book reviews

Book reviews for horror fans; weather a sleepless night with literary accounts of hauntings, possessions, zombies, vampires and beyond.

Horror on the Desert Road
It was the night of September 19, 2023. He had just gotten married and had gone to his home country after the wedding. When he was returning from his country, he acquired a new 2023 model Toyota Raize from the showroom on a five-year installment plan. His work was going well, by the grace of Allah, Alhamdulillah. Then, what happened was his in-laws came to Mecca with their whole family to perform Umrah. It was, of course, prearranged that he would come. He lives in Dammam, which is quite far. But those who are in Saudi Arabia know how far the cities of Dammam and Riyadh are from Mecca. From Al-Ahsa, Mecca is about 1300 km away. No matter how good the roads are there, it's not easy to just drive over such a long distance. It takes a long time to drive. And Ataur Rahman's father-in-law had been in Saudi Arabia for 25 years. He was a driver for a company, so he knew all about the roads in Saudi Arabia and the techniques of driving there. So, his father-in-law said, "Son, when you come, come by bus. There's no need to come in a private car." He must have thought it through, considering he was coming from Dammam, and he had a lot of experience with the roads there. Ataur Rahman was new; he had no experience. The person who drove in Saudi Arabia for 25 years and gained experience driving to various remote cities of Saudi Arabia, he would naturally understand better than him what kind of problems there are on which roads. Based on that experience, he said, "Son, you should come to Mecca by bus."
By Lily2 years ago in Horror
The Vanishing Fish Mystery
The incident didn't happen too long ago, it's very recent. The brother who sent us the story wishes to remain anonymous, so I won't mention his name. He's currently in the Xinjiang province. What they usually do is, after coming back from the office, they go fishing in the Grand Canal, which is huge and has many different sections. Near his house, at that part of the canal, he goes fishing. His apartment is a two-room flat, and he lives alone. Sometimes his university juniors come to his place to chat. He really enjoys it when Bangladeshi brothers are in a foreign land and visit his apartment. Living alone, after a while, a person starts to feel lonely, and that can turn into frustration. Because of this, he always tries to keep in touch with brothers from his university, whether they are his classmates or juniors. His office ends at six, and he gets home around six-thirty. After resting for a bit, he goes out for a chat. Most of the time, they fish in different parts of the Grand Canal using fishing rods with reels. The government releases a lot of fish there, and many people fish there. On weekends or public holidays, many people try to fish there. They often try to catch fish, cast their lines, and chat. So, I'm going to tell you about one such incident. They went fishing; there were two of them that day. Usually, there are three of them together, but that day, for some reason, the third person didn't come. So, when the two of them went fishing, they found that they had been trying for three consecutive days but couldn't catch a single fish. On the fourth day, when they went fishing, unlike the other days when there were three of them, there were only two of them. They tried fishing for a long time, trying as they did on other days, but it wasn't working.
By Lily2 years ago in Horror
Midnight in the Abandoned Asylum
Midnight in the Abandoned Asylum The moon casts a pale, ghostly light over the small town of Hollowbrook, where the long-forgotten St. Regulus Asylum stands hidden behind thick, towering trees. The asylum has been silent for years, but rumors have swirled around it, with some claiming to have seen flickers of light in the windows at night and others whispering about strange noises coming from within the asylum's grounds. Lena Carter, a journalist from the city, had always been fascinated by the paranormal and was determined to uncover the truth.
By Al Mahmud Hasan2 years ago in Horror
Graveyard of Lost Souls
Graveyard of Lost Souls In the heart of the countryside, hidden deep within an ancient forest, there was a graveyard unlike any other. Locals had long since stopped visiting this place, but few dared to venture near it. Some claimed they had seen the figures of the dead walking among the headstones, their faces gaunt, and their eyes hollow. Others swore they had heard the voices of long-dead souls calling out in the night, begging for release.
By Al Mahmud Hasan2 years ago in Horror
The Pale Lady's Curse
The Pale Lady's Curse In the small, forgotten village of Carrington, the name of the Pale Lady was whispered in hushed tones, passed down from one generation to the next. She was a figure of legend, a ghostly apparition seen only in the deepest hours of the night. But for the villagers, she wasn't just a ghost; she was a curse.
By Al Mahmud Hasan2 years ago in Horror
The Last Passenger
The Last Passenger On a dark night in Westbrook, the town's bus system, an old relic of a bygone era, was scheduled for its final route at midnight. Jack Reynolds, the night driver, had grown used to the strange silence that accompanied the late-night rides. As the bus approached the edge of town, he noticed an unfamiliar figure standing at the bus stop. The woman was motionless, barely visible in the fog. Jack squinted, unsure if his eyes were playing tricks on him.
By Al Mahmud Hasan2 years ago in Horror
The Shadows That Watch
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE The Shadows That Watch The town of Briarwood, nestled between dense woods and a forgotten hill, had always been quiet and peaceful. However, every night, whispers began to circulate about strange figures appearing at the edges of the woods. At first, they believed it was just the result of late-night drinks or stress, but as the weeks passed, the stories became darker.
By Al Mahmud Hasan2 years ago in Horror
Echoes of the Mist
**Echoes of the Mist** The town of Eldermere sat nestled between vast mountains and an endless stretch of forest. Though it appeared ordinary, a chilling legend had plagued it for centuries—the tale of the Mist Walkers.
By ziad alsed2 years ago in Horror
Midnight Whispers
**Midnight Whispers** The small town of Ashford was known for its quiet streets and friendly people. But deep within the forest that bordered the town, an old house sat in ruins—forgotten by time, yet never truly abandoned. The locals called it the Whispering House, for those who wandered too close on certain nights claimed to hear voices drifting through the trees, calling their names in hushed tones.
By ziad alsed2 years ago in Horror
The Haunting of Shadow Manor
**The Haunting of Shadow Manor** At the edge of Ravenwood Hill stood Shadow Manor, an ancient mansion with a terrifying history. Built in the late 1800s, it had once belonged to the Blackwell family, whose mysterious disappearances had never been explained. Over the years, the house remained abandoned, earning a reputation as a place of darkness and despair. Locals spoke of ghostly figures in the windows and chilling whispers in the night, warning those who dared to step inside.
By ziad alsed2 years ago in Horror
The Phantom Train of Black Hollow
**The Phantom Train of Black Hollow** For over a century, the legend of the Phantom Train of Black Hollow had terrified the locals. On misty nights, the sound of an old steam engine echoed through the abandoned railway, and a ghostly train was said to emerge from the darkness, carrying the souls of the damned.
By ziad alsed2 years ago in Horror
The Curse of Ravenwood Asylum
**The Curse of Ravenwood Asylum** Deep within the heart of the forest stood Ravenwood Asylum, an abandoned institution that had been shut down decades ago under mysterious circumstances. Once a place meant for healing, it had become a house of horrors where patients suffered unimaginable fates at the hands of a corrupt and sadistic doctor, Dr. Victor Harrow. Whispers of tortured souls trapped within its decaying walls spread through the nearby town, yet no one dared to venture inside.
By ziad alsed2 years ago in Horror