even with just a handful of tales, volume 2 of the halloween carnival series is packed with treasures. not content with focusing on the supernatural, these five tales drag reality itself into question and never quite allow you to catch your breath or regain the solid ground you were certain you were standing on just a few seconds ago. the best of the tales is unquestionably 'the facts in the case of my sister' by lee thomas, but it only tops 'mr. dark's carnival' by glen hirshberg by a degree or two. the remaining three stories round out the collection well, making this a quick, unsettling, and ultimately worthwhile halloween read.

I made no secret of not caring for the first volume in the series, so I was pleasantly surprised with volume two, filled with stories that actually managed to chill and titillate, ringing far more true to the Halloween spirit than their predecessors.

Of particular merit are the two opening stories in the collection, by far the strongest and worth re-reading every October as the nights grow chill. "Mr Dark's Carnival" by Glen Hirshberg paints a bleak portrait of a Montana night that makes you feel those chill prairie winds at your back, crafting a haunted house that you can see all too clearly and all too terrifyingly. "The Facts in the Case of my Sister" by Lee Thomas strikes a different tone; the horrors within are not supernatural, but too close to home and too realistic. When do you help a family member too much? What do you do when they refuse to leave a situation that hurts them? For these two stories alone, I'd rate the collection a solid three and a half to four stars out of five.

The "Pumpkin Boy" by veteran horror anthologist Al Sarrantonio was another stand out, a fairly strong ending point, though it pales in comparison to the first two. Still, it's suitably bizarre, leaving me scratching my head in the best possible way, wondering what the hell it was that I just read.

That leaves "Mischief Night" and "The Ghost Maker" as the last two, with the former taking a definite shine over the latter, which is unfortunately forgettable. Two weaker stories hardly brings the collection down, however, and "Mischief Night" still would stand strong on its own, if it hadn't had the misfortune of being paired with some of the best horror fiction I've read in years.

All in all, a fantastic improvement over the first volume and much more true to the spirit of the holiday. Happy Halloween!

Thank you netGalley for the review copy!

Excerpt from Review: "...Wow! What a terrific read! I finished this book in a day and a half. Each and every story held my interest and ended with a surprising twist. Mr. Dark’s Carnival and The Pumpkin Boy were the longest and most developed tales and actually ended up being my favorites in the anthology...Halloween Carnival: Volume Two was everything I could have hoped for and more. I’m sad I missed the original volume, but I am stoked that I get to read the rest of the five book series!"

Review copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Trick r' Treat, horror fans, here's your Halloween treat! This is perfect for Halloween!

Great read! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!

This is the second installment of the new horror series: Halloween Carnival, provided to me by Net Galley for an honest review.

MR. DARK’S CARNIVAL by Glen Hirshberg
Halloween is more than just a holiday in Clarkson, Montana; it’s a tradition passed down through generations. Only this year, the ghosts of the past may just be a little closer than usual.

Just what goes on here in Mr. Dark's Carnival? Find out if you dare, and it only appears on Halloween so hurry up! Atmospheric and tense from start to finish. Hirshberg is able to weave this small little world, creating its own mythology in a short span of time, truly a feat in of itself. This was a great story for anytime especially for Halloween.

THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF MY SISTER by Lee Thomas
When David was young, he believed in magic. In fact, he wanted to become a magician himself. But meddling in the forces of the mind has consequences beyond what an eleven-year-old can see.

Nice suspenseful story, Not necessarily horror or for Halloween, but Lee Thomas knows how to create mood.

MISCHIEF NIGHT by Holly Newstein
Cabbage Night, Goose Night, Devil’s Night—they’re all the same. Before the treats come the tricks. It’s all in good fun . . . until someone gets hurt.

Great little story of trying to have a little mischief, doing something wrong on a night when all of a sudden, WHAM! instant karma. Well, maybe some punishments are worse than the crime. Nice little story.

THE GHOST MAKER by Del James
When people need to disappear, I make them vanish. The catch? I’ve always got to be on guard—because that knock at the door may not just be a little monster looking for candy.

Great story. A crime story in a Halloween setting. An air of desperation hangs over the characters here who are just begging to break out into a longer work. Good plotting and action, a bit of gore, great story!

THE PUMPKIN BOY by Al Sarrantonio
When boys start going missing, Detective Len Schneider is determined to make it right. But his partner knows that there are worse things out there than a dead kid.

Previously published in a limited edition, this story complements the Orangefield series. By the way, if you have not read that series you are missing out. Great story that moves along quickly, good action and satisfying ending. You can enjoy this story by itself. And you should.

