DEVIL’S NIGHT by Richard Chizmar
A Halloween crime story with a nice twist ending.
 
THE LAST DARE by Lisa Tuttle
It was enjoyable.
 
THE HALLOWEEN BLEED by Norman Prentiss
This one was one of my favorites, very unique.
 
SWING by Kevin Quigley
Another one of my favorites in this anthology.
 
PORK PIE HAT by Peter Straub
The longest story, big on atmosphere but it took too long to get to the end.

Another book of five stories by five different authors all set around halloween.

This volume, I admit was my least favourite. Still some good reads. But I don't think they quite meet the scare factor everyone looks for at halloween.

If you put all the books together I think you'll find theres something for everyone. These didn't do it for me. But they may do for you.

What I like the most is that there are different authors in all volumes. You get a wider take of halloween in my opinion.

Enjoy!

Anytime you get to read a Richard Chizmar story you are in for a treat, I really enjoyed this series and I think the stories chosen from each author is very strong.

This was a pretty fun collection of stories! I enjoy reading creepy stories and this one had a few stories that gave me shivers, among a few that I would not read again.

I’ve been dragging my feet on this anthology series for years now. I was so excited to sink my teeth into some Halloween scares but they consistently disappointed me so I gave up. Now it’s Halloween month again and with one volume to go, I decided to dive back in and hope for the best.

Devil’s Night by Richard Chizmar - 4 stars

The newspapers reported the story of what happened that night but that’s not the whole story.

“Halloween may be a night for make-believe ghosts and goblins, but you’d better be sure to turn on all the lights and lock your doors on Devil’s Night. Because that’s when the real monsters lurk …”

The Last Dare by Lisa Tuttle - 3 stars

The tower house is still there, all these years later. Going inside was the last dare between childhood best friends.

“Tell us the story about the tower house”

The Halloween Bleed by Norman Prentiss - 3 stars

An interview with a difference.

“What if Halloween … bleeds into other days? It doesn’t matter when the story is written, or when you read it. What matters is that it has an effect on you. It casts its spell.”

Swing by Kevin Quigley - 3 stars

Death follows love. Every time.

“Most thought she was dancing because she was free, but I knew the real Jessica. She danced because she was trapped.”

Pork Pie Hat by Peter Straub - 3 stars

Hat, a story from his childhood and all that jazz.

“Most people will tell you growing up means you stop believing in Halloween things - I’m telling you the reverse. You start to grow up when you understand that the stuff that scares you is part of the air you breathe.”

While the stories included in this anthology were okay, I didn’t get the Halloween horror vibe I was looking for. I didn’t find any of the stories scary at all. I’m glad I finally made it through to the end of this series and there were some decent stories along the way, but overall I remain disappointed.

Content warnings include death by suicide.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hydra, an imprint of Random House Publishing Group, for the opportunity to read this anthology.

This book is composed of several extremely well written and terrifying stories by some epic level authors. Not one of them will disappoint a horror fan. This book is going to be a staple in my arsenal of scary short stories that I read during Halloween

Devil's Night (Richard Chizmar)
A perfect start to get into Halloween mood. ***

The Last Dare (Lisa Tuttle)
Raises a nice scary atmosphere, though the ending leaves you guessing. ***

The Halloween Bleed (Norman Prentiss)
Interesting idea behind the story, though it did not overwhelm me. **

Swing (Kevin Quigley)
This one just did not work for me. *

Pork Pie Hat (Peter Straub)
The beginning was very slow (too slow for my liking), but then things got interesting - and ugly. ***

IMHO the weakest book in the series, but the first and last stories still made it worth reading.

After reading and enjoying Halloween Carnival book 4, I was looking forward to reading this new edition of spooky stories. Unfortunately, I did not find this edition to be anywhere near as spooky or enjoyable.

