Read by Dawn - Volume 1 Hosted by Ramsey Campbell (Bloody Books April 2006)
'Bloody Books' is curated by Adele Hartley (Director of Scotland's International Horror Film Festival 'Dead By Dawn').
Website is here:
www.bloodybooks.comIntroduction - Ramsey Campbell
The Colour In The Jar - David McGillveray
Last Day On The Job - Jeff Jacobson
Bloodwalker - Michelle Lee
The Face in the Glass - Brian G Ross
The Seventh Green at Lost Lakes - Scott Brendel
Zombie Fishing Trip - Brian Rosenberger
The Bridge Chamber - Rayne Hall
Lessons - Katherine A Patterson
Popee - Justin Madison
Before You Say Anything - Amanda Lawrence Auvergine
The Bride Wore Black - Brian Rosenberger
The Sutherland King - David Hitchison
Payday - Bryce Stevens
The Little Girl Who Lives in the Woods - Ralph Robert Moore
The Kyleska Trow - Stefan Pearson
The Bloom Of Decay - Patricia MacCormack
Final Girl - Joe L Murr
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (1943) - Lavie Tidhar
Evangeline - Andrew J Wilson
For a Steal - Stephanie Bedwell-Grime
Frankie - Matt Wedge
Stuck - Samuel Minier
House Broken - James Reilly
The Woman Who Coughs Up Flies - David Turnbull
Special Offer - John Llewellyn Probert
Body Hunt - Chet Gottfried
The Place of Revelation - Ramsey Campbell
What Betty Saw - Joel Jacobs
Endpiece - Ramsey Campbell
The Colour In The Jar - David McGillverayOn a violent and grungy housing estate the Smiling Man arrives. He is Satan's debt collector and he wants what Old Jeb has got, but Old Jeb is already dead and his flat is being robbed by the unluckiest pair of low life youths ever.
Bloodwalker - Michelle LeeIn this one telepaths, lycanthropes and witches are now an accepted minority in society. The Midgaurd Police Department employ psychics and werewolves. Raven Hall is the Bloodwalker of the title, she gets psychic 'flashbacks' when she tastes the blood of victims of crime. She is also a Forensic scientist working for the Midgaurd PD, with her assistant Daniel who is a lycanthrope and can track scents while in his wolf form. They are on the case of a missing child... This is my least favourite so far. It comes across like pilot for a TV cop show, also a bit X-Men like at times. You could call it CSI - Supernatural.
The Face In The Glass - Brian G. RossA very short but very effective story - a domestic scene of a young mother cleaning the oven, till the glass door shines. Then a brief glimpse of the future but not enough to warn her of what is to come. Chlling ending.
The Seventh Green At Lost Lakes - Scott BrendelExcellent story and the strongest in the collection so far, in my opinion. In it Arthur C Levant and his associate Paul (or strongarm heavy if you like) go to the Lost Lakes Golf Club, an exclusive club for the wealthy and powerful. Mr Levant plays a game with the club owner Eldritch Gore, a creepy man with secrets. The dialogue between the two men is entertainingly icy with threatening undertones. Lost Lakes itself is beautiful yet sinister, as Paul notices as he caddies for Mr Levant... Great story, anyone know of other things this guy has done?
Popee - Justin MadisonPopee is Grandpa Hooper who, after a good long life with his loving family, drops dead at the dinner table with his face in a bowl of tomato soup. The gathered family members take some time to discuss this unusual event, one even sticks a fork in the old man to see if he's really dead. But after 5 minutes Popee suddenly sits up. He's still hungry - but not for soup... A bizarrely comic story about the living dead, and false teeth...
The Sutherland King - David HitchisonThe Sutherland King is a baking competition which has been won by Flora for many years, she is proud her name appears so often on the trophy. Her friend, neighbour and competitor Kennac aches to know the secret ingredient in Flora's shortbread. Then one day Flora leaves the curtains open in the kitchen while she bakes, and over the road Kennac reaches for her dead husband's binoculars...