Connection Lost and Other Dark Tales by Gillian Church
Connection Lost and Other Dark Tales by Gillian Church was published on August 13, 2022. It weighs in at 32 pages and contains three short horror stories.
I’ve followed Gillian Church on social media for a while now and have enjoyed many of the microfiction stories she posts. This is the first time I’ve experienced her writing in a longer medium, at least longer than what I’m used to since these three stories are still relatively short. They’re easy and enjoyable to read, and the entire book can be devoured in an hour or less.
It was interesting to me that the first story is about a lost connection, and the next two stories are about reconnecting. I enjoyed this underlying theme in the stories that helped link them together in a cohesive collection.
If you are a fan of revenge stories, which I am, you’ll enjoy this book. Each tale has its own flavor, so it keeps it fresh and new for the reader. I love when I get a real “yeah, take that!” vibe when I am reading the climax of a story, and the author gave me that - especially in “Connection Lost” and “I’ll Poison Your Dreams.”
This debut collection is just a brief glimpse into Church’s writing. Aside from this book, she has one of the best social media presences I’ve seen for a debut author. Not only is she dedicated to her craft, but her posts give insight to who she is outside of her writing as well as the nuances of being a horror author. They’re always informative and/or just plain enjoyable. I’d recommend following her on Instagram. You can thank me later! Check out her website, too, where you can sample some of her other work. I’m excited to see what the future holds for Church and what stories will be emerging from the dark places in her mind.
“I emerge from my en suite bathroom and freeze in my tracks. There's a letter neatly centered on my pillow. Gooseflesh prickles the back of my neck and the tops of my arms. I am alone. I live alone. And that envelope was not there five minutes ago when I went to brush my teeth.”
Amazon’s description of the stories in Connection Lost and Other Dark Tales:
A collection of three dark short stories.
In Connection Lost, a grieving mother hides a memento from her husband.
I'll Poison Your Dreams features a surprising wedding gift from the bride's estranged sister.
In Bergamot and Blood, a husband reaches out to his wife after ten years.
Get to know Gillian Church
Originally from New York, she has spent her entire adult life in New England. She currently lives in New Hampshire with her husband, young son, dog, and one very old cat. When not writing dark, scary stories she works full time writing technical documentation for a software company.
