Title: Tales From the Park Land

Author: Ronald McGillvray

Release date: July 26th, 2021

I’ve not read any of Ronald’s work before grabbing his latest collection, but judging from what I discovered, I’m excited to check out whatever he releases into the world.

Lately, I’ve actually struggled with reading and reviewing short story collections and anthologies due to burn out and the marked effort reading and reviewing these releases takes. When I read novellas or novels I typically don’t take a single note, nor have to worry about remembering key details. With collections and anthologies it is the opposite. Notes on each story and key moments, as with 10-12 stories or more, it can be tough to keep things straight. From all of that, I was burned out on them.

Saying all of that, I’ve been slowly reintroducing collections and when Ronald’s released, I snagged it and bumped it up the TBR. I’m always a fan of discovering new-to-me authors but also new-to-me Canadian authors.

What I liked: Containing eleven short stories and a bonus novella, ‘Tales From the Parkland’ covers a lot of ground and the collection is a strong showcase of how many different avenues dark fiction can travel. McGillvary writes with ease and it’s evident that writing these stories brought him great joy, you can practically feel him smiling at the depravity as each story twists and turns.

The standouts for me would be;

The Garbage Collectors – a dark story of a new family in town that discovers a horrible secret. This one sped along and was unflinching.

Underneath the Stairs – a really quick story that made me laugh. As someone who lived in a house with a creepy basement, this really hit the spot for this reader.

Typo – a story about the unexpected consequences of entering in a website incorrectly. I loved this modernized horror story.

Orphans – this was a deliciously dark story about a strange storm and people seemingly different. Loved the sibling relationship that was showcased.

McGillvary did a fantastic job of making the reader feel comfortable almost immediately in each story, allowing you to just read and not feel like you’ve missed something.

What I didn’t like: As with every short story collection, some stories will hit while some will miss. This one had a ton of great stories and I think fans of dark fiction and short dark fiction will really enjoy what’s offered.

Why you should buy this: McGillvary delivered a really fun collection, filled with a lot of brutal themes. You’ll get werewolves, bumps in the night and things that aren’t what they appear. All making for a fast-paced read, but one filled with stories that’ll stay with you long after you’ve read them.

Great stuff!

4/5