Jason Parent's #Wrathbone and Other Stories - Review #terrifyingtales

My thoughts
There's nothing quite like a book of really great short stories. And, to be honest, horror short stories are really the only short stories I read. I'm not really a fan of the medium. However, the horror genre just seems to fit with short stories. For those of us who love the genre, the horror short story is like being deliciously frightened, over and over again.

Parent does not disappoint with this collection. Each story plays on an aspect of human nature and that person's demise, or downfall, at the hand of it.

Wrathbone - a story surrounding Abe Lincoln? I'm so there! In his introduction, Kealan Patrick Burke mentions the writing in Wrathbone having similarities to Poe. I couldn't agree more. The slow descent of Wrathbone into madness because of guilt and what can only be described as personal demons brought on by that guilt was truly masterful. I kept thinking of The Tell-Tale Heart as I was reading. Excellent.

The Only Good Lawyer - this story has greed and arrogance at its heart. A lawyer so motivated by the two that he's willing to do whatever it takes to win a case. He meets his match when voodoo comes into play. Chilling.

Dorian's Mirror - Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray is one of my favorites and this story is a unique play on that tale. At the heart of this one...pride and vanity. A model wishes that the mirror would age, but not him. He gets more than he asked for. Be careful about focusing too much on looks. A creepy, cautionary tale.

For the Birds - Okay, this one is more centered on a stupid human mistake, rather than a facet of human nature. Some birds aren't meant to eat meat. I'll leave it at that. Bloody disgusting, yet horrificly satisfying.

Revenge is a Dish - you guessed it. At the heart of this one...the desire for revenge is human nature, perhaps at its worst. Maurice is thrown overboard...in the ocean. My stomach dropped because I just knew the sharks were coming (shark phobia alert). Nope. It didn't go there, sort of. This one is a little tricky becasue technically the outcome is in Maurice's favor. But is it really? You'll see what I mean.

This is a perfect read for the Halloween season, or really any time of year for horror fans. I'm very impressed with Parent's writing. Very well put together and paced, the stories keep you on the edge of your seat and wanting to quickly proceed to the next story to see what's in store. Highly recommended.

About the book
Print Length: 160 pages
Publisher: Comet Press
Publication Date: October 3, 2016

Terror follows those who let it into their hearts.

Wrathbone
Guests of President Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln, Major Henry Rathbone and Clara Harris attend a showing of Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865. On that fateful night, a great man falls, but he is not alone. For Henry and Clara, the night is only the beginning of lives wrought with jealousy, madness, and horror.

The Only Good Lawyer
Bradley is a savvy defense attorney with no scruples. Under his representation, many a guilty man has gone free. But when a voodoo priest takes the stand, Bradley soon discovers that he, too, is on trial, and the punishment for guilt may be more than he could bear.

Dorian's Mirror
Dorian loves himself, and why wouldn't he? Every guy wants to be him, and every girl wants to be with him. He would trade all he has to make his looks last forever, but bargaining with the devil may leave him short a soul.

For the Birds
Nev's best friend is his parrot. In fact, it's his only friend… and his only ally when his home is invaded.

Revenge is a Dish
Maurice has landed a dream job, chef for a rich couple on their yacht. The wife has carnal desires for him. Maurice has some carnal desires of his own.

Praise for Wrathbone and Other Stories
“From the eerie opening tale to the grisly closer, and all of the wonderfully mean-spirited tales in-between, Wrathbone is a winner!” — Jeff Strand, author of Dead Clown Barbecue

“Wrathbone and Other Stories is a hard-hitting collection that you can completely immerse yourself in. The title story is a beautifully written period tale of love and tragedy. I finished and realized that I was breathing shallowly because I was genuinely affected that much. A tale that leaves you breathless? Yes, please!” - Mercedes M. Yardley, author of the Bram Stoker Award winner Little Dead Red.

"An elegantly written novella of madness, murder, and demons, Jason Parent's Wrathbone reads like Edgar Allan Poe's take on 'Jacob's Ladder.'" --Adam Howe, author of Tijuana Donkey Showdown, Die Dog or Eat the Hatchet, and Black Cat Mojo

“Jason Parent is a master of controlling how you perceive the characters and the events in these stories, making sure you read it exactly how he wants you to read it. It’s like mind control. Powerful stuff!” – Nev Murray, Confessions of A Reviewer

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About the author

In his head, Jason Parent lives in many places, but in the real world, he calls New England his home. The region offers an abundance of settings for his writing and many wonderful places in which to write them. He currently resides in Southeastern Massachusetts with his cuddly corgi named Calypso.

In a prior life, Jason spent most of his time in front of a judge . . . as a civil litigator. When he finally tired of Latin phrases no one knew how to pronounce and explaining to people that real lawsuits are not started, tried and finalized within the 60-minute timeframe they see on TV (it's harassing the witness; no one throws vicious woodland creatures at them), he traded in his cheap suits for flip flops and designer stubble. The flops got repossessed the next day, and he's back in the legal field . . . sorta. But that's another story.

When he's not working, Jason likes to kayak, catch a movie, travel any place that will let him enter, and play just about any sport (except that ball tied to the pole thing where you basically just whack the ball until it twists in a knot or takes somebody's head off - he misses the appeal). And read and write, of course. He does that too sometimes.

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