Holiday Horror is one of my favorite subgenres. Whether it’s Christmas, Easter, Halloween, or Valentine’s Day. I will search it out.

I found this one on NetGalley and requested it from the publisher. My wife tries to find me a collection around the holidays. This will be the one I get. I’ve read it, but there are great stories in this Anthology.

Let’s get started:

The Mouthless Body In The Lake by Gwendolyn Kiste

I remember visiting my aunt and uncle’s house for Thanksgiving as a kid. My father would stop in front of their house, tell us not to act up, and damn if there wouldn’t be repercussions if we did.

The opening of this story reminded me of those moments. I hated going to Thanksgiving dinner at their house. My parents fought all of the time. Seeing their idyllic house, my cousin’s parents getting along and not stepping outside to talk if my dad got mad for whatever reason hurt me. It wasn’t until I was older I learned my uncle was a great man. My father always told us otherwise.

This story hit home. For a long time, I didn’t feel I’d ever leave home. Then I met my wife.

Gwendolyn’s writing is excellent in this story, as in all her stories. The Haunting of Velkwood, which came out a few months ago, was also a good story.

This line stood out to me, and it encompasses the story so well, “Your whole life is an hourglass flipped over, and all you can do is watch the sand run out, grain by tiny grain.”

Cold As Ice by Tim Waggoner

Tim is one of the best at writing second-person POV. He discusses it at length in his Writing In The Dark books. Tim also writes about what depression feels like better than anyone. This story is that, in short form.

Imagine traveling in the snow. Your life feels empty. You’ve had a bad dating experience. You look out the window, and something is pacing your car.

You’re worried about it but trying to ignore it. The longer you drive, the more you notice the thing pacing you.

This story is like seeing depression and the way out of a life that you no longer want. You’re given an out. You take it. I loved this story.

Children Aren’t The Only Ones Who Know Where The Presents Are Hidden by Josh Malerman

Josh writes anxiety better than anyone. The feeling of your mind running rampant as you think about your childhood, all the times you’ve messed up, and how your parents used to be. All of the little things your mind does before you go to bed that’s what Josh does so well.

I don’t know if this book was the initial idea for Incidents Around The House, but there are bits and pieces throughout the story. I won’t talk about that book here; read my review of it instead.

Some people hate the Holidays for whatever reason. The character in this one is different from the others. I can’t say without giving it away. I don’t like to spoil stories. This one is better going in blind, as all stories should be. Blocked memories come back most disturbingly for the main character. She doesn’t understand it all until the end. But it left me thinking a lot.

The Vermin Moon by Hailey Piper

I will not hide my love of Hailey’s writing. She’s brilliant, and her Worm and His Kings books are some of my favorite stories.

This is not like that. This story is about grief. I thought of my own kind often while reading this story. Letting go of someone who has passed is hard. I think of my brother a lot. He passed in 2016. There’s not a day that I don’t think about him. Was there something I could have done? No, there wasn’t.

We have to let go. We must live our lives for ourselves as long as we are here. Grief and loss are terrible, and getting past them is hard.

The Body Of Leonora James by Stephanie M. Wytovich

Ghost stories are fascinating; this one is now one of my favorites. It doesn’t happen how you think it will and dances around a few things. The twist blew me away when it got to the story’s culmination. It’s a great ghost story. The imagery is spot-on.

Mr. Butler by Clay McLeod Chapman.

This story will haunt me forever. I don’t know where Clay pulls this freaky story from, but I am here for it.

This takes us back to our childhood, maybe a place we didn’t want to visit. It’s a dark and very messed-up story, and by the end, I was freaked out.

Feast Of Gray by Lindy Ryan And Christopher Brooks

A lot of these stories feel like the authors reflecting on their childhoods. It could be where my headspace is, but that’s how it feels. This one is like Hailey Pipers. It’s about grief, not wanting things to be over, and a fear of judgment in some ways.

I Hope This Finds You Well by Eric LaRocca

This is a different story than I was used to by Eric. Its darkness hides, and you must search for it. By the end, I realized I hadn’t read the story I had thought it was turning into. It was wholly different.

The Buried Child by M. Rickert

This one stands out from the others as it’s a different story. Is it less a ghost story and more of a confession? This one took a dark turn I wasn’t expecting and left me thinking about what I’d read. I went back and reread it. I missed things.

Father’s Last Christmas by Lee Murray

I immensely enjoyed this. It was so different from the other stories. I found myself paying attention to the details and following along with everything that happened. This felt like a break from the bleakness of Buried Child. A bit of fun, if you will.

I loved the fantasy setting of this one. By the end, I was enthralled and would love to see something more done with these characters.

The Warmth Of Snow By Cynthia Pelayo

Cynthia is one of my favorite writers. Seeing her get all of the attention or her writing warms the hell out of me.

This one took aspects of Shakespeare and moved them around. It’s one where if you’ve ever had a parent who ran your life. Didn’t let you do what you wanted and maybe forced you to be someone you didn’t want to be, so this is the story for you.

I forgot how hard it is to write a review for an anthology without spoiling these short stories.

Wintry Blue by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon

This felt like a cross between a horror story and an adventure/thriller. Both of these writers do those genres equally well. If you’ve ever driven in the snow and found yourself on the side of the road, this will bring back some memories. It will also make you want to never go on a date in the mountains with someone you barely know.

Carol Of The Hells by Kelsea Yu

This Anthology has so many stories about trauma around the holidays. It’s a deep dive into how we keep these things hidden. At least, it is for me. This one was no different.

Nice by Nat Cassidy

Where to start with this one?

I think the elf says it best: “Kid…What did you do?” This dark, twisted little story was fun. The poor little guy never knew what he unleashed.

Thaw by Rachel Harrison

If you write about a killer snowman, this is how to do it. I won’t understand the details, but Rachel nails it with this one. The setting is like a Hallmark movie, but the actions are pure horror.

Candy Cane By Thommy Hutson

The Misery vibes in this one, and the movie A Murder of Crows made me love this story. If you haven’t watched A Murder of Crows, I suggest it. It’s not Oscar-worthy, but I liked it.

I can’t say much else, but a writer in a cabin in the middle of winter is the vibe.

Eggnog by Kristi deMeester

I hate work parties. I did one while working in Las Vegas, but I don’t care for them. This story of a bit of revenge is a new favorite. If you didn’t know, Kristi sells candles on Etsy. We have a dozen of them. Maybe don’t get one that is eggnog?

Threads of Epiphany By Sara Tantlinger

One of my favorite things is the incorporation of fables into horror. Cynthia Pelayo does it well. This story takes a derivative of the Rumplestiltskin story and does other things with it. If I get that relationship wrong, I apologize to Sara. I’m not good at fairy tales and fables; my wife is.

I enjoyed this one.

The Ladies’ Society For The Dead by Darcy Coates

I haven’t read anything by Darcy, but I will have to dive in after this little story. It takes you to a place you won’t expect, and I can’t give it away. It will ruin the story if I do.

I am going to stop the review here. The other stories are fantastic; the whole anthology feels like the writers are leaving their trauma on the page.