I Know A Place

Short story collections seem to go in and out of style. But long-time horror fans know that it’s the short fiction that grabs you the best. And Nat Cassidy’s I Know A Place is a great example of this.

Launching in May of this year, I Know A Place is a collection of short horror stories. And they are quite horrifying.

The first thing that really hooked me on this book was Cassidy’s voice and writing style. While he certainly has his own voice, it’s very similar to the writing style of Stephen King. If King had been born in the late 80’s, early 90’s.

I thought at first I just felt that way because Stephen King wrote an introduction to the book. But looking at the style, it is very similar. Not in a way that feels like Cassidy was intentionally mimicking him. But because he is clearly a fan.

But enough about that. Let’s get into the stories. That’s what we’re here for.

There wasn’t a single story in this book that wasn’t fantastic. At the end of every single one, I’d feel a little sad that it was over. Each story showed a world that, while I certainly don’t want to experience, I could have read a thousand pages more about. Especially Run For Your Life, which is basically a horror version of Yesterday. In it, a cover band musician travels back in time and produces the Beatles’ music before they can. Honestly, this could have gone on and on. I was fascinated.

The Lunar Eclipse was another fantastic story, though one of the shorter ones. In it, a woman remembers a promise she’d made to an old love, that they’d watch the next Lunar Eclipse together. And, well, we should all try to keep our promises.

This one showcased some beautiful, poetic writing in addition to the gut punch of an ending.

But my favorite story by far was Laughlines. This story has stuck with me since the moment I read it.

This is the story of a young woman traveling to Europe. Her father, whom she’s just connected with, is financing the trip. We experience this story through the emails that the woman shares with her father and her best friend. She soon finds that she’s related to a noble family that used to live in the area. There’s even a castle with the family name! Of course, horror ensues.

All in all, I Know A Place was a perfect read. There wasn’t a bad story in the bunch. So, I think the best way to end this review is to quote the intro by Stephen King.

“These stories are fucking great. They rule. So read them.”

If you’re looking for more scary book reviews, check out my thoughts on The Caretaker