I devoured this short story collection in one sitting. Although I expected them to be eerie I didn't expect them to pack a punch as much as they did, they were so much more creepy than I expected. I am not ashamed to say that when I saw a butterfly after this i had to suppress a shudder. I loved them

The stories in this collection creep up on you and pack more impact than I expected when I started reading them. I never would have imagined a mounted butterfly specimen or a seashell as disturbing...but after these stories, I'm feeling a bit unsettled by both. If you're in the mood for something old fashioned and wonderfully unsettling, this is the read for you.

This was a creepy, intriguing, off-kilter collection of stories set in an unnamed museum. They were unsettling and eerie indeed, describing various patron and employee interactions with unusual exhibits within the museum. I often struggle with short stories, as they often don't have enough length to offer the type of characterization I prefer in my fiction, but this collection offered a surprising amount of detail in that regard. In fact, the museum itself became a character of sorts, and by the final tale it was difficult to not imagine it with a full-blown sinister personality of its own! This was a fun and engaging read, and I'd definitely look for more from the author.

This was okay, I was expecting more "eerie"-ness and more spooky vibes, but a lot of the stories were slow to start and ramp up. I also found the writing style to be too flowery for me, wasn't my favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced e-copy.

This collection... was not for me. I appreciated certain elements in the stories. But the main thing that bothered me was the lead up. There was SO much exposition and background that literally did not matter to the stories. I wanted eerie right from the get-go, but only the last few pages of each story delivered. And when I finished each story, I was glad for them to be done. They didn't stick with me. I'm not going to get the shivers when I think about them. They were too quiet and too boring.

Eerie Exhibits is a collection of five quiet horror tales in the classic tradition set at a Scottish museum over a period of time that does them quite deftly in the monkey paw sort of style familiar to fans of The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, and the queen of the subdued, Shirley Jackson. Throughout author Victoria Williamson does a great job of settling us into the unsettling corridors both physical and mental for the confines of this world and its inhabitants as they reckon with the ways the five museum exhibits take their toll on the workers and visitors treading their halls held within.
If I would have one criticism that might put the collection at a 4.5/5, it would be that they are fairly predictable in that fabalistic, inevitably way, though that doesn't keep you from wanting to see how it all shakes out in the end--not unlike a literary car crash (and I mean that as a compliment: you won't want to look away).

Eerie Exhibits is a collection of museum themed short stories that both spooked me and tugged at a range of emotions through the author’s expressive storytelling. I will forever think of this book when visiting a museum.

Eerie Exhibits by Victoria Williamson is a charmingly spooky read that blends mystery and the supernatural with a touch of whimsy. Set in a museum filled with strange artifacts and secrets, the atmosphere is playful yet slightly unsettling—perfect for readers who enjoy light chills over heavy scares.

The characters are likeable and the central mystery is engaging, though the pacing occasionally falters. Some plot twists feel a bit predictable, and a deeper emotional undercurrent could have added more weight. Still, Williamson’s creativity shines, and the setting is a highlight throughout.

While it doesn’t fully lean into its darker potential, Eerie Exhibits delivers a fun, imaginative story with just the right amount of intrigue. A solid 3.5-star read—quirky, atmospheric, and enjoyable for fans of mild supernatural adventures.

I loved the fact that this was a short story collection that were all centered around the same museum. The stories were unsettling and a bit creepy, with some being better than others.

I requested this as I really enjoyed Victoria Williamson's novella 'The Haunting Scent of Poppies' last year. The gothic cover & title were also enticing. The central idea of this short story collection is a great one: that all of the creepy/unsettling tales would be set at the same museum, with some recurring characters. I love history & museums so this book really appealed.

As with many short story collections, some entries felt stronger than others. Unfortunately, I wasn't keen on the first story 'The Screaming Room' - perhaps because I'm Christian,I found the final twist a bit bad taste. My favourite story - I always love anything with a magical painting - was 'Et In Arcadia Est' which was wonderfully imaginative, and included atmospheric and vivid descriptions.

Overall, I think I would have enjoyed 'Et In Arcadia Est' story expanded into a novella, more than this varied collection of shorts, but I'm still glad I gave this a try. I'll be interested to read whatever Victoria Williamson comes up with next. .

Many thanks to Silver Thistle Press and NetGalley for the advance copy.

i absolutely love short horror stories usually but this collection just wasn't for me.

my main issue was the writing style. unfortunately it was too boring for me. it wasn't engaging and the first story's idea put me off a bit as well because it wasn't really unsettling me in a way i wanted it to. i just didn't care for the rest of the stories because the writing style itself didn't work for me.

i'm so sad because i was actually excited to read this but oh well 😭 sad to say i can't recommend this personally.

3.5 stars rounded up

This was an interesting short story collection all revolving around one museum. Each story tackles a different room or exhibit in the museum and they take place in the same world. I did enjoy the small callbacks within the stories. Overall I enjoyed this work and thought it was well written. I do wish there was more horror or character growth in the tales.

The Screaming Room - 3 stars - A boy is traumatized after an eerie encounter with screaming butterflies.

The Grinning Man - 3.5 stars - A young girl is drawn to a peculiar smiling sarcophagus when dragged to an Egyptian museum exhibit by her uncaring father.

Et In Arcadia Ego - 4 stars - A night security guard in a museum is drawn to a new painting acquisition that brings up memories from the past.

The Shape of the Beast - 2.5 stars - A museum cleaner starts to have strange encounters with a taxidermy bear offspring.

The Whispering Shell - 4 stars - A conch shell seems to be whispering into the ears of those who listen to it.