Destination Dark Zone

Six Twisted Tales

By: Susan May

Narrated by: Hollis McCarthy, Steve Marvel

Welcome to Destination Dark Zone!

Take your ticket and enjoy the thrills and chills awaiting those who dare journey into this exciting collection of short fiction and novellas. Savor over 15 hours of six twisted tales, which will both delight and surprise listeners as they travel into the dark realms of supernatural and paranormal suspense.

Follow an odd, quirky fellow in Lucky This Time, a man who is slave to his routine until one day he tries something new, spinning his world right out of control. Journey on the luxurious New Dawn cruise liner in the poignant Beyont, where an uninvited guest means no one is disembarking anytime soon. Or ride along in 291 in a rookie cop’s haunted cruiser that’s driving him half-crazy. Take a trip into the alternate world of Salvation, where Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species has never been published, so now the Church rules the world, and God is not all-forgiving. In Soul Survivor, walk in the shoes of a parent the day after fire destroys his children’s school, as he follows a man who cannot be there and learns a secret that cannot be true.

And in the prequel to Susan May’s most beloved book The Troubles Keeper, meet a seven-year-old Rory Fine and his mama as they board an evening commuter train that will never reach its final destination. Drift is a wild ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

From Susan May, the international best-selling author, who has spent the last decade keeping listeners up way past their bedtime and too scared to look under the bed, comes a volume of six suspenseful tales that will take you to dark and fascinating places you’ll not soon forget.

Narrated brilliantly by Hollis McCarthy, Audible Audiofile Contest Winner and Steve Marvel, three-time Voice Arts Award finalist.

©2019 Susan May (P)2019 Susan May

An amazing collection

Lucky This Time: A man with an extreme case of OCD, bound by his daily routines, until one day he finds a chance to change and decides to take it. A delightfully twisted short story.

Beyond: Permeated with a sense of claustrophobic dread and a surprising twist at the end, this story also has a dream-like quality that makes it particularly attractive.

291: a fast-paced, tremendously engaging story. A masterly horror story, the kind that doesn't rely on gore or cheap shots to scare you. I love the way in which, through its structure, lead us to believe that we know what really is going on, and then, in the end, shake us with a very unexpected ending. Really fabulous!

Salvation: Oh, I love this kind of story, in which there was a single event that didn't happen and changed the world as we know it. And a cautionary tale about how easy is, when you’re certain your cause is just, to excuse almost anything to further it. I wouldn't mind reading more about this Universe, TBH.

Soul Survivor: Oh, this is such a poignant story! Yes, my heart broke a little while reading it, but it's marvellous.

And, finally, Drift. This is a prequel to 'Troubles Keeper', and is, oh, so good! The different POVs, the emotions flowing through the stories, the mysterious beings who are trying to fix... something, and Rory. Rory who is still a little kid, with no knowledge of his gift, trying to convey his fear for what he knows it has happened but it is still unbelievable.

I adore Susan May thrilling writing, her imagination, her masterfully constructed plots and characters and how she seamlessly weaves emotions through the story. And then, we have the 'Vault'. Please, don't skip them! They are a wonderful little window to the writer's mind, They are all origin stories to the stories and I just love them :)

And both narrators, Hollis McCarthy & Steve Marvel, are great and make the whole experience even better.

As always with Susan May, this is a wholly recommended audiobook.

Thrillers to places you beyond reality

I’ve read this book and loved it. Listening to Destination Dark Zone brings everything alive. The narrators are a big part of this effect. They both give each character a distinct personality. The emotions and even sound effects are authentic.


Lucky This Time, Beyont, 291, Salvation. Soul Survivor and Drift are the names of the thrillers you will experience. Every one of these stories is entirely different from each other. Lucky This Time is one of Susan May’s earliest short stories. As you move through, you experience the true evolution of the best selling writer.

The common factor in this group of stories is the destination. It's not just the thrilling story of what will happen next. All of these stories are beyond imagination. I envy all of you. There’s nothing like the first experience of such an intense audible that draws you into an alternate reality. Escape your own life.

what a ride

I simply loved the stories in the collection. My favorites were Drift, Lucky This Time, Beyont, and Salvation. keep them coming Susan!!

Get in the zone!

