KIM GRAVELL

Great short stories. I've read the first two, can't wait to read more. Marvelous writing.

I enjoy a good short story, particularly if the writer knows her stuff - strong characters, no procrastinating, interesting dilemmas, powerful endings. And that's very much what the reader gets in Tales Beyond Midnight. Kim Gravell is a strong writer who knows how to grab the reader instantly and not let go until the clever twist at the end.

​

I must say, this set of shorts gets off to a flying start (pardon the pun) with The Jumper, the story of a man who's about to jump to his death - that is until Luci (with an 'i') attempts to talk him down. The ending is super-clever, and a little spooky/sick/bizarre too, which is probably why I enjoyed it so much.

​

I also very much enjoyed The Psychic, the author exploring the Council of Ren, a frighteningly powerful body that controls anybody with psychic powers. I'd also recommend the seventh story: Swansong; it's not very long, but it's wonderfully clever and rather thought-provoking for us readers in our later years of life.

​

So, anybody looking for an accessible, smartly plotted set of shorts offering a mix of suspense and clever twists, this book is for you. As the title suggests, it's perfect for a sleepless night, although the resulting dreams might be rather on the spooky side!

WOW! What a great short story book! 'Tales Beyond Midnight' by Kim Gravell, is crammed with interesting short stories. Some tales have an unexpected twist, some are amusing and some are scary. Some tales surprised me, some made me laugh, one made me cry, and a few, I wished I hadn't read just before bedtime. I was tempted to say which stories were which, but that would spoil the fun of you discovering that for yourself.

This author's rich and descriptive style really brings each story to life. I could not choose a favourite story as they were all so different and I enjoyed them all.

If you have had the pleasure of reading, Kim Gravell's Dark places novels, 'The Demon's Call', 'Child of the Covenant' and 'To pay for the Crossing', then you will LOVE the short story, 'The Remnant Child', in which Gwyn and Eldritch have another scary adventure.

I will be buying a few copies of 'Tales Beyond Midnight', as I think it would make a ideal present.

The title would lead you to believe this was a book of horror stories. Instead I found interesting circumstances with odd twists. Mild and interesting, yet they make you think. Emma was my favorite. I highly recommend this book.

Loved it! Perfect for late-night reading

This is a fantastic collection of stories! Each story had its own unique vibe, and I loved each one. All the plots have just the right amount of twists, perfectly balanced out by suspense. Definitely worth picking up. A big thumbs up :)

The tone varies a lot across the collection – some are darkly humorous, others deadly serious. Most are to some degree unsettling. Inevitably, some stories grabbed me more than others. I was deeply affected by one of the ghost stories, and some of these tales will haunt me for some time to come. Many of the stories set up scenarios that invite the reader to question and wonder – this is very much a collection for people who like thinking about things.

The above is an extract from the Druid Life review. Read the full review here.

This collection of short stories is very readable with each tale offering something different. I enjoyed all the stories but my favourite by far was "The glass slipper" - so imaginative and would make a great film in my opinion!