4 Stars!



Random House Hydra released a series of five short story collections, Halloween Carnival, in October to celebrate Halloween. While I meant to read these books before October ended, life got in the way and I just could not squeeze them in. I finally got a chance to read the books in the spring and found myself enjoying the Halloween mayhem chosen by editor Brian James Freeman months after the holiday had passed. I had finally reached the last book and started on the first story eager to see what the book held but also saddened that the series was coming to an end.



Richard Chizmar kicks off the book with "Devil's Night." The news had covered the events of that fateful night. The new, however, did not tell the entire story. There is a back story to almost every story on the news. There is a flip-side to every story and that hidden part of the story of that black night was much too terrible to unleash on the world. This story is hard to sum up without giving away too much so I will not even try. Part mystery and part horror, the story is unquestionably written by Chizmar and hold the unique power he gives to his writing. Chizmar kicks off the last book in the series with a strong four-star story that left me eager for what was to come.



"The Last Dare" by Lisa Tuttle is next up in the book to keep the momentum going. When Elaine returned to her hometown for the first time in years, she found that much had changed. Even the home she grew up in had changed. Even as things had changed, however, some things still remain the same. Things such as the Tower house and the darkness that lie within. This story is a quaint little horror tale that really does not explain much but lets the reader conjure up a unique Tower House. The story is a quick read that seems somewhat shallow on the outside but which finds a dark corner of the mind and takes up residence there. This is another four-star entry for this book.



"The Halloween Bleed" by Norman Prentiss is a story featuring the authors established character Dr. Sibley. It would be naïve to think that evil and magic are limited to only one night a year. But what happens when the terrors from Halloween start to bleed over into other days of the year. This story was interesting but could not really get its hooks into me. This may be because I am not familiar with Dr. Sibley so fans of Prentiss may like this story more than I do. Still, it was short and entertaining for a three-star read.



Kevin Quigley's "Swing" is next with a dark take on a love story. Swing music always reminds him of Jessica. He always thinks of her dancing followed by the memories of her dying. The myth of Hollywood as a land in which everyone is young and lives forever brought him to the town. Now he must face the reality that no one he knows lives very long and he just may be the cause of that. This story seemed to have something important to say but it really just never took form for me. I kept waiting for the payoff that just never quite seemed to arrive. An interesting premise that just never took off left this one as a flat two-star for me.



The last story in the anthology is "Pork Pie Hat" by Peter Straub. I have always found Straub's writing to be hit or miss. When it is good, it is very good. Sometimes, however, I find it hard to get into the stories. Fortunately, "Pork Pie Hat" is one of the very good ones. Some jazz musicians are best sellers while others are simply legends. Hat was one such legend whose secret past was closely guarded. When a journalism major decided to delve into the secret of Hat's past and was able to interview the musician, he soon found that some secrets are left buried in the past. This story was poignant and powerful with a very dark core. I am not sure what this story really has to do with Halloween but it is a very good story and one that is more haunting than terrifying. It is a great way to end the series and this books only five-star story.



While it is sad that this series has come to an end, Random House Hydra sends it off with a bang. I can only hope that the series will come back again next October and know that fans of short fiction will have the Dark Screams series to keep them entertained until then.



I would like to thank Random House Hydra and NetGalley for this review copy.

I hope Freeman will continue releasing these well-curated Halloween Carnival anthologies. Review for Monster Librarian forthcoming.

A fantastic collection that is not only superb for Halloween but also recommended for any dark night throughout the year. Some of the names will be familiar while some may be new. But either way, these stories will have your heart racing quicker than a Trick or Treat sugar rush. Indeed this collection is like an end of night candy back on 31st of October. A little something for everybody, Some favourites, some new tastes and some you never thought you'd enjoy until you devoured them.

OK entry in this series. As any anthology, there is something for everyone. I really enjoyed "Devil's Night". Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the authors for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

Nice anthology that gives you a sample of each author's writing style. They are enjoyable to read no matter the time of year. These were all new except for one. I like to change up my reading material so this was quick with a spooky theme. Give this a try if you want some heart-pounding scares.

