[Book Review] All Things Deadly: Salem Stories by E.C. Hanson

All Things Deadly by E.C. Hanson is an amazing collection of short tales all centered on events occurring in and around Salem, but there’s more than just location that ties them all together.

If you enjoy collections that will keep you on your toes as you just have no idea what to expect next, you don’t want to miss this one!

Content Warnings:
A few of these tales tackle difficult subjects, click here to learn more in the content warning section.

Let’s dive in!

My Thoughts on All Things Deadly by E.C. Hanson

The writing style that E.C. uses here was right up my alley. He’s wonderfully descriptive and makes you feel like you’re right there in the story itself. The tones he is able to set within each story, but also for the collection overall, is very impressive. His characters are all so intriguing; some you’ll love, some you’ll hate, and there are plenty that you just aren’t sure what to think of!

I really enjoyed that I never knew what to expect here, both within each story, and between tales! It made putting this collection down next to impossible.

There was just such a great mix of formats here. One moment I was reading a story that was eerie all the way through, and the next, a tale would start out calm and uplifting, but then in the very last few lines, it took a sudden turn that made me question what I just read to the point where I had to go back to reread immediately to see if I missed any clues! And let me tell you, the hints that were dropped in some tales that I totally missed were awesome to see the second time around!

Another element that I loved was how timely some of the stories were with the current events they tackled, while others were more timeless.

My favorites from the collection were:

The Frosts – An Introduction
Drips
Last Breaths
The Five-Day Fisherman
Adam Frost
Storage Facility
Mister Shotgun
The Aged Man
Freewrite Friday
Red Couch
Taunt That Witch
Adam and Sutton
Homage
Stalker 101
Revenge Tour
Rebecca Frost
Epilogue

Here are my quick thoughts on each tale:

The Frosts – An Introduction –
This intro featured a man named Adam Frost and his ticked-off daughter, Sutton, as they were driving somewhere. This was short and sweet, but oooh I was intrigued! I couldn’t wait to see where this was going from here!

Drips –
I love a Halloween tale, so this one certainly had my attention. I was so excited for Billy to get some candy, as it was obvious he could really use a treat. But oh man, what a nightmare. This poor kid!

Last Breaths –
Phew, this one was timely. I loved this character, Henry.

Zukes –
Jason, who was forced to work at his stepfathers’ cinema, hates the job mainly due to the customers. I can’t say I blame him after seeing how people act at the movies. But I’m very thankful that I have never witnessed anything remotely close to what happens in this tale. Yikes!

The Five-Day Fisherman –
Content Warnings: Please feel free to reach out to me for specifics here!
Oh my god. I can’t even add any other notes here, you just need to read this one to feel the emotions. This one is so powerful.

Adam Frost –
Another story about Adam and his daughter, Sutton. This time, Adam received a phone call with information that he can’t pass up. Oh gosh, I’m so nervous to see where this goes next.

Regress –
When a man who has hit an amazing milestone in his sobriety is brushed aside by his girlfriend, he makes some pretty poor decisions. Phew, this one took quite a turn that I didn’t see coming!

Storage Facility –
There has always been something very creepy to me about storage units. This tale did not help that fear. What an ending!!

Mister Shotgun –
Oofh. My heart.

Samsara –
When a woman trying to run from herself visits a shop while waiting to get into a brewery that hasn’t opened for the day yet, she’s haunted by something… I felt for this woman at first, then I was rooting for her husband!

Sutton Frost –
Ah, a tale that gives us some insight into the daughter’s mind! This poor girl. I hope we see her snap out of this funk soon.

The Aged Man –
Oh this poor soul. My heart breaks for them.

Freewrite Friday –
On her last day of work, this teacher does what she has never done before; she takes part in freewrite Friday. When she begins her tale, she tells her class that her story is either fiction or nonfiction, and that they can decide. I love how dark this one felt, even in the early stages, and it just got darker from there! That last line!!

Red Couch –
This tale focuses on two middle-aged women who both have urgent matters that they need to resolve. When they cross paths, things get interesting. I am obsessed with this story and how it begins and ends with a very similar passage!

Taunt That Witch –
When a girl longboarding takes a tumble near the grave of a rumored witch, she doesn’t just fix the area and get out of there. Of course not. Instead, she taunts the witch and that goes about as well as you can imagine. This one made me cringe!

Adam and Sutton –
And the plot thickens with these two!!

Crunchy Bits –
Oh lord. Stories like this make me want to avoid candy shops forever. You just never know who is running the shop!

Homage –
Content Warning: Dog death
When this woman decides to kill a dog, her interest in murder is sparked. She goes on to kill others as chosen by random. She seems to be covering her tracks, but she isn’t necessarily trying to. Will she get caught? I loved how dark and terrifying this one was! My gosh, some of her murders…. This one is going to haunt me.

Stalker 101 –
When a man’s mother passed away suddenly, he realizes that he needs to make some major changes. To start, he makes a list of things he’s never done. When he starts taking action, I was so proud of him! I wanted him to turn his life around. But of course, with a title like Stalker 101, I should have known better!

Adam vs Sutton –
Ugh someone needs to tell Sutton the full story here! And quick! Her attitude is not getting anyone anywhere fast.

Revenge Tour –
When the virus was still new, our main character finds himself infected. But rather than listening to the doctor, he does the exact opposite. Phew, this one will make your blood boil. What a timely and horrific take that’s very realistic… it will break your heart.

Under Surveillance –
Content Warning: Cheating
This one is from the perspective of the cat, and what a good cat it is. With such loyalty to the man he calls the innocent one, this cat will do anything he can to show the innocent one what is really going on.

Pressure Cooker –
A bride getting ready to tie the knot isn’t the nervous but excited bride that she was hoping to be. Instead, she’s got some inner turmoil going. Wow… You need to experience this story. Good luck.

Rebecca Frost –
Phew! What a heartbreaking story. So much from the previous stories with these two makes total sense now. I love where this one went!

Epilogue –
What a conclusion!! The line that ties everything together! SO WELL DONE!

My Favorite Passage from All Things Deadly

I had more quotes noted, but they were all spoilers! So please enjoy this one:

She was on the run from herself, and no one but her knew it.

My Final Thoughts About All Things Deadly

While I would put this collection solidly in the horror category, it’s a collection that is sure to provoke a variety of emotional responses. Some tales will make you feel uncomfortable, some will spook you, some will downright terrify you or disgust you, while others will make you smile, and some will make you laugh.

There’s truly something here for everyone!

I cannot recommend this one highly enough! I had a blast reading these tales and already can’t wait to revisit them again soon!

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