Strange Little Horrors and Other Stories

Amy Cross presents a collection of unsettling tales that blur the line between the mundane and the macabre. Strange Little Horrors and Other Stories gathers six distinct narratives, each exploring different facets of dread through varied lenses. The volume includes Strange Little Horrors, where a prank backfires with supernatural consequences, and The Reviews of Janet Verblanke, which follows a widow whose digital life collides with her daughter’s disturbing behavior. Cross also delivers The Boiler, featuring a man confronting an appliance possessed by a mysterious presence, and Sitcom, a meta-fictional horror where a character realizes she is being watched by an audience. The collection extends to The Cough and The Haunting of Wind's End Cottage, the latter placing a widow in a seaside cottage haunted by the living rather than the dead. Another story tracks a woman fleeing a deadly pandemic who encounters an infuriating ghost in a remote farmhouse. These stories draw on gothic traditions but ground them in contemporary anxieties like technology isolation and health crises. The book suits readers who appreciate short fiction that challenges reality without relying on gore. It may not satisfy those seeking long-form epic narratives or traditional monster myths. Cross structures the work to deliver quick, sharp shocks rather than slow-burn tension. Each tale stands alone yet contributes to a cohesive atmosphere of unease. The author qualifies as a voice in modern horror by focusing on psychological intrusion and domestic disruption. This collection offers a compact exploration of fear for those who prefer concise storytelling over sprawling plots.