This collection really got the hair on my arms reaching for the stars! I found this book to be quite exciting and worth the read.

This is a chilling collection of from some heavy hitters of modern horror. With themes of grief, the supernatural and inhuman, each of these stories packed a punch.

Jackknife by Joe Hill follow Dennis Lange, a man ruined and desperate for a comeback. But instead he awakens evil via a jackknife he finds stabbed into a gnarled old tree. What ensues is nothing short of pure terror.

The Indigo Room by Stephen Graham Jones brings us Jennifer, a middle manager of an office. She is in a boardroom, another boring meeting right? She soon sees a one of her colleagues, headless, right across the boardroom table during a change in lighting. Are her eyes playing tricks on her or, is she having a vision of the future?

The Blanks by Grady Hendrix takes us to Jeckle Island, where residents have an unspoken pact with the island’s unnatural: ignore them and you can live happily. But, one boy does not look away and must now pay the price of breaking the rules.

Night and Day in Misery by Catriona Ward is a rather bleak story starring Stella, a woman who visits Room 17 of a ramshackle hotel. This was the last stop on her husband and son’s journey … Eight years after their deaths, she is hoping to commune with their memories. Her stay blurs the lines between reality and the supernatural bringing us to a gut-wrenching ending.

Letter Slot by Owen King is a tale of a struggling teenager, who pours out his worries in a letter and impulsively drops it through the mail slot of an abandoned show house. A response arrives, promising good fortune for the price of just one name of someone he hates … the cost of living keeps rising and it demands payment. The reveal on this one was worth every second.

I would absolutely recommend these short stories to any horror fan. Thank you to Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for the ARCs. Check out these stories when they publish April 15, 2025.

Shivers ends on a high note. As ever — and in only a few dozen pages — Owen King has developed characters you'll empathize with, even the imperfect ones. And he's created a memorable, mythical creep the likes of which could only have been born from King's brain. The Letter Slot is a captivating read with a surprising, tidy, satisfying finish.

Jackknife by Joe Hill
4 stars

Joe Hill is so good at writing short stories; I get very excited every time I see he has a new story or anthology coming out, and Jackknife did not disappoint.

A disgraced college professor running from scandal rents an airbnb temporarily while he tries to get his life back together. When he discovers an unusual jackknife pinned deep in the trunk of an ominous tree in the woods surrounding his rental, he decides to take the knife. But that knife just might have been left in the tree for a purpose, and the demons he’s fighting are about to become much more real.

It takes a really good horror writer to make a tree scary! I really enjoyed this story, especially the suspenseful atmosphere; each time we encounter the tree it gets more ominous, and the dread rises with each page. Without spoiling anything, the ending was not at all what I was expecting either, and I love it when a story surprises me.

I would recommend Jackknife to readers who love creepy forests and unusual antagonists in horror.


The Indigo Room by Stephen Graham Jones
4 stars

This story was not at all what I was expecting, but it was very good!

Jennifer is sitting through a painfully boring but ordinary work meeting when she has a disturbing and impossible vision. She is deeply shaken, but still has so much work left in the day as she fights to balance her work life and her role as a mother, so she tries to put the experience out of her mind. But the vision may have been a warning for the whole office.

This story balanced the real life struggles of women in the modern workplace with supernatural horror, and it works really well. Elements of dark humor throughout mix with the uncertainty of what’s happening, keeping the reader guessing. When the mystery is solved, all the puzzle pieces fall perfectly into place in a horrifying way.

I loved the way this author balanced the supernatural horror with “real life” horror- the struggles and secret fears of parenting being a main example. This story felt realistic, but with just enough horror and uncertainty to make it an unsettling read, and I really enjoyed it.

I would recommend The Indigo Room to readers who enjoy the show Severance, ghost stories, and sinister office settings.


The Blanks by Grady Hendrix
5 stars

What would you be willing to live with-or sacrifice-for a picture-perfect, blessed life?

This story scared me to death and deeply disturbed me in just a few pages, and is easily one of the creepiest stories I’ve ever read. I’m not going to say anything else because I think this one is best to jump into blind, but if you are a fan of horror stories, you have to read The Blanks.


