Scream Queen And Other Tales of Menace

14 stories by a master of dark suspense who does for the American Midwest what Stephen King has done for Maine. In the title story, a young man working in a video store is captivated when the actress he has lusted after in so many horror films arrives in town hiding her identity. Says crime novelist Tom Piccirilli in his introduction: "[T]his new collection, like all the collections before it, is full of atmospheric, dark tales of folks pushed too far, haunted characters trying to clear their heads or their guilt-laden souls." With an afterword in which Gorman discusses the origins of some of his work.

From Booklist

Acclaimed novelist and short story writer Gorman offers up 14 stories, originally published (with a few exceptions) in the early to mid-1990s. Ranging in genre from noir to thriller to horror to sf, these are beautifully crafted tales. Gorman’s characters behave consistently, but sometimes we don’t realize what kind of people they are until it’s too late. Many of the stories are narrated in the first person, and these feel almost like confessions. Some, like Angie (about a woman whose lover killed his wife so he could have Angie), have moments in which it feels like the author is channeling Jim Thompson; still others, Duty (a postapocalyptic chiller) and The Order of Things Unknown (a serial killer finds he’s unable to stop killing), have a sort of Stephen King flavor to them. Gorman is best known as a mystery writer, but his fans know he can handle pretty much any genre like an expert. This short story collection showcases his versatility and his skill at creating complex, compelling characters. --David Pitt

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