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books_nooks_spooks's review
4.0
This is a grim, gritty, heavy hitting anthology which explores how messed up society currently is and also the darker aspects of humanity. The latter is something I always find interesting to read about and horror is a great genre for inserting some social commentary and many of these stories certainly make thought provoking points without feeling too condescending.
There were a LOT of stories based around SA and I found this to be a little repetitive, especially as they were bunched together. Perhaps if these had been interspersed more evenly throughout the book it would have made a difference. Being close to each other almost reduced the horror and shock value with each tale for me. But perhaps this is a reflection on me
There were a LOT of stories based around SA and I found this to be a little repetitive, especially as they were bunched together. Perhaps if these had been interspersed more evenly throughout the book it would have made a difference. Being close to each other almost reduced the horror and shock value with each tale for me. But perhaps this is a reflection on me
aaronlindsey's review
5.0
Intelligent, frighting, and extremely thought provoking.
I'm not sure where to place this one. It's terrifying at times, but not really horror. There's crimes, but I wouldn't call it crime fiction or mystery. And there's a spiritual thread running throughout, but it's not a spiritual book.
I guess I'll have to call it Speculative.
Ten stories that will disturb the reader, without a doubt.
My personal favorite is The Darkness in the Room is Me. A tale about a devilish pimp and his mental Frankenstein Client, dreaming up his idea of perfection by combining parts of different females. He hasn't a clue what his fantasy girl will cost him.
The opening story, .38 Special Kind of Love, is another strong one. A mysterious character tells an intriguing tale after being picked up on the street.
Each story in this collection is great in it's own way.
I'm not sure where to place this one. It's terrifying at times, but not really horror. There's crimes, but I wouldn't call it crime fiction or mystery. And there's a spiritual thread running throughout, but it's not a spiritual book.
I guess I'll have to call it Speculative.
Ten stories that will disturb the reader, without a doubt.
My personal favorite is The Darkness in the Room is Me. A tale about a devilish pimp and his mental Frankenstein Client, dreaming up his idea of perfection by combining parts of different females. He hasn't a clue what his fantasy girl will cost him.
The opening story, .38 Special Kind of Love, is another strong one. A mysterious character tells an intriguing tale after being picked up on the street.
Each story in this collection is great in it's own way.
hela_reads's review
3.0
This quick read is a collection of short stories, most of which are told from a first person point of view of characters with less than stellar mental capacities. From these stories we get the following: some business advice from a beggar pimp, a glimpse inside the mind of an inanimate object so well written you think you’re reading about a person, and stories about rape revenge, fallen angels, drug addiction, among other tales.
I thought this was a very unique book. The stories were raw and really made me think. Sometimes the writing was a little too poetic for my taste, which made a couple of the stories hard to follow.
Overall I enjoyed this book and hope you all will read it!
I thought this was a very unique book. The stories were raw and really made me think. Sometimes the writing was a little too poetic for my taste, which made a couple of the stories hard to follow.
Overall I enjoyed this book and hope you all will read it!
borderlinebookwhore's review
2.0
This crime noir collection of short stories features unique and disturbing stories, giving the reader a look into the mindset of the criminals and the crimes they're committing.
A few of these took me by surprise with the twists thrown in, which was unexpected and appreciated. I enjoyed the variance in the stories and the characters, strange twists, and the terrifying view into the flawed human psyche.
The main characters themselves were, of course, quite deranged, but felt very static emotionally/mentally... they were all black and white "bad" with virtually nothing to tie the reader into them and their decisions/endings/etc. emotionally. I didn't care at all what happened to them, and didn't see enough from the other characters (usually the victims in the stories) to really care what happened to them either. Aside from that, some of the stories felt stereotypical in their character representation. I also sensed a lot of religious undertones/analogies and usually am very turned off by that in any reading material. I'm genuinely unsure how intentional that was or if it was supposed to sway in one direction or another but as an atheist myself, it's just an annoyance/pet peeve for me and probably won't bother others as much.
Overall, a quick read that's perfect for anyone who enjoys crime fiction and short story collections. Just bleak enough without being overpowering and delving too much into straight horror.
