Open Grave: The Book of Horror [Paperback]

If you're wondering if this book is as good as its cover looks, the answer is yes, it is. The cool cover reminded me of the old EC Horror comics like Tales from the Crypt and Vault of Horror, and what's inside is worthy of that cover. Jeani Rector's new book is brimming with an assortment of dark treats about Ebola, voodoo, gypsies, Lycanthropy, and black magic. Open Grave is divided in two parts. The first part encompasses nine short stories and the second part, the meat of the book, is a novella.

Though on the short side (seven of the nine tales are between five to ten pages in length), the stories range from good to excellent. The first story, "Cat's Eye", about someone who wants to stand out, sets the tone for the book. The two longer stories, "Crystal Ball", about a gypsy's gift of a crystal ball to the protagonist, and "Ghoul", a creepy tale of voodoo, are the best of the book. The only story I didn't care for was "Monday Night Dive" in which two youths dive into a dumpster to find food. Jeani's strength lies in her longer stories, in my opinion, where she really gets a chance to show us she can write horror with the best of them. I also really enjoyed the variety of topics she dug into (no pun intended) in this book; she proved very knowledgeable on the subjects of voodoo, Navajo burial customs, and the occult.

Now for the "piece de resistance"; the title story, which is the novella, Open Grave. If you're like me and love reading stories about the occult, demons and black magic, then hesitate no longer, and pick up this book right now. This 165 page novella is an extremely engaging read. We are told the story of Rick Evans who finds himself dabbling in black magic and wishing he hadn't, but by that time, it's already too late. He discovers facts about his heritage that he could never have imagined and that could very well be the death of him. As the story unfolds, he falls under many spells, will be involved in necromancy and jeopardizes everything he holds dear in his life. This was a quick read with many twists and a monster of a third act where the truth is unleashed like a chainsaw upon a helpless victim.

The author has more than a trick up her sleeve and spins spine-chilling stories that will satisfy any horror reader with the wide array of tales found in this collection. The novella is a first-rate story about the occult--something I don't see too often these days--and worth the price of the book alone. I hope Ms. Rector decides to write a full-length novel sometime soon; I'm sure the result would be nothing short of spectacular.

Side note: I wish Amazon would allow half stars in their rating system; I give the first part of this book 4 stars, and the second part 5 stars for a total of 4.5 stars.

Alan Draven,
Author of Bitternest

This is a book of stories, short stories, horror stories, some with a twist, some with a shock, all good, but the real gem is the last one, the novella that gives the book its name. Jeani Rector takes you by the gut and leads you into the story. One page, two, you can put it down now, if you want, three pages and you're sunk, hooked into a tale of one young man's woe.

Rick Evans is a university student, barely getting by in both his last semester of school in Sacramento, California and his life, when one day he meets Carley McClintock and it's just about as close to love at first sight as it can get. Little do Rick and Carley know that their meeting had been planned by forces too dark for them to comprehend.

Doing research for a term paper, Rick goes to a candle store to buy a couple books on the occult. There he meets Raven and his life is going to take a drastic change and not for the better. Raven conjures up Rick's Grandmother during a séance. Seems Granny wants a little book she's hidden and she wants Rick to get it. He does and brings it to the bewitching Raven. What happens next will have you on the edge of your seat as you bumble along with Rick as he gets himself deeper and deeper under Rachel's power.

I liked this book very much. I especially liked the fact that it wasn't a woman who kept doing one stupid thing after another. There were several times I wanted to shout at the pages, "Don't do that, Rick!" or, "Pay attention, Rick!" or, "Look out, Rick!" but of course Rick couldn't hear me and he does just what he shouldn't. But you should get a copy of this book. If you like a scary story, there's a few frights here that will get your heart a pumpin'.

Reviewed by Vesta Irene

"Open Grave-The Book of Horror" is a powerful read from cover to cover; one of the best compilations you're going to find anywhere! This anthology packs just as many scares within its ten-story (276- page) excursion as any bestseller on the shelves. Jeani Rector knows how to deliver a "top-shelf" collection of bone-chilling horror. "Open Grave" will chomp away inside long after the dark journey is over, perhaps beckoning you to experience the author's world again by diving into the grave for another round of nightmares!
Jeani mixes it up with this book, serving the reader more helpings of fear than the average palate can handle--and does so effectively by coming at you from terrifying angles you never imagined possible. She's simply that good. There will be times when you think you have the story all figured out. And that's when her genius trips you up. She leads you in a different direction and all you can do is marvel at her masterful touches. There are many more of them sprinkled throughout each selection, of course, but you'll have to grab a copy and learn for yourself just how dangerous that pen of hers can be.
You see, strong horrific tales are tough to construct, especially short stories. Sometimes they start off promising but end up losing their momentum after the halfway mark--flatlining--leaving the hungry horror fan disappointed. We've all read a few of those from time to time. The good news is: none of the tales in "Open Grave" flattens in the final moments. All of them demand your undivided attention until the riveting climax. Jeani achieves excellence by entertaining the reader with razor-sharp dialogue and an eerie sense of setting with each story. That's what great writing can do.
This book of scary shorts will remain a fixture on my bookshelf for years to come. Fans of the dark and disturbed will be doing themselves a favor by adding it to theirs--they won't regret it. Keep an eye on Jeani Rector everyone, because the future of horror is proud to unleash one of its latest and greatest storytellers.
Included in this anthology: Cat's Eye, Ebola Zaire, A Case of Lycanthropy, The Burial, Under the House, Ghoul (The Unabridged Version), Monday Night Drive, Cold Spot, Crystal Ball, Open Grave (A Novella)

Review by,
David Boyle-
Author of "Blood Works"

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 7 reviews  4.7 out of 5 stars