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jdcorley's review
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Breen's tone is on display in this collection of a few brief short stories, not any particular character or even any particular horror; the casual dryness of the tourist guide melds with the twisted surreality of the monstrous. When it works, it works marvelously, you laugh as your skin crawls. When it doesn't work it just seems smug. Still, there really isn't enough Breen in the world so every little bit you can get, you should get.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
barb4ry1's review
4.0
Orford Parish Murder Houses is a slim and unassuming book that was recommended to me on reddit (r/weirdlit). The cover art and design aren’t stellar but it’s wise to look past the cover as the content if satisfying. I’m new to weird fiction and my taste is still developing but I enjoyed the stories and the way they were linked in a form of a tourist guidebook to scenes of slaughter and haunting.
Orford Parish, is a home to human and not-quite-human residents. Major sources of employment include local government, a shopping mall, and the manufacture of cursing tablets. It’s, in a way, a sinister New England town familiar to horror tales.
The book contains short, brochure-like descriptions of the history and folklore of a specific "murder house" in Orford Parish. Each description includes the name and address of the house, a story of murder, and a recommendation of the best restaurants in the area. You can even get a discount if you mention slaughter address from the guide!
The language used in the book is very nice and quotable in places.
World-building is done through descriptions of each murder scene and the place history.
Orford Parish Murder Houses is a slim and unassuming book that was recommended to me on reddit (r/weirdlit). The cover art and design aren’t stellar but it’s wise to look past the cover as the content if satisfying. I’m new to weird fiction and my taste is still developing but I enjoyed the stories and the way they were linked in a form of a tourist guidebook to scenes of slaughter and haunting.
Orford Parish, is a home to human and not-quite-human residents. Major sources of employment include local government, a shopping mall, and the manufacture of cursing tablets. It’s, in a way, a sinister New England town familiar to horror tales.
The book contains short, brochure-like descriptions of the history and folklore of a specific "murder house" in Orford Parish. Each description includes the name and address of the house, a story of murder, and a recommendation of the best restaurants in the area. You can even get a discount if you mention slaughter address from the guide!
The language used in the book is very nice and quotable in places.
World-building is done through descriptions of each murder scene and the place history.
Overall, I think that this weird little collection of fake historical society writeups of murders in an imaginary town is pretty awesome.
Orford Parish, is a home to human and not-quite-human residents. Major sources of employment include local government, a shopping mall, and the manufacture of cursing tablets. It’s, in a way, a sinister New England town familiar to horror tales.
The book contains short, brochure-like descriptions of the history and folklore of a specific "murder house" in Orford Parish. Each description includes the name and address of the house, a story of murder, and a recommendation of the best restaurants in the area. You can even get a discount if you mention slaughter address from the guide!
The language used in the book is very nice and quotable in places.
World-building is done through descriptions of each murder scene and the place history.
Orford Parish Murder Houses is a slim and unassuming book that was recommended to me on reddit (r/weirdlit). The cover art and design aren’t stellar but it’s wise to look past the cover as the content if satisfying. I’m new to weird fiction and my taste is still developing but I enjoyed the stories and the way they were linked in a form of a tourist guidebook to scenes of slaughter and haunting.
Orford Parish, is a home to human and not-quite-human residents. Major sources of employment include local government, a shopping mall, and the manufacture of cursing tablets. It’s, in a way, a sinister New England town familiar to horror tales.
The book contains short, brochure-like descriptions of the history and folklore of a specific "murder house" in Orford Parish. Each description includes the name and address of the house, a story of murder, and a recommendation of the best restaurants in the area. You can even get a discount if you mention slaughter address from the guide!
The language used in the book is very nice and quotable in places.
World-building is done through descriptions of each murder scene and the place history.
Overall, I think that this weird little collection of fake historical society writeups of murders in an imaginary town is pretty awesome.
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