As someone who lives in the Midwest I really felt at home in this book, as weird as that is to say. I felt like I knew a lot of the people in these stories. These are people I’ve seen my whole life having always lived in a small town.

Small town life in the Midwest is weird and there are some real characters living in these towns that you wouldn’t believe are real unless you’ve seen them in person for real. Scott Thomas has nailed Midwest life. His descriptions of the towns and the people in them are spot on.

I really enjoyed the weirdness of these stories. They were fascinating and outrageous but yet believable. If I were to walk out into a field around here and see a lone door, I almost wouldn’t be surprised 😂

Thomas has written three lovely and terrifying novellas about midwestern life. Be careful out there. You never know who might be waiting around the corner.

Overall, I'm rating this collection 4 stars! I enjoyed reading it and loved the little tidbits that connected all of the novellas together if you were paying attention.

The Door in the Field, 3⭐: This one started out really slow but eventually picked up. Not a bad story but found it meh, though it did have some interesting commentary on greed. My least favorite of the four novellas.

Wear Your Secret Like a Stone, 5⭐: I absolutely loved everything about this one and did not see the ending coming! Girl trapped in a small town, dying to get out, who loves horror books and all things spooky? Very relatable.

The Boy in the Woods, 4⭐: I would say this one is for classic horror lovers because it felt like a classic camp horror story. That was probably one of my favorite things about it is it made me think of classic slasher films. Also, I may be reading into it too much, but it gave an interesting look at how we interpret the labels others give us.

One Half of a Child's Face, 4⭐: The beginning felt a little whiney to me, but I quickly got sucked in by the main character's people watching! Then, of course, that people watching goes wrong. I think that to me, this one was the most similar to a psychological thriller, while still having those strong horror elements.

Thanks to NetGalley and Inkshares for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

I loved Scott Thomas’s previous books – Violet and Kill Creek were both phenomenal and I bought The Boy In the Woods for myself as a Christmas present years ago. Needless to say, I’ve been waiting for his next work. Midwestern Gothic is a collection of short stories – one of which has been previously published as an e-novella (The Boy In the Woods).
All four stories link back to Kill Creek, featuring the works of the fictional authors. Just as Kill Creek explored how intimately a story can affect an author, each of these tales explore how that story affects the reader. Each story echoes the works of the corresponding Kill Creek author’s style. I particularly loved the second, “Wear Your Secret Like a Stone” which involves a book by T.C. Moore. It ends with the same ominous, insidious hope as Kill Creek that sort of clings to you. Not a happy ending by any means, but not outright disaster either.The other stories follow suit. “The Boy in the Woods” was again thrilling and action-packed. “One Half of a Child’s Face” genuinely creeped me out, so much so that I had to turn on the lights while I read it. “The Door in the Field” gave me Stephen King vibes, which for me is the highest praise (and something I rarely say). All-in-all another fantastic work from Thomas. And, as always, I’m ready for whatever he publishes next.

Four gothic horror novellas by the author of KILL CREEK. Each of the four contains a connection to one of the authors featured in that book; it’s a fun little Easter egg, but it’s not necessary that you have read KILL CREEK before diving into these.

In the first, “The Door in the Field,” a night out with the boss turns into a nightmare. “The Boy in the Woods” is set at a summer camp that is getting ready to shut down for the season. In “Wear Your Secret Like a Stone,” my favorite of the four, a girl and her elderly colleague from a big box store investigate their small Kansas town. Finally, the main character in “One Half of a Child’s Face” is editing an essay collection and shares custody of her daughter with her ex…and she can see into his apartment building.

Novellas are tricky and hard to do well. Stephen King is an expert (of course) but often times they seem like short stories that needed a good editor. However, Thomas is a gifted writer and does well with the form, even though I couldn’t help thinking that he is an excellent author in search of better material here, other than with “Secret.” The other stories were good, just not great. But I very much enjoy Thomas; Kansas seems to be his Maine and I look forward to reading what he does next.

5 stars

What a fantastic collection. All 4 of the novellas included in this collection delivered. The way the author wove the stories in and out of each other was so fun, and add in the call backs to the author's prior book, Kill Creek, so good. Fans of Kill Creek are going to love this.

The Door In the Field was incredible. We follow main character Ray who suffered a huge personality change after an accident left him with extreme anger issues. After a violent incident at work on a construction site, Ray's boss takes him to a remote bar for a drink. This story was very violent and very graphic and very, very good.

The Boy in the Woods was an awesome take on the teen summer camp slasher. We follow a ten year old boy with a face disfigured from a dog attack during his early childhood. Again, the author pulls no punches when it comes to the violence but there is so much heart and I really loved this main character.