Night and Day in Misery by Catriona Ward
5 stars

This is an absolutely heartbreaking but strangely beautiful story. Catriona Ward is as much a master of short fiction as full-length novels, and I’m going to be thinking about this one for a long time.

A woman coping with personal tragedy and loss visits the last place her late husband and son stayed before they died. She is hoping to find closure before joining them in death, but she finds something else instead.

This story takes a deep-dive into grief, specifically the grief of losing a child, so be aware of that before starting to read; but the loss and pain is handled so gently and well, and makes this story meaningful. This is a deeply emotional ghost story, and its impact lies in the raw vulnerabilities it displays.


Letter Slot by Owen King
5 stars

What a fantastic story. This is actually the first of Owen King’s work I’ve read, but now I need to go read everything else he’s written!

When a teenager puts an anonymous letter through the mail slot of an abandoned house, he doesn’t expect to receive a reply. Nor does he expect to be offered a deal: if he writes down the name of one person he hates and puts it through the letter slot of the old home, he’ll get good luck in exchange. But there are hidden costs to every bargain, and soon he will have to decide how much of his soul good luck is worth.

I enjoyed all the stories in The Shivers Collection, but I think this one was my favorite. It had an almost old-school horror feel to it; classic and vaguely familiar, but with a modern twist. It was such a unique and creepy concept too, putting a new spin on a creepy abandoned house. Incorporating the very real horror of medical costs and insurance in the US made the story feel relatable and uncomfortabley realistic, complementing the supernatural horror. This was a great story that I loved, and I’m going to go see if my library has anything else by Owen King right after finishing this review!

I would recommend Letter Slot to readers who enjoy sinister bargains and creepy abandoned houses.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the arc of The Shivers Collection! All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

I would like to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read an eARC of this collection of books.

I am a big horror aficionado, and this collection has short stories from 5 pretty big names in the genre -- Joe Hill, Stephen Graham Jones, Grady Hendrix, Catriona Ward & Owen King. These 5 stories are short, but don't be fooled, they are dark and chilling and creepy.

The first story, Jackknife, by Joe Hill, is about an old tree that seems to have a mind of it's own. It can move, and it is definitely out for blood. When Dennis comes across it while out hiking, and pulls a jackknife from its trunk, little does he know what he has just awoken and unleashed.

The second story is The Indigo Room, by Stephen Graham Jones. After a lighting-incident during a work meeting in the Indigo Room, Jennifer feels unsettled, because she SAW THINGS. She can't put what she saw out of her mind. Then her ex-husband drops her son off on her at work, which is against the rules, making her more stressed out; especially when her boss shows up unannounced. It's already a recipe for disaster, when a workplace accident occurs, making Jennifer realize that the horrible things she saw in the Indigo Room had just come true.

The third story was The Blanks, by Grady Hendrix. It follows a family summering at an exclusive beach town. They are having a great time, until one of the kids sees something he shouldn't. A Blank. They all try to pretend it didn't happen, and that everything will be fine. Because as long as you don't see them, everything is okay; as long as you don't notice them, you are lucky and blessed. But 11-year-old Callum did see them. And no he and his family must face the consequences.

The fourth story, Night and Day in Misery by Catriona Ward was absolutely heartbreaking. Stella is on a trip in Missouri (aka Misery) to the last place her husband and 2-year-old son stayed 8 years ago, right before they both died tragically in a car accident. Her goal, ultimately, is to join them in death, but the hotel and its ghosts have other plans for her.

The last story in the collection was Letter Slot by Owen King. It follows a boy, Blake, and his mother Wendy, who are hard up on life following an injury Wendy sustained. When Blake gets a writing assignment in class, he puts his letter through the slot on a ramshackle house. And gets a surprising reply. Soon his luck starts to change for the better...but at what cost?

These 5 stories were all very good and dark and creepy. They definitely make you look twice around you in the dark at night. A fabulous collection of short horror thrillers from 5 great authors! Fans of any of the authors will want to check this collection out!

5 stories that'll give you the shivers.

JACKKNIFE

I received an advanced copy of this short story from NetGalley and devoured it in one sitting. While I didn’t necessarily enjoy it, I was amazed by Joe Hill’s writing. It was atmospheric, eerie, and put me in a distinctive mood.

The story itself is fairly plain—a man ruined by scandal and a mysterious sycamore tree.

