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Brood
There's a house in every neighbourhood that no-one likes. Elizabeth used to cross the road to avoid its long shadows. Kim wakes from fevered, sweat-soaked nightmares if she finally sleeps.
That house is the focus of many tall tales. But some friends can get away with murder to dispel a few ghost stories. Some friends are strong enough to confront their darkest fears and put a few skeletons to bed.
Aren't they?
That house... it penetrates the soul!
That house is the focus of many tall tales. But some friends can get away with murder to dispel a few ghost stories. Some friends are strong enough to confront their darkest fears and put a few skeletons to bed.
Aren't they?
That house... it penetrates the soul!
64 pages, Paperback
Published November 27, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 28, 2020
Having read a lot of Smith's work I had been looking forward to Brood and it didn't disappoint. Writing reviews for shorter stories is difficult as I don't want to give anything away but this is a gripping, dark, and surprising story. Highly recommended.
December 7, 2020
Disturbing and surprisingly compelling story with an unexpected ending
*SPOILER FREE*
This gripping story was easy to read because of its length. Smith didn’t fail to deliver!
A house rumored to be haunted but under the surface is so much more. Sinister strangers. Ominous ghosts. Mysterious, deadly creatures. A friendship strained by the death of a child. Treachery and betrayal.
A disturbing and surprisingly compelling story with an unexpected ending. How can you resist it?
*SPOILER FREE*
This gripping story was easy to read because of its length. Smith didn’t fail to deliver!
A house rumored to be haunted but under the surface is so much more. Sinister strangers. Ominous ghosts. Mysterious, deadly creatures. A friendship strained by the death of a child. Treachery and betrayal.
A disturbing and surprisingly compelling story with an unexpected ending. How can you resist it?
December 2, 2020
Fiendishly gruesome
Brood is fiendishly gruesome. A dark twisted tale that follows grief and manifests in the bloodiest of horrors. Mark writes with a vividness that will bring the goosebumps out on your flesh and make them dance down your spine - but I wouldn't expect anything less from the hard man of horror...
Brood is fiendishly gruesome. A dark twisted tale that follows grief and manifests in the bloodiest of horrors. Mark writes with a vividness that will bring the goosebumps out on your flesh and make them dance down your spine - but I wouldn't expect anything less from the hard man of horror...
March 20, 2021
Kinetic and surreal. A brief but dazzling piece. Loved it. The bonus story was likewise awesome
October 8, 2021
As someone who usually reads Sci-fi and fantasy series, I never imagined myself reading either short stories of horror, but I am being converted. This was a thrilling read that had to be consumed in one sitting. I was fully invested in the characters Kim and Elizabeth and pleasantly shocked with the outcome. Looking forward to more from this author
January 8, 2021
Well, that was a nightmarish ride! A tale of two women and a haunted house, but Mr. Smith packs a whole lot more into this short sharp shock. Maybe too much packed in? I wolfed it down in one sitting (a good sign) and I'm still thinking about it (another good sign) but I didn't really understand all of what was going on (maybe a good sign).
All in all, definitely worth a look and I will most certainly be keeping an eye on Mr. Smith in the future!
All in all, definitely worth a look and I will most certainly be keeping an eye on Mr. Smith in the future!
January 11, 2021
A great read!
Dark and disturbing, Mark knows how to spin a wicked tale, mixing an interesting story with creepy creatures. A terrific read!
Dark and disturbing, Mark knows how to spin a wicked tale, mixing an interesting story with creepy creatures. A terrific read!
December 13, 2020
Brood is a short read beginning with Pregnant Kim and her friend Elizabeth discussing a return trip to a particular creepy house to confront their schoolgirl fears now that they’re adults. They don’t realize a disturbing man is listening to them from a nearby table–he’s been to the house, with dire consequences.
Although they seem to be best friends, there’s a constant tension between the two women. Add to that the fact that Kim has a young son, four-year-old little Robert, and the story also has a child in danger—or he a mischief-maker? Elizabeth finds her husband dead in the garden surrounded by a fox’s kill-the remains of the chickens-the brood. She’s babysitting little Robert, who wants to investigate, then little Robert–oh my! That’s why they call it short sharp shocks! –I had to, wanted to, read that paragraph three times.
Mark Anthony Smith laces the grotesque between paragraphs of near beauty.
You’ve heard the term “fever-dream” before, now’s your chance to experience one firsthand.
I recommend this book to anyone who needs to snap out of reality with the help of a fiendish story and some weird and uncanny imagery.
Although they seem to be best friends, there’s a constant tension between the two women. Add to that the fact that Kim has a young son, four-year-old little Robert, and the story also has a child in danger—or he a mischief-maker? Elizabeth finds her husband dead in the garden surrounded by a fox’s kill-the remains of the chickens-the brood. She’s babysitting little Robert, who wants to investigate, then little Robert–oh my! That’s why they call it short sharp shocks! –I had to, wanted to, read that paragraph three times.
Mark Anthony Smith laces the grotesque between paragraphs of near beauty.
You’ve heard the term “fever-dream” before, now’s your chance to experience one firsthand.
I recommend this book to anyone who needs to snap out of reality with the help of a fiendish story and some weird and uncanny imagery.
December 14, 2020
Another great tale from Demain's Short Sharp Shock series! This was a fantastic dark grisly tale where nothing is what it seems. Right from the start there is a really creepy and brooding atmosphere that descends into horror.
In Brood, two old friends with a troubled history decide to re-visit the scene of their nightmares, so that they can move on with their lives. But this is no normal town!
In Brood, two old friends with a troubled history decide to re-visit the scene of their nightmares, so that they can move on with their lives. But this is no normal town!
December 3, 2020
A very dark short story which weaves you in and out of the tragedies affecting the main characters and those around them. Violence builds on the pages as demonic creatures scuttle around their human hosts, triggering ever more horror. An atmospheric tale perfect for a short sharp shock!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews