There’s Something Wrong with Aunty Beth: A Collection of Horror by Mark Towse
There’s Something Wrong with Aunty Beth is Mark Towse’s newest collection of short horror stories. Published by D&T Publishing on March 24, 2023, it weighs in at 295 pages.
It’s never a question of “if” I’m going to read one of Towse’s new books but “when” I will get a chance to do so. I finally got to visit with Aunty Beth and a whole slew of other characters in this single author short horror anthology. There are twenty short stories, one of which is a novella.
All of these stories kept my attention. They are varied and offer something for all types of horror fans. I hadn’t read short stories by Towse in a while, so it was fun to have that experience again. I will admit, though, my favorite story length from him is his novella. I love having more pages and more time to spend with the truly weird characters he creates. That being said, don’t discount this book! Reading it will whet your appetite for more of his works, especially Nana, One Last Shindig, and The Bucket List which he co-wrote with Chisto Healy.
The book starts out with a taste of Towse “senior” horror in the short story “There’s Something Wrong with Aunty Beth,” and I can’t get enough of it. I love the comical edge to many of his stories, and this one is no exception. I got the cringy feelings I enjoy feeling, but I also got a little laugh or two thrown in the mix. He does a great job portraying the mind and feelings of a teenage boy, all the while putting him in quite an unusual situation with his aunt. If you’ve read Nana, this story will have you wondering what Towse is going to bring us in the future. I have a feeling this won’t be the last of his “ghoulish grannies,” and I’m ready for another helping.
Towse did a wonderful job selecting his “bookend” stories. The collection starts out with a bang with “There’s Something Wrong with Aunty Beth” and ends on a high note with “The Candle Maker.” There were a few stories I didn’t vibe with as much as I normally do with his works, but I still struggled to narrow down the ones that stuck with me - not counting the two I just mentioned.
My Top 6 Stories:
“The Fruits of Labour” - So morbid and macabre - I like this a lot!
“An Old Romantic” - Fun to read - wasn’t sure what was going to happen. Unpredictable! Good story!
“Mother Dearest” - Lots of tension and suspense! A good sign is when I think about a story after reading it when I’m in the shower or in the dark and it continues to give me the creeps. Excellent!
“Cosy Street” - Creepy! Well-rounded story. Makes me want to lock my doors!
“Just a Fly” - I love an odd story that has gory, creepy moments. This gave me that and then some! Strange, weird horror is my jam!
“Make Me Shine” - I really enjoyed this. Towse does a great job writing obsessed characters. Another story that wasn’t predictable and took me on a fantastic journey.
***In order of appearance in book
If you haven’t read any of Towse’s work yet, grab this collection and get a taste. Then dig in to his novellas below. You won’t be sorry.
Need more Mark Towse writing?
WHO IS MARK TOWSE?????
Mark Towse is an Englishman living in Australia. He would sell his soul to the devil or anyone buying if it meant he could write full-time. Alas, he left it very late to begin this journey, penning his first story since primary school at the ripe old age of 45.
***Taken from Mark Towse’s Amazon author page
About D&T
D&T was started in 2020 in Corinth, MS. Dawn Shea and her husband Timothy, are the team behind D&T. Dawn, an avid lover of horror for most of her life, went from a small dream of one ABC based anthology, to now publishing other authors work. Our main goal here at D&T, is to spread more authors words out into the world.
-Speak your truth, through words and deeds.
D&T Publishing
***Taken from the D&T Publishing website
