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wilko's review
5.0
This book is full of amazing and wondrously evil stories that have you torn between wanting to read them an hide under your blanket. Below is my review for An Old Family Recipe by Caroline A. Gill.
The Stilton family have a saying "We Stilton's never lie down" and in this story you find out what lengths they will go to in order to live by their saying. Being farmers they rely on their crops and harvest but things have been going from bad to worse for the Stiltons, but nothing is as bad as when the police knock on their door late at night to advised Francis and Timmy wouldn't be coming home. From here the Stiltons process the deaths in their own way Archie snr blocks out everyone, Edward grows sullen and secretive, Johnny is so young he doesn't get why the boys are coming home and Mrs Stilton tries to hold everyone and everything together. Then one night the tides are turned and the Stiltons who were wronged by losing their 2 boys get a second chance at things, although there is a price and are they willing to pay that price? What unfolds is scary yet intriguing and addictive reading to see how it all ends up!
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
The Stilton family have a saying "We Stilton's never lie down" and in this story you find out what lengths they will go to in order to live by their saying. Being farmers they rely on their crops and harvest but things have been going from bad to worse for the Stiltons, but nothing is as bad as when the police knock on their door late at night to advised Francis and Timmy wouldn't be coming home. From here the Stiltons process the deaths in their own way Archie snr blocks out everyone, Edward grows sullen and secretive, Johnny is so young he doesn't get why the boys are coming home and Mrs Stilton tries to hold everyone and everything together. Then one night the tides are turned and the Stiltons who were wronged by losing their 2 boys get a second chance at things, although there is a price and are they willing to pay that price? What unfolds is scary yet intriguing and addictive reading to see how it all ends up!
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
lyndajdickson's review
4.0
An introduction by editor P. K. Tyler on the nature of evil is followed by 20 stories with the common theme of unspeakable horror. I’m about half-way through this collection and, as a fan of the horror genre, I’m loving it!
In “Sip the Dregs” by Rhoads Brazos, Maribelle clears out her grandmother’s home after her disappearance. No one knows what happened to her, but their suspicions are nowhere near as frightening as the truth. I’m not sure I understood this one, but it certainly had a lot of atmosphere.
In “Knobby Bones” by Jeremy Megargee, an aid worker in South Sudan attempts to uncover the truth behind the legend of Knobby Bones. What he finds is worse than anything he could have imagined. Truly disturbing.
In “Dark Cloud over Ladysmith” by Robert Allen Lupton, Martha and her friends struggle to defeat evil during a siege in the second Boer War. An interesting story, but the sentences are short and choppy.
In “A Handsome Man” by Joriah Wood, Brandy meets a handsome stranger at a party, and things take a very strange turn. Delightfully creepy.
In “June’s Perfection” by Anne Skinner, Laura escapes one unhealthy relationship only to enter another.
In “Mosaic” by Annetta Ribken, a visit to a psychiatric museum unleashes an artist’s muse with disturbing results. Short and well-crafted.
In “Let the Bodies” by J. Edward Neill, a person goes missing from her town every day. But what does Mia’s grandfather have to do with it?
In “An Old Family Recipe” by Caroline A. Gill, Charlotte seeks justice for her family when two of her sons are killed in an accident. A beautifully written, heartbreaking story.
In “Windikouk” by Tausha Johnson, Megan loves telling her little sister scary stories. But, in reality, the truth is stranger than any of her fictions. Suspenseful.
I look forward to reading the rest of the stories in this collection. It seems to include something that will appeal to every horror buff’s tastes.
I received this book in return for an honest review.
Full blog post (8 March): https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.com/2018/03/uncommon-evil-by-p-k-tyler.html
In “Sip the Dregs” by Rhoads Brazos, Maribelle clears out her grandmother’s home after her disappearance. No one knows what happened to her, but their suspicions are nowhere near as frightening as the truth. I’m not sure I understood this one, but it certainly had a lot of atmosphere.
In “Knobby Bones” by Jeremy Megargee, an aid worker in South Sudan attempts to uncover the truth behind the legend of Knobby Bones. What he finds is worse than anything he could have imagined. Truly disturbing.
In “Dark Cloud over Ladysmith” by Robert Allen Lupton, Martha and her friends struggle to defeat evil during a siege in the second Boer War. An interesting story, but the sentences are short and choppy.
In “A Handsome Man” by Joriah Wood, Brandy meets a handsome stranger at a party, and things take a very strange turn. Delightfully creepy.
In “June’s Perfection” by Anne Skinner, Laura escapes one unhealthy relationship only to enter another.
In “Mosaic” by Annetta Ribken, a visit to a psychiatric museum unleashes an artist’s muse with disturbing results. Short and well-crafted.
In “Let the Bodies” by J. Edward Neill, a person goes missing from her town every day. But what does Mia’s grandfather have to do with it?
In “An Old Family Recipe” by Caroline A. Gill, Charlotte seeks justice for her family when two of her sons are killed in an accident. A beautifully written, heartbreaking story.
In “Windikouk” by Tausha Johnson, Megan loves telling her little sister scary stories. But, in reality, the truth is stranger than any of her fictions. Suspenseful.
I look forward to reading the rest of the stories in this collection. It seems to include something that will appeal to every horror buff’s tastes.
I received this book in return for an honest review.
Full blog post (8 March): https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.com/2018/03/uncommon-evil-by-p-k-tyler.html
laffingkat's review
4.0
I've come to expect high-quality stories that make me think from all of the UnCommon Anthologies, and this is no exception. This is a great collection of well-written, skin-crawlingly creepy short stories exploring the nature of evil. I would rate it 5 stars, but I don't think I will be able to sleep well any time soon after reading this! I expect some of the imagery from these stories may haunt me for a long time. It's really well done, but horror is just not my genre and I can't give a 5 to something I don't personally love.
If you enjoy horror, if you're someone who likes to be shocked or spend time pondering the evils of the world, and you have a strong stomach, then I highly recommend this. I especially loved the diverse settings and characters. If you're squeamish or easily triggered by violence and cruelty, you should probably steer clear.
I received a free ARC of this book from one of the authors and volunteered to review it. The version I reviewed was generally well written, well edited, and cleanly formatted. The stories in this book are very disturbing and clearly intended for adults.
If you enjoy horror, if you're someone who likes to be shocked or spend time pondering the evils of the world, and you have a strong stomach, then I highly recommend this. I especially loved the diverse settings and characters. If you're squeamish or easily triggered by violence and cruelty, you should probably steer clear.
I received a free ARC of this book from one of the authors and volunteered to review it. The version I reviewed was generally well written, well edited, and cleanly formatted. The stories in this book are very disturbing and clearly intended for adults.
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