Death Honk: Nine Tales of the Macabre by JP Mac

A dark and unpredictable collection of truly strange stories, Death Honk: Nine Tales of the Macabre by JP Mac is gritty and nerve-wracking, shifting from psychological terror to classic creepiness with ease.

From brief vignettes of paranormal scenes to longer stories that hit hard with shock value, there is no clear continuity in these tales aside from their grim and horrific style. “Mark of the Bruja” is one of the strongest stories, with visceral characters, a well-formed plot, and a unique cultural perspective on the supernatural that may be new to many readers. “Devil Reef” is another memorable piece, and while it initially feels like a classic horror movie setup, there is an authenticity and originality to this story that both disturbs and delights.

The titular story of this collection demonstrates the most polished prose, and is thoroughly edited without any notable mistakes, but some of the other stories need work in terms of proofreading and basic appeal. The author is generally good at building suspense, but there are repetitive passages and lackluster language that can distract or disengage a reader. Additionally, the conclusions of the stories are oddly inconsistent – some final lines deliver a bit of a twist, but a number of these pieces seem to just trail off, ending in the midst of a conversation, or on a seemingly arbitrary point. Most of the stories are developed well throughout – tight, quick, and scary – but overall the endings could use extra attention to make them more impactful.

As a whole, for any reader who likes being spooked, JP Mac is a born storyteller, and though the stories are somewhat rough around the edges, this eclectic and creepy collection delivers plenty of shivers.