It’s a quick read, and fans of Joe Hill will definitely love it.

THE INDIGO ROOM

Oh, this is kinda freaky. I never thought a simple office meeting could turn into a sinister foreshadowing of accidents. What’s the play here?

This was okay—nothing special or extraordinary. I liked the characters, but I would’ve liked to know why Sharon summoned them to the Blue Room.

Hope the next short story is better.

THE BLANKS

OMG. This is unsettling. How could anyone do that to a child? How could anyone pretend? Why would anyone go somewhere like that?

This is just sad—beautifully written but strange. The last part of the story will absolutely break your heart.


NIGHT AND DAY IN MISERY

For me, this is not a horror story. Yes, the motel is a bit spooky, but overall, this is a heartbreaking journey of a mother who lost her son in an accident.

I feel for Stella—her anguish, her grief, her desire to be with her son in the afterlife. Truly, grief has no end, especially for a mother who couldn’t be there for her child when he needed her the most.

LETTER SLOT

This is so good! Owen King really wrote something realistic. I loved the idea of the letter slot granting good fortune to the main character—I mean, he has a troubled life, and when the chance of a lifetime knocked on his door, he took it.

I felt bad about the consequences, but I guess some people, if given the chance to make wishes for a better life, would probably ignore the misery their desires inflict on others.

My favourite story in the series!

I love reading the Amazon short story collections and always look forward to new ones coming out! This was an interesting collection with a great selection of authors! I found some to be hits and some to be misses!

Jackknife
⭐️⭐️
I did not DNF because I was hoping the story would make sense by the end. No, this just wasn’t good. I have SO many unanswered questions. Dennis was a bad guy and I guess he got his.

The Indigo Room
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I enjoyed this story. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to know what was going on. The ending was a bit abrupt, but that often happens with short story.

The Blanks
⭐️⭐️
I feel sick to my stomach after reading this. Maybe that was the goal, to make me feel something awful. Those are not parents. That’s all I’m going to say.

Night and Day in Misery
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This short story gave me chills. It’s every mother’s worst nightmare. Very well written.

Letter Slot
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I think this was my favorite of the collection. I was the ending coming, but not the twist right before. I found this one compulsive with great character development for a short story!

Jackknife - Joe Hill

I was debating on 3 or 4 stars for Jackknife, and ultimately decided it deserved 4 stars. It was such a ridiculous short story, but the ending did make me want to know what else happened. This was the second book I’ve ever read by Joe Hill, the first being another short story “The Ushers”. Completely different vibes, however both ended with cliffhangers, allowing the readers to come to their own conclusions. Not even mad at it. In my version, Dennis got what he deserved for being such a sleazy dude. (Great job making him unlikable, Joe!)
All-in-all, if you’re looking for a weird and short trip, give Jackknife a shot.


The Indigo Room - Stephen Graham Jones

Wtf did I just read?? The Indigo Room was such a wild ride! It definitely had some heart pounding moments. Easily 4 stars. You follow Jennifer as she goes through the motions of dealing with her hallucinations/predictions, and you can feel the suspense. Especially with the elevator scene. Phew, buddy. I enjoyed this short story, and I’ll have to check out more of Stephen’s work.


The Blanks - Grady Hendrix

Jesus Christ The Blanks was so f*cked up. The beginning was a bit choppy, but I’m also reading an uncorrected proof, so the main things I noticed should be fixed before the book comes out.

I want to give you full disclosure before you read The Blanks… When you realize what’s happening, and when you get to the end, it is really, really f*cked up. Do not read this short story thinking it’s just a horror story where everybody is fine in the end. It is not that. Personally I’m someone who enjoys messed up stories, so for me, this was really good. I also really like Grady Hendrix’s books, so I could be a little biased there. This one had my heart pounding and my brain yelling, “Noooooo!” Would read again, and when it’s out, I’ll very likely be purchasing it and adding it to my collection.


Night and Day in Misery - Catriona Ward

Maybe I’m just easy to please, but I believe Night and Day in Misery was so good. It really wasn’t scary, but… Heartbreaking.
8 years ago, Stella lost her son and husband. She took a road trip mimicking the one they had taken when it happened, stopping at the hotel they had last stayed at. It’s pretty clear she intends on ending her life. My heart hurt so much for her, and maybe that’s because I’m also a mother, and I put myself in her shoes. It was just seriously so heart wrenching to read.
I gave this book 5 stars because it was so well written and I could really feel Stella’s pain. I absolutely believe this one is worth the read.


