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Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite
Jaidis Shaw is the skillful storyteller of The Lurking Collection, with three horror tales for fans of the genre. The Reluctant Seamstress is the first story, where a sea being named Raena and her kind are unable to set foot on land unless they used human skin to cover their own. An outcast among her people and forced to do her evil master’s bidding, Raena uses her skill as a seamstress to earn her freedom. It reminds me of the dark original version of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen.
The second story is The House on Juniper Lane. Teenager Grace reluctantly joins her boyfriend Brandon, his best friend, Greg, and his girlfriend, Elizabeth, on a memorable night visit to the haunted Juniper Lane house. Unfortunately, her initial instinct was right; it’s a terrible idea. Her life is in danger until a secret from her past resurfaces. I enjoyed this tale as it includes one of my favorite supernatural creatures. It’s a shame that it’s only a short story. I'd love to see it expanded into a novel as the premise is excellent.
In Blind Justice, a serial killer is on the loose. Sheriff John Tillons requests psychological profiler Molly Kenway to assist the authorities on the murder cases. Things turn worse when the killer targets Molly as his next victim. This third and final story in the collection has a great plot twist just like the others, although its ending might not satisfy some readers. Same as The House on Juniper Lane, it has a great premise that deserves to be executed into a novel. That said, The Lurking Collection is a horror read with unforgettable characters and clever twists. Dark and gory with supernatural thrills. This is a commendable short story anthology from Jaidis Shaw and I look forward to reading more of her work.
