Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review as part of the Confessions Publicity book tour
Although Sussex Horrors has stories from three different writers there are many similarities, such as fog, darkness and glowing eyes that pierce your soul. I really enjoyed some of the stories while others left me wondering where the story was going. I thought The Rebirth by Mark Cassell was his best story. I was instantly into this mystery about a strange wooden egg that shows up on the doorstep. But the second half left me scratching my head and wondering what I missed or what was going on. Jonathan Broughton’s best story was Furzby Holt. It was creepy as all hell and filled with an oppressive darkness and monsters that were once humans. This was one of my favorite story in this anthology. The setting was eerie and I kept wondering if Kevin would find his destination, and return safely. I was connected to the character and was rooting for him all along!
Rayne Hall’s stories were all a hit for me. First, Normal, Considering the Weather, was cleverly told thru daily letters from the protagonist to her grandmother. I loved the progression of bugs, I hate them and they make my skin crawl. I loved how the plot comes to its conclusion with Mairi writing her last letter and wondering if the bugs will every leave. Next was Scruples, which was very short and had a perfect ending. I love a good twist and was surprised, I surely didn’t see that ending coming. Lastly, Double Rainbows, which was short, sweet, and left me wanting just a bit more as man thinks he can have his cake and eat it too. That never turns out well, and it didn’t here.
Book Info
Length: 156 Pages
Publisher: Herbs House
Release date: January 26, 2018
To Purchase Sussex Horrors Click Here
Three Sussex authors … Twelve horror stories.
Take a terrifying journey to a coastline associated with candyfloss and amusement arcades, and see it stripped to the bone.
Whether it’s seagulls that prove to be more than a nuisance, the mysterious inhabitants of a forgotten village, or a fisherman whose Easter eggs are not for consumption, the horrors are always there … and much closer than we care to admit.
Jonathan Broughton writes fantasy, horror, paranormal and urban stories. Any story in any genre in fact, depending on the idea or the plot that pops into his head.
For many years he lived in Hastings on the south coast of England and all of the stories in this anthology were written when he was by the sea.
As well as the short stories he has also written three novels. A thriller set in Victorian London at the outbreak of the Crimean War, a modern-day crime investigation that takes place in Hastings and a fantasy, also set in the East Sussex area, In the Grip of Old Winter.
In the fantasy, eleven-year-old Peter travels back in time to ten-sixty-six just after the Battle of Hastings. Intrigue and confusion blossom as the local population adjusts to life under the guidelines laid down by their newly victorious conquerors. And in the woods and the hidden places, old magic reawakens. It is hard for Peter to know who he can trust in this strange time and the decisions he has to make then impact on events in the past and in the present.
Many of Jonathan’s short stories have been published in Rayne Hall’s Ten Tales books and April Grey’s Hells… series.
He has worked as a Poll Clerk and a Presiding Officer for various local and general elections, an examinations invigilator and as a puppeteer in theatre, films and television. He now lives in the University City of Cambridge, UK.
www.amazon.com/author/jonathanbroughton
Mark Cassell lives on the south coast of England with his wife and a number of animals. He often dreams of dystopian futures, peculiar creatures, and flitting shadows. His jobs have included a baker, a laboratory technician, and a driving instructor, and 2018 sees him acting in the horror movie Monster directed by Matt Shaw.
As a familiar face on the UK convention scene, Mark sells his books as well as his photographic art, and doesn’t charge for selfies. The busy man that he is, he also hosts writing retreats for Writers’ HQ.
Primarily a horror author, his steampunk, dark fantasy, and sci-fi stories have featured in numerous reputable anthologies and zines. His best-selling debut novel The Shadow Fabric is closely followed by the popular short story collection Sinister Stitches and are both only a fraction of an expanding mythos of demons, devices, and deceit. The novella Hell Cat of the Holt further explores the Shadow Fabric mythos with ghosts and black cat legends.
The dystopian cyberpunk collection Chaos Halo 1.0: Alpha Beta Gamma Kill is in association with Future Chronicles Photography where he works closely with their models and cosplayers. He’s often alongside these guys at conventions all around the UK, and one of their shoots inspired the creation of his new Lovecraftian steampunk horror universe that begins with the novelette In the Company of False Gods available on Amazon.
Rayne Hall writes fantasy, horror and non-fiction, and is the author of over sixty books. Her horror stories are more atmospheric than violent, and more creepy than gory.
Born and raised in Germany, Rayne has lived in China, Mongolia, Nepal, Britain and Bulgaria. For many years, she resided in St Leonards on the coast of East Sussex where she penned many creepy stories, including the tales in this anthology.
Rayne has worked as an investigative journalist, development aid worker, museum guide, apple picker, tarot reader, adult education teacher, bellydancer, magazine editor, publishing manager and more, and now writes full time.
You’ll find free creepy horror stories on her website, and writing tips and photos of her cute book-reading black cat on Twitter.
Redski Redd an East Sussex based photographic artist specialising in beautiful, strange and spooky artwork.
Redski takes his inspiration from the charms that he finds online and in Hastings, Rye and Brighton antique and charity shops. In his photography studio, Redski turns everyday items, toys, and models, into stunning and unique photographic artwork.
He also creates original book cover artwork for horror novelist, Mark Cassell.
The Scary Reviews 
Thanks for hosting Sussex Horrors. And thank you for your detailed review. It’s always interesting to read which stories resonate most strongly with different readers. And I enjoyed looking through your site 🙂
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Thanks for reviewing our book. It’s fascinating to see how different reviewers perceive each story differently. The ones you particularly like were the ones another reviewer mentioned as his least favourite. (Maybe the ones he liked best were the ones you were less keen on. 🙂 ) Reading the reviews of this book has been enlightening, because it really shows how different readers’ tastes within the horror genre are.
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