Wear Your Secret Like a Stone involves a young woman working in a big-box store to save money to escape her small town. Her boss decides to copy a book store's display and has the employees select a book to recommend for Halloween. The main character's selection causes a bit of a stir when a local mom takes offense. This one went in a direction I wasn't expecting and turned into more of a folk horror type of story and I loved it.

In the final story, One Half of a Child's Face, a divorced mother struggles with sharing custody of her daughter with the ex-husband and his new girlfriend, who have moved into an apartment building which is so close to the main character's home, she can watch them through their open windows. This story was the least violent and graphic of the bunch, but still had some intense scenes that made me squirm and had one of the most satisfying endings as well..

Overall, I loved everything about this collection. Fans of Kill Creek will definitely love this latest work by the author.

4 Stars!

I love novellas and short stories. I am not as fond of reviewing them, at least in collection or anthology form, as I am of reading them, but I think that shorter fiction can provide more of a punch than a long novel if done right. Scott Thomas knows how to tell a dark tale, so I was happy when I came across Midwestern Gothic, a collection of four novellas, and was eager to see what new horrors he had in store for us.

The collection opens with The Door in the Field which is a wicked way to start off the book. Rayland Allen is a construction worker with an explosive temper and a tendency toward violence. When a coworker pushes his buttons one too many times, it sets off a sequence of events that leads to a violence much greater than even Allen could have imagined. The devil may live in Kansas, and he needs a new emissary to spread his own brand of hell on Earth. Will Allen be that new servant of the devil, or will he just become another victim. This story took an unexpected turn after a fairly rote beginning and then raced toward an explosive ending. It is a good but not great novella with a heavy dose of violence worth a 3-star rating.

The Boy in the Woods is a strange story that takes a lot of twists and turns as it grows, then turns into the ultimate summer camp slasher. There were rumors of strange happenings at the camp, but no one knew if they were true. Eddie Reicher is about to find out. When he is stuck at the camp for a day after it was supposed to end, something begins to possess the counselors. Something evil. Eddie finds himself in a race to save his life as the people around him become more violent by the minute. This is a somewhat odd story with a mega-dose of violence that was enjoyable but just did not rise to what it could be. This novella was another solid, 3-star read.

One Half of a Child's Face is another bizarre story and the best of the book. Sienna Franklin not only recently got divorced, but she is forced to share custody with her ex-husband who moved into a new apartment building just down the street from her. Sienna had taken to spying on the people that live in the building as well as her husband. One day, she notices an odd painting hanging on the wall of an apartment that seemed to be drawing children to it. This was no ordinary painting, though, but an ancient evil that feeds upon the vitality of youth. This story is light on violence and heavy on atmosphere as Thomas builds a palpable sense of dread throughout. This is a very good horror story and also the most "gothic" of the group. A 5-star read that is sure to be one of the best stories I read this year.

Wear Your Secret Like a Stone has a young woman go on a search into the darkest secret of the town. When the department store clerk Tara picks her favorite horror novel to go on a Halloween display, she has no idea that it would change her life forever. When a woman complains about the novel, Tara begins to look into the person who got so offended by the book only to find that no such person exists. Tara soon finds that every town, even small towns in Kansas, has secrets and she has just wandered into the darkest secret of her hometown. Unfortunately, this is a secret that will not stay dead and may cost Tara her life. This was probably my least favorite story in the collection but was still a 3-star read.

This collection of novellas was everything I was hoping for. All of the stories were well-written even though their effectiveness varies. One Half of a Child's Face is a haunting story that hooked me from the beginning and carried through without losing any of the dread I felt, so the book is worth picking up for this story alone. I guess if I did the math straight up, the book would have to get a 3-star rating, but I will go with 4-stars since that novella was so good. Do not hesitate to pick this one up.

I would like to thank NetGalley for this review copy. Midwestern Gothic is scheduled to be released on September 17, 2024.

This collection features 4 novellas exploring the midwestern gothic theme once through a rather typical cult in the corn, once through a haunting of the land brought over through early settlers, once through a tragic experience at a summer camp and once through a haunted painting. While the first two stories are a lot more "typical" midwestern gothic (with their focus on the nature of the place and a focus on Cosmic/Folk horror), I also adored the last story, which is a bit more removed from these typical tropes.
I haven't read any of Scott Thomas' other work and did not struggle with finding my place in these stories. I do think there might be some fun easter eggs to discover if you have read them, but it is not at all necessary to understand what's going on (but it did make me want to check out Kill Creek, as I enjoy the way the author builds tension). In general I can say that if you like modern Gothic horror (such as the works by T. Kingfisher and Silvia Moreno-Garcia, check this anthology out, I can assure you you'll have a great time!

