Howdy campers and monster hunters!

Hope your hump day is going well so far. I’m still playing catch up at work after my long birthday celebration (my birthday was yesterday), so I’m ready for Friday already. Anywho, I read another short story!

This time I read The Beast of Fallow Pines by Harlan Graves.

I found this short story while researching who my competition was in the horror genre on Amazon. I’ve never heard of Harlan or his work, but I love short stories, and the blurb drew me right in! Needing a mental palette cleanser from my meh experience with My Best Friend’s Exorcism, I dove right into this one.

So, what did I think of this? Keep on reading!

Blurb

A tale of a man, his dog, and a monster in the woods.

David Ward set out to his late father’s long-abandoned cabin in the remote mountain wilderness of Fallow Pines to get off the grid and away from the memories of his old life. But when his dog goes missing, David quickly discovers that there is something lurking in the woods…

Something that has come to call Fallow Pines home…

GoodReads

Amazon

The Review

Man, this was such a fun and scary short story!

This was my first time reading something by this author, and it won’t be the last.

So in a nutshell, a man named David moves out to the boonies with his dog to start a new chapter in his life. But when strange sightings begin to occur, David questions if he is truly alone.

I liked David as the MC. Short stories are tough to find balance with, and I think Graves had the perfect mix. We got to know enough about David’s recent past and his upbringing without a ton of infodumps, so I really liked that. It was worked into the story and I had a good head for who the guy was.

I also liked the MC’s personal voice through his thoughts and dialogue, as well as the connection he had with his dog.

The plot drew me in and kept me entertained. It’s almost summertime now, so I wanted something with a campy or woodsy feel and this definitely satisfied that. The ambience the woods gave off was creepy and unnerving, and there’s a good amount of mystery built in. Once things amped up, it was a crazy thrill ride, and I loved that.

Overall, this was a great horror short story. If you’re looking for a quick thrill, it’s definitely work looking into.

That’s A Wrap!

Well that’s it for this short story review. I hope you enjoyed it!

Have you read this story? Are there other short stories you’ve read that you simply have to gush about? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to start a conversation!

Have a great day!

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