My thanks to Netgalley and publishers Michael Joseph for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. I never read collections of short stories, but this is one by C J Tudor, one of my favourite authors. I prefer to get deeply immersed in a novel, its characters and the gradual development of the storyline. But I was right to get excited about this book. The first story is so good that I would have been content if that was all there was. But each one grabbed the attention, ending with a punch that you didn’t anticipate. Do take your time over this book, reading the tales on their own and think about them before embarking on the next. Each one begins with the author explaining what triggered her clever imagination and then morphs seamlessly into the narrative. Enjoy!

Not usually one for short story collections but these really kept me gripped and are perfect for dipping in and out of. From the creepy and chilling to downright terrifying, if you are a fan of CJ’s novels you will love these too.

An excellent book of short stories by the fabulous C J Tudor - what's not to like?

Each one starts with an introduction by the author and gives some insight into her journey to publication and her family. I loved that. Then the spooky tales; each one weirder and more chilling than the last and many set in a Dystopian future. There are strange islands with butterflies, A shop that makes things 'better than originals' and strange goings on for Ted in 'I'm not Ted'. All in all, this is an easy book to pick up, but, very difficult to put down! It definitely left me wanting more and I'm hopeful another full length novel will be along soon. Please!

I was so thrilled to have the opportunity to preview this excellent read and many thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House UK.

love a good short story collection, this was a terrific set of tales of the macabre and I really enjoyed each one.

Perfect coffee break reads, often chilling and all beautifully written the author offers a short introduction to each one, King style, setting the scene for what's to come.

From Graffiti with bite, to dark dangerous buildings to the return of a character from one of the full length novels, there is something for everyone here.

Very much recommended.

WARNING: Don't read alone or in the dark!!

I have loved CJ Tudor's previous books, so I leapt at the chance to review 'A sliver of darkness'. I have to admit that i didn't read the blurb closely enough to realise that this was a collection of short stories. When I started to read I initially thought that I might be disappointed as I prefer to read full books rather than short stories. However, as ever with her books, she did not let me down!

This collection of tales was macabre, horrifying and thrilling and demonstrated the twists and turns that has made her previous books so successful. They were just enough to keep you hooked and it was nice to be able to read one a night. I particularly liked the author's introduction into each story -it was a really nice touch and showed where the inspiration for her chilling tales came from.

I would definitely recommend this to others. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

REVIEW THE HAUNTING SHORT STORY COLLECTION FROM THE QUEEN OF CHILLERS, C. J. TUDOR . . .
Loved this authors previous work so was excited to read this collection of short stories. Remarkable concept and impeccable execution from start to the end. Every single page gives a full-throttle effect.

4-5 stars
First of all, after reading the introduction I applaud the author for writing this collection at what must have been a difficult time. Each short story begins with an explanation for the inspiration and I enjoy that, especially the Nottingham based ones!

If you are in the mood for something such as a thriller chiller, with ingredients of horror, a bit disturbing with added notes of dark humour, then these eleven stories are for you! They are all good, most are post apocalypse depicting dark futures, some are cleverly bonkers and have a good twist.

In The End of the Liner we meet Leila, now 75. It’s a dark sad tale of survival and though enjoyable it’s not hard to figure out.

The Block is inspired by an empty Nottingham tower block and is creepy, weird, atmospheric and with a great ending which makes me laugh! What does that say about me?!!! It has a YA horror vibe but entertaining even for me in my advancing years!

The Runaway Blues is a tribute to Mr S King. This is one of my favourites as it contains a real surprise and is definitely on the dark side.

The Completion is definitely a yikes read as Dan Ransom tries to complete a house sale. Definitely don’t count your chickens Dan as this will get seriously weird. Darkly funny as he doesn’t quite seal the deal but hey, it’s not the end of the world!

The Lion at the Gate tells the tale of school chums who encounter graffiti-or is it? This has a very clever twist!

Gloria is probably my least favourite as it’s a bit gross, definitely strange and different with a surprising end.

I love I’m not Ted (1509), he’s in the Elevation Department but he doesn’t know why … this is very clever and again I hoot with gleeful laughter!!

In Final Course we’re yet again in a very apocalyptic dystopian world with the reunion of the Infamous Five. Why does Tom’s daughter cause such disquiet? This is very dark, a tad yukky, definitely horror and very unexpected!