The Door in the Field: This novella starts with a fight at a construction side and an formerly amnesiac man struggling with his very short temper, who is then kidnapped by his project manager for nefarous purposes - interesting and fun, I liked the writing style and the dread it built, it does take a while to get going, but once it's going, it's really good! 4 stars
Wear your Secret like a Stone: A bookstore worker investigates why a concerned mother harassed her bookstore into removing the horror book she selected for her display of favorite books, at the same time, she has to face her dark past and deal with her wish to get out of this small town - very interesting and charming with a great protagonist, I also loved all the horror book shout outs (especially the T. Kingfisher one :)), it felt incredibly immersive and was a lot of fun even if I knew the mythology behind the story here and so was able to guess the "twist" sooner than probably intended, but even with that the main character and her own struggles were more than enough to really draw me into the story and kept me enjoying it immensely, 5 stars
The Boy in the Woods: a twist on what starts as a rather typical summer camp slasher when the protagonist has to stay another day as his parents can't pick him up due to a delayed flight - I did like the protagonist (a young boy who is disfigured after a dogbite during early infancy) and how it explored ableist tropes in horror and particularly the slasher genre, but I feel like the story could have dug a bit deeper into that, it was okay but nothing groundbreaking and so it is my least favorite of these stories as I felt the others did a lot more interesting things with the tropes they were using, 3 stars
One Half of a Child's Face: A mother, who can't stop watching her ex-husband's house during her daughter's weekend visit with him, soon discovers that something really weird is going on - haunting and really good and I love the female characters in here a lot, 5 stars

Being a fan of Southern gothic, I requested this ARC, curious to find out more about Midwestern Gothic. I confess this is my first foray into Scott Thomas' work. Boy, was this an unexpected treat!

The four novellas were creepy and atmospheric. Everyday characters and scenarios taking a turn for the gory reminds me of early Stephen King.

If you are not too squeamish, definitely pick this one up!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for furnishing a digital ARC of thos boom in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I was so excited to read this, and unfortunately, it was just a slog for me. A very well-written slog, but a slog nonetheless. I'd be willing to give it another go someday, but I'd need to be very well hydrated to get through all this dry prose.

I have read Kill Creek okay i own it, so I knew I was going to love Midwestern Gothic. I was right. I highly recommend this books to fill the novella love that you need so desperately. All four of them are fantastic.

If you have ever read anything by Scott Thomas, this definitely felt like a Scott Thomas book. As the title suggests, it was very midwestern, and I say that in a good way. I loved Violet and Kill Creek, so it didn't come as a surprise when I found that I really enjoyed Midwestern Gothic. As with any anthology or short story collection, there were some I enjoyed more than others but it still felt cohesive without being repetitive or too similar, but also not so far out there either. I also enjoyed the connections to Kill Creek, which I read at least 4-5 years ago and still remember pretty vividly. I think it is the perfect late summer read on a hot, hazy day. Thanks to Inkshares for my eARC. Midwestern Gothic will be published 9/17.

REVIEW WILL BE POSTED TO INSTAGRAM CLOSER TO PUB DAY; NETGALLEY REVIEW WILL BE UPDATED TO INCLUDE INSTAGRAM LINK AT THAT TIME.

Just finished this collection of 4 novellas. So original, so scary, so good. I really liked the last novella entitled One Half of a Child's Face; plenty of dark frightening imagery. Highly recommended.

OMG, you guys, this is, like, absolutely amazing! I was totally hooked from the title to the very last page. Every second, every word, was a perfect blend of eerie and captivating, bringing the Midwest to life in the most hauntingly beautiful way.

The story weaves through the heart of the Midwest, painting vivid pictures of small towns, and the kind of chilling atmosphere that you can practically feel in your bones. The characters felt so real, like people I might run into at the local diner or see at a town festival. Each one was crafted with such depth and authenticity that I found myself completely invested in their journeys.

Scott Thomas has this incredible talent for making the ordinary seem extraordinary, and the way he captures the essence of Midwestern life is just spot-on. The mix of gothic elements with the familiar settings I know and love was both thrilling and nostalgic. It’s like he took the Midwest I’m familiar with and gave it this dark, enchanting twist that kept me on the edge of my seat.

The plot twists were perfectly timed, and the suspense was, like, totally unbearable in the best possible way. I couldn’t put the book down because I just had to know what would happen next. Every story pulled me deeper into the mystery and the beautifully eerie world Thomas created.

