A review by ericarobyn
The Conservator's Collection: Derelict by Jay Bower, John Durgin, John Lynch

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious sad tense fast-paced

4.75

The Conservator’s Collection: Derelict by John Durgin, Jay Bower, and John Lynch is a collection of three novellas with the theme of abandonment and derelict situations that each bring their own level of darkness into play.

Starting out with a terrifying tale, we then move into a suspense-filled story, followed by a dread-inducing short, all of which have a horrific supernatural element that will haunt readers long after finishing the stories. 

The amazing cover was created by Matt Seff Barnes. The interior art by Anugerah Putra with Daydream Studios featured three main illustrations, one for each tale. My goodness, I can’t wait to see these in print rather than on my old Kindle! They look so creepy and dark! 

Now, let’s get into the stories!

The Conservator – 

Setting things up just like Creepshow and Ronald Kelly’s Southern-Fried Horror Tales, this intro sets the scene and introduces each tale to come perfectly. 

Blank Space by John Durgin – 

After promising their daughter that they are done fostering kids, this family can’t help but take in one last foster kid after learning about the terrors that she went through. 

After her arrival, the first afternoon goes well but as the sun sets, odd things begin to occur. Soon, this family is faced with a terrifying story of her past that leads up to what is happening now. 

This family has helped so many kids before, but is this situation out of their control?

This story starts out in the aftermath of an extremely brutal slaying rampage that leaves readers with one chilling note to go by; that “she” did this.  

The rest of the tale is a fast-paced roller coaster of emotions and terrors as things get more and more dangerous. 

One scene that is going to haunt me forever is the pool scene… The fact that it happened right in the middle of the day with both parents right there only added to the terror! We’ve all had that irrational fear of a shark in the pool, right? Well, this blows that fear right out of the water! 

Eyebiter’s Revenge by Jay Bower – 

Fifteen years after a school shooting, the building is finally scheduled to be torn down, but these teens are determined to break in and try to talk to the ghosts first. 

Entering the building, things go sideways very quickly when one of the friends goes missing. Determined to find him, they search the school only to run into the ghosts they were once so excited to see. 

My gosh, this was a brutal tale. I mean, just the title with the word “Eyebiter”?! Jeeze. Then the setting itself is something of real-world terror. The description of the bullet holes and staining had me ready to cry. But then insert the dust, the dread, and the spirits that are still within the walls? What an absolute nightmare. 

The tension readers will feel while experiencing this tale is intense. I was so nervous with each door or hallway they turned into. The body horror was absolutely brutal throughout and many scenes will haunt my nightmares. 

And the “oh crap” moments! Perfectly placed within the tale.

Expiration of Sentence by John Lynch – 

Denied parole on his sentence after killing the man who messed up his son, this prisoner keeps making choices that he doesn’t think through fully, impacting various other people as he goes. 

But one day in isolation, he’s given a chance. Which way will he go; the selfish route, or will he actually do the right thing this time?

The build-up here is frustratingly slow as the author takes us on a similar journey that the character is forced to take while locked up. Sprinkled with bursts of action and gore, this hints at what’s to come at the end!

Heads up to readers with this one, there’s a brutal rape scene in the prison. 

My Favorite Passages from The Conservator’s Collection: Derelict – 

Loose body parts lay scattered across the floor like chewed-up dog toys.
— Blank Space by John Durgin

Dan charged at her with the hammer raised, but with minimal lighting, he didn’t see the corner of the bed frame. His knee drove into the sharp corner of the metal frame. His leg buckled. He caught himself from falling, but he’d lost most of the force he intended for the strike.
— Blank Space by John Durgin

The rumor around town was that the children who died in the shooting were still trapped within the walls of the school. Some claimed the adults were there too, which meant his father might still be there.
— Eyebiter’s Revenge by Jay Bower

There was too much silence. The air felt dead, as though this violent act from fifteen years before had melded with whatever calamity they were not dealing with and sucked the energy from around them.
— Eyebiter’s Revenge by Jay Bower

The monster was eventually apprehended and sentenced to prison, which should have ended the ordeal. But wounds like those inflicted on the Murphy family don’t heal properly. The scabs begin to itch until someone picks them and rips the wound open again.
Richard Murphy ripped their scab off, bleeding their family dry.
— Expiration of Sentence by John Lynch

My Final Thoughts on The Conservator’s Collection: Derelict – 

With these heavy hitters, be prepared to feel a bit dreadful after reading this collection. There’s so much darkness packed in here! Some of it hit me only after I had closed the book. What a collection! 

I absolutely cannot wait to see what comes next from The Conservator! 
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