The Dark Side of Christmas by Rebecca Collins

The Dark Side of Christmas Reviews

• 
  Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings)

  I’m often partial to a collection of short stories but I find many a time they can be hit or miss and therefore disappointing, so when I started “The Dark Side of Christmas” anthology, I went in with an open mind.
  Written and contributed by a selection of authors and directors from the Hobeck Books publishing company, this is a compilation of dark, twisted and moving Christmas tales, perfect for the festive period or anytime of the year, if you’re looking for some quick and entertaining escapism.
  
  I enjoyed reading every single one, they really were a pleasure to spend time with. Sometimes I don’t ‘get’ the ending to these type of quick tales but I connected with them all, which were unguessable, fun and a joy to read.
  I particularly liked the three part story of “A Christmas Susan”, I totally didn’t see where the story was going in the second and third parts and actually felt emotional during the developments, that’s how quickly I engaged with the characters. All stories were dark, with either some comedy aspects, focusing on cheer and hope or just downright creepy! Adrian Hobart’s tale of Christmas turkeys may have me reconsidering my festive dinner next year. As for “Peppermint Creams on Christmas Eve” let’s just say I hope I don’t smell their aroma anytime soon. I could go on but I suggest you find out for yourself.
  All the authors involved have convinced me I’d happily read (if I haven’t already) their full length novels - clear writing, well thought out engrossing plots and engaging and likeable characters - all make them writers to watch out for on booksellers shelves.
  
  All royalties from the sale of this book go @Streetreads, a charitable initiative that encourages reading and creativity amongst the homeless in Scotland. Buy the book, you wont be disappointed.
  
  #TheDarkSideOfChristmas - 5 stars
• 
  Lynda

  I’ve read a few anthologies recently and this is another good one with tales from the stable of Hobeck book publishers authors and with the addition of a story from each of the directors. Lots of different tales make up this very readable and enjoyable book.
  
  I’m not going to single out any favourites other than to say there are a couple of really outstanding stories but all are good and worthy of a read. Dark but mostly ghostly rather than gory, there are flashes of humour and some festive spirit, sadness and joy; in fact something for everyone.
  
  A great book you can put down and pick up weeks later without loosing the plot. I did. A great idea for a Christmas present and you will be supporting Streetreads, a Charity working with the homeless in Scotland to encourage reading and creativity, as they will receive all royalties from the book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
• 
  Zoe Radley

  Absolutely marvellous!! A brilliant collection of fantastic short stories about the darker side of Christmas, though with a few elements of cheer and hope. I loved all the stories and each one is a Jewell to treasure. I have to admit there is one story I was convinced was a pastiche of a forgotten classic until I realised it was so well done that it was all a tale. I would highly recommend this book.
• 
  Cat Strawberry

  This is such a brilliant and interesting set of Christmas short stories, but all on the darker side. From strange whistles heard in the night, ghostly scents of peppermint creams, to dangerous practical jokes, this book contains fifteen stories set around Christmastime, but they’re not the usual cheerful Christmas tales told at this time of year, instead each of these has a dark element, be it crime, horror and some with some very dark twists.
  
  This book was so fun to read and I can’t believe how much I enjoyed each of the fifteen tales told in this anthology. There is a forward to the book and I like how there is a brief introduction to each of the authors of the stories before you begin reading the stories themselves. All fifteen were good. Some of the tales take on a crime element, others are focused more on spooky horror style events and some of the tales come with some really brilliant twists too. While each of the stories is a standalone tale, there is one recurring story with three parts to it ‘A Christmas Susan’ which was brilliant and funny too.
  
  I really like the twists in some of these tales, like the twist in the story ‘The Long Wait’ which was probably the story that shocked me the most with its ending. I also really enjoyed ‘Peppermint Creams on Christmas Eve’ for its interesting twist about storytelling, ‘Searching for Santa’ as I like what happens to the boy and the other character in the end, and ‘One Out, All Out’ which was so interesting and funny due to the point of view that story was told from. Although I felt like one or two stories called on knowledge of certain characters which may appear in some novels by the authors who wrote those stories, I still found them interesting and after finishing this anthology, it’s actually made me want to go and read some of the novels by these authors.
  