In short, if you love a good gothic tale with a Midwestern twist, "Midwestern Gothic" is a must-read. Scott Thomas has crafted a story that’s haunting, mesmerizing, and absolutely unforgettable. Five stars, no question about it! This book is, like, an instant favorite and a total masterpiece!

I'd like to thank Netgalley for the online copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This horror anthology won’t haunt you for eternity, but it’s well-written, well-plotted, and draws on themes and tropes that many readers will find utterly terrifying. I’m not the biggest fan of gothic/cosmic horror, but I can appreciate a good scary story, and Scott Thomas knows how to write all things creepy and creative. It is made clear at the beginning of the book that this anthology has ties to the authors’ beloved horror novel Kill Creek, however as someone who has not read the book, I can’t recall any context being needed in order to understand and enjoy Midwestern Gothic. Go forth!

The Door in the Field ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
-I could taste the Midwest in this one. Corn fields, dusty roads, cold air and an open sky full of stars…if we’re keeping score, The Door in the Field wins on vibes alone
-The writing in this story appealed to me the most. It’s dripping in ambience, the dialogue flows and the characters possess a kind of depth that is somewhat lacking in the overall plot of the story.
-The mythos behind the story is - to put it bluntly - extremely cool! A very creepy (if a little obscure) concept.

Wear Your Secret Like a Stone ⭐️ ⭐️
-My least favourite story; had a super creepy and interesting windup, but ultimately fell flat and amounted to very little.
-Of all four stories, this one had the most “plot armour,” and convenience, and I don’t feel that it was paced or mapped out as well as its counterparts. The beginning had a great hook, but the lacklustre and rushed finale just couldn’t balance out the slow middle of the story.

The Boy in the Woods ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
-Overall, this was objectively the most solid story in the mix. It has a simple premise, effective horror (mainly body horror) and a knife-sharp little twist right at the end.
-I expected a little more in the way of clarity around the Big Bad, but I believe that the story suffered from its short length. A fair amount of time was spent focusing on the main character and his lot in life; while I enjoyed the comparisons to childhood trauma and nostalgia, it just wasn’t entirely necessary - or as effective - in such a short piece of fiction. I would have preferred a deeper dive into the spooky happenings at Camp Cottonwood.

One Half of a Child’s Face ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
-Like The Boy in the Woods, this story features an emotionally damaged main character who is thrust into a fight for survival against unadulterated evil.
-Probably the most obscure concept in this collection. I liked it, but it didn’t overwhelm me with terror. The last sentence, however, is an absolute jump scare!

Overall, this is a solid collection…I just wouldn’t go into it expecting a huge amount of scares or extremely disturbing subject matter. The stories are much more focused on particular themes, and immersing the reader in the ambience of the Midwest. From a prose perspective, I can agree that Scott Thomas is a very talented and fluent writer; despite the lacking scares, I found myself enjoying - for the most part - all of these stories for one reason or another. If you have a low tolerance for spookiness, or you like your horror a little more literary, I’d definitely check this anthology out.

Thanks to Netgalley and Inkshares Publishing for the ARC. All opinions expressed in the above review are voluntary and are my own thoughts.

My thanks to Netgallery and Inkshares for the ARC.

Confession: I added this to my "To Read" pile based on the cover artwork and the synopsis and I didn't even register the author, or that I had read his previous title Kill Creek. It was a pleasant realisation once I noticed the first nod to Kill Creek here, and it suddenly made sense why I was captivated so quickly with this book. Much like Creek, Midwestern Gothic is a stunning piece of writing. And while I definitely enjoyed Creek, I'm happy to say I loved Gothic so much more. Rest assured, however, you do NOT need to have read one to enjoy the other. This book is completely stand-alone.

Scott Thomas succeeds where many less talented writers would flounder, and breathes new life into some rather familiar horror themes. The stories themselves aren't anything particularly *new* per-se, but are handled so beautifully and written so intoxicatingly that I was never bothered by a feeling of familiarity. Instead, I happily lapped up every page. Thomas conjures up vivid imagery in a way I don't often encounter and he develops fleshed out, believable characters that fully captivate me. I really just love his writing style, if that isn't clear yet.

Below are some of the notes I jotted down whilst reading:

- 5% in and I'm already feeling this. Can already tell this will be a 4 or 5 star read...
- Loving how delightfully *readable* this is. There's such a flow that really works for me. So much world-building that actually propels me forward instead of derailing my interest.
- Characterisation is perfect. Every single character is so expertly defined in my head. Fully realised.
- Definitely getting some Derry, Maine/Stephen King vibes here...

