Ushers is a short story by award-winning, best-selling American author, Joe Hill. Twenty-three-year-old counsellor, Martin Lorenson is being questioned by FBI Special Agents John Oates and Anthony Duvall. He didn’t get on a train that crashed, killing twenty-eight and injuring another one hundred and sixty, but what has them suspicious is that he told Audrey Giovanni not to get on the train, or she would die.

What he tells them checks out: he couldn’t have had anything to do with the crash, but it’s not his first narrow escape: the Agents aren’t fully convinced. He’s a likeable enough young man who works at a secure residential facility for disturbed teenagers, and later, he offers to share the truth with Duvall, a story so fantastic that Duvall decides he should be at a mental health facility, but as a patient, not part of the staff. It couldn’t be true, could it? This is a brilliant little dose of Joe Hill’s talent.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories.

This is a perfect short story for a dark winter night! I love well-written short stories, and I thought this one was perfect in story, tone, and pacing. My favorite of his short stories up till now was The Pram, but I think Ushers is in first place now; I would read an entire book exploring this concept. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a fun, eerie short read.

This is a nice quick, fun short story. Not wholly original but enough of a twist to make it unique. I’d love to read more with this character.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Joe Hill for allowing me to read Ushers.
I really enjoyed this short story. It kept me guessing and wondering who the Ushers are and would be. It was well written and engaging. I would definitely recomend to my friends.

I enjoyed the short story well enough, but it didn’t really hit the way I wanted it to. It took me a while to get into it and I didn’t really care if Martin was guilty or not. I wish the ushers got more than one paragraph because I barely understood how impacted Marin to begin with. Overall, it was a solid short story, but I was hoping for more.

This could have used a LOT more meat, but that's mostly a AAA this is so good i need more kinda thing. 5 stars, really cool idea, hoping to see it as a full ~300 page novel at some point.

Perfect for October - very spooky and eerie. I loved the contrast between the characters and the internal monologuing around all of their questioning

4.5 stars rounded up

What a fun short story! I love Joe Hill’s writing and imaginative take on the horror genre. In this story we follow to detectives as they interview a young man who recently avoided a train accident. To say anything else may give the plot away.

I enjoyed this work and found it engaging and eerie in the short amount of time it had. Highly recommend to horror lovers!

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for access to this ebook in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC

I love Joe Hill's short fiction. This was a surprisingly hard hitting and thought provoking story.

This was a short little novella with a very interesting concept. I wish it was a bit longer or perhaps a full length novel was being developed for this as I believe the concept of seeing the grim reaper and saving their victims is a great premise.

This was a very short read but even though it was short, it was not at all lacking in substance. It follows a man who manages to escape tragedy not once, but twice. But is it luck or something more?
It was a unique concept and very well written, especially considering the length of the story. Hill managed to pack an engaging and interesting story into a 20-30 minute read. I highly recommend this one!

Short, sweet, spooky, perfect palette cleanser between reads. I really enjoyed how this story was a little bittersweet around the events that happened and the way it treated death despite giving very eerie vibes with the visuals.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy!

Twilight Zone meets Steven King in this delightful horror short story. Buckle up, Joe Hill delivers a phenomenonal tale that you can't put down!
Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC of this book!

Ooh this was short but strange and I loved it! I'd highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys novellas, especially anyone in that category who is also in a slump. Short but good reads like this always seem to help me break up my larger novels I'm reading at the time.

Joe Hill just got added to the list of authors for me to watch! I have my fingers crossed my request for this titles audiobook will be accepted as well, so I can compare the two and get back to you with my thoughts!

{Thank you bunches to NetGalley, Joe Hill and Amazon Original Sotires for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!}

Joe Hill is a master of the horror short story!

It's been awhile since I've read one of his stories or novels and I was glad to dive back into his writing. Ushers is a fast paced, twisty horror story of a man who somehow keeps escaping death.