  There are some dark happenings in this book, including some murders and deaths and crimes in general. There are some spooky/scary things happening too, though I really enjoyed some of these aspects of the stories including that haunting whistling and drumming in ‘Skating Away’. There is nothing really gruesome though, although they might give you a surprise or shock when you read them! There is very occasional use of the f and s swear words in this book, and the royalties from from every book bought is going to Streetreads, which is a charity helping to encourage and get access to reading for the homeless in Scotland, which I think is lovely.
  
  Overall this is a really great anthology of Christmassy tales but all with a darker element and twist. I’m now keen to read Hobeck Books’s first Christmas anthology, and can’t wait to read some books by the authors in this collection of short stories too. I never thought I would love darker Christmas stories so much, but it’s made me keen to read more and I hope there might be more such tales from this publisher in future too!
  -Thanks to Hobeck Books for a free copy for review.
• 
  Carole Gourlay

  I’ve just finished this, and have to say I loved them all, just disappointed that they were short! Hahaha, each and every one left me wanting more. Brilliant to give the reader a sample of each author. Wonderful idea. Such varied talent too. Thank you so much for the ARC.
  
  My thanks to all the authors who contributed to this book and Hobeck publishers for the ARC. It’s sale goes to such a worthy cause too.
• 
  mrsbookburnee Niamh Burnett

  I really enjoyed reading this set of Christmas short stories! A mixture of murder, freaky, and heartwarming stories. These are the perfect escape from the loving and lighthearted Christmas reads.
  
  My favourite stories were ‘Payback’ and ‘Peppermint creams on Christmas Eve’, most of the authors are new to me, so looking forward to reading more of their works.
  
  Thank you to the publishers for my #gifted copy.
  
  All of the royalties are going to Streetreads - a charitable initiative that encourages reading and creative amongst the homeless in Scotland.
• 
  Staceywh_17

  Such a fantastic little collection of stories for Christmas, if you're expecting all the ubiquitous jolly happy holiday's stuff...this isn't the book for you.
  
  All very well written, some darker than others & some fringing on festive spirit.
  
  I've been introduced to many new authors whilst reading this anthology, so I'm definitely going to be checking them out in the new year.
• 
  Christine Rennie

  The Dark Side of Christmas: an anthology is an entertaining read with some very clever and interesting short stories. A recommended read at Christmas for all readers.
  Highly recommended
• 
  Emma Hardy

  Well.. I started to read or two last night and ended up devouring the whole collection in one sitting. This totally has something for everyone. Action packed, drama fuelled. Dark, gritty, twisty, surprising. Characters you'll love to hate and ones you'll fear for.
  A real mixed bag of stories that'll make you shudder, curl under your blanket further at, and some that are deliciously vengeful.
  If the red and fluffy romance Xmas stories dont interest you, look no further. You've found your read.
  
• 
  Rachel Revill

  What a ride! The fantastic thing about anthologies is that you never know what the next story will bring! These stories are full of dry humour, deep- seated revenge, twisted morals and a love of christmas darkness! A one-sitting read on a gloomy, cold Sunday. I'm now plotting my own dark Christmas! Can't wait for next year!
• 
  Lewis Hastings

  A simply brilliant collection of festive and not so festive tales from the team at Hobeck Books. More importantly the profits are heading to a street-based charity which focuses on bringing books to the homeless. An outstanding project all round. 10/10
• 
  Ann-Marie

  What a wonderful collection of short stories. What sets this collection apart to me is, aside from having a Christmas theme, how different each story is and what different emotions are brought out in the reader. You’re surprised, shocked, intrigued, concerned, saddened and amused to name but a few! Some bring a wry smile, others thoughts of karma (and a mental note to file a few suggestions away!) or sadness but always enjoyment and satisfaction at reading such good stories. It’s also a pleasure to meet up again with characters from other books from the contributing authors.
  
  Thanks to Hobeck Books for a copy to review.