Pull a thread ... and you'll be dead. Ten standalone tales in the best-selling Shadow Fabric Mythos. Each story of ghosts, of demons, of the occult, weaves the mythos tighter and proves we all have the power to see in the dark. Both an introduction to the Shadow Fabric and a companion book, this collection of horror stories contains the following:
"Dust Devils" - When a driving instructor's pupil fails to turn up for a lesson, he doesn't just drive off. He investigates ... things.
"A Story of Amber" - Two brothers and a grandfather's secret. This is a story that begins in childhood and ends in adulthood.
"Claimed" - In Yellowstone Country Park things are black.
"The Rebirth" - A primary school teacher's lesson fails to go to plan when a peculiar Easter egg lands in her possession.
"Dead Lines" - An artist learns she is not the only one holding the brush.
"Pile of Dirt" - After a serious accident, all you want to do is relax in your garden. But the mysterious pile of dirt that has appeared on your lawn bugs the hell out of you.
"The Commission" - A photographer's commission proves to be a pain in the neck.
"Diagonal Dead" - It's a shame the dead can't stay dead, especially those who are discovered in a wall cavity.
"Demon Alcohol" - Staying at a bed and breakfast in a quaint harbour town, Tammy is not in the mood for uninvited guests. Especially when she's hungover and the guests are demons.
"A Sunset Companion" - The low October sun can cause road accidents by blinding drivers ... but perhaps there are other causes in the surrounding woodland.
Most of the stories featured in this collection have been previously published in anthologies.
Mark Cassell lives on the south-east coast of England with his wife and a number of animals, including Arnie the bearded dragon. Mark's jobs have included baker, lab technician, driving instructor, actor, and was once a spotlight operator for an Elvis impersonator. Best known for supernatural horror, he has seen almost 50 stories feature in magazines and anthologies by, among others, Crystal Lake Publishing, and The Sinister Horror Company, where he proves his penchant for ignoring typical horror tropes and casting them into the void.
His best-selling debut novel THE SHADOW FABRIC is closely followed by the short story collection STITCHES AND THREADS, both of which are a fraction of an expanding mythos of modern-day cosmic horror. The novella HELL CAT OF THE HOLT further explores the highly regarded Shadow Fabric mythos with ghosts and a black cat legend.
Collaborating with Future Chronicles Photography, Mark’s dystopian cyberpunk collection CHAOS HALO and his Lovecraftian steampunk horror novelette IN THE COMPANY OF FALSE GODS sees his prose in other genres.
Going to do a breakdown of each story with a few cryptic words without giving away spoilers.
Dust Devils: Mini tornado that comes alive and wrecks havoc in one home.
A Story of Amber: Amber that seems to love the feel of blood among other things.
Claimed: Tree roots show what they are really capable of doing besides keeping trees rooted.
The Rebirth: An egg that is very unique and very deadly.
Pile of Dirt: Dirt that comes alive.....(that is about all I can say without spoilers)
Dead Lines: Paintings that reflect death, but unknown to the artist. (I know - it is cryptic.)
The Commission: A ghost deal that goes wrong with a photographer.
Diagonal Dead: Doppelganger switch-a-roo! (Oh this one you got to read - freaky.)
Demon Alcohol: Alcohol induced hallucinations? Or something else?
A Sunset Companion: Seat belt safety is a must.....
Thoughts:
I really liked these short stories as they were all original and unique. I have read this author before in an anthology with some other authors, but this is the first time I have read anything by this author himself. Very impressed with how all the stories just played out and some of the stories were just fast paced as things were happening to keep me flipping my kindle pages. I have a few more books by this author simmering on my kindle and will be stepping back into his work soon. Giving this one four "cool and collected" stars!
Let's first start off with I'm not a fan of short stories, in general. That being said, this collection of short stories are very very good. All very suspenseful. I quite enjoyed this collection.
A brilliant, terrifying collection of horror stories. The last story, Sunset Companion has a nice little twist at the end to finish it off. My favourite has to be Diagonal Dead, but I also really enjoyed Dust Devils and Rebirth.
Mark Cassell continues his exploration of shadows and mist in this collection and a couple of stories were reminiscent of Hell Cat of the Holt (one of my favourites from the Shadow Fabric mythos). There are terrifying moments, and intrigue that just keep you turning the page and things you couldn't imagine even in your worst nightmares.
These stories aren't for the faint hearted or the squeamish, but for those that like their horror dark.
A really good collection of short stories. I have my faves and my not so faves but there isn't a bad story in this book. A quick read and well written.