Another favourite is The Copy Shop which is very funny, with a broken vase, a cat and the odd miracle or two.

In Dust we are welcomed to the Villa de las Almas Perdidas in Gran Canaria where the Calima wind blows through every crevice. Why is Olivia here? Why indeed! Another very clever concept.

Finally, in Butterfly Island there’s a beach bar, a good idea and a butterfly sanctuary, post apocalypse. I love the ending!

Overall, if you like short stories with elements of horror which may give you the shivers then this collection should tick that box. If you’re a fan of Stephen King then this may tickle your fancy!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Michael Joseph for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I first came across author CJ Tudor when I read ‘The Chalk man’ and have been hooked ever since. I am not a huge fan of short stories but this collection of eleven tales kept me gripped more than a lot do. My biggest criticisms with short stories is that they often just get interesting and then suddenly finish or they do not contain enough detail to fully entertain me. The stories in ‘A Sliver of Darkness’ did both and made fascinating reading.

This collection is well worth a closer look and kept me reading to the end.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Michael Joseph for supplying a copy of this collection in exchange for an honest review.

What's better than a novel from C.J. Tudor? How about 11 mini tales each with their own little twists.

This is an exceptionally good collection of short stories with the right amount of nods to the horror genre (Stephen King, Shirley Jackson, The Wicker Man to name but a few).

There are frights, scares, blood, gore and the occasional laugh to be had in here. Each story is great but of course there has to be stand outs, of which mine were:

The Block
Runaway Blues
The Completion
I'm Not Ted
The Copy Shop
Butterfly Island

I also love it when an author explains how each story came about and the introductions to all these stories are a priceless addition charting the journey of each from conception to completion.

None of the short stories outstay their welcome – each one would work easily as an hour long episode in a horror anthology TV series.

If you are a C.J. Tudor fan then there is more than enough here to whet your appetite before next year novel "The Drift" .

A really great collection of short stories but the only downside is that I didn’t want some of them to end!
I hope maybe one day she expands on some of them but this I a great read and gives you a C.J Tudor fix to tide you over until her next novel next year!

A really great collection of short stories but the only downside is that I didn’t want some of them to end!
I hope maybe one day she expands on some of them but this I a great read and gives you a C.J Tudor fix to tide you over until her next novel next year!

A Sliver of Darkness is a captivating collection of 11 short stories by C.J. Tudor, an expert in the art of crafting a solid, tale with an undercurrent of darkness and a chilling ending.
This collection contains tales that vary from a distinctly dystopian future and how the selected few are surviving in the "perfect" world, a final dinner party, a case of mistaken identity that results in a tragic event and even graffiti that could have a life of its own!
There is an underlying theme of the apocalypse, with trends of survival scenario and nature reoccuring through the stories. And this is not to suggest that the stories are in any way depressing, but rather that they are both timely and thought provoking. A very different type of short story collection and a hugely enjoyable one.
I gather that this collection will be released towards the end of the summer, but there is no need to keep the book for Halloween (though it would be perfect for that delicious time of time!), but it would work equally well for a stormy, summer's eve, when you curl up on the couch and enjoy a dark and twisty tale!

I have read all of this author’s novels and have found them brilliant so a mixture of short stories was enticing. It did not disappoint.

I enjoyed all of them. What a great idea.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and C J Tudor for my ARC in return for my honest review. Highly recommended.

Short Story collections can be hit and miss for me. Thankfully this was mainly a hit with only one being one I disliked. 6 out of the 10 are ones where I would like more from the world/characters.
The formatting of the arc messed with me a little. There were no break between each introduction and the story starting. So sometimes I wondered when the introduction ended and the story began.
Obviously this should be different in a finished copy.

End Of The Liner: 4 Stars maybe 5.
This was set in an unusual but creepy world. Where everything is controlled by the creator. They all live on a ship.
Its dark but also really sad that all the people on the ship don't have any freedom. They don't know they are being lied to about everything.
The world was so interesting that I would have liked more information about this world. How did it first start? Who are the creator?


The Block: 3 stars

This had a slower start. But once it got going there was a dark creepy atmosphere that got my attention. I just wanted to know what/who the monster/person in The Block was. I feel this might have worked better for me if it was longer. I needed more information to really get into it.

Runaway Blues: 2 stars
In the introduction C.J Tudor mentioned this is Stephen King-esque which intrigued me. I've had a hit and miss relationship with his books. But I've loved every Tudor book I've read so far.