Great addition to the series.

Great read! This collection kept me entertained throughout. Looking forward to reading the other books in this series.

4.5 stars once again the stories are really good and are a bit strange but not scary or spooky ,but their still good to read doing October,once again thinks NetGalley for letting me read and review these series .

The Halloween Carnival Vol 2 is the second in a five e-book horror series launched just in time for the spooky season. Each book serves up five short stories by genre masters – as well as some talented up-and-comers – for the low cost price of $2.99 and will be released, one a week, throughout October in the lead up to Halloween.

Volume 2 sees stories by Glen Hirshberg, Lee Thomas, Holly Newstein, Del James and Al Sarrantonio. It’s another solid outing but not as strong as the first volume.

Again, it’s the short novella – this time Sarrantonio’s The Pumpkin Boy reprint that is the stand out here. A creepy story of a strange pumpkin boy that snatches children in a small town it’s a gripping procedural with a definite Halloween flavour.

The other stories range from good to very good but don’t tend to embrace the Halloween theme as much as the first volume. Of these, Newstein’s Mischief Night is the strongest and is a gripping two-hander that explores what happens when a Halloween prank goes wrong.

Worth the coin for Sarrantonio’s story alone. To be followed by Volume 3 on October 17.

This is a pretty solid collection of stories. Strong opening, strong closing and a good mix of story types thrown in.
I don't feel like there is a single bad story in the lot or any that any one story let the group down as a whole.
It has definitely peaked my interest regarding the rest of the series and I will check them out. If they are of the same quality, I will be very satisfied.

MR. DARK'S CARNIVAL is one of the best Halloween reads I've had in a long, long time. Very well done. Good characters, an interesting legend and a creepy undertone of mystery. Loved it.

THE PUMPKIN BOY as a decent read as well--even if I felt it was a little long-winded.

The rest of the stories ranged from okay to boring and left the collection feeling unbalanced to me.

None of that matters though, because of Hirshberg's MR. DARK'S CARNIVAL. That alone is worth this collection.

Not as impressive as volume one. There were weaker stories, "Mischief Night" sounding especially ameteur. But "Mr. Dark's Carnival" was a stand out! I was on the edge of my seat reading what happened next.

This series is fab and fun! Halloween is my favourite holiday and I’ve really enjoyed reading these to get into the Halloween spirit. These stories are definitely creepy and each one ties into Halloween in some way. The stories aren’t terribly long so they’re quick reads. Very highly recommended! Get a cup of tea and a warm blanket and settle in!

I've kinda been loving these Halloween Carnival books, and this one was one of my favorites. True, there were a few stories that didn't hit the sweet spot, but they weren't stinkers by any means.
Glen Hirshberg-Mr. Dark's Carnival-This was the best damn ghost story that I've read recently. The fact that in takes place here in Montana, just an hour down the road was an added bonus! I've often found certain areas of Montana to be creepy....Something about the emptiness of the plains and prairies just disturbs me.
Al Sarrantonio-The Pumpkin Boy-Whew, seriously one heckuva tale! I know this one's been out awhile, and I've heard others talk about it, but it didn't sound all that great to me. So, I was wrong....The whole thing made my skin crawl, and the ending was terribly sad. I wasn't expecting that. So now I'm going to have to see what else I can find and read by this author.
This is one book I'd recommend. My thanks to Hydra/Random House and Netgalley.

Like the first volume it contains 5 short stories which are perfect for Halloween reading or any time of year when you'd like to enjoy a little bite of horror and dark fiction.
MR. DARK’S CARNIVAL by Glen Hirshberg
Halloween is more than just a holiday in Clarkson, Montana; it’s a tradition passed down through generations. Only this year, the ghosts of the past may just be a little closer than usual.

THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF MY SISTER by Lee Thomas
When David was young, he believed in magic. In fact, he wanted to become a magician himself. But meddling in the forces of the mind has consequences beyond what an eleven-year-old can see.

MISCHIEF NIGHT by Holly Newstein
Cabbage Night, Goose Night, Devil’s Night—they’re all the same. Before the treats come the tricks. It’s all in good fun . . . until someone gets hurt.

THE GHOST MAKER by Del James
When people need to disappear, I make them vanish. The catch? I’ve always got to be on guard—because that knock at the door may not just be a little monster looking for candy.

THE PUMPKIN BOY by Al Sarrantonio
When boys start going missing, Detective Len Schneider is determined to make it right. But his partner knows that there are worse things out there than a dead kid.
The books are amazing. When I started reading I couldn't put it down.

I was hoping for scary and the stories were more spooky than scary. A quick and fun read for Halloween.

Halloween Carnival Volume 2, edited by Brian James Freeman was received direct from the publisher. Halloween anthologies are like a box of chocolates, in that you never know what you are gonna get. Of these five authors of these novellas, I had only heard of and read one. The stories as presented, in my opinion are not very horrific, meaning they are thinking mans "horror," set to a Halloween setting, many may enjoy this, I personally "likes me some gore." My final score is the average of each if the five stories. Fall is the air and it is time to read some Halloween stories, maybe just maybe you should start with this one.

3.5 stars

This is the second in a series of five Halloween Carnivals. The anthology features 5 different authors and are centered on Halloween. I like the idea that the publisher is releasing one a week in October, gearing up for the holiday.

As with all anthologies, I had my favorites. I have read some of Al Sarrantino's Orangefield books and stories in the past and enjoyed them. The Pumpkin Boy did not disappoint. My favorite of the bunch though was Glen Hirshberg's Mr. Dark's Carnival. A college history professor well-versed in local legends finds out the truth behind long-rumored tales of Mr. Dark's Carnival. There is a lot of background and story building up to the end, which while close, I did not quite guess. I found it strangely alluring - both the story and the carnival. Definitely the best, in my opinion.

Halloween Carnival Vol 2

Mr Dark's Carnival – The elusive Mr Dark's Carnival happens on Halloween, always in a different location and by invitation only. Except there is no proof that it actually exists. A small town professor in Montana lectures his class about Mr Dark each year, teaching them about first hand sources, (reliable sources) and gathering real proof. While he wants to believe in the Carnival, he's skeptical, until he receives an invitation. - This story was pretty good. It was definitely scary. Following the directions on his invitation, the professor finds himself at the carnival and thrown into a haunted house with one of his students. The spooks in the house aren't the usual haunted house fare though. There are no jump scares. It's just terror, unnerving, and real. 5 Stars!

The Facts in the Case of my Sister – A young boy is obsessed with learning magic. He hypnotizes his sister one night when she is afraid of a monster in her closet. While hypnotized, he tells her that she isn't afraid of monsters. That she doesn't even believe in them. Years later his sister is in an accident and the doctors don't think she's going to make it through the night. He says the special words, putting his sister under hypnosis one more time, so she can tell them all what happened to her. - This story was sad. Heartbreaking. And hopefully teaches a lesson. This one doesn't really have anything to do with Halloween, but it's still a good story so I give 4 stars.

Mischief Night – An old drunk and a young prankster have a run in on Mischief Night. This story is really short and not at all scary. If anything it was just really sad. 3 stars

The Ghost Maker – This story is about a hitman, who has worked his way up in the ranks of criminals. One Halloween, he's getting ready for a party when his boss knocks on his door, dressed as one the guys he'd killed. He shoots him and the story ends. I actually hated this story. 0 stars.

The Pumpkin Boy – This was one of the longer stories in this volume. It started off great, featuring a very steam-punk-esq Pumpkin Boy. A metal, creaking body and limbs with a jack o' lantern for a head. A small boy named Jody sees the pumpkin boy in the field outside of his house and follows it across several pumpkin fields before he loses sight of it. The story then switched over to a local cop, following Jody's disappearance. So what started as a super creepy, almost fantasy steampunk story, turned into a basic crime drama. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't what I wanted it to be. The Steampunk Pumpkin Boy was by far the best part of the story. 4 Stars.

Overall, I didn't think these story were very Halloweeny. Most of them were about crime, and while people are scary, I want to read about ghosts and goblins, not hitman and cops. So overall I give this volume only 3 stars.

The second volume in this series. I enjoyed volume one, and I enjoyed this volume too.

MR. DARK’S CARNIVAL by Glen Hirshberg
This story was really interesting. I loved the "urban legend" feel to it, and the ending was great.

THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF MY SISTER by Lee Thomas
Emotional, psychological horror. Not really what I was expecting from this series.

MISCHIEF NIGHT by Holly Newstein
Interesting, not scary.

THE GHOST MAKER by Del James
I liked the concept of this story. The payoff wasn't there for me.

THE PUMPKIN BOY by Al Sarrantonio
I really enjoyed this one. Had an interesting and unique storyline. The Pumpkin Boy was awesome.

My two favorite stories were also the longest in the book. Overall I think this is a nice collection of stories.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.