Poison Ivy (A Prequel to Nana) & Other Dark Tales by Mark Towse
Poison Ivy (A Prequel to Nana) & Other Dark Tales is Mark Towse’s newest collection. It releases on October 31, 2024 from Anuci Press and weighs in at 238 pages.
First off, I love the cover! Hats off to Ruth Anna Evans for another great creation! As a fan of Nana, which happened to be my first taste of Towse’s work, it definitely whet my appetite to dig in to this book. The first portion of the collection is Nana’s prequel, followed by seven short stories AND a few surprises. I’ll let you find those for yourself!
Diving back into Nana’s world is like sinking your teeth into a warm piece of cherry pie. Nostalgic and full of . . . joy? Well, at least for the reader! The characters nestled within the cover of this book are in for more of a horrific time, and that’s what I’m here for. It’s been a while since I first read Nana, but I was whisked right back into her world as soon as the story began. When I read the line “It gets my goat,” I was there.
There are tons of great descriptions and visuals of the action taking place throughout the story. As usual, Towse has a way with elder horror. He has a knack for writing up curmudgeon characters with penchants for disgusting habits. I always enjoy the dark humor and the dialogue in Towse’s senior horror stories. It’s a great mix to lighten the mood when so many weird and disturbing things are taking place. Of course, when you’re visiting Newhaven Crescent, you’ll be filled with suspense, too. There were numerous moments when I was on edge as I read the story.
A fun thing for lovers of Towse’s work is finding little Easter eggs throughout the story. I noticed words or phrases that harkened back memories of his other books I’ve read and enjoyed, and that’s always fun for me. I love hidden details. I’m hungry for more of Nana’s world in the future!
The second part of the collection starts out with one of my favorite of the shorts included—”You Only Live Once.” It was a nice palate cleanser after visiting with Nana, though it’s also centered around some elderly characters. There are numerous senior horror tales, but there are stories with characters of all ages throughout this section. I must admit, though, the stories with those nightmare “crusties” are my favorites!
If you haven’t read Nana yet, you should! This book can be read without having done so, and you could easily read Nana afterward. Readers will enjoy seeing some of their favorite or most horrific characters’ antics in both stories.
I’m still a Towse fan, especially after reading this! If you haven’t read much of his work, see below for a slew of spoiler-free reviews I’ve done. Crows and Nature’s Perfume are some of my favorites! Grab some more of his books and enjoy the laughs and the frights!
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WHO IS MARK TOWSE?????
Mark Towse is an English award-winning horror writer 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 forty-five. Since then, he's been published in over two hundred journals and anthologies, had his work made into full theatrical audio productions, and has penned fifteen novellas, including Nana, Gone to the Dogs, 3:33, and Crows. Chasing The Dragon, his debut novel from Eerie River Publishing, was released in March 2024.
***Taken from Mark Towse’s Amazon author page
About Anuci Press
The goal is to shine a light on writers that deserve to be recognized, and most importantly, read.
At Anuci Press, we believe that every writer has a voice that deserves to be heard. We are a team of passionate individuals who are dedicated to bringing the works of unsung writers to the world. Our journey began as a long-time supporter of indie publishers, and we wanted to join them in their mission. We publish both anthologies and individual works that will be enjoyed by book lovers all around the world. Our team consists of experienced professionals who have a deep understanding of the publishing industry and are committed to providing the best services to our writers. We believe that every writer deserves a chance to be published, and we are here to make that happen.
***Taken from the Anuci Press website
