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jlmcnally82's review
3.0
Book was a easy read. Perfect for lunch breaks or when one does not have a lot of time to engage in reading. Some stories were a bit juvenile.
mermaidquake's review
5.0
I'm a difficult customer to please when horror is involved. Too many stories are either clichéd, or the author relies too heavily on a certain trope. Usually it's overly gory, or it relies on shock value over true horror. There's a reason I usually only read Stephen King or his son.
But I took a chance on an author that a kindle ad recommended, and I am happy to say that I was not disappointed with this decision! Susan May is an absolute genius of horror, definitely up there with Stephen King, Joe Hill, or Gillian Flynn. Behind Dark Doors is an absolute masterpiece of a collection, and it has a little of everything, so if you're picky like me, it's a great place to start with Susan's work.
I'm partial to a few of the stories in particular. "Hide-And-Seek", "Mitigating Circumstances", "Back Again", and "Scenic Route" were all delightfully horrifying, for various reasons. Each one left me thinking long and hard about what I'd just read. "Where We Once Were" is also a fabulous story, and I await the full novel with great anticipation.
The only story that truly, truly unnerved me was "Program Delete". There's something very dark about the slope from casual eugenics into full genocide, but it's worth the read still. (And for the record I fully doubt that Susan is a supporter of eugenics, a fact that makes the story that much more unnerving to me).
For sure, if you're looking for a delightful introduction to a wonderful author, pick up this book today. You won't regret it.
(Psst- I believe some of these stand alone stories will definitely intersect with her other works. I've definitely found one already!)
But I took a chance on an author that a kindle ad recommended, and I am happy to say that I was not disappointed with this decision! Susan May is an absolute genius of horror, definitely up there with Stephen King, Joe Hill, or Gillian Flynn. Behind Dark Doors is an absolute masterpiece of a collection, and it has a little of everything, so if you're picky like me, it's a great place to start with Susan's work.
I'm partial to a few of the stories in particular. "Hide-And-Seek", "Mitigating Circumstances", "Back Again", and "Scenic Route" were all delightfully horrifying, for various reasons. Each one left me thinking long and hard about what I'd just read. "Where We Once Were" is also a fabulous story, and I await the full novel with great anticipation.
The only story that truly, truly unnerved me was "Program Delete". There's something very dark about the slope from casual eugenics into full genocide, but it's worth the read still. (And for the record I fully doubt that Susan is a supporter of eugenics, a fact that makes the story that much more unnerving to me).
For sure, if you're looking for a delightful introduction to a wonderful author, pick up this book today. You won't regret it.
(Psst- I believe some of these stand alone stories will definitely intersect with her other works. I've definitely found one already!)
5hadow_girl's review
Great collection!
It's hard to choose favorites, because all the stories are very good. The dark humor of 'Hell's Kitchen', and 'Do Us Part', along with the strong emotions in 'Scenic Route' make those shorts my top three favs here.
I'm looking forward to starting 'The Troubles Keeper'.
It's hard to choose favorites, because all the stories are very good. The dark humor of 'Hell's Kitchen', and 'Do Us Part', along with the strong emotions in 'Scenic Route' make those shorts my top three favs here.
I'm looking forward to starting 'The Troubles Keeper'.
claudia_is_reading's review
5.0
A wonderful set of stories, each and every one of them intriguing and surprising.
If you have read anything by Susan May before, you won't be caught off guard by the superb writing, or the tight-knitted plot. You'll find yourself submerged in these disturbing worlds, unable to stop reading and engaged with the characters and their circumstances.
Highly recommended to all fans of the genre.
If you have read anything by Susan May before, you won't be caught off guard by the superb writing, or the tight-knitted plot. You'll find yourself submerged in these disturbing worlds, unable to stop reading and engaged with the characters and their circumstances.
Highly recommended to all fans of the genre.
miguel's review
2.0
Susan May's Behind Dark Doors is a barely adequate collection of short stories, ostensibly unified by the theme of a Twilight Zone-esque twist at their conclusion. Unfortunately, only the first story, "Hell's Kitchen," raises up to the challenge with a decent foundation laid for a surprising twist at the conclusion. "Hell's Kitchen" has other problems, however, including cringe inducing pop-culture references that blunt the impact of the story quite a bit.
The remaining stories are disappointing, particularly the final story in the collection, "The War Veteran." The fantastic premise is squandered by an overlong narrative and predictable character development.
The collection's format engages because Susan May gives insight into her inspiration and process. These digressions were more engaging than the stories themselves, particularly in the case of May's description of the story "Mitigating Circumstances." Her recounting of her own experiences as a mother and her dark thoughts about the authority figures at her son's school lead me to believe May is a far more interesting person than her stories would lead one to believe. Though these stories are a good effort, one might be better off looking elsewhere for tense thrills and inspired twists.
The remaining stories are disappointing, particularly the final story in the collection, "The War Veteran." The fantastic premise is squandered by an overlong narrative and predictable character development.
The collection's format engages because Susan May gives insight into her inspiration and process. These digressions were more engaging than the stories themselves, particularly in the case of May's description of the story "Mitigating Circumstances." Her recounting of her own experiences as a mother and her dark thoughts about the authority figures at her son's school lead me to believe May is a far more interesting person than her stories would lead one to believe. Though these stories are a good effort, one might be better off looking elsewhere for tense thrills and inspired twists.
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