMHANACH by Lisa Morton (2010 Bad Moon Books / 98 pp. /tp)
Here's a nifty little Halloween story (and part of Bad Moon Books' Halloween novella series) that features a seldom-heard of, legendary creature.
300 years ago, Merran McCafferty's ancestors became the victims of an ancient curse. Now, a shape-shifting demon known as the Samhanach has returned to claim Merran's young daughter on Halloween night. Morton does a fine job of keeping the standard plot interesting, and relies on her knowledge of Halloween traditions to bring forth one spooky-ass monster (Morton has won a Bram Stoker award for one of her non-fiction Halloween books). But what makes this one memorable is the final act, where Merran has to enter another realm to rescue her daughter: the novella goes into dark fantasy territory, but never lets up its horror-edge.
With jack-o-lanterns that are actually menacing, great atmosphere, and the aforementioned title creature, THE SAMHANACH is a quick, re-readable tale to take out on your favorite holiday.