Quiet terror from Darkfuse

Menace

By Gary Fry

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Menace by Gary Fry is part of the Darkfuse novella series. I was given a few of the books for review purpose. Menace is the first one I've read and I have to say that, if this novella is typical of the series, it is a quality act indeed.

Gary Fry's short novella (about 60 or so pages) is a quick read but it is nicely paced and manages to convey a good bit of...if you pardon the redundancy...menace. The tale is about a model, Jane Marlow, who finds herself pregnant by a B-movie actor. She considers aborting it but soon becomes fond of the idea of having her child. She is also developing some strange behavioral and physical changes as is the father...

This story works because the author introduces these changes logically and gradually, along with strategically placed clues about what may be going on. This is not a blood and gore story. It is more of a supernatural psychological suspense story, the kind that grabs you slowly but firmly. The ending may not surprise the seasoned horror fan but it is quite satisfying in that eerie "gotcha" way. This is also my first book by Gary Fry and I am very pleased with it. I believe Fry and the Darkfuse novella series will be in my radar for a while. If you like your horror on the quietly scary and somewhat literary side then this novella is for you.