Oh, what a twisted and tormented web Mr. Etchison weaves! A master observer and perhaps closet psychologist, Dennis spins the very basic and most base instincts of the human animal to a “what-if” nth degree, carrying the reader on a fantastic dark ride to a surprising and usually shocking end, the only predictable element of these amazing, itchy suspenseful, precisely written, by turns creepy and horrifying short stories. From the ravaging descendant daughters of the Donner Party to an infamous homicidal dwarf mystery writer, the author conjures insanely credible life into the odd, the marginal, the most bestial of characters to bring a chill of uncomfortable recognition to the reader at the same time delivering the satisfaction of an almost hypnotic exploration of words married with an expertise in storytelling almost impossible to find in more contemporary works. What a truly terrifying treasure trove of tales, indeed! ( )