Traps and Specters: Stories by Philip Fracassi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Traps and Specters: Stories is a short story collection from the brilliant mind of Philip Fracassi. I don’t have much to say on this besides the fact that it’s great. The tales are varied and I feel like there’s something within for everyone.
Even though not every story blew me away, they all felt very Fracassi. By that I mean, they were all creative, well-written and with an overriding sense of dread threaded throughout. My favorite was The Haunted Treehouse. That was so fun. It just felt like a Classic Horror story.
I highly recommend the audiobook if you’re going to pick this up and have it available to you. There are two separate narrators, Sean Patrick Hopkins and Patricia Santomasso, each getting their turn to read separate stories.
I really enjoyed how it was done that way. It helped each story to feel distinct from the ones before or after. I also felt like the quality of the narration had a very classic Horror feel to it. They felt like true storytellers, bringing Fracassi’s ideas to life. Where’s the campfire?
For me, this collection was an absolute win. I love Fracassi’s writing. He has texture and strong atmosphere. Boys in the Valley is one of my favorite Horror novels of all time, and instantly assured my position as a big ole’ Fracassi stan.
Thank you to the publisher, Tantor Media and Shortwave, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would recommend this collection to any Horror Reader who enjoys short stories. This is a fun one!