Tales from the Eerie Canal

22 Stories of the Delightfully Dark & Creepy

By: Barbara Rein

Narrated by: Carol Wrobleski, Domenic Petretta

“BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR”—FLORIDA WRITERS ASSOCIATION 2021
“SHORT STORY WRITER OF THE YEAR”—IN2ITION MAGAZINE 2021

MURDER BY TOILET PLUNGER
REVENGE BY PIE
A NAME TO DIE FOR
FAMOUS—WEALTHY—LIVING IT UP—AND DEAD
A DREAM JOB—FOR JUST ONE BODY PART
and more

Gentle-horror short stories (goosebumps, not gore) drenched with deliciously wicked twists. For fan-atics of Twilight Zone and psychological thrillers—a page-turning mix of fantasy, horror, sci-fi, suspense, and a splash of wit.

Tales from the Eerie Canal weaves the sinister mystery of Edgar Allan Poe with the dark humor of Edward Gorey. No canal. No Lake Erie. Just a stream of the disturbing doused with bits of the absurd.

“Rein’s 22 tales spin fantastical, creatively sinister webs and conjure the dark artistry of horror fiction. A spooky, creepy collection; certain to bewitch fans of the dark side.”—Kirkus Review

Quick reads. Lingering chills. Don't let the dark catch you sleeping.

©2018 Barbara Rein (P)2024 Barbara Rein

Uniquely Terrifying and Fun

A collection of twenty-two unsettling stories that range from eerie to terrifying, filled with the kind of creepy and dark horror that keeps us awake at night! The horror of hitting a neighbor’s cat alone is terrifying but what happens next – wow!

Barbara Rein, the author, has crafted stories with a toe in reality and then she peppers each tale with a twist guaranteed to either scare the daylights of you or weird you completely out! For me, the Neighbor sticks in my mind the most. We have all feared hitting and killing an animal. But hitting and killing a neighbor’s pet is horrifying on its own until Rein throws in a twist that leaves the listener wide-eyed! Each story is concise with rich characters and situations. The couple selling their home has a great and unexpected twist there! The dialogue is effective to move the stories along and feel authentic. Rein does not allow you to truly know each character fully because her focus is not on character development but rather on the storyline itself. Rein uses the plot details to enable the listener to accurately and effectively capture just enough of each character to enrich the narrative.

The narrators, Carol Wrobleski and Domenic Petretta deliver a strong and solid performance alternating between stories. They both accurately guide the listener through the story smoothly and easily. They are both highly skilled at pacing and building suspense. They infuse their voices with nuance that articulates the narrative clearly. They enhance each story and twist accurately and thoroughly making it an immersive experience.

This is a great collection of short stories, very similar to the series Twilight Zone, or Stephen King’s Night Shift or Nightmares and Dreamscapes. Rich in terror and yet some humor, dark still fun!

There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook.

Delightfully macabre, charmingly creepy!

These 22 cleverly written stories cover the gamut from charming to macabre, delightful to creepy, sweet to bizarre. There's something for everyone. The two narrators do a wonderful job of bringing the listener into the stories. Prepare yourself for an intriguing, fun, sometimes dark performance. Well done!