Book Review: SLICE OF PARADISE Anthology

SLICE OF PARADISE: A BEACH VACATION HORROR ANTHOLOGY by various authors. Edited by Ben Long. (Dark Lit Press, Kindle Edition, February 2022) 264 pages. ASIN # B09SQ8GGG4 

Synopsis on the Goodreads website . . . . .

An unknown danger lurks beneath the sand at a secluded beach. A couple encounters a deadly creature during their nighttime dive. A father fights to save his daughter from a harrowing nightmare. A newlywed’s honeymoon is interrupted by the apocalypse. A maid discovers a shocking secret at the exclusive resort she works for.

Beach vacations are meant for relaxing and unwinding away from the drudgery of normal life. The sparkling sun, shimmering on cresting waves. A light breeze as you sit with toes in the sand, a cold drink in one hand. Utopia on an island. But what happens when that paradise suddenly becomes a purgatory of pain?

What will you do when the beaches fill with bodies and the waters run red with blood? When creatures crawl the coastline and the jungle teems with terror. How will you survive when a tropical respite becomes an arena of peril?

Slice of Paradise is an all-original anthology featuring fifteen shocking stories of beach vacation horror. For even more scares, check out the companion anthology Beach Bodies out now from DarkLit Press.

This anthology includes stories by Craig Wallwork, Philip Fracassi, Scott J Moses, Mark Towse, Spencer Hamilton, Aiden Merchant, Drew Starling, Ashlei Johnson, Rowan Hill, Simon J. Plant, Alyson Hasson, Sheri White, Denver Grenell, Kay Hanifen, and Nick Kolakowski.  

 

My Four-Star Review on the Goodreads website . . . .

     There are fifteen stories here of varying lengths plus two ultra-short flash fiction pieces. All revolve around the theme of beach vacation horror. I give this four stars, despite only giving four stories the 4 Star Rating. Every entry was above average and exceeded my expectations. No two stories are alike. If Goodreads made it possible to leave fractional ratings, I'd place this anthology at a solid 3.5 Stars.

Notes on stories:

• Secret Beach by Mark Towse: Two pages of intro/tranquility, then chaos. Very descriptive and dark. A quick read. Father and daughter believe they have discovered their own private beach. As soon as they enter the water, they understand why it remains private. 3.5 Stars.
• Night Dive by Drew Starling: This story has a slower build, which only increases the sense of dread and allows some time to worry about the characters. This was genuinely scary. 4 stars.
• Paradise Lost by Sheri White: A workaholic takes a tech-free vacation at an isolated island resort and witnesses the end of the world from his beach cottage. Very visual descriptions. Very creepy. The lack of an explanation of any sort took me out of this a little. 3.5 Stars.
• Denver Grenell's "Phosphorescence" really gets under the skin. Very descriptive in the worst way (which serves the story in a good way). There are only two main characters in the story, and the final actions of one of them was a bit alarming after everything that happened. 3.5 Stars.
• You may think you know where "They Eat People, You Know?" by Rowan Hill is going but you may be surprised. I guessed at the outcome but it didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the story. Suspenseful and well done. 4 Stars. 
• "Of Murder And Mermaids" by Kelly Brocklehurst is a nasty piece of flash fiction. Hard to get engaged in a one page story but this is not subtle. 3.5 Stars.
• "The Guardian" by Phillip Fracassi doles out the dread in small doses until the mid-point when all hell breaks loose. Some island vacationers pay a local to boat them to a private beach, never realizing why such a lovely bit of sand is deserted. 4 Stars.
• "Astorgos" by Ashlei Johnson relates the honeymoon from hell as an alien event occurs before the loving couple can celebrate properly. This read like the beginning of a larger story/novel and ends without a complete resolution. 3.5 Stars.
• "Misery Guts" by Craig Wallwork gets the gross-out award. "Paradise for me is a blood-soaked bathroom in Jamaica, and a dozen red leeches." Justice is served in the form of food poisoning. 4 Stars.
• "Curse Of The Cache" by Alyson Hasson: A shipwrecked couple find an underground cache on a small island with explosive results. 3.5 Stars.
• Another arrogant bastard gets what's coming to him in "Beach Snakes" by Aiden Merchant. Some island resorts have unusual wild life. 3.5 Stars.
• "She Waits" by Jack Harding is an even shorter piece of flash fiction. As soon as it begins, it's over. No time to get attached to anything. 3 Stars.
• It's not just tourists who encounter danger in this anthology. The housekeeping staff need to watch their backs in "The Fons Juventutis" by Kay Hanifen. I was saddened by the way this ended. 3.5 Stars.
• "Out Of The Shadows, Into The Sun" by Spencer Hamilton deals in long-buried secrets between a married couple when they vacation at the native land of one partner. Buried no longer. 3.5 Stars.
• "Honeymoon" by Simon J. Plant has a Twilight Zone vibe as one member of a vacationing couple realizes that their lovely resort is not all it appears to be, despite the obliviousness of the other member. 3.5 Stars.
• The main character who can't enjoy his vacation has more to worry about than a broken relationship in Nick Kolakowski's "Zipline" when something else breaks. The painful attempts to survive and get help are detailed in glorious fashion. I did not anticipate the surprise at the end. 3.5 Stars.
• One of the strangest and creepier stories in the collection is "That Look When They're Leaving" by Scott J Moses. It's also one of the few stories that doesn't occur on a island resort - - just a beach house in Delaware. Even creepier for what happens on the shore following a marital dispute. 3.5 Stars.