Midwestern Gothic – Scott Thomas

Nothing like a nice collection of novellas to end the week!

Thank you Inkshares for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review

MIDWESTERN GOTHIC – Scott Thomas (Released September 17th, 2024)

Book Description:

Close your eyes. Picture open plains, wheat stalks swaying gently in the wind. Picture the quaint Main Street of a one-stoplight town. Picture endless summers on sunny, tranquil lakes. With three provocative novellas, Kill Creek author and Kansas native Scott Thomas takes a hatchet to the idyllic tropes of the American heartland.

In The Door in the Field, Thomas follows a quarrelsome construction worker named Rayland Allen, whose bad day becomes a far worse night when drinks at an off-the-books establishment deep in the woods set Ray down an unforeseeably bloody path.

In The Boy in the Woods, Thomas follows young Eddie Reicher, who lingers a day too long at summer camp as unholy terror creeps in. Something evil has infected the counselors. And Eddie will have to do everything he can―even kill―if he hopes to survive the night.

In One Half of a Child’s Face, Thomas follows the recently divorced Sienna Franklin. Spying on her son and ex-husband, she notices an odd painting hanging on the wall of an adjacent apartment. Over the course of the next few days, Sienna will watch with growing horror as the children in the apartment building begin to gather before the painting as if called to it.

My Thoughts: 5/5 stars

Now, most people don’t think “Midwest” when thinking of Gothic and not many may find the Midwest to be the scariest of places, but as a Midwesterner, I can tell you that there are some creepy places out here. The woods, the lakes (in Minnesota, at least), and the fields. Have you ever been lost in a cornfield? Terrifying.

Onto this collection – Thomas brings us four novellas and transports us into Kansas. Doesn’t seem like much can happen there, but oh boy, we get a little taste of multiple horror genres. Some cosmic, some truly scary moments, and some gore. I loved the variety.

The Door in the Field: Rayland Allen is an angry construction worker having a bad day. He decides to go to a place deep in the woods for a drink with a coworker, and things get bloody. First of all, why go to an unknown/off the books place in the deep woods? Absolutely not. This one got fun and bloody, though – so much rage.

The Boy in the Woods: Eddie Reicher is a young boy still at summer camp for an extra night, and something evil begins to take over the counselors. If he wants to survive the night, then he needs to do whatever it takes. Even if that means killing.

One Half of a Child’s Face: We meet recently divorced Sienna Franklin and while she’s working on her manuscript for a book she’s working on, Midwestern Gothic, she is also doing her own version of Rear Window. While spying on her new ex-husband, she notices something odd happening in another apartment that catches her attention. Things get creepy and meta, and if you liked Kill Creek, you’ll enjoy the cameo!

Wear Your Secret Like a Stone – Tara and her coworker begin investigating their small Kansas town after a customer complains about her choice of book for a Halloween display. Who doesn’t love a little small town scary mystery? And bookstores and Halloween? Even better!