There are several excellent short stories nestled within this book.

S. Clayton Rhodes' "Twilight at the Zombie Game Preserve" probably stood out as my favorite as it seasoned its zombie tale with an urban legend involving infidelity.

I enjoyed Simon McCaffery’s story though his desire to needlessly pepper it with capitals proved distracting by the tale's conclusion. Tim Waggoner's "Hide and Seek" felt similar to Chuck Wendig's "Shotgun Gravy," which is wholly a compliment.

Several of the stories within the collection possessed strong starts, but turned to the same tropes (evil grannies with seemingly supernatural sway over their families were the top offender).

Mostly, I found some of the other stories a little empty. There were moments of originality in each story, but it fell to clever descriptions of places and people at the beginnings. By the time I reached the end of some stories, I was ready to be killed off as the protagonist invariably was.

It is a hefty tome and I’ll be the first to admit that other readers are going to find gems where I found coal because the stories are well-written. It’s a mixed bag, but full of talented writers who are sure to please readers wanting a lengthy book (212 Pages) at a modest price.