Double Feature by Ian Fairgrieve (Emerge #6)
Dead Funny
Frank Matthews is a man living on the very edge of anger. A difficult and brutal childhood has twisted what might have been a gentle soul into an embittered, short tempered man.
His life comes violently crashing down around his ears when he loses the only job he’s had for almost a decade. On top of that he stands to lose his family home as well.
Unsure what to do and struggling to contain his pent up anger he’s finally sent over the edge by the appearance of a sadistically meddlesome stranger into his home.
Having nothing to lose he goes on a devastating murder spree, seeking revenge on all those he feels have wronged him.
Fleeing the scene of his heinous and barbaric acts Frank loses control of his car and becomes the final victim of his horrifyingly misguided choices.
Hushed Tones
David Jones is a quiet, reserved little boy. At least that’s what he wants people to see but deep down he feels strange, unfulfilled yearnings that he’s unable to understand or comprehend. That is until a violent encounter with the school bully opens the floodgates of his damaged psyche.
Under a tsunami of emotions he finally understands what has been missing from his life, death and the true meaning of it. Now with the guidance of the 4 wise monkeys he seeks to comprehend every aspect of death including the belief of life after death and if there really is a heaven and hell.
Unfortunately not everyone understands what he’s trying to achieve and they determine that he needs psychological help. David however feels differently and decides to stop them before they can stop him. And catches the attention of an evil that feeds on temptation, revenge and tormented souls.
United StatesDoubly Creepy
Dead Funny “Are you having a laugh, John? I was hired to do a party for a bunch of sad, old farts who are wwaayy too old to be having a clown to a party.” When a man’s anger becomes too much, his revenge comes from the depths of his darkness. Angry at his abusive past, the loss of his job and the possibility of losing his home, a sinister presence creeps into his psyche and spirals him into insanity. Hushed Tones “DAVID JONES WAS A SOLITARY CHILD, always keeping to himself.” A young boy's desire for more than life has to offer. He has a need to fill an empty void that he cannot seem to satiate. When he discovers exactly what it is he needs, he fulfills his burning desires by stepping into insanity. Both of these stories are super dark and very brutal. Fun, fun, fun! The jester is waiting! Don’t miss out on reading these, they're stupendously creepy!!
United StatesDead Funny/Hushed Tones
Dead Funny Frank is fired from his job for being a liability with anger issues. His boss insists that he gets some help. This of course only fuels Frank’s anger. First, he loses his job and now he’s on the verge of losing his house too. This was the final straw and now he seeks revenge on those that helped ruin him. Hushed Tones David is a quiet boy that keeps to himself. He prefers it this way. He does his best to avoid the school bully but one day it’s unavoidable and an incident happens that wakes up the monster inside of him. Two great shorts that are descriptive and brutal. Fairgrieve did an excellent job with the death scenes. Some of them in Husted Tones made me a bit squeamish but that’s the genre and it helps tell David’s story and shares the real darkness inside him. An evil being appears in both stories and it enjoys the violence and revenge which was cool. It would be great to see more of this character and more disturbing stories in the future.
United StatesCreepy Double Shot
Dead Funny “Are you having a laugh, John? I was hired to do a party for a bunch of sad, old farts who are wwaayy too old to be having a clown to a party.” When a man’s anger becomes too much, his revenge comes from the depths of his darkness. Angry at his abusive past, the loss of his job and the possibility of losing his home, a sinister presence creeps into his psyche and spirals him into insanity. Hushed Tones “DAVID JONES WAS A SOLITARY CHILD, always keeping to himself.” A young boy's desire for more than life has to offer. He has a need to fill an empty void that he cannot seem to satiate. When he discovers exactly what it is he needs, he fulfills his burning desires by stepping into insanity. Both of these stories are super dark and very brutal. Fun, fun, fun! The jester is waiting! Don’t miss out on reading these, they're stupendously creepy!!
United KingdomCaptivating..
This is the latest in the Emerge series of books from Godless and D&T Publishing LLC , and it's a twofer! Two stories in one! Both stories are good and gory, brutal and depraved, and well worth reading! My fave of the two, however, is definitely HUSHED TONES. *DEAD FUNNY* In this story, Frank gets fired from his job and is on the verge of losing his home too. As a result of this, he wants revenge, and with a little encouragement from an unexpected guest, he finally snaps and uses his vast collection of 'toys' to do just that! Gory, savage fun! *HUSHED TONES* In this second story, David is a loner, he likes to keep himself to himself, but an encounter on the way to school one morning, with a dying seagull and the school bully, causes something in him to click, to bring on an unhealthy obsession with death, and the birth of a new 'hobby' for him! I found this one captivating and fascinating, it had me completely gripped! Sick, twisted and brutal, and very well written, loved it! I also enjoyed how a certain character popped up in both stories, and I hope to see more of him in the future! I think Ian is one to watch out for, I certainly will be!
United StatesTwo Times The Horror
A recently fired clown has has one more performance up his sleeve, guaranteed to get some reactions from the audience. A gifted child was an awakening after his bully forces him to put a pigeon out of its misery. Soon, that same feels my can no longer be felt with smaller prey. Behind the scenes, a jester with a grin that splits his face in two and a scepter topped with a human head laughs maniacally at the chaos that unfolds. What is his purpose? Who is he? Ian Fairgrieve’s Double Feature is a great breakout piece, showing us loyal godless fans his brand of carnage and what his mind is capable of. His kill scenes are brutal, but they can also be cold and calculated. With a long history of writing short stories, it’s no wonder these feel more polished than what normally would come from a newer author. There’s so much packed into such a tiny frame, it felt more like reading two novellas than two short stories. Although I was left with some unanswered questions, I am completely content with the stories provided. Here’s hoping we get to see more of the grinning jester!