A few of these took me by surprise with the twists thrown in, which was unexpected and appreciated. I enjoyed the variance in the stories and the characters, strange twists, and the terrifying view into the flawed human psyche.
The main characters themselves were, of course, quite deranged, but felt very static emotionally/mentally... they were all black and white "bad" with virtually nothing to tie the reader into them and their decisions/endings/etc. emotionally. I didn't care at all what happened to them, and didn't see enough from the other characters (usually the victims in the stories) to really care what happened to them either. Aside from that, some of the stories felt stereotypical in their character representation. I also sensed a lot of religious undertones/analogies and usually am very turned off by that in any reading material. I'm genuinely unsure how intentional that was or if it was supposed to sway in one direction or another but as an atheist myself, it's just an annoyance/pet peeve for me and probably won't bother others as much.
Overall, a quick read that's perfect for anyone who enjoys crime fiction and short story collections. Just bleak enough without being overpowering and delving too much into straight horror.
readwithkyladawngail's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
A gritty, dark, crime noir short story collection. Very beautifully written. The writing has a poetic edge to it which I normally don’t go for, but it really worked for these stories.
My favourite story: The Darkness in the Room is Me
karlakayjenniges's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
5.0
"Mine was a chronicle of abuse by men; his, a history of family disappointments."
Crime Noir, stories that delve into the darkest places of the heart, mind, and soul. Desires that are unconscionable. Desires that go beyond the acceptable. The war within, churning and boiling, yearning for release. The sleazy, seedy, and corrupt looking for their next victim, their next fix, or the redemption they feel they deserve.
Pitch black, gritty, deep poetic prose with an inky and gloomy atmosphere, these stories cause the mind to stagger. Breaking the boundaries with the need to process the atrocities within. Checking the locks on the doors, making sure the windows are shut tight, and leaving a light or two on through the night.
Doom and gloom, despair, and a discernment of deep emotions, wanting to believe there are no such thing as monsters, but knowing full well they do exist.
Fans of dark crimes, terror and horror, stories that will leave you feeling uncomfortable and a little chilled, I recommend you grab yourselves a copy of "Little Black Crimes" , but be sure to grab that warm drink of choice and a warm cozy to wrap up in to help with those spine tingling chills.
"Time can’t kill the heart, no matter how hard it tries. That’s what my mamá used to tell me. A lot can happen in four years. Old loves can die. New loves can be born. Anything you can imagine. It’s all possible if it’s the heart."
wanderingwindy's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
4.0
These 11 horror stories left me pretty shook up. They are shocking, ruthless and brutal in nature. I personally recommend this read to those who enjoy/appreciate/withstand the extreme horror of say Chandler Morrison, Duncan Ralston or Kristopher Triana.
My three favourite stories were:
A King Among Beggars, which is the least ‘scary’ of the lot. A man living on the street becomes an entrepreneur of the strangest kind.
.38 Special Kind of Love, is the most unique ’love story’ I’ve ever read.
The Misconception, was so bizarre and harsh that I had trouble coming to terms that I actually liked it. (Same goes for The Darkness in the Room is Me).
Thank you @nblackhelm for gifting me this read for review. I really did love it but WOW! If some of these were ever brought to screen… 🫣 💀 This book is gritty as F!
My three favourite stories were:
A King Among Beggars, which is the least ‘scary’ of the lot. A man living on the street becomes an entrepreneur of the strangest kind.
.38 Special Kind of Love, is the most unique ’love story’ I’ve ever read.
The Misconception, was so bizarre and harsh that I had trouble coming to terms that I actually liked it. (Same goes for The Darkness in the Room is Me).
Thank you @nblackhelm for gifting me this read for review. I really did love it but WOW! If some of these were ever brought to screen… 🫣 💀 This book is gritty as F!
bobmetal's review
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Addiction, and Drug abuse
zh51's review
dark
reflective
sad
tense
3.5
3.5/5 || I don’t usually read crime noir but this collection was pretty good—I think my jaw was physically dropped for at least 3/4 of “.38 Special Kind of Love.” Blackhelm also manipulates realism in a really interesting ways throughout each story. This collection is definitely dark…probably the most dark text I’ve read so far this year…so I will be seeking some reprieve in the absurd 👍🏼