After Midnight, Daphne du Maurier’s short story collection is bone chillingly superb. There is a subtlety to the way she builds suspense in her storytelling. Nobody writes better than Daphne du Maurier..

Du Maurier is a classic for a reason! Classic gothic tropes in this eerie story collection where women are slowly unraveling or they are being gaslight!

I reread Rebecca earlier this year and absolutely loved it, so I was excited to snag After Midnight and get more acquainted with her short writing!

This collection of short stories absolutely floored me. The writing is timeless, and compelling. The plots are dark, unsettling, and completely unique. There wasn’t a single story that didn’t completely grip me, and the forward by Stephen King was a great way to tie the collection together. Maybe one of my favorite reads so far this year!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, I can’t wait to buy this when it comes out.

The author of my all time absolute favorite book, Rebecca. Thrilled to be able to read this story collection by her. She was a phenomenal author and these stories are continued proof of this. Some I had read already and others were new to me. Great collection.

A newly reissued collection of Daphne du Maurier’s short works. Some of these were familiar to me, most were new. It is an excellent and comprehensive collection with an introduction by Stephen King that is also worth a read.
Obviously the stories are excellent, I have no notes. (Like anybody would give notes to Daphne du Maurier).
It took me some time to work my way through the collection; Ms. du Maurier’s work is so elegant and evocative that one needs to take one’s time with it. I also feel compelled to warn readers new to her work that she can really set a mood; the mood is apprehension at mildest, followed by dread, even terror. This is not the kind of thing to read before bedtime.
But you should read it, Daphne du Maurier deserves to be know for more than Rebecca (even though Rebecca remains my favorite). She was one hell of a writer.
One final comment-The stories hold up well; they do not feel contemporary exactly, but definitely not anachronistic.
Highly recommend.

DuMaurier is an expert at developing suspense and intrigue. These stories in particular are dark and the endings are frequently quite twisted. Short story writing at its best from a master of the genre.

After Midnight by Daphne du Maurier, is a collection of thirteen wonderfully creepy stories, including The Birds, which Alfred Hitchcock effectively re-wrote for the big screen. While I am not usually a fan of British literature, du Maurier has always been an exception, with her haunting descriptions of uncertainty and macabre reality. Ultimately, terror is the result of misgivings, wrong turns, and lack of identification. It’s in the small, everyday occurences that can be overlooked where du Maurier shines best, picking apart and casting doubt on decisions that normally would not matter…until they do. I had previously only read one other story in this offering, and it was just as chilling the second time I read it. The others were new to me, and a very good read.

This is a solid collection of thirteen eerie short stories by Daphne du Maurier, including “The Birds” (which is very different from the movie—both versions are great). Most of the stories were worth reading, though some definitely stood out more than others. “The Breakthrough” was probably my favorite. The intro by Stephen King was a nice touch, though he does spoil a bit too much. If you’ve liked her writing before, there’s a good chance you’ll find something here to enjoy.

these short stories were so ridiculously creepy and eerie. stephen king's foreword warned me of it, but i was still not prepared. as an unapologetic Rebecca fan (but not a fan of horrors/thrillers), i was not expecting the chokehold this collection would have on me.

I'm not going to lie, I requested this just to read Stephen King's foreword. I've read a lot of Daphne du Maurier; she was a woman before her time with her writing and to hear the appreciation that King has for her makes me respect them both all the more.

Thank you, NetGalley and Scribner for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

What can I say about a short story collection from an acclaimed author with the notoriety of Daphne Du Maurier? I was so stoked when I was allowed to read this book early. It’s a great compilation of many of Dumaurier’s creepiest short stories and a few that were adapted into classic Hitchcock films. She was way ahead of her time.

No surprise, but my favorite was “The Birds”. Maybe it’s because it’s so nostalgic. I saw the movie years ago, but the story is very different, and in my opinion, I liked it better. But when is the book not better than the movie? The other stories were also creepy and thought provoking. If you’ve never read anything by Du Maurier, then this is a good place to start. It gives great stories that are quick and entertaining and gives you a taste of her writing style. I highly recommend this and I will buy a copy when it comes out in print. This seems like a great book to have on my shelf.

As Stephen King, arguably the master of horror, has put it Du Maurier can write horror. Not just creepy settings and characters, but spine-chilling horror that makes you second guess your world or what you know to be true.

I adore Rebecca, always have always will and in that you got a very drawn-out gothic story where you were never quite sure who the characters were because the narrator was telling us everything. Now, if you have read it, imagine that but condensed into short stories. You'd think it would be hard, but not for Du Maurier. Somehow her shorts can pack even more of a punch. Before this, I had read a few of the stories such as "The Birds" and "The Blue Lenses", the former being one of my favorites. I think this new collection is a good round-up, though the order seemed a little willy-nilly. I would also note that despite being the introduction, you should probably skip King's fawnings because he ends giving away a few important plot points which I realized as I was reading.

This new collection of stories from Daphne du Maurier highlights some of her most famous works - including the short story that inspired the movie, the Birds. I had actually only ever read Rebecca before, so this was my first introduction to reading Daphne du Maurier's short stories - and what a wild ride it was. Like any short story collection, there were highs and lows. But, I don't think I'll ever forget "The Blue Lenses," "Don't Look Now," or "The Birds" (of course). I also loved the intro by Stephen King - it really got me excited about immediately digging into the book.

A dark and mystical collection of 13 macabre stories from author Daphne du Maurier.
An apple tree bearing down a recently widowed man. Millions of birds attacking with the tides. A mystic encounter that ruins a couple's holiday.
I am not sure of the overall message/theme of this collection, other than each story having some mystical or deathly element that is underpinning each snippet of story. I did not like the first story, The Blue Lenses, I don't think it fit well with the other stories and almost made me not want to continue with the anthology. I think that putting one of the other stories like The Apple Tree or The Alibi first would have been a better decision because those were more gripping. Each short story has a clear(ish) plot, with very gorgeous prose on du Maurier's part. While I didn't enjoy all of the stories, each left me with an eerie feeling or sensation that left me wondering more.

4 stars

A collection of thirteen short stories, including “The Birds” (which is nothing like the film; both are good.) To my recollection “The Birds” is the only one that I had read before. Nearly all were worth reading, some better than others of course, but all nice and eerie in some way. The introduction to the collection is by Stephen King, and, as much as I hate to criticize the master in any way, he gives away a little too much about some of the stories when talking about them. “The Breakthrough” was probably my favorite. Some good stuff here, and if you’ve enjoyed her in the past you’ll find something (likely multiple somethings) to like in this volume.