[Review] - The Town That Feared Dusk - Calvin Demmer

This short story is part of the Short Sharp Shocks collection, and it really delivers on that. After the death of her colleague, Sylvia needs a story to boost her career. She finds information on a ‘Suicide Bridge’, but the investigation drags her deeper than she ever expected to go.

This is one of those stories that’s really easy to get carried away in, as the reader follows Sylvia to the bridge and beyond, as she discovers there’s more than meets the eye to the suicides reported there. The empty town, the non-cooperative locals, and the eerie imagery all builds up to a tense climax, making the reader as eager to find out what is happening as Sylvia is. The ending packs a shocking punch, as promised in the collection.

The only downside is how short it is – I wanted more, more about the town, more about Sylvia, more about the unfolding events. But that’s just the sign of a good short story. The way elements are combined words really well, and I can’t imagine anyone regretting picking this one up.

4/5 - Elle Turpitt