I first entered the worlds of Stuart R. West when I read Dread and Breakfast. Suspenseful. Twisted. Horrific. And just a touch of humor. My kind of author. My next venture into the mind of Mr. West was Ghosts of Gannaway. A far cry from my previous visit, but in a good way. A slow, suspenseful build in an ending you won't soon forget. So when I saw Twisted Tales from Tornado Alley, a short fiction collection by West, I jumped at it with the hopes that it would take me deeper into West's worlds. I wasn't disappointed.
This collection truly shows off West's versatility as an author. All chilling in their own way, some of the stories are humorous (in a dark way), some are horrific, and some are thought-provoking. And each one is better than the last. Normally, in a review of this kind, I would highlight each of the stories, but I think that would spoil the surprise waiting for you between the covers of this collection, so I'm just going to highlight a few of my personal favorites (which in no way means they are the best in the collection -- as I said, each story is better than the one that came before it); they're just ones that stood out for one reason or another.
The collection opens with "Bagworms," a story that will leaving your skin crawling. A young arachnophobe has plans for a romantic weekend with her boyfriend, but what she encounters at the secluded cabin in the woods exceeds her worst nightmares. "Husk" is a cautionary tale warning that one should be careful what they wish for...because they just might get it. Also, it cautions against judging your fellow man. You know the saying... Never judge a man until you've walked a mile in their shoes. Well, Harv is about to find out it would be a lot easier to walk a mile in another man's shoes than to... Well, you'll just have to read it to find out. In "Halloweenie Roast," we meet a cantankerous old woman, the kind you hope will get their comeuppance at then end, who intentionally tries to sabotage Halloween for all the neighborhood kids by giving out the worst candy imaginable in the smallest conceivable portions. You'll see what happens when a group of kids decide that a trick is in order because the treats were up to their expectations. This story shows off West's dark sense of humor, and it left me chuckling sinisterly at the end.
The collection closes with "Underdwellers," a brutal novelette that will leave you on the edge of the seat reading well into the night. Afterward, you'll be checking out the shadows and afraid to turn out the lights.
Collections like this are a great way to sample an author's writing style, but you get more than a sampling here. No matter the length, West creates solid characters in a believable world, and you'll sympathize with them, hate them, cheer for them. You'll get to experience his versatility, and you'll run the whole gamut of emotions with these tales and experience the thrills and chills of the most extreme theme park rides. I would highly recommend it.