Letter Slot - Owen King

Uuuuugh…. Letter Slot was so good! It was immersive and well written. I need to read more of Owen King’s books if this is how his short story made me feel. I’ve said before that maybe I’m easy to please, but honestly that’s not a bad thing. I ate up every second of this story.
Blake is just a teenage kid down on his luck. He ends up making some sketchy deals with his good Pal. Pal makes promises and then delivers on them, and there are consequences. This might have been my favorite short story out of The Shivers Collection if I’m being honest. I hope whoever else reads it enjoys it as much as I did!

The Shivers Collection—five short stories. One each by Joe Hill, Stephen Graham Jones, Grady Hendrix, Catriona Ward, and Owen King.
Hill—A disgraced professor battles a tree
Graham Jones—An office worker can predict harm coming to others
Hendrix—A seaside town has an issue with monsters
Ward—A grieving mother decides to end her life, but is visited by an youthful apparition
King—An unlucky teen bargain ps with his “pal” to improve his life

Overall, I liked the Grady Hendrix story the best

Thanks to Amazon Original Stories& NetGalley for copies of these short stories.

I feel like a horror short story has done its job if I'm shocked or weirded out or creeped out -- a little shock to the system. This happened for me with all 4 stories, so I'm going to be recommending it. I'm not surprised because I already appreciate the writers. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

Jackknife (by Joe Hill) 3/5
A disgraced man tries to get away from it all, renting a house & hoping to use the time to come up with a new get rich/famous scheme. Something odd catches his eye one day, during a routine walk. Did he really see an old tree move?
This story dragged a little, and it was hard to make it through the text because of how completely unlikable the main character was (the characterization is good, maybe too much so!), but the writing style is good so I kept reading. The ending is a pretty dramatic cliffhanger, so it's ultimately up to the reader as to what happens next.

The Indigo Room (by Stephen Graham Jones) 1/5
An extremely boring office meeting turns into something very sinister. Did a woman really see something strange when the lights were turned off? Is it just her nerves, stress from her rocky marriage? Or is it all a warning?
The story could have been perfect, but the author's writing style was very difficult to get through. The writing is very disjointed, like getting bits of overheard conversations that never quite connect into something coherent.

The Blanks (by Grady Hendrix) 1/5
An island community is seemingly idyllic, offering a welcome escape from hectic city life. Except that sometimes, things appear from out of nowhere. Strange things, things that people rather ignore. How far would some go to maintain the illusion of paradise?
The world building is pretty weak here, and it was hard to get a grip on the mythology behind the 'creatures' in the island community. The parents come off as clueless and ignorant, and descend into cartoonish villainy towards the end (really, making THAT trade just for a nice holiday retreat?). I think the author was maybe trying for a creepy, cultish-esque community vibe, but that's not how the story comes across.

Night & Day In Misery (by Catriona Ward) 3/5
A troubled woman visits a rundown hotel, staying at the same room that her husband and son did some time ago. She has a plan in mind, and is very determined to see it to completion. Eerie and creepy things start happening around her, causing her to question her reality and ask questions about her troubled family past.
This was written so well, and it goes very DARK towards the end. It's a very grounded horror story, focusing more on family drama and tragic consequences. Still, when the author focuses on the more abstract/supernatural elements, the story gets truly good.

Letter Slot (by Owen King) 3/5
A teenaged boy finds himself with a chance to turn his troubled life around. Will a trade for some luck be worth it? Will there really be any consequences to it?
This is a pretty good take on the classic 'monkey's paw' trope, with some great characterization for pretty much everyone. The author does a great job making little details seem very important, and making you feel for the characters (even when they're making some bad decisions).

I love the Amazon short story series, I usually read every one even if some I wouldn’t ordinarily choose as they are short reads. In this series my favourite one was the 4th one by Catriona Ward. Definitely worthwhile reads and if you have reading goals they all add to that. Overall, some good quick reads, but not as good as the Amazon obsession collection series.