Book Review: Night Terrors: An Anthology of Horror – Editor Theresa Dillon

Creepy, macabre subject matter fills the pages of a Blood Bound Books first, Night Terrors: An Anthology of Horror edited by Theresa Dillon. Night Terrors is an anthology of 31 horror stories ranging from stories of serial killers, to monsters, to evil itself. There are stories here to satisfy anyone’s palate and quench anyone’s thirst for blood and gore.

We begin with a story that everyone may find familiar, a fear of what is under the bed. This story is aptly titled From Under the Bed and it is authored by David Bernstein. This one is very intriguing and left me thirsting for more. Next up is Trepan, by Brian Oftedahl, a story which begins in a dark room with a female subject who seems trapped. There is another character whom is a man who we believe has lost his one and only. The scenario becomes more twisted and strange as we delve deeper within.

Living Memory, by Keith J. Scales, is a tale of a man who, through his memory, is transported back to a horrific and gruesome scene from his past. This story is interesting and full of suspense. I really enjoyed the next story, The Stripper by Stephanie Kincaid, because I really didn’t see the ending coming. It seems like any ordinary boy meets girl in a seedy bar scenario but things really get twisted when the man goes home with the woman. This one is very original and enjoyable.

The Rest for the Wicked, by Stephen Hill, is tale of how karma comes back to haunt those that deserve it. It’s about a married father who is terrified of flying and is on a plane coming back from a business trip. We learn more about the man and learn that he is not quite the perfect father or husband. The moral of this story seems it should be “you get what you pay for.”

G. Winston Hyatt’s Little Piggies, is a tale of a man that works at a slaughterhouse who is given a special task. This one is a good story to make your mind wander. Although not especially gruesome itself, it hints at something more gruesomely diabolical. The Hole in the Fence, by Craig Saunders, is the story of a man who stumbles upon a new neighbor while sneaking out for a midnight smoke. The neighbor seems to have something interesting to share with the man and things get a little out of control.

Pete Mesling’s, Holy is as Holy Does, is an interesting tale of a man that believes he is being “guided by the lord”. His “holy ideals” go a little off kilter when he plans to manipulate his followers into bringing about destruction. Sometimes a person’s best of ideas can go bad.

Twinkle Twinkle, by Jessy Marie Roberts, is a story about a couple, madly in love, that witness a beautiful sight. This sight turns out to be the reason for their destruction.

Good Samaritan, by Murphy Edwards, is a story that begs the question “can you really trust anyone?” The girl in our story meets a nice looking guy at a laundromat who comes to her aid after she is creeped out by the disheveled man outside.

Ten Seconds, by Michael Hughes, is a suspenseful story about a writer who sees someone trying to break into his house and has only ten seconds to get to the door to stop the intruder. This one is very suspenseful and nail-biting. Lawrence Conquest’s The Face in the Sand is an interesting tale about a woman who must go back to a beach she visited in her childhood that haunts her everyday. This story was very different and original.

Joshua Scribner’s Scent is about a sheriff who is visited by a young man with a very interesting sense of smell. This story took a very interesting twist in the end. Tomorrow’s Headline, by Adrian Ludens, is about a woman with a severe migraine who goes to a pharmacy with her annoying son. This story turns very strange and is somewhat saddening. This is the kind of tale that makes every parent think twice about leaving their children unattended. Are You the Fairest? By Piper Morgan is very different because of the point of view from which it is told. You could only imagine what a mirror would have to say if it could talk, and this story makes that so. I enjoyed the uniqueness of this story.

Lawrence Salani’s Summer Heat is about a man enduring the sweltering summer while fearing what is lurking around in it. This story is gruesomely interesting and you begin to wonder if the main character is really seeing what he believes he’s seeing. Lee Clark Zumpe’s Tattered Notes Found in a Cheap Motel Room is about a man who stays in a cheap motel room while he seems to be on the run from something. Things take an even worse turn for him when he finds the scribbled notes of a previous occupant. Lunatic Mile, by Barry Napier is a great story about a grandmother and her two very interesting grandchildren. This woman goes to great lengths to protect the children and ensure their safety in the future. This story really quenched my thirst for gore.

Rache by Kendra Lisum is a story about a boy and his dog, but without the loving affection and happy ending. If anything this tale makes you really start to wonder what happens to your pets when they die.
Brendan P. Meyer’s The Intersection is a story about police chief Foley and his interesting finds on a deadly intersection in his town. This story begs the question of whether places could be cursed or just inconveniently located.
Brian Barnett’s What’s in a Man’s Nose is His Own Business caught me right off the bat with its interesting title. A man bears witness to another man and the kind of nose picking that he will never forget. Lookers by Brick Marlin is about a man who has lost his wife and child and becomes the focus of everyone’s attention. This is an interesting if not somewhat depressing story.

Gravity Hill by Jenna M. Pittman is a story about a girl, a ghost and the hill from which the ghost appears. This story is kind of like a warped love story between the girl and the ghost. The ghost girl’s evil ghost mother is what the girl ghost is trying to get away from and keep it from killing the girl. Deena Lyvang’s The Language of Colors is a tale about a man that can hear, or rather, feel what the colors are saying. The colors each radiate a different emotion and green seems to be the color that brings about chaos. I really enjoyed the turn that this story took. Kevin Brown’s Somewhere Anywhere is about a boy who goes out into the freezing weather in his father’s boat to escape the emotional torture of being home. He soon finds himself freezing to death in the middle of the woods and seeing things that may or may not really be there.

The Bitter Taste of Rapture by Monique Bos is an erotic thriller about a boy being romanced by a demonic dream-like woman who is bent on bringing about his destruction. This story is sexy and intriguing. Amy Lou’s Ice Cream Parlor by Harper Hull is a tragic yet interesting read. It’s about a woman who owns an ice cream parlor and gets her new flavor ideas from her daughter. There is an interesting twist to this story that I would rather not ruin.

Desmond Warzel’s The Elephant in the Marble is about a man and his romantic relationship with a new partner. He is whisked away to the new man’s home and he believes he’s having a fairytale romance but things are not always what they seem.
Robert Essig’s Only Three Dead Presidents is about a couple who go to a midnight carnival. Unfortunately the midnight carnival is not a cool as it sounds; something creepy is lurking beneath its playful façade.

The Good Father by E.R. Delafield is about a single father who fears that the thing that haunts his past is coming to claim his daughter. He is bound and determined to get rid of the vegetation that is out to harm them.While Gabriel Slept by Matt Moore is about a man who resents his cheating wife and the possible product of her affair, the baby. This story may strike a nerve with some but I found it quite refreshing that such a taboo idea be the focus of a story. Each story has its good points and there is a little something for everyone within the pages of Night Terrors. So if you’re looking for something to read that you can pick up and put down when needed without breaking up the monotony of a long novel then pick this one up.

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