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In this third compilation of Twisted Tails, you’ll be greeted with some old favorites, and you’ll pick up a few new favorite authors. And, as always, you’re guaranteed a collection of spooky tales that’ll send shivers cascading down the back of your neck. If a tale can make my skin crawl when my cat jumps through an open window to greet me, it’s a tale well written—and Twisted Tails III: Pure Fear is filled with them.
In “The Ghost of Korrim McKarthy” by Brandon Berntson, nine-year-old Samuel Driscoll takes his imagination to a scary level that he can’t control, pushing him closer to death and madness.
How does a vampire survive when he’s lost at sea? Find out in “The Raft” by Kim McDougall. This story will have you wondering whether Theo is really a vampire—or if he’s just allergic to the sun.
In “Divine Messenger” by K. L. Nappier, Emily tries to outwit Death when he comes knocking at her door to take her husband’s soul.
“Arachnotail” by Biff Mitchell will have you cringing in fright as a spider gets cosmic revenge on a young man who accepts a stupid dare that puts him in a perilous situation.
A housewife wonders if the man on her porch is there to fix her fence or drive nails through her skull in “Handyman” by J. Richard Jacobs. This story reminded me of the time when my brother and his wife visited the water gardens in a remote section of the county, and he started to wonder how many bodies the guy approaching on an ATV had buried beneath the sludge of the water garden.
With the Twisted Tails series, each collection touches on a different realm of fear. In this third edition, the fear stems from psychological terror. Each story reaches in and taps on that locked door in your mind where your most depraved fear lurks—and you pray the door never swings open.
Though I’m not usually one to enjoy short story collections, I always look forward to reading the next offering of Twisted Tails. The stories are all so well-written and imaginative that they keep me snared in their clutches until I’ve read the last tale—and Twisted Tails III: Pure Fear is no exception.
So come on…dive between the pages of this book—and you might just find out what scares you the most.
Ed. Note: For more information about Twisted Tails III: Pure Fear, visit Double Dragon Publishing.
