Review: Dark Screams: Volume Four by Clive Barker and various authors

Title: Dark Screams Volume Four
Author: Clive Barker and Various Authors
Published: August 4, 2015
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group-Hydra
Pages: 160
Genre: Horror
Review: ebook provided by Netgalley and publisher

Clive Barker, Heather Graham, Lisa Morton, Ray Garton, and Ed Gorman lead readers down a twisted labyrinth of terror, horror, and suspense inDark Screams: Volume Four, from Brian James Freeman and Richard Chizmar of the revered Cemetery Dance Publications.

 THE DEPARTED by Clive Barker

On All Hallows’ Eve, a dead and disembodied mother yearns to touch her young son one last time. But will making contact destroy them both?

 CREATURE FEATURE by Heather Graham

What could be better publicity for a horror convention than an honest-to-goodness curse? It’s only after lights out that the hype—and the Jack the Ripper mannequin—starts to feel a little too real.

 THE NEW WAR by Lisa Morton

Mike Carson is a war hero and a decorated vet. He doesn’t deserve to be trapped in a hospital with some black thing sitting on his chest as patients die all around him. His only hope is to take out the nurse—before it’s his turn.

 SAMMY COMES HOME by Ray Garton

It’s what every family prays for: a lost pet returning home. But when Sammy, the Hale family sheepdog, appears on their doorstep, he brings back something no parent would ever wish upon his or her child.

 THE BRASHER GIRL by Ed Gorman

Cindy Marie Brasher is the prettiest girl in the Valley, and Spence just has to have her. Unfortunately, Cindy has a “friend” . . . a friend who tells her to do things . . . bad things.

I received this book via NetGalley to give an honest review.

This volume was a bit better than volume three for me. I am enjoying how I am reading new short stories by new authors out of this volume I only know of one author and that is Clive Barker. Now this review will be on all of the short stories so the rating that I give will be all of them combined together. Though I am torn on if I give this a three or a four we shall see as the words come through my fingers. :) 

The Departed by Clive Barker: This is story about a mother who seems to have failed at everything in her life and wasn't so unhappy to be dead (that last part comes from the book) it is kind of sad nothing too bad easy flow on reading I would say 3 rating.

The New War by Lisa Morton: Now this one I enjoyed a whole lot this is about a War Veteran who is in a nursing home and pretty much sees death but he doesn't quite realize it is death. I have to give this one a solid 5 rating.  

Sammy Comes Home by Ray Garton: This one was kind of freaky animals around the neighbor are disappearing but when they come back they bring something with them. It is kind of like an alien type story being told for being a short story a lot of work was put into it. The only thing I was hoping for was more description of the aliens I couldn't really picture what they looked like in my head. Other than that I give this one a 4 rating. 

The Brasher Girl by Ed Gorman: Now this was a good story. Hearing a voice from the well telling you what to do and it isn't good things. That just sounds creepy. A young man falls for a female but there seems to be a friend that she has. When she tells Spence about it at first he doesn't believe it, that is until he starts hearing the voice and it becomes his friend. The way it was told it reminded me of a good ol' R.L. Stine story. Another solid 5 rating.

Creature Feature by Heather Graham: Now this was totally freaky and I have to give a solid 4 rating as I was just thinking in my head this could almost be a movie. Young woman in a building with monsters that are going to be used in different things one of them comes to life and starts looking for its next victim. Yep sounds a like a good ol horror story/horror movie. I liked the idea of the so called monster coming to life but what I didn't get was the fact that people could see ghost or that they worked for a special unit called the Krewe of Hunters. What exactly is that and what is the point of it being in the story? 

Overall I am going to give this book a solid 4 a high solid 4. I can not wait to see what volume five brings out and what the authors of that volume come up with.