The ending was the cherry on top, definitely pick this up for a little spooky tidbit.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's not often you see a "nepo-baby" impress, but I can officially declare Joe Hill has his father's gift. I think this is the first I've read by him, but it's very well done. At just over 30ish pages on Kindle (with my font/layout choices) it's a quick read. But it's not just because it's a short story it went so quickly! It flows well, much as the style of his father Stephen King.

I won't keep comparing the two, as it does feel distinctly different. Prior to reading this, I hadn't really had a strong desire to seek out his other works, but now I'm all for it. I'll absolutely be adding his other titles to my list of "TBR". If anyone has any recommendations that'd be great, but for now I'll see what my library has available.

I give "Ushers" a solid 4.5, which I'll round up to 5 stars. An excellent semi-suspense drama with a touch of the supernatural.
Thanks for NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the ARC.

Ushers by Joe Hill is a brilliantly crafted short story that, like all good shorts, left me wanting more. Hill has a knack for blending horror with a creeping sense of inevitability, and Ushers captures that perfectly. This story taps into the essence of suspense and fear, reminding me of the twists and atmospheric tension in movies like The Sixth Sense and Final Destination.

Hill’s storytelling is economical but impactful. He quickly establishes an eerie premise and gives just enough detail to draw you into his characters’ lives, leaving hints of a larger, more sinister world lurking in the shadows. There’s a palpable sense of dread that builds as the story unfolds, with each revelation making the conclusion feel as chilling as it is inevitable.

Ushers also plays with themes of fate and the unseen forces that seem to shape our lives—elements that are central to Final Destination and The Sixth Sense. Hill expertly walks the line between psychological and supernatural horror, leaving just enough to the imagination to keep you on edge.

If you’re a fan of suspenseful, mind-bending horror, Ushers is a short but powerful read that will linger long after you finish it. It’s a thrilling experience that leaves you wanting to dive even deeper into Hill’s darkly imaginative world.

Ushers by Joe Hill is a brilliantly crafted short story that, like all good shorts, left me wanting more. Hill has a knack for blending horror with a creeping sense of inevitability, and Ushers captures that perfectly. This story taps into the essence of suspense and fear, reminding me of the twists and atmospheric tension in movies like The Sixth Sense and Final Destination.

Hill’s storytelling is economical but impactful. He quickly establishes an eerie premise and gives just enough detail to draw you into his characters’ lives, leaving hints of a larger, more sinister world lurking in the shadows. There’s a palpable sense of dread that builds as the story unfolds, with each revelation making the conclusion feel as chilling as it is inevitable.

Ushers also plays with themes of fate and the unseen forces that seem to shape our lives—elements that are central to Final Destination and The Sixth Sense. Hill expertly walks the line between psychological and supernatural horror, leaving just enough to the imagination to keep you on edge.

If you’re a fan of suspenseful, mind-bending horror, Ushers is a short but powerful read that will linger long after you finish it. It’s a thrilling experience that leaves you wanting to dive even deeper into Hill’s darkly imaginative world.

Ushers follows Martin, a 23 year old counsellor who has managed to survive 2 mass casualty incidents in his short life. First a school shooting which claimed the lives of 18 of his peers and more recently a train derailment. Two detectives are questioning him about the events, suspecting him to be involved somewhat but they're not quite sure how. He warned two people not to get on the train.... but how could he possibly have known?

Wow. This short story had me hooked from the get go. Hill manages to set the tone and atmosphere very well. Considering it is only 29 pages long it certainly packs a punch.

The ending was somewhat predictable but the tension in the scene was palpable and that didn't spoil the experience for me.

I am excited to read more from this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon original stories for providing a copy for review. All opinions are my own.

Martin has survived two major incidents (a school shooting and a rain derailment), but is he lucky or is something else at work. Short story that had just enough space to leave you unnerved. I always enjoy Joe Hill, but this is possibly the shortest work I've read from him (and it works well).

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories for an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book was published on 11/1/24.