Thank you NetGalley and Inkshares for the ARC.

Midwestern Gothic by Scott Thomas is an ode to Midwestern horror. The Midwest is filled with a blend of industrial and decaying barns, thick forests, sprawling corn fields, rolling hills of wheat, and an unlabeled feeling of unease when the sun falls behind the horizon. As a Midwesterner myself I loved seeing my part of the country receive recognition for its unique brand of gothic horror. It’s the place I call home and the place I think deserves its own regionally specific horror.

Midwestern Gothic is comprised of four novellas revolving around different characters throughout Kansas. Each novella makes references to Thomas’s other novel Kill Creek which adds a layer that fans will love to pick up on. The revolving cast makes for a fresh start to the horror with every novella. My personal favorite was the very last story, One Half of a Child’s Face. It was a meta text that acknowledged its roots. The slow drip horror in this story revolves around a woman struggling with motherhood, divorce, guilt, and her past all while realizing there’s an antique horror stalking the neighborhood.

While Midwestern Gothic contains four separate stories, there’s an underlying thread that ties them all together. Thomas uses each novella to push the idea that the Midwestern brand of horror doesn’t stem from any individual human action but can be traced back to the land itself. Midwestern horror is a part of the soil, a part of the land itself, a brand of horror that we’ve built homes and lives upon, a horror we cannot escape because it has been here longer than we have. It was a wonderfully interesting take on horror that stands on its own against the main competitors of Southern and Northeastern Gothic.

Scott Thomas does a great job in bringing the Midwestern gothic elements on what was going on in this collection. I enjoyed each story and that it was wonderfully done. It had that horror element and worked with my expectations. It left me wanting to read more from Scott Thomas.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. You should read it!

My thanks to Inkshares Press, Scott Thomas and Netgalley.
So, I'll admit that I enjoyed this every bit as much as I expected. Scott Thomas has my respect and a wee bit of my very aged, teriyaki flavored, dried up husk of a heart! Lol!
I've seen a few reviews that said that they hadn't read the other Thomas books, so they had no comparison. Bunch of bullshit! Thomas doesn't make you dependant on his other books. He merely references them for context. IYKYK.
I hated the first story. Hate..
The rest? Multiple stars!******So, maybe, 4? Ha!
Scott Thomas is an auto but for me. The man just writes the strange shut and that makes.me happy!

I’ve never read kill creek by Scott Thomas but I did enjoy Midwestern Gothic. It was really fun to get the short insight how every story came to be at the beginning. After reading these I don’t want to go to Kansas (because of these scary stories) but he gave a sense of having been to Kansas and fits all the vibes. I love the interconnecting, slow detailed writing style that allows tension to build. This was a fun read for sure.

2.5 stars - Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed. I loved Kill Creek by Thomas, but this series of 4 shorts was a world away. I'll keep my review short because I don't wish to speak ill towards a creation by an honoured author. Perhaps others will find more of a connection in the pages!

Pros: interesting premise, I enjoyed how there was some connection to each of the four authors from Kill Creek, and I enjoyed 2 of the stories out of 4.

Cons: bloated with irrelevant text, forgettable, boring.

Thank you Netgalley, Scott Thomas, and Inkshares publishers for this advanced copy

Kill Creek by Scott Thomas has been on my TBR for a long time, but believe me when I say, while you might pick up some Easter Eggs along the way, it is not required reading to enjoy Midwestern Gothic. As with any story collection, some are stronger than others, and Wear Your Secret Like a Stone was a particular favorite of mine; it was like the creepiest scavenger hunt ever. While I enjoyed all the stories, the one that is really sticking with me is One Half of a Child's Face. The visuals conjured by Thomas' writing come from nightmares. Midwestern Gothic is a strong collection and a must-read for any Scott Thomas fan.

Midwestern Gothic is my first read from author Scott Thomas and has been a delightfully scary ride. Each tale of the four included novellas dives deep into the Midwestern culture and delivers spooky and frightening tales that can only be told in this Gothic style. I enjoyed the first novella so much that I purchased Kill Creek on audiobook to duel listen as I read this advanced copy and it did not disappoint. If you love books like Different Season by Stephen King but want a book set a bit closer to home (like I did living in North Oklahoma), you'll love this midwestern twist on what can happen in the open fields, campgrounds, quarries, and suburbs of mid-U.S. living.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this pre-release. I'll definitely be suggesting it once it makes its debut.

"Do you really want to know what I know? Now is your chance to turn back. I wish you would."

Four novellas. They're pretty good but very long. I would have liked each one more had they been cut by 40 percent. So, all in all, it was difficult to rate this collection.

I haven’t read Kill Creek, so I didn’t understand all the references to it. I also found the stories a bit drawn out and dry.

Thank you anyways to the author and NetGalley for a copy!

These are some of the best short horror stories that I've read all year! This author has firmly pulled me in as a new fan and I cannot wait to read more from him. Defining, terrifying, sleep-with-a-nightlight-on type of horror!

