By Mark Tullius (Facebook)
Twenty-four tales of madmen, monsters, and misery. A tantalizing blend of horror, suspense, and crime stories; each unique but all dark, disturbing, and violent.
In the audiobook lurk:
• A tarot card reader who makes house calls.
• A disabled man in a miserable marriage who is regaining the use of his arms.
• An ex-con who can’t resist carrying out one last home invasion.
• Bickering business partners that resort to unconventional mediation to solve their problems.
• An alcoholic pedophile forced to spend time in the desert.
• A troubled university student who goes on a bloody rampage.
• An alert detective who makes an unorthodox decision when he finds himself in the middle of an armed robbery.
Plus many more.
Wow.
I didn’t know what to expect when I downloaded this audiobook from Net Galley, but probably not what I got. These stories are dark, immersive, captivating, and engaging. Mark Tullius’ storytelling is amazing – many of the stories ended in ways I never would have guessed.
Each story explores a different type of darkness; some human and some not. As I progressed through the stories on the drive to and from my day job (our office is HUGE and there are only 4 staff so we are all appropriately distanced), there didn’t seem to be any ugly or ragged action that Tullius wouldn’t explore in his writing. A few times I was shocked at the turns a story would take, and a little surprised at how I leaned in rather than recoil. I enjoyed the look into a different type of fiction than I normally pick up. As one that always falls for the “jump scare”, I don’t watch horror movies or walk through Haunted Houses. Anything where I can see, be seen, or be touched, is strictly off-limits – I like to have space between me and what I’m experiencing as entertainment. This is where horror fiction seems to be different. Since I can choose what to imagine, or not, I can control the level of fear I may experience. This book has opened up a whole new genre for me!
I love that I got to experience this as an audiobook. The change in narrators is a great way to differentiate the stories and really adds to the depth of each one. Each voice fit its chosen narrator perfectly and the recording quality was stellar.
Untold Mayhem is a collection of short stories the blend well together. As an anthology it moves seamlessly between stories – even the ones that end in cliff hangers! I would suggest it for anyone with a sense of adventure and a liking for all things creepy. Don’t try this one if you are wigged out by detailed descriptions of violent or paranormal events.
4/5