Unsettling Truths: 18 Tales of Terror

by René Rehn

My neighbors are always watching, unblinking and unmoving.

I found something horrible in my town's sewers.

Can spiders actually lay eggs under human skin?

UNSETTLING TRUTHS guides you through the hidden underbelly of reality--where the ordinary warps into the terrifying. From secret rooms to sinister business ventures, from twisted criminals to malicious mothers, this collection has every flavor of horror. Read... if you dare.

184 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 24, 2025

About the author

René Rehn is a writer of horror fiction. His stories have appeared on the Nosleep Podcast.

Reviews

[Zain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome!

Eighteen Tales of Terror! Each tale is an exploration into the world of horror. Each story has what it takes to be true terror. The stories are all over the world of terror. They have, at times, been a source of a different genre. They are all very good and they are all very well written.

I’ve read some good books that are written by the same author as part of her collection. These stories are all interesting and insightful. They have some great endings that twist and turn all over the place.

You are very satisfied with the results of the tales. And they have the ability to make you feel like you’re going through a tough period in which you can be confident that you’re not alone. You have a lot to read and enjoy. The best part of the stories are frightening, but they are also uplifting to you with their subtle endings.

It’s now time to rate this book as four stars.

Four stars. 💫💫💫💫

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Goodreads buddies rated this highly but apparently it wasn’t for me because I found these stories boring and dull.

[Milt Theo · Rating 4 out of 5]

After having read so many volumes of creepypasta stories, I always worry I'm not going to enjoy the next one; seeking them out as palate cleansers doesn't always work for me, as very often creepypasta authors recycle the same ideas from one book to the next. Not in this case, however! Rene Rehn's collection is refreshingly original, quite emotional, and in fact it occasionally reaches the depth of longer fiction, with accomplished characterization and thoughtful endings (see, for example, the intriguing "Prizrak," the unsettling though insightful "Grandma's Penpal,"and the deeply moving "Dusty"). There's a treasure trove of short stories here. I'm looking forward to Rehn's next collection for sure!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Garnet · Rating 3 out of 5]

as with all short story collections, this one is quite hard to rate. in this case, the stories that worked for me worked incredibly well, wow the ones that didn’t really didn’t. Still, this was an incredibly interesting read. I thought it was interesting. How the things that happened were pretty much all based in reality. it seemed like it was trying to shine the light on some of the more uncomfortable things that humankind is capable of. It definitely made me think if nothing else. it was also surprisingly emotional for a horror collection, and I ended up crying on a couple occasions. some of the standout stories were, express delivery service, dusty, and seven fingers.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Michael Nickerson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Has a great variety, with lots of interesting premises and a few good twists!
The author’s style can be a bit repetitive if you binge read the stories though, so pacing yourself is a great idea!

There are some great gems in the collection and it’s definitely worth checking out! Look forward to this author’s works in the future!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some stories were pretty creepy, some were just a fun read, none of them were boring. highly recommend reading with the lights out if you want a food scare.

my only complaint is that it really needed another edit for spelling and grammar. the mistakes weren't awful but it's distracting when you're in the middle of a suspenseful part but you stumble across the wrong word being used

other than that, highly recommend

[Dan Mckeithan · Rating 4 out of 5]

18 shorts that make you think! Rene has brought each tale to us with a touch of emotional reality. Some worked better than others and some left you thinking OMG. A horrifying group of stories that could happen anywhere.

[Shawna Mathieu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chilling

The shortest stories tended to be the most horrifying. Others seem normal until practically the last sentence, when you suddenly realize you had it all wrong. If I could give advice, please have an editor look it over.

[LORRIE · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent creepy and scary tales

[Amanda Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Unsettling Truths! There were some truly creepy stories in this collection of horror. I would recommend it if you are looking for spooky fast reads.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nathan Webb · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful

Riddled with spelling and grammatical errors, most of the stories read like a cheap high school murder fantasy. All around uncreative and dull.

[Kimberly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I DNF’d this at page 37 because there were too many typos. If this is something you can overlook, enjoy. The stories aren’t bad. Typos are so distracting. Get a better editor.