[Review] - From Twisted Roots
From Twisted Roots
S.H. Cooper
I am running out of ways to say what a good writer S.H. Cooper is. I also find myself constantly marvelling at how she manages to produce so many short stories that are all so different from one another. Even when the full collection is in first person (as with Cooper’s two short story collections), it’s amazing when an author can give each story a distinctive voice and personality behind it.
From Twisted Roots is Cooper’s second short story collection, and packs as much of a punch as her previous collection The Corpse Garden. This one, however, is focused on families, relationships between parents and children, siblings, grandparents and grandchildren. It makes for an intriguing mix, the reader never quite sure where the horror might come from.
Sometimes it feels almost obvious, but something usually happens to make the reader rethink what they’ve just read. Other times, we’re lead through the story wondering what will be revealed, and how. What secrets is the father-of-the-year hiding? Why does a woman keep getting death omens, and how does it relate to her daughter? What monster is terrorising a girl and her grandfather, killing the animals on his farm?
I’ve said it before – and likely in relation to The Corpse Garden – but a lot of really good horror needs love in it, too. And Cooper really demonstrates this. Parents who will do anything for their children can be downright terrifying, when the time calls for it. Secrets can unravel a family, but it’s not just these Cooper shows us.
We also see protective families, families who will go to extra lengths to save loved ones, will look out for one another, and give the impression they can weather any storm as long as they stick together.
In this collection, Cooper shows the impact of having a murderer in the family, deals with mental health, and touches on the dangers of simply being a woman and how politeness, sometimes, just isn’t enough.
Like The Corpse Garden, this is a strong, fantastic collection that really shows off S.H. Cooper’s talents, and is without a doubt one to add to the collection.
Grade: A
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Roots-Thriller-Mystery-Stories-ebook/dp/B07SCTXPWH/
Review by Elle Turpitt
@elleturpitt
I purchased this paperback myself.