Sunday, July 06, 2014

Lost in the Dark, by Joe Mynhardt


(eBook; 2012: horror anthology)


Overall review:

Lost is a worthwhile, traditional-horror anthology, one that I enjoyed a lot.  Every story, even the few I had personal preference issues with, had something to recommend them.  Good stuff, this - worth owning.



Standout stories:

1.)   "Beyond the Ornate Tree": Christmas takes on new elements of gory terror as a psychiatric patient (Jim) and his doctor converse, so Jim can resolve his Yuletide "issues".  Fun read, laughed out loud (in a good way) at the finish.


2.)   "The Way Back":  Off-beat, interesting story about a paranormal investigator (Thomas Sanders) whose most recent investigation - in a ghost-notorious prison - may an unforeseen impact on his life.


3.)   "Fashionably Undead":  An emasculated husband - Rupert - disgusted by a zombie-models-on-the-runway fashion show, decides to finally do something about it.  This is an especially good tale, with a cliffhanger-ish ending that is memorable and effective.


4.)   "Come All to the River of Death":  A ghost hunter (Henry Taylor) gets more than he anticipated while investigating a particularly thrilling, rich-with-horrible-history house.  Fun, phantasmagoric work, this.


5.)   "Lost in the Dark":  Fairy tale-esque tale about a kidnapped girl (Hanifa) who not only tries to escape her supernatural captor, but rescue others as well.   Tone-effective, entertaining.


6.)   "Rise, Dead Man":  A drug-addicted grave robber, hounded by one of his victims, tries to atone for his latest crime.  Another tone-effective work, with an especially good ending.


7.)   "Zombie Mischief":  Fun cautionary tale about being a grisly joker.


8.)   "The Nature of the Beast": A young man hunts the nightmarish creature that killed his brother and some of their neighbors.  "Nature," well-written and gripping, stands out for its unexpected finish, which echoes the feel of an African-village fable.

No comments: