Seven Tales of Horror

Review by Ronica Wahi

All the Halloweens

By William P. Mallory

First published: July 24, 2020, Independently Published.

Pages: 146.

ASIN: B08DC5W1YN

A collection of seven short horror tales – All the Halloweens by William P. Mallory – is a good option for an entertaining read, though not perhaps too suitable a choice for a late night one.

The stories are all different from one another, each with its unique plot. Mallory sure has creative ideas and the skill to stylishly put them forth. He has a knack for the development of plot – the way each tale progresses towards its respective point of climax and conclusion builds tension progressively within the reader. Each tale offers a distinct source or avenue of horror; collectively, the tales indicate that the scary or even evil can lurk or suddenly appear anywhere – in everyday things and situations, by just indulging in ordinary desires or curiosities.

Some stories are crafted better than others, achieving with greater force the objective of instilling fear and/or revulsion. Two in particular – “The Bad Apples Fall First” and “Old Movies and Rain” – do commendable jobs in gradually escalating tension and revealing the elements of the macabre.

However, the book needs serious editing. There are too many grammatical errors, usages of the wrong homophones (for instance, the use of “site” where the word should have been “sight”), and typos throughout – even the sequence in which the stories are listed in the “Contents” page and the exact titles as appear in this said page need editing. The first two stories in the collection contain many more errors than the other stories and for these two then, the presence of so many errors ends up disrupting the smooth flow of reading. Had the book been crisply edited, it would have left a far better impact.

Still, despite the errors, All the Halloweens is worth reading for the engaging storylines and for the thrills the style of progression offers.

 

Do check out All the Halloweens on Amazon India:

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3O6b4sg

Paperback (Import): https://amzn.to/3N2VtbD

 

DISCLAIMER: Ronica Wahi is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. If you make a purchase through any of the Amazon links provided by Ronica here, she may receive a small commission, without any extra cost to you.

 

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