Let There Be Dark is the perfect gateway into the world of Tim McWhorter. Eight stories to spark the imagination. As a relatively new writer, three novels and one previous short story collection you may not be familiar with Tim's work, but he's certainly worth discovering and this book is a wonderful place to start.
Rope Burns - I love this story of a haunted restroom at a Walgreens in Salem, Massachusettes. It sounds a bit funny to put it that way, but this tale is anything but. Sad that there's a chain pharmacy where such a tragic event was purported to occur.
"They're selling multi-pack condoms and lube right here on the very spot where they hung Bridget Bishop and the others. Isn't that quaint? I bet the ladies would be thrilled to know."
The Company You Keep - A thoroughly enjoyable mob story with a bit of a twist. One of those stories which start off in one direction and ends up somewhere totally unexpected.
The Bridge - One of the most effective ghost stories I've read in some time and one which is likely to rip your heart out. Tread lightly.
"The legend of the Alderson Road Bridge was well known to those in the surrounding counties. The story of babies crying in the night had long ago established itself in the area's folklore."
No Saints Here - You'll really appreciate the title when you get to the end of this twisted little tale.
Pigs - Pig farming ain't quite as glamorous as it might seem.
The Dark Side - A tale which gave me the creeps. It's the story of a blackout room and captures the scares of such exposure.
"Brent wasn't about to be deterred. He is as excited about his first blackout experience as a kid about to attend her first boy\girl birthday party."
Growing Cold Together - A potty break in the middle of a snow-covered forest on the way to a resort lodge leads to terrifying results. Although I had never heard of the creature in this story, I looked it up on Wikipedia and found it to be a nocturnal fearsome critter from American folklore that preys upon humans that wander the woods. There is plenty of horror crammed into this short story.
Skull Session - Infernales. A store which features a number of oddities, including shrunken heads.
Tim McWhorter doesn't miss a beat. With a knack for the unexpected twist, he manages to deliver a number of surprises in this, his second collection of short work.
My highest recommendation.
Published by Hydra Publications, Let There Be Dark is available in both paperback and e-book formats.
From the author's bio - Tim McWhorter was born under a waning crescent moon, and while he has no idea what the significance is, he thinks it sounds really cool to say. A graduate of Otterbein College with a BA in Creative Writing, he is the author of the novella Shadows Remain, the suspense-thrillers, Bone White, and its sequel, Blackened, and a collection of short stories titled Swallowing The Worm and Other Stories. Tim lives the suburban life just outside of Columbus, OH, with his wife, a handful of children and a few obligatory 'family' pets that have somehow become solely his responsibility. He is currently hard at work on another thriller with just enough horror to keep you up at night.
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