Are you a fan of horror stories? Do you like watching Hitchcock's movies? If you do, wait no more and get yourself a copy of Ekleipsis, a collection of five short horror stories by author Tamel Wino. Each of Wino's stories contains protagonists who are drawn from everyday life -- an introverted loner constantly bullied by his boss, a real estate agent having an extramarital affair, an intelligence army vet suffering from PTSD, a washed-up basketball prodigy, and a gambling addict about to lose it all. All the stories have an intense build-up leading up to an M. Night Shyamalan style twist and climax. Fans of horror stories and thrillers should gobble this up in no time as Ekleipsis seems set to satisfy all of their appetites.

Ekleipsis is a compilation of dark and deliciously twisted stories that are bound to raise the hairs on the back of your neck and chill you to your bones. Complemented by a wildly creative imagination, author Tamel Wino pulls no punches and delivers a powerful and riveting narrative. What makes the stories all the more terrifying is that all of them seem to be grounded in reality, and the characters feel relatable. The stories are short, concise, and brimming with an intense atmosphere filled with tension. I enjoyed every single one of them. Although, if I have to, I will pick the one titled Closing Costs as my favorite. Overall, Ekleipsis has some of the best horror stories I've read in recent years. Highly recommended.

Tamel Wino's characters in Ékleipsis, a short story collection, capture the dark nuances of people's lives and the boundaries of sanity. The first entry is The Other Son, a story about a meek 50-year-old loner who has disturbing secrets. In Closing Costs, karma isn’t kind to an ambitious and promiscuous realtor: "She stood still by the door, chin held high, back straight as an arrow with her piercing gaze sweeping from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet. It took me a moment to realize that she was sizing me up." In When In Doubt, a man returns home after he's medically discharged from the military only to find that his marriage has changed. Readjusting to normal life is difficult, and his wife's friendship with the neighbors across the street annoys him.

Contemplating choices in escalating anxiety or circumstances carry the stories in Ékleipsis. The characters' hope and trust in others are greatly tested and their own emotions become their undoing. This is further emphasized in The Has-Been, where basketball prodigy Ben Taylor had a bright future until a torn ACL took it away. He built his life back with the help of counseling, AA meetings, and coaching a younger rising basketball star. All seems well until his temper and frustration threaten to undo all his efforts. All In, the last entry of the anthology, further cements the calamitous consequence of gambling as a man’s addiction becomes a life and death situation for him and his other half. United by themes of delusion, debauchery, infidelity, rage, and fatal dependence, Tamel Wino's Ékleipsis is varied and substantially vivid about human flaws and primal instinct. A fascinating read.

Ekleipsis by Tamel Wino is a collection of unnerving short stories that examines the darkest depths of human thought processes and behavior, including a socially inept middle-aged man still living in the shadow of his overbearing, deceased mother who hides a horrific secret behind his four walls. A married man's plans to divorce his wealthy wife to be with his lover go awry when the wife invites the lover to her home for dinner. A once well-respected athlete is about to be honored for his accomplishments. But his past actions have resulted in a huge fall from grace and now his anger at the world can no longer be contained. A man addicted to gambling is given a chance to rid himself of all his debts by the casino boss. All he needs to do is entertain the boss for just one evening. Will he take the offer? Each story pushes the boundaries of immoral behavior, judgments, and actions. Is a person's demeanor a reality or is their conduct just a facade covering a much sinister reality?

I absolutely loved this collection of stories. They were all extremely vivid, intriguing, and mind-blowing. The descriptive narrative was amazing and drew you into the minds of the disturbing characters immediately. You are taken on a path where you think you understand their thought processes and then you discover a shocking revelation about their personalities and every concept you held is demolished. I found this especially true with the first story; the author takes you on such an emotional rollercoaster. The opening line of Frog-eyed Rick and his sausage fingers made me laugh, then you feel pity for the lead character whose confidence has been slowly broken down to a horrifying twist at the end. Each one of these stories could be turned into a gripping novel. The plot twists were extraordinary. I loved the examination of human behavior and how a person can convince themselves that their horrifying actions are acceptable. The storylines are never dull and the dialogue just flowed beautifully. If you love Roald Dahl's Tales Of The Unexpected or the Twilight Zone, then you are going to love Ekleipsis by Tamel Wino.