This was a collection of stories by various authors all taking place at Halloween. The stories vary in nature. They also vary in the audience they are serving and in the quality of the story. Some of them I liked and some of them I didn’t.

Good selection of not-too-scary Halloween shorts by various authors. I liked that they were less gory and more psych-type stories on the whole. Great for the season. I enjoyed them, some more than others. I usually prefer a full-length novel, but for the season, this was a fun treat.

Thanks to the authors, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to make some popcorn, cozy up and get a little scared!

The only problem with reading these collections is that I spend so much money trying to read more from individual authors!

Richard Chizmar's DEVIL'S NIGHT made me look around and it was daylight!

On the other hand Pork Pie Hat by Peter Straub. fell off the other end to me; just left me humphing.

Had a very hard time finishing this book. Stories were just not interesting at all.

As usual, I need to thank Brian James Freeman and Hydra for giving me the awesome opportunity to receive an ARC of this Halloween themed anthology. It was a fun ride, and hope to do it again next year.

Halloween Carnival: Volume Five is the last of a series of books; with one being released each week in October. While I enjoyed them, they did have their ups and downs – and one surprise (for me).

DEVIL’S NIGHT by Richard Chizmar – It’s no secret that Richard is quickly becoming my reading obsession. There has been nothing he’s written that I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed; and this is no exception. What you may have heard about Devil’s Night isn’t the whole story. The truth is much more horrific!

THE LAST DARE by Lisa Tuttle – For those who grew up in the suburbs, you remember that one house that everyone talked about; the “haunted” one. This story explains why you were smart to stay away. Not all “stories” are Urban Legends.

THE HALLOWEEN BLEED by Norman Prentiss – I have to be honest, I really like Norman Prentiss’ writing, but I actually had to go back to the story to remind myself what it was about. Black magic doesn’t need Halloween to be the most powerful – it can happen anytime during the year; as can payback. Full disclosure, once I refreshed my memory, it turned out I enjoyed this one (reading two or three books at the same time at my age causes these lapses sometimes)

SWING by Kevin Quigley – What a depressing, dark, and disturbing story. Honestly, I didn’t get the purpose of it. Spoiler (sort of): this deals with suicide.

PORK PIE HAT by Peter Straub – Now the surprise! I don’t like Peter Straub’s writing. I have tried, multiple times, to read his work; to no avail. I even had to force myself to read THE TALISMAN and BLACK HOUSE. Whenever I see his name in an anthology, I cringe, knowing it’s going to be a chore to read. Well, I’m happy to say I was wrong with this story. Jazz, murder, racism, and… well, read it and decide for yourself.

Another solid hit in the ever growing library of Brian and Hydra.

Another excellent short anthology of stories from the Halloween Carnival team. My personal favourite is by Richard Chizmar who continues to impress after an exceptional year. Throw into this fantastic stories by Lisa Tuttle, Norman Prentiss, Kevin Quigley not to mention the always reliable Peter Straub and you have yet another stunning short story collection from some of the best in the business.

DEVIL’S NIGHT by Richard Chizmar
You’ve read about what happened that night. What you don’t know is the true extent of the damage. The papers got it wrong—and the truth is so much worse than you thought.
THE LAST DARE by Lisa Tuttle
Elaine hasn’t been back to her hometown in years. The house she lived in is gone. The tower house isn’t—nor are the stories of the fate that befalls whoever dares to go there.
THE HALLOWEEN BLEED by Norman Prentiss
People think there’s some sort of mystical power that allows enchantments and witchcraft to come to life on Halloween night. But real magic obeys no calendar—and true evil strikes whenever it’s least expected.
SWING by Kevin Quigley
In Hollywood, everyone lives forever. At least that’s what I used to think . . . before Jessica. But no one seems to live long when they’re around me.
PORK PIE HAT by Peter Straub
When it comes to jazz, there are players, and there are legends. “Hat” was a legend. His real name didn’t even matter. Still, he had his secrets—secrets best left buried in the past. The book is amazing. When I started reading I couldn't put it down.