[Book Review] Made In Britain by Kevin J. Kennedy

Made In Britain by Kevin J. Kennedy is a wonderful collection of tales, all of which have a focus on something Britain related. I absolutely loved this collection!

Full Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way. I also purchased a copy as well.

Let’s dive in!

My Thoughts on Made In Britain presented by Kevin J. Kennedy

The intro by James H Longmore ruled! I was like attending a rally before a big game; it got me so pumped up to keep reading!! I mean, this passage:

So, do read on – we dare you – and enjoying all of the dark stories we have on offer. We would recommend that you read Made In Britain with all the lights on, and within safe shouting distance of help, but, like any other fervent horror aficionado, you wouldn’t listen. Would you?  

Britain’s Best Clown by Ross Baxter – 5 Stars
In this tale we meet a circus owner and a clown that had been in a relationship. The two are determined to keep the show from shutting down. The owner is cutting acts, and when she gives the clown six weeks notice, he is determined to make the show popular again no matter the cost. I loved this so much! The stunts were intense and they certainly had me nervous for the clown. And THAT ENDING!! 

From The Darkness Within by C. Bailey-Bacchus – 4 Stars
This tale was about a man that was living on the streets. One evening, a woman saved him from being heckled by two drunks. While hiding under an overpass, they shared a bottle of alcohol and their stories. The man told the girl that she should be afraid of him, but he was the one that should have been afraid. I loved how this one took quite the turn!! 

Mr Elvid by Justin Boote – 5 Stars
This tale was about a very well mannered gentleman called the Good Samaritan who goes around stopping people from committing crimes and leaving them with a reason to remember him and change their ways.

Formaldehyde by Munib Haroon – 5 Stars
This tale is about three medical students that decide that it’s a good idea to cut off their cadavers hand and run around town drinking and taking photos with the hand. But when the hand goes missing and one of them ends up falling over their balcony… they start realizing that sawing off the hand of a dead body wasn’t the best idea. Oh my gosh, I loved this! What revenge! 

Foundations by Lex H Jones – 5 Stars
This tale was about a small town that has a mysterious turret. It seems as if the structure is a mystery but when a camera crew comes out to explore the area, we soon see that there is a man that is protecting the area and will do whatever needs to be done to keep the secrets safe. Ah! The fungus made me second guess everything! Was this really supernatural or is there an annihilation thing going on here?! 

After Midnight by Michael Byrne – 4 Stars
A heartbreaking and terrifying tale of something going on in a retirement care center. These poor lovely souls. 

Mirrored Evil by Guy N. Smith – 5 Stars
This tale is about a family that moves into an old house. While the husband is determined to fix it up, the wife is hesitant because it was on the market for so long, and the daughter thinks it’s creepy. One night, the daughter says she saw a woman in the mirror. The parents try to downplay her fear, but when the husband sees the woman for himself, he knows he needs to destroy the mirror. But will that solve the haunting? I loved this one SO much! So creepy and also so sad. I loved the open ending as well!! 

Yobs by Kevin J Kennedy – 5 Stars
This story began with a young woman walking home and getting accosted by a group called the Young Team. One boy was especially aggressive. Luckily her brother arrived in the nick of time. He fought off three of the boys and then sent the girl home before beginning the next fight. That gained him respect with the leader, but one of the crew wanted revenge… my goodness this one made me so jumpy! I get so nervous reading about 1) girls walking alone at night and 2) people fighting. I was on edge the whole time!! What a read!

The Devil’s Tree by Lee Franklin – 5 Stars
This tale is about a woman that temporarily works for a children’s center. One day, she sees a boy out by an old tree. The boy is upset because his ball ended up near the tree. He tells her it’s an evil tree and that they cannot go near it. The woman does anyway, but when she approaches the tree, she realizes she should have listened… the tale gets more sinister from there! I enjoyed this one so much! It was so creepy!  

Sisters of Solicited by David Owain Hughes 4 Stars
My gosh. This is a topic my friends and I discuss a lot. It’s like a pendulum; we’ve swung so far in one direction, it’s time to swing back a bit and settle out. I loved this tale because it took some of my very real world concerns and turned it up to the max! This story was so intense and violent! I loved it!

To Put A Price On Love by J.C. Michael – 4 Stars
This story centered on a man who had just gone through a divorce. On a trip away to clear his head, he ended up summoning the green lady… and while she seems helpful at first, her intentions aren’t so sweet. I did not see the ending of this one coming! Phew! 

Childe Abbas by Bill Davidson – 5 Stars
This story is about a little girl who moves to a new town with her parents. It’s a town that seems nice, but with one thing… there aren’t any children. After they go on a ghost tour, strange things start to happen. This poor little girl. This broke my heart! As sad as it was, it was equally terrifying! 

The Swarm by James H Longmore – 3 Stars
Woah. Take a bunch of punks and add in a contagious urge to kill as they act very strangely and you’ve got this tale! I seeing a bunch of punk bands I knew of referenced! And phew, the violence! 

Ocean’s Bounty by Andrew J Lucas – 3 Stars
This tale was about a crew aboard a ship helping out during the war. While the boat isn’t as impressive as other navy ships, it’s still able to do decent work. One night, the ship hits a German submarine. The crew immediately fears that they’ll be attached, but in searching the sub shows them that while they were right to be fearful, they should have just left the ship alone. So spooky! I can’t imagine having to board the sub! 

Raven’s Curse by Nick Stead – 3 Stars
This was quite the tale of old curses and revenge! I loved that we began years ago and jumped to present time. I can’t say I felt too bad for the main character of the present time though… 

Down Where the Hogweed Grows Tall by David Turnbull – 
Not one for me unfortunately. 

Ten Paintings of Nettle Wood by Michael Chapman – 4 Stars
This story is about a series of paintings. The artist had a troubling past and rumor was that his mother had a heart attack and he killed himself. One day, they realize there’s a person hidden in the grove of trees in one of the images. But later on, the figure is in a different painting! This one was really eerie and woah did this one take a turn!

Tag by Richard Farren Barber – 5 Stars
This story was about a classmate that the teachers can’t see. Only her classmates can see her. And she’s not a regular student. She’s really old. Once kids start going missing, the kids realize that their old classmate is changing… she’s getting younger. What a tale! I loved this one! 

My Final Thoughts on Made In Britain

Another wicked fun collection of tales! Most of these were a total hit for me and only one wasn’t up my alley.

This is another collection that I highly recommend to long-time horror fans or someone just wanting to start out with a dip into horror, as this collection has a wide range of tales!

---

Snag a copy from your local bookstore or feel free to use my Amazon affiliate link:

Related Reading:

• Interview with Kevin J Kennedy
• 100 Word Horrors
• 100 Word Horrors, Part Two
• 100 Word Horrors, Part Three
• 100 Word Horrors, Part Four
• Carnival of Horror
• Collected Christmas Horror Shorts
• Collected Christmas Horror Shorts 2
• Collected Easter Horror Shorts
• Collected Halloween Horror Shorts: Trick ‘r Treat
• Dark Thoughts
• The Gatekeeper
• The Horror Collection: Black Edition
• The Horror Collection: White Edition
• The Horror Collection: Purple Edition
• The Horror Collection: Gold Edition
• The Horror Collection: Silver Edition
• Screechers by Kevin J. Kennedy and Christina Bergling
• The Tale of Sawney Bean
• You Only Get One Shot by Kevin J. Kennedy & J.C. Michael
• Vampiro and Other Strange Tales of the Macabre