Midwestern Gothic by Scott Thomas is an intriguing collection of four eerie novellas from the acclaimed author of "Kill Creek."

It has a strong start with "The Door in the Field," where a construction worker grapples with his inner demons, while "The Boy in the Woods" unveils the dark secrets lurking within a seemingly innocent summer camp. In "One Half of a Child’s Face," a woman's voyeuristic curiosity leads her to a mysterious painting, while "Wear Your Secret Like a Stone" follows a store worker's chilling discovery after her controversial choice for a book recommendation in a Halloween store display. Wear Your Secret Like a Stone and The Boy in the Woods were my two favorites, but all were delightfully creepy and weird.

With each story offering a unique blend of suspense and creepiness, "Midwestern Gothic" promises an unforgettable journey into the depths of the unknown. Perfect for those seeking a spine-tingling read to accompany their next late-night reading session! Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

What a wonderful surprise! I was instantly drawn to Scott Thomas's Midwestern Gothic, as a fan of the gothic and from the Midwest (born and raised in northern IL and recently moved to southern MO, and apparently not too far from the author's hometown, and the town he used as inspiration for the fictional Blantonville in his collection). The last story in Thomas' collection features snippets of an essay on what midwestern gothic is, how the traditional gothic setting of an old house is transferred to the setting of the old land in the midwest, because that's where our historical stories of pain, misery, and horror reside: in the land.

If you're unfamiliar with the American midwest, this book is a great place to start to get the vibe of what it can be like in the rural parts of the middle of our country. Even though I grew up in Illinois and not Kansas, I could still see a lot of what I remembered from my own childhood in settings of these stories, but even if I didn't have that connection Thomas evokes that atmosphere expertly.

This book contains four incredible novellas, all wonderful and engrossing, varying between turning tropes on their head to embracing those tropes in homages to other genres. I also really love that a couple stories also include some cosmic horror, my favorite :)

The Door in the Field - A line in a book that's not meant to be there sends a man on a downward spiral, dragging him and a few of those around him down a path of no return. Spooky, creepy, and something I've actually had nightmares about from growing up surround by cornfields.

Wear Your Secret Like a Stone - "There are shadows in the forest that cannot be trees". Ah! About the dangers of getting stuck in a small town... lol

The Boy in the Woods - Probably my favorite story in the bunch, it's a classic summer camp horror story but with a fun twist. Very enjoyable and fun, has some spooks but not outright scary.

One Half of a Child's Face - A close-second for favorite and the most outright cosmic horror of the bunch. This, focusing more on the protagonist's mental state and the lives of the people in Riverside Apartments, would make for an excellent full-length novel, I think! Great ending as well.

At the end, I learned from the author bio and acknowledgements that Thomas had an hand in RL Stine's The Haunting Hour tv show and that alone would have sold me on this book had I know, because that is one of the best and most underrated kid's horror shows out there, with some genuine scares.

I think Midwestern Gothic is going to be one of my favorite books this year.

I loved kill creek so having this set in the same world was fantastic.
These are 3 solid short stories that you won't want to put down.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this book

One of the Best 5 Star Books I've Read This Year!

Scott Thomas is genuinely a master of the craft. When I saw that he had a collection of novellas coming out I knew I was going to love them. His writing style just pulls you under a spell and you'll blink and realize that 100+ pages have flown by as you found yourself devouring his stories. His writing similarly to that to Stephen King seems to be interwoven with characters from all of his work finding homes and mentions through the pages of this story! It makes for such a fun Easter Egg hunt!

The body horror, the psychological terror, and the deliciously devious character writing will ensure that this book will haunt you for ages to come!

The Door in the Field - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

- This story ramps up slowly, but by the ending of this story, you'll know nothing is safe. What a twisting and turning story that truly gave me whiplash because of the reveals. The pacing (even with a slower start) keeps you wanting to know more and the style that this is presented with takes it to the next level.
- There are also some Easter Eggs in this that think long time fans of Thomas are going to LOVE!

Wear Your Secret Like A Stone ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

- I won't be able to put into words how literally terrifying this story was. The way that Thomas chose his words in this story, the sheer journey that the main character, Tara, takes is just literally superb. It truly scared the death out of me. The imagery of what happens appears behind my eyelids every time I close my eyes. This is truly amazing folk horror.
- PS - if you loved Grady Hendrix's Ankle Snatcher then this will give you the cravings you've been having.

The Boy in the Woods ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

- Wow, this is a whirlwind of a summer camp story that is chock full of deliciously devious body horror. This story follows Eddie who has unfortunately been bullied for a majority of his life due to a dog related accident. However, Eddie witnesses something bone chilling seemingly torn from the pages of one of his favorite stories. Kids at his camp aren't right. They are so far from right that Eddie is now in fear for his life.
- Seriously perfect for fans of the Faculty (film) or The Troop by Nick Cutter.
- I'm serious - please give us a glimpse into the Camp's future after the events of this story! What a thrill ride.

