The Fourth Black Book of Horror, published by Mortbury Press, is a new collection of fifteen short stories. There’s a mixed bag of themes and writing styles from all the authors, so the reader is guaranteed to find something to send shivers down the spine.
A number of the stories have a sweetly old-fashioned tone, though they are brimming with unsavoury characters and evil deeds. There’re also one or two stories which I would be more inclined to place in a bizarro fiction anthology. They seem a little out of place amongst the majority of the short stories, though they are lots of fun in their own right.
I’d be hard-pressed to pick out just one favourite short story from this anthology, I don’t want to harp on about a single tale when there’s plenty to go around! With that in mind, here’s what I think of three of them then, just to whet your appetites!
The opening story, Soup, is written by Craig Herbertson. It’s a wickedly dark tale of a secret society and the nefarious goings-on as one society meeting draws near. Reminiscent of traditional ghost stories (with a little dash of M.R.James) in its writing style, it’s a sumptuously told tale that is a fine start to the book.
A few stories in and we reach With Deepest Sympathy, written by Johnny Mains. There’s a healthy dose of macabre humour in this story of trouble-making widow Primrose Hildebrand, and the consequences of her years of meddling. This is a razor-sharp and devilishly witty tale that kept me chuckling throughout.
The last story in The Fourth Black Book of Horror is The Lord of The Law by David Conyers. This is one of those stories that seems a little out of step with the rest of the book, but it’s no less enjoyable for it. Mr Skolling is trapped upside-down in a hotel room; daily visits from the Lord of the Law demanding an apology from him have left him exhausted and confused. It’s a cleverly written tale that plays with the senses from beginning to end.
So, there you go. With fifteen stories to choose from, you’re guaranteed to find something to suit your mood, and a writer you’ll be looking out for more from.
The Fourth Black Book of Horror contents:
Soup – Craig Herbertson
Words – Paul Finch
A Cry For Help – Joel Lane
With Deepest Sympathy – Johnny Mains
Many Happy Returns – Carl T Ford
All Hallow’s Even – Franklin Marsh
Dead Water – David A. Sutton
‘And Still Those Screams Resound…’ – Daniel McGachey
Love Is In The Air – Gary McMahon
The Head – Reggie Oliver
The Devil Looks After His Own – Ian C. Strachan
Bad Hair Day – Gary Fry
Flies – Hazel Quinn
Nails – Rog Pile
The Lord Of The Law – David Conyers
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