DEEPLY TWISTED: TWENTY DARK TALES WITH A TWIST by Chantal Noordeloos

Author: Chantal Noordeloos

DEEPLY TWISTED: TWENTY DARK TALES WITH A TWIST

A mother murders her eldest daughter. A clock appears in the middle of a park. A one-eyed man with a raven on his shoulder joins three homeless men on a chilly night… Embrace the night and all its terrors in this macabre gallery of monsters. The living and the dead, the spectral and the material—horrifying visions from the tormented mind of Chantal Noordeloos. Your nightmares will never be the same.

The Ministry of Zombies was provided with a review copy of these sordid tales in exchange for a review. It’s unusual for a new author to release a collection of short stories after publishing their first novel – it used to be something a writer did after a decade or so. However, having read several Chantal Noordeloos stories in various anthologies I knew a bit about what to expect. From this collection, the author clearly sees short stories as a standalone genre in itself – this is not a set of stories which has been thrown together, each justifies its place – something which I think let’s down many collections by new authors. You get the feeling the author is playing the horror genre, testing out different themes & we, as readers, get to enjoy the results. Is there a theme to this collection? Well, there is definite Dutch feel to the tales & some of the settings will please those of us familiar with this amazing country. Other than this, there is a wide range of settings & styles – murders most foul, from beyond the grave & just plain horrific – all well-written, edited & constructed stories. There’s a lot of murder, a lot of creeping death & traditional horror! A few highlights for me included: Death Awaits You – a bizarre case of murder or something else? The family setting here makes it all the scarier…ever get the feeling that it won’t end well? Uncle Edmund’s Funeral – a macabre feel to this tale – the author had me at “a luxurious wreath of white lilies graced the mahogany top” This Funeral ends very badly for some. Preaching – This is no delicate tale, I’ve never heard a pastor like this before. It’s short & pretty horrific. So, all in all, a fine collection. I hope Noordeloos continues with her short stories, she is certainly one the most exciting female horror writers we’ve reviewed in recent years. (Source: www.amazon.com url: http://amzn.to/17KrDVd)

Publisher: Tip My Hat Publishing

Publication Date: October 31, 2013