One Half of a Child's Face ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- This story didn't grab me as quickly as the others in this collection, however the pay off in this story was so Hitchcock that I loved it just the same. This plays out like some twisted Rear Window but with a terrifying and horrid twist that as a reader I really enjoyed.
- The Easter eggs in this story are really fun too!


All in all this collection is truly spectacular and will stick with me for a while to come. Some of the horror sequences in this story are next level and inspired such bone-deep terror. These stories are fun and have so much for readers!

🚪 Midwestern Gothic by Scott Thomas 🚪 This collection of tales is broken into 4 unique stories told by Thomas and each one has something truly unique to say and show you. I was riveted by the first story of an ordinary man with an anger problem thrust into a growing series of horrific events few can even begin to comprehend let alone this poor guy. From a dark Kansas field to a girl who wants nothing more then to escape the confines of a small town to a boy at summer camp who can’t escape the cruelties of bullies even as something darker crashes into his life to a single mom who has to share her only daughter with a man who lives in an apartment where strange things are occurring there should be something for everyone. I was expecting to be thrilled by the work of Thomas and for two of the stories I was, feeling a sense of creeping fear as the thought that the noise I just heard outside my country home might just be something more. But the other half of the stories felt rushed, harried and distracted as the author allowed what at first was a small trickling of his own political views which turned into what I felt was deluge that hampered these two stories mightily. What could have been bothers me as this entire collection could have been something truly special and unique but instead I was beat over the head at multiple times by opinions I feel the author didn’t take long enough to explore for himself before interjecting them into his story. For what Midwestern Gothic was, and could have been, I would recommend a read if only for the first and third stories. Thomas has an interesting writing style and I would love to explore other works of his and wait to see what he can come up with next. Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC copy of this book and as always my opinions are mine and mine alone. If you could go anywhere in the great USA where would you go and why? Let me down down below ⬇️ #arc #arcreader #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookreviewersofinstagram #horrornovel #horrorbooks #horrorbookstagram #horrorbook #thrillerbooks #thriller #thrillers #horrorart #horrorcommunity #horrorstories #bookstaghouls #honestreview #honestreviewer

A haunting reminder that everything comes with a price. The price of the land we covet is often blood. Loved this new take on the American Gothic in the Midwest.

4 stars

This is a great collection of novellas. Scott Thomas is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. It’s so easy to become immersed in his writing. If you haven’t read him yet this is a perfect way to test the waters, as there’s a little something here for everyone.

Midwestern Gothic is a tornado of horrors. The collection of four novellas use a mixture of the folk horror and the supernatural to horrify readers. I wouldn't recommend eating while reading these stories. Out of the four novellas, my favorite had to be 'The Door in the Field' where we follow Ray whose life changes after one mistake at work. The story is a gore fest and really makes you wonder if Ray is actually telling the truth. The other three stories follow a different array of characters who find themselves in terrible situations. They are filled with a gross amount of detail (in a good way).

Midwestern Gothic by Scott Thomas is a collection of four horror novellas all set in Kansas, centered around Blantonville, a place you should be familiar with if you’ve read any of Thomas’s other novels. Each story is more unsettling than the last; the author has a foreboding way of writing that makes the feeling of imposing doom something to be choked on. These stories don’t focus on haunted objects, buildings, or people. These stories focus on the land; it’s the land that is haunted: “...for you can own a structure but you cannot truly own the land upon which it sits.” Thomas very successfully gives life to the land, which makes these stories all the more sinister. Here is a breakdown of the stories included in this collection:

The Door in the Field: Follows Ray, a construction worker who, after a terrible accident, has trouble controlling his temper, which leads to devastating consequences. (Favorite quote: “If I’m seeing it, is it seeing me?”)

Wear Your Secret Like A Stone: Follows Tara, an employee of BuyBig (which reminded me of Costco), who is determined to find the woman who complained about the book Tara chose for the store's Halloween display. What she discovers isn’t at all what she bargained for. (Favorite quote: “Nobody is exactly what people think they are. We all wear masks for one reason or another.”)

The Boy in the Woods: Follows 10-year-old Eddie and what should have been his last night at Summer Camp. What unfolds is a night full of unspeakable terror. Something's wrong with the camp counselors. (Favorite quote: “He had once heard that the weight of a soul was a few grams, but the unbelievable heaviness left by its absence was immeasurable.”)

One Half of a Child’s Face: Follows Sienna, recently divorced, who spies on her ex-husband and daughter in the apartment building down the hill. When a mysterious entity visits and threatens to take her child, Sienna will stop at nothing to make sure her daughter is safe. (Favorite quote: “Remember what you lost. But never forget what you still have.”)

Thank you to the author, Scott Thomas, Netgalley, and Inkshares for allowing me to read this ARC early. All opinions are my own. Midwestern Gothic publishes on April 30th.