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The collection of short stories entitled “A Dark and Winding Road”, written by Matthew Weber, is refreshing to say the least. It’s great to find a writer that is able to complement his original ideas with a superb talent for writing. He has truly breathed new life into a genre that has been lacking creatively on so many levels.

The first story “Guard the Park” takes you down an unsuspecting path where the end cannot be predicted. It is simply impossible to know what is going to happen next. As an opening number it is one of the most beautiful tales of horror ever written and it gives the reader a pretty good idea of what to expect from the rest of the stories. Then comes the second story entitled “The Shady Brake Baptist Fall Festival” and once again the reader can only keep reading in order to reveal the unpredictable ending. The demeanor of his characters and the tiny details that make them so real is astonishing. These touches are used in every story.

The plots of the stories have no real relation except maybe for the town in which these events occur. It’s typically a small community and the people are every day citizens that can easily be related to. As for the subject matter, it is obvious Weber has done his homework. Whether it’s about silently breaking the window of a car or the politics that surround global warming, the detail is perfectly added. He also made a point to keep the stories as varied as possible. Moving from one story to the next is almost like reading the work of a different author every time. With impeccable pace for every scenario, Weber is able to nail the art of combining a collection of short stories.

In all honesty, it’s difficult to stop reading, because every story motivates the reader for the next one. As a 3rd person narrator, Weber slides along under the radar without drawing any attention away from the characters. Instead he makes clean breaks between interactive personalities and this allows the imaginary cinema of the reader to really take flight. His ability to paint a scene with just the right amount of description is unbelievable.

Weber states in the foreword that the content is meant to be disturbing and this is exactly what he delivers. However, he doesn’t go over the top. In fact, the disturbing aspect is only one of many that the reader will experience. Expect to empathize with almost every character and expect to emulate the fear of the victims, because Weber’s literary ability is just that good. Not once was there a moment when I thought the phrasing was forced, a mistake many horror writers make in order to produce an emotional reaction. In essence, Weber did everything right and he did it at exactly the right time.

From a critical point of view “A Dark and Winding Road” captures everything great horror writers should strive towards. It’s engaging, thought provoking and most importantly, horrific. From a personal point of view, the next book I read is going to have a tough time stacking up to this collection.

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Reviewed by Damnetha Jules

Damnetha  is a staff writer, horror book and movie critic.
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