This didn't really work for me. I just didn't seem to focus at all while reading it.

The Completion: 4 stars
I didn't really know what to expect with this one. But I definitely didn't expect that twist. It was dark and creepy. But I'm also intrigued about how the world got the way it did. How did Bragshaw start.

The Lion At The Gate 3 stars
At the start I didn't think this would be much. But while this didn't grip me it was still interesting. How the Lion was alive. It was scary in a way to think how things happened. I almost thought maybe the Lion didn't do anything that Jay did. But I'm left unsure.

Gloria 5
I hadn't read The Taking Of Annie Thorne so this was my introduction to Gloria.
I really hope we get a full Gloria story one day. I'm really interested in her character. Just from this short story.

I'm not Ted 3
This felt shorter than it was. It wasn't intense or dark. But the ending did leave me intrigued to what happens when he runs out of chances.

Final Course 4
I dont know what Millie or the creature is but I really want more information. This got a little creepy with their reaction to Millie being blind and then how this ended.

The Copy Shop: 3
I don't really have anything to say about. It was interesting but that's about it. Really.

Dust: 4
This is another one where I would like a longer novella or novel. I'm interested what she does when she remembers/acknowledges her sins. What happens to her next.

Butterfly Island 4
This was creepy. Someone holding that much power. Wanting to be like God like. Holding a lifesaving vaccine. But also the Butterflies just casually eating people was creepy. I wouldn't want anything to do when that island.

Wow what a treat, lots of short stories. I love C. J. Tudor books. Love the freakycreepy stories. There were a few stories that I would like to have been longer but still enjoyed.

C. J. Tudor has put together a mixture of short stories that has lots to offer the reader. Many are set in a world on the edge of the apocalypse and this seems very timely at the moment. Alongside how humanity behaves when pushed to the edge there is also the subtle hint that something more sinister is lurking on the periphery.

As you would expect from a sinister selection of stories we have themes such as deals made with the devil, creatures lurking in the darkness, sanctuary on a desert island that may not be all it seems, a near-death experience that changes a person and graffiti that takes on a life of it's own.

The first two stories in the collection are my favourites. The End Of The Liner is set on a cruise ship that has been at sea for 50 years because land has become inhospitable. Resources are scarce so life-spans have a defined limit. The second story, The Block, is the creepiest. Set in an abandoned tower block a group of children find beetle type creatures looking for a food source.

This was a great collection of short stories that was a perfect exploration of a dark and creepy mind. Each one was as good as the one before it and I would be hard pudhed to find a favourite as they are all amazing.

3.5 stars

I've learnt over the years, I don't love short stories, so will now only read them if I know I enjoy the author.
This one was great. Not just the stories, I enjoyed the introduction to each one too.
The stories themselves were creepy, and odd and just a little bit scary, if you're reading close to midnight.
Each felt the perfect length, and have me thinking, maybe I DO like short stories.
Probably, I just like the way Tudor writes.

A Sliver Of Darkness

Thank you Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and Net Galley for the ARC.

This is a great book for fans of C J Tudor and also a fab introduction for new readers as it gives you a formidable insight into her dark mind. The Eleven short stories are as different from each other as you can get, the only thing linking them, the feeling you get a few hours or a few days later when they pop back into your mind with the nagging feeling of ‘oh yes of course that may, can, will happen!!’

The End of the Liner grabbed me from the start as it certainly feels to me that this scenario is one for the future. The Block creepy but yes that could happen. The Fat Man for me is reminiscent of something Hitchcock might have done. Completion a great dark story. The Lion at the Gate perhaps my least favourite in the book but hey it will be top of the list for some. Gloria is a great character hopefully more stories about her in the future. I’m Not Ted I can see as a one or two part to show scenario is spot on. Final Course a brilliant story written so well it came alive and is the one that is still running round in my head. Copy Shop could it happen? Maybe but what happens to the original? Dust yes another one that has stuck in my mind although the G&T’s would be welcome. Finally, Butterfly Island another well written creepy little story, with genetic engineering who knows?

So eleven stories definitely some that can and probably will be expanded especially if CJ has a great idea ……

A decent collection of short stories, mostly horror but with a splash of sci fi, fantasy and thriller. I enjoyed the introduction for each story explaining the inspiration behind them. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC