This moody, tight collection of short stories is one of the better collections I've read - no filler, all killer, as the saying goes. While I'm not familiar with CJ Tudor's longer works, these stories are all frightening, grimy, and as interested in human monsters as supernatural ones. Refreshingly, there are no clunkers - while I had my favorites, there were no clear winners in the pack - they all had their positive points. They were all of brief length as well - which I prefer in horror! Just a taste of the macabre and then you're on your way.

I'd definitely recommend this to anyone seeking horror that's having a good time. It didn't take itself too seriously, and I enjoyed the little introductions at the start of each section.

As I read this author, I was harkened back to my teen years. Many years ago I became engrossed in the writings and short stories of Edgar Allen Poe. His use of the macabre in his short stories was intriguing. Reading C.J. Tudor I wondered if Edgar could have been reincarnated.

Each of these stories has a diabolical twist at the conclusion. I was also intrigued by the idea of the apocalypse and end of life as we know it. The defeatism and loss of control by the individuals involved became predictable. My sympathies went out to the people who tried to escape to Butterfly Island. I did find it hard to believe, however, that sailors giving transfer services would not be aware of the dangers lurking in the shoals.

Enjoy these short stories and harken back to the writing mystique of long ago. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

I really enjoyed these! Most of them were absolutely fantastic stories. It was great to pick up something like this after being in a reading slump & not having to commit to a full novel for a few weeks. One story here & there was just what I needed! Can’t wait to read what CJ comes out with next. Thanks so much to NetGalley & Random House Ballantine for the ARC!

I received this courtesy of NetGalley and Penguin Random House and I'm glad I did! I am a huge fan of C. J. Tudor and was so excited that she was coming out with a new book. Then, full disclosure, I saw that it was a collection of short stories, and was a tad disappointed, because I am not a fan of short stories. I usually never read them, but being that it was one of my favorite authors, I decided to give it a go.

I have to say, this is one collection of short stories I really enjoyed! They are all chilling and just fun to read! The description reads:

The debut short story collection from the acclaimed author of The Chalk Man, featuring ten bone-chilling and mind-bending tales

Timeslips. Doomsday scenarios. Killer butterflies. C. J. Tudor's novels are widely acclaimed for their dark, twisty suspense plots, but with A Sliver of Darkness, she pulls us even further into her dizzying imagination.

In Final Course, the world has descended into darkness, but a group of old friends make time for one last dinner party. In Runaway Blues, thwarted love, revenge, and something very nasty stowed in a hat box converge. In Gloria, a strange girl at a service station endears herself to a cold-hearted killer, but can a leopard really change its spots? And in I'm Not Ted, a case of mistaken identity has unforeseen, fatal consequences.

Riveting and explosively original, A Sliver of Darkness is C. J. Tudor at her most wicked and uninhibited (from Goodreads).

So, not much to say without giving too much away, but this is going to be a good read for you on those crisp fall nights! It releases in November 2022, so make sure you pick it up, get a hot beverage, your favorite blanket and read this collection of spooky stories!

Thanks to Netgalley and to the publisher! I really enjoyed it!

All thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read an ARC of this book! This collection of short stories is full of gritty atmosphere, unique characters, and prose! I love short stories so I'm very glad Tudor wrote this book!

This was a great collection of horror themed short stories. They were all short and sweet, easy to devour in a few minutes, but still well-developed and intricate for the length. I also really enjoyed that each one had an introduction by the author giving some background about the story.

Disappointing collection of eleven short stories from Tudor, who's written some terrific thriller/horror novels to date. A couple of them are pretty good but most are rather pedestrian and don't really move the needle in any memorable direction. They're not bad but they're not all that special, either. Left me wanting more. Seems like the short form is just not her forte. Still looking forward to her next novel. Thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This collection was dark, suspenseful, and entertaining. Not your typical short story collection because the author offers insights throughout the book about what inspired the stories. This is a great read anytime but definitely ideal for the fall.

If you follow my reviews, you know that I am not a fan of short stories and I only enjoy “ subtle horror”, but I am a fan of C. J. Tudor, so when offered an ARC of this-I had to give it a try! After all, “The Other Place” was an easy 5 star read for me, and two of her others earned 4 shiny stars! (The Hiding Place and The Burning Girls)

So, how did I fare with this collection of short stories?

Let me tell you what I did like…

The book opens with a heartfelt introduction by this “down to earth” author, and in it she shares that in January 2021, her Dad passed away. He had been in a nursing home for two years, and because of Covid lockdowns, she could only visit him for thirty minutes every two weeks, speaking to him through Perspex. The first time she hugged him in over a year, was on the day he died. This book is dedicated to him.

And, those weren’t her only other challenges. (DO read her full introduction!!!)

Writing a book wasn’t working, and she knew it.

She came up with a plan that her editors agreed to-scrap the book she wrote and instead publish this collection of short stories. With many “end of the world” and isolation themes, these stories definitely weren’t all my cup of tea…but with all short story collections you always connect with some more than others.

BUT what I really did enjoy MOST was that ALL the stories also came with an introduction of their own-C.J. shared her inspiration for each of them and I felt like I was sitting down for an INTIMATE CHAT with a friend, which ended with an evening of spooky stories by a campfire.

Standouts for me were :

The Copy Shop -Can a copy ever be as good as the original? 😉

Dust: I too, gravitate toward spooky hotels and spooky hotel stories, and living in Arizona where we have the yellow glow of Dust Storms, called Monsoons here, added to the intrigue of this one, which featured the Calima winds with their orange glow and the “Hotel California-like”. Villa de las Alma’s Perdidas on Gran Canaria.

Runaway Blues-Pink Martinis at the Blue Flamingo in the 1930’s and a “fat man” who could sing the blues. Loved the smoky atmosphere….and the nod to Stephen King.

and

End of The Liner- the cruise 🚢 of a lifetime….

3.5 stars rounded up!

Ms. Tudor assures us that her next full length novel, “The Drift” is written and ready for publication next year, (2023) and I know, I can’t wait to read it!

This book of TEN short stories will publish on November 8th of this year, to help tide you over until “The Drift” is released!

Thank You to Ballantine books for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley! It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

I'm typically not a short story reader. That said, I am a C.J. Tudor reader. The thing I like the most about novels is character development and short stories typically don't contain enough pages to do that well. But Tudor does a good job of writing in a box.

The stories in this book are quirky and all contain a twist. I'd be lying if I said I liked them all. But she is great at setting a scene and does so uniquely in each story. I really liked the personal context she gave before every chapter. This was a three-star read for me until the story called, "Final Course." That one blew me away - I read it twice to see what I'd missed. I honestly could see it as a movie.

I'm not sold on short stories, but I did like this and recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

C.J. Tudor is a British author of thrillers, most notably The Chalk Man, which received praise from horror legend Stephen King. A Sliver of Darkness is her debut collection of short stories.

A Sliver of Darkness contains a wide variety of stories, all containing some aspect of horror, whether that be psychological or physical. We have young people coming to a sticky end (The Block, and The Lion at the Gate), questions of whether the grass is really greener on the other side (End of the Liner, and The Copy Shop), and good old fashioned human violence (Gloria, and Runaway Blues).

I have read a short story every day since April 2018. Although I may not be an expert on the subject, I certainly know what I like. And most of these stories were not for me. Undoubtedly, these stories are entertaining, but in some cases quite predictable. I also found little variety in tone; many of these stories were told in Tudor’s voice, rather than that of the characters. I also found the author’s introductions to the stories superfluous; I much prefer when writers let the stories speak for themselves.

These are by no means terrible stories; I just longed for more depth. If this collection gets more readers interested in short story collections, that is a wonderful thing.

I have read many full length novels by CJ Tudor so I was very excited about her short story collection and all the stories were just as weird and creepy as I was hoping they would be

I love @CJTudor's work. #ASliverofDarkness is a solid collection of strange, creepy, and sometimes horrific tales. Being from Florida, I especially liked the first story, "End of the Liner" and “The Lion at the Gate” will forever have me checking over my shoulder as I walk past graffiti. The author's intro to each story is a welcome peek into her thoughts and the origins and process of each story. #NetGalley.

I wish to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I must say that I am not usually a fan of short stories or horror tales but in this case I really loved this book. C. J. Tudor is a fabulous story teller. She knows how to catch your attention and reel you in page after page. Her characters are so well described that she puts you directly into the story. Wow! I was hooked. There are 10 short stories included. Each is unique and the only negative to me is that each one is not a full length book. Usually with short stories I read one and then put it down and go on to other things but when I started this one I wanted to read more and more before putting it down. The author begins each story with a note about its history which I found delightful.

I have read two other books of hers and I will read more in the future. If you like Stephen King, you will love C. J. Tudor. Do not miss this one.

This is an A+ collection of horror: psych thriller, super twists, straight up gross-out scenes. I love the intros for each story! This collection is perfect for an adult who's having trouble focusing on longer stories, but still wants characters that pop off the page. There are also a couple great stories for YA that I might use with my students. All-around perfect collection!

This book was fun to read and reminded me of Stephen King’s earlier books. TUdor has written a collection of short stories that have been “peculating” for awhile on her laptop or in her mind and so glad she is now sharing them. I enjoy her explanation before each story.

A collection of short stories by C.J. Tudor? Yes please!! I am a huge fan of her novels and was super excited to get the opportunity to read her latest book, A Sliver of Darkness. It is packed full of creepy, entertaining stories. Reading each one of these ten stories is like watching an anthology of your favorite horror shows. She writes in such a way that her words come to life from the page to your mind. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for the ARC! Thank you to C.J. Tudor for another amazing book escape! Mark your calendars for 11/8/22 to get your copy!!

I am a huge fan of C.J. Tudor and this story collection is no different: it is haunting and lives under your skin!

Note: I received this book as an ARC from Ballantine Books.

This collection of short stories from C.J. Tudor that left me mesmerized from beginning to end! The format of this collection makes it easy to read between other books, as I can pick it up and finish a story quickly.

When I received this ARC, I was unfamiliar with Tudor and their work. After reading this though, I will be picking up some of their other works because I had such a fun time reading this book.

The author writes captivating tales that are macabre, chilling, and spooky. This would be a perfect spooky Halloween read.

A Sliver of Darkness, Stories by C. J. Tudor was received directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. I do not recall reading this author before but short stories are my thing (short attention span maybe). Anyway, the stories moved along and did not dwell on unnecessary dialogue. The horror aspect, in my opinion, was lacking, thus the 3.5 stars, upgraded to a 4. If you ar a fan of this author, certainly pick this one up, or buy it for someone you buy gifts for during the holiday season.

4 Stars