Loved the short stories. Anyone going on a short trip will enjoy these stories but, not all trips are short!!
Susan May never ceases to amaze me with her words!

Something for Everyone

Susan May has quickly become one of my favorite current authors! I enjoy the variability of her stories, the fact that her characters are not only multi-faceted, but often aren't even particularly likable, and are therefore more real. They also are more able to show growth and development throughout a story because we see more aspects of their personality.
This book has a great variety of stories and characters. Some are science fiction, others feel like thrillers with a darkly comic twist.
Lucky this Time is about a man who tries to have complete control over his life, but who controls luck?
Beyont is about a cruise ship with an unfortunate stowaway.
Soul Survivor is a story about AI, but also about what would you do for your child?
Salvation is an alternate reality in which no one ever questioned Creationism...yet.
291 is about a cop and his scary car.
Drift is a prequel to The Troubles Keeper, and just left me wanting the next novel so that I can figure out how it all fits together!
The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 (I'd give 4 1/2 if I could), is that I thought a couple of the stories needed just a touch more editing. They really had me for awhile, then ALMOST started to lose me right before culminating in the final twist or climax.
*I was provided a free Audible copy of the book by the author. This is my honest review.*

6 stories each outstanding

I have always loved short story collections but had gotten away from them over the last decade or so, I will not let that happen again. Nothing like a story you can listen to in an hour and then do something else or choose to do something else as I get moving more short stories have a place in my life. Just make sure you have the time to spend listening to each story whole or you will find yourself up too late or missing an appointment because just a little more will become your mantra.

I read my first Susan May book a few months ago and I really liked what I heard. This collection was a great listen, The stories were dark, detailed and each fascinating. The writing is tight as is the narration. This book is really worth the listen.

Another winner!!

Once again, Susan May has written a great series guaranteed to keep you wanting more. Her stories and eerie enough to keep you totally involved with the characters and plots and make you think “what if?” I loved reading the prequel to The Troubles Keeper. Gives you a little background of Rorie Fines “awakening”. All the stories in this volume were marvelous listens. I’m afraid that if I mention each and every story in this book, I’d give way too many spoilers. Suffice it to say....yes....it’s a definite need to read! Open it up and fall right in!

Six Twisted Tales

If you are a Stephen King fan and are looking for a new author who writes similar stories, check out Susan May. Her books and stories are very reminiscent of Mr. King's works and are just as enjoyable! Ms. May's books are wonderfully entertaining, well-written, and have great character development. Just be sure that you have plenty of time to start what you finish because you won't dare put the story down until you reach the end!

This is a great collection of six tales, each of which is well-written and entertaining. Ms. May's books/stories defy categorization and I would not be able to sufficiently pin them down for a new reader. Part thriller, part science fiction, part supernatural.....you get the idea.

In this collection, you have a story about a man with OCD, called Lucky This Time. I enjoyed the way that the author shared the progression of this tale and that aspect added a lot to my enjoyment. It is interesting to hear how a story started out as just a few pages and eventually progresses to a novella.

"Beyont" is a tale about a never-ending cruise, which sounds like a dream come true, but it is truly a dream or more of a nightmare? This story had an unexpected twist that made it special.

"Soul Survivor" delves into the possible ramifications of Artificial Intelligence. This tale was especially poignant and a little heartbreaking.

"Salvation" is a trip to an alternate history where Charles Darwin's "Origin of Species" was never published and the world is ruled by the Church.

"291" is the story of a rookie cop who has come to believe that his patrol car is haunted ala "Christine". I have read this one several times and still love it! The writing is very descriptive and really draws the reader/listener into the emotions and feelings of the main character.

"Drift" is a prequel to the wonderful "Troubles Keeper" and gives readers more incite in the world of Rory Fine. Once again, the descriptions and emotions really come through in this one.

Both narrators do a great job and really add a lot to the listener's experience. I would recommend either one of these narrators if you are looking for new ones to add to your favorites list.

I was given the chance to listen to this audiobook by the author and chose to review it.

Destination Dark Zone

I enjoyed all the tales in this book and the stories behind them.It is very interesting how books come to be made! Narration by Hollis McCarthy and Steve Marvel was perfect.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.'

Dark side!

Loved all of the stories! I liked that their were different stories and style! Narrator was awesome!