Synopsis:
In The Door in the Field, a construction worker’s bad day becomes a far worse night when drinks at an off-the-books bar send him down an unforeseeably bloody path.
In The Boy in the Woods, something evil has infected the counselors at a summer camp, and a young boy will have to do anything he can to survive the night.
In One Half of a Child’s Face, a woman spying on her daughter and ex-husband notices an odd painting hanging in an empty apartment . . . one that seems to call to the building’s children.
In Wear Your Secret Like a Stone, a big-box clerk discovers that her book pick for a Halloween display echoes a dark secret hidden beneath the idyllic facade of her hometown.
With this collection, Scott Thomas digs his hands into the soil of the American heartland and establishes himself as a master of Midwestern Gothic.
Review:
Midwestern Gothic by Scott Thomas is a love-letter to the genre, clearly made by a horror reader, for horror readers. Interwoven with various pieces of folklore, as well as references to our favourite horror novels and authors- Midwestern Gothic has something for everyone. Forget the yellow-brick road, you’ll find you have to navigate the haunting landscapes of Kansas, as Thomas delves into the overlooked creepiness of the heartland. You’ve had the cold and isolated English country-sides and perhaps lost yourself in unforgiving Texan planes too… but if you’ve yet to experience Midwestern Gothic, you’re missing out!
Before I dive into each of the novellas, let’s take a moment to appreciate the collection as a whole. Each of the four novellas are about 100 pages long (the optimum length for me) allowing you to form connections with the characters -personally Eddie and Tara stole the show- without getting bored. Whilst not quite to the extent Alan Baxter does in “The Gulp,” (another favourite of mine) Thomas peppers references to previous novellas throughout, as well as his full length novel “Kill Creek,” (which I am ashamedly yet to read). These throw-backs add a layer of authenticity to each story, as well as a cohesivity that’s oh-so-satisfying. Scott hasn’t just shoe-horned any old short story into this collection, he’s deliberately built this small, but impressively-written multiverse- an absolute highlight.
In terms of common themes and tropes, folklore takes a spotlight in this collection. Whilst the first two novellas explicitly contain existing folklore, drawn from California and Germanic Europe, the third novella dives into the genesis of spine-chilling stories shared around campfires. There’s also consistent references to horror novels, from reviewing to writing to reading- Thomas leaves no stone unturned in celebrating the genre and the people in it. A large number of readers and reviewers will feel seen and appreciated by this collection- it’s a kind of subtle wink that says “Hey, I get you, me too,” and I think it’s a truly lovely addition.
The opening story, “The Door In The Field,” was in my opinion the weakest, but by no means bad. We follow Rayland Allen, who following a devastating accident, is grappling with his sense of self. One thing he knows for certain, is that he’s angry, and as all his colleagues, aside from the loud-mouthed Nelson Haggerty, know… his fuse is SHORT. It’s only a matter of time until it ends in tears, and predictably, they’re not Ray’s. Thinking for sure this is a disciplinary in disguise, Ray accompanies his boss, Don, to a shabby bar, where the pair get a drink. It turns out that losing his job should be the least of Rayland’s worries, for this impromptu pub visit, and his encounter with the terrifying “Dream-watchers,” may well change his, and his daughter’s lives forever. The ending is open to interpretation, and whilst it was definitely clever, it didn’t blow my mind in the same way some of the others did, leaving it at around a ⅗ for me.
Next up, “Wear your secret like a stone,” a very fun read! We follow the incredibly relatable, and truly three-dimensional Tara Bright, fellow horror connoisseur and valued “Bigbuy,” employee. Following her boss, (Toby’s) stroke of genius, each employee recommends a horror book for Halloween, and of course, Tara jumps at the opportunity to showcase her favourite, “Puncture,” by T.C Moore- which to my dismay, doesn’t actually exist. Following a complaint from a “Johanna Albrecht,” the extreme horror novel is removed from the display, and having never been one to take things lying down, Tara is determined to track this woman down, and give her a piece of her mind. However, whilst trying to find Johanna- who is seemingly untraceable- Tara begins to unearth her home town’s dark secret, and worse still, her own family’s sinister history. An easy ⅘ for me.
I think my favourite however has to be “The Boy In The Woods,” a soulful slasher story which reads like “Wonder,” by R.J Palacio combined with the Blair Witch Project. We follow Eddie Reicher (my favourite character) and his stay at Camp Cottonwood. Having been attacked by a Rottweiler as a young child, aged 10, Eddie’s face is scarred, and following vicious bullying from his fellow campers, his confidence is near non-existent. His parent’s flight is delayed by a day, meaning he, and the lovely June London, are left alone with the adolescent councillors for one more night. Eddie fears at the councillor’s banquet that night he will feel excluded and awkward amongst the older children- but when the pleasant evening meal inexplicably becomes a blood-bath, his initial fears are quickly forgotten, and he can only hope for survival. 4.5/5 for this one.
The final story, “One Half of a Child’s Face,” is like if “The Woman At The Window,” by A.J Finn was any good. Sienna Roh, currently editing an essay on the “Midwestern Gothic,” is missing her daughter. Grappling with the reality of her new custody arrangement with her ex-husband Anderson (who lives in the apartment complex opposite her), Sienna begins to find solace in observing the lives of the different residents through a toy telescope. As her obsession deepens, her voyeuristic glances into the lives of her ex-husband, a struggling grandmother, and the mysterious “Lonesome Man,” begin to take bizarre turns. Eerie and unsettling, this is how you end a collection with a bang- ⅘.
From the opening pages, to the afterword, this collection promises thrills, chills, laughter and tears. From unravelling small town mysteries, to confronting personal demons, to spying on your ex- each narrative keeps you on the edge of your seat. In these novellas the familiar becomes unsettling and the unknown becomes all-consuming, and both are haunting. Thank you Scott and Inkshares for sending me an ARC copy, “Midwestern Gothic,” is published on June 25th 2024.
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