To sum it up, Midwestern Gothic has cemented Scott Thomas as an auto-buy for me. His writing prowess is enough to keep me coming back for more and I hope a future book will just scare me senseless. The final novella, One Half of a Child's Face, also proves he could deftly insert himself into the domestic thriller genre if he wanted a break from the cosmic horror. ;)

A collection of horror stories from various authors. Short reads that will entice your imagination. Recommended to read before bed.

Midwestern Gothic features four novellas that all take place in Kansas. They cover beings that haunt a construction site, a terrifying trip to a summer camp, an odd painting and a book display that may reveal a town’s dark secret.

This was my first time reading this author’s work, and I’m so glad I did. Thomas did an amazing job pulling me into each story. Each one was creepy in its own way and packed full of dread. If I had to pick a favorite, I’d say The Boy in the Woods. I loved the setting, the story idea and, of course, the unexpected ending. It was perfect! I would definitely recommend this collection to horror lovers. There’s a good variety here and the writing is great!

You have heard of Southern gothic stories, surely. They’re dark, they’re dreadful, they make your skin crawl. Allow me to introduce to you… Midwestern Gothic. It’s kind of like Southern gothic except this time we’re in Kansas because the Midwest has its own horrors lurking. Won’t you come in and have a look?

Midwestern Gothic is comprised of four spine-chilling novellas.

In The Door in the Field, after volatile construction worker Rayland Allen is provoked at work, his boss takes him out for a drink at an off-the-grid backwoods bar but the night takes a turn that he wasn’t expecting… A real bloody turn.
In Wear Your Secret Like a Stone, big-box store worker Tara Bright picks her favorite horror book for the store’s Halloween display but when a customer complains and she is forced to remove it, she realizes that the book is much more disturbing than it originally seems.
In The Boy in the Woods, Eddie Reicher is dropped off at summer camp and notices some scary, dark changes in the counselors.
In One Half of a Child’s Face, Sienna Franklin notices something odd happening with a peculiar painting and the children who come in to contact with it.

Each novella begins with its own art work—think a cover for the individual novellas—which was an unnecessary but welcomed touch that delighted me because it helped to drop me in to the mood of the story that followed. Thomas creates such vivid, life-like atmospheres which made for four truly riveting stories. From cosmic horror and serial killers to folk horror and a bloody summer camp, there is something for every horror lover in here.

”What is the source of Midwestern Gothic? Where did the evil originally root itself? Not in the structure but in the very land upon which the structure was built.”

Thank you Inkshares Publishing and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. Available 09/17/2024!

Midwestern Gothic is a collection of four short stories, though novellas would be a better description. Written by the author of Kill Creek, these stories seem to be an extension of this book. However, I have not read Kill Creek, but did not feel any sense of displacement.

Let me rate each story one by one:

The Door in the Field - 3 stars
This one started off well enough and was proceeding in a leisurely fashion before suddenly turning unexpectedly gory. I was expecting some violence (okay I was expecting vampires), but even so, this level of violence caught me unawares. I also did not understand the ending? So is Rayland an accessory or not??

Wear Your Secret Like a Stone - 2 stars
I could not see the point of this story at all. There were some scary scenes that made me scared to turn the page, but they just petered out? What was all that for then? I liked this one least.

The Boy in the Woods - 4 stars
At last a story I could sink my teeth into. And I was quite happy with it, even with the high levels of violence and gore. Some things could have been omitted but I think gore-induced horror was what the author was going for. Perfect content for a slasher movie.

One Half of a Child’s Face - 5 stars
Finally, FINALLY, a story I loved. I loved psychological horror - the one in which we know there is evil but we cannot see it. One Half of a Child’s Face did it beautifully. Though some parts are unexplained (what happened to Mr. Lonely?) and the ending was overly cinematic, the entire story was thoroughly gripping. This one gets all the stars.

All in all, an anthology collection that I liked. Did not give me nightmares (for most part), but I enjoyed them.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

4 Stars! As a fan of Kill Creek, I had high expectations for Midwestern Gothic, and Scott Thomas did not disappoint. This collection of novellas lives up to the hype, delivering a haunting and immersive experience that showcases Thomas's talent for creating atmospheric horror.

Each story in Midwestern Gothic is a testament to Thomas's skillful storytelling. The novellas are distinct yet unified by their setting and the pervasive sense of dread that permeates every page. The writing is beautiful, with rich descriptions and nuanced characters that draw you into their eerie worlds

Midwestern Gothic is a must-read for fans of atmospheric horror and anyone who appreciates well-crafted, spine-chilling tales. Scott Thomas has once again proven his prowess in the genre, delivering a collection that is as hauntingly beautiful as it is terrifying.