Like any good horror anthology, Sussex Horrors takes the mundane and the ordinary, then twists it in such a way to make the reader ask questions such as “is that just a simple egg?” After reading through this collection of twelve seaside and coastal themed tales, I can honestly say that these three authors have delivered a wonderful batch of tales that invoke a specific sense of British horror. From the homage to “The Birds” that is Seagulls, to the clever “Double Rainbows”, each story picks an angle and runs with it. I particularly liked “Furzby Holt”, a story that reminded me of a 1970’s TV episode, playing superbly as it does with the remote village concept.
“The Commission” prompts a fear of bed and breakfasts (it’s a perfectly mundane setting, until it isn’t), and “The Demon Alcohol” works perfectly as a gore filled mixer to the more restrained “Normal, Considering The Weather”. Even the off-the-wall crazy “The Pensioner Pirates of Marine Parade” deserves its place here, and a fine contrast it is too. Each of the stories is well written, with deft characterisation given their brevity, and the formatting and print quality is spot on. If horror is your thing, do yourself a favour and check out what Sussex Horrors has to offer. I give this a very solid 4 stars.
By Andrew Oyston