‘Mood Swings’ – Dave Jeffrey (Black Shuck Books)

 

Page Count: 151 Pages

And here’s the other book that I read over the Bank Holiday Weekend :o) I’ve been looking at the ‘Black Shuck Shadows’ series, for a while, but had no idea where to start. I mean yes, I could have started right at the beginning but the fact that there were another thirty-six books, following on from the first one, felt a little off-putting to be honest (even if each book is a slim one). In the end, I went with the tried and tested method of ‘picking the book that was half the price of the others’ (thanks Amazon) and that book was number thirty-six in the series, this one ;o)

I’ve never read anything by Dave Jeffrey so came into ‘Mood Swings’ completely cold but if this sampler is anything to go by, I wouldn’t mind reading more of his work. I’ll be honest, I didn’t get some of the stories but at times, that didn’t matter; I was still left distinctly unsettled by the time I spent with each tale. While I wouldn’t call this collection ‘cosmic horror’ at all, there’s a still that sense of a much wider world out there and the only thing that we can comprehend, of it, is how it leaves us afterwards. The ‘why’ is incidental, the journey and the destination happen simultaneously. Whether I ‘got it’ or not, there was still a lot to sit with and process.

Jeffery’s careful, meticulous approach really builds up an overwhelming sense of that horror and then amplifies it by showing us, all too clearly what it does to the lead, whether they realise it or (perhaps more chillingly) not. Is it a curse to be aware, or is it actually a blessing? Jeffery shows us that either is just as likely and that perhaps the real ‘curse’ is that you’ll never know for sure which is best, until you’re living one way or the other.

Highlights for me were, well… most of the book actually :o)

‘Restoring Scarlet’ – I found this tale a little tough to get into but as more detail came to light. ‘Restoring Scarlet’ turned out to be a ‘slowburner’ where persistence really pays off at the end. I’m glad I stuck with it.

‘Once’ – Absolutely heartbreaking once you realise what the story is all about and who is telling it.

‘Last Rose of Summer’ – I thought I could see the ending coming, right up until the point where I realised that it was there and I hadn’t spotted it at all. Talk about hiding in plain sight...

‘Masquerade’ – Little hints of ‘Hellraiser 2’ here, for me, and that’s just how I like it so ‘Masquerade’ was a sure thing, even if I could see the ending coming this time.

‘Where There’s a Will…’ - I’m not a perfect Dad but I’m not a bad one either. I have however, found myself making a little more effort with my daughters since finishing ‘Where There’s a Will’. Funny that...

‘Disturbia’ – An unsettling tale when it mattered, I didn’t quite get the ending though (but maybe that was the plan)

‘Different’ – Damn, that ending hit hard (with a sweet little play on words, just where it counted) but the examination of grief, that can only be directed inwards, was harrowing long before that. Henry had it coming though.

‘And Your Fear Shall Define You’ – The thing is, I wasn’t quite sure what Michael’s fear was to start off with. I’m too literal-minded at times and the way he ended up felt like a fear that was a little too specific to me. Thinking about it though, it makes a little more sense now and journeying through Michael’s transformation with him, and then realising that the terror has only just begun, was terrifying all by itself.

‘Mood Swings’ is definitely worth a look then, don’t leave it as long as I did before you give it a go.