B.E. ScullyRezensionen

B. E. Scully is a very talented writer. I read Verland last year (I was a bit late getting around to it) and it was one of my favorite novels that year. I have also read some short stories and was quite impressed. Definitely an author to follow if you enjoy well written and thoughtful dark fiction.

The Eye That Blinds
Very interesting story. In some ways my favorite, more from a narrative standpoint. It was more compelling in the way the story was set up. Much more direct and action oriented. More traditional if that has a meaning anymore.
Claustrophobic. Externally deranged yet with internal logic. Madness has many flavors and even the most insane ideology makes sense once you find the core of the maelstrom.

Each Castle its King
Dreamlike story dripping with atmosphere, as you would expect from a story whose primary locale is a residence called “Blood House.” Asks the question of whether buildings can be haunted or even more to the point, can a building be evil. I am not sure if it the building or the people, but this very modern haunted house story is quite well written. I must confess that I was a bit lost by the end but I realize that the ambiguity is probably intentional.

Nostri
I really enjoyed this story. Quite political without taking any real sides. I can imagine reading a story like this in Atlantic of The New Yorker. Not a horror story at all, I found myself stopping and thinking several times. It all comes down to what are we willing to put on the line for our “convictions.” Sure, we all make, and get into, arguments about political and social beliefs, but are these true beliefs, or just taking a side.

As one of the characters describes the way college students will become passionate in ways that is almost impossible later in life when so many “real life” factors enter the equation, I thought that if I had read this story in college I would have taken a lot out of it, although maybe at this time I would have missed the point.

The whole Seneca plot line just made this story even better—I mean, no one would base their entire world view around a philosopher dead for millennium, but is that any less logical than basing it on a political position?

I am worried that I am making this story sound dull. It is anything but. In fact, it is compelling and I was riveted, wondering what the anarchistic group (Nostri) would come up with next—what new political “joke” would bring horrific results in the real world.

Devils in Dark Houses
I was reminded of the end of Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” where we see the house described as it falls apart and realize that it is an exact model of a human face. Madness lives not in the house of Usher but in the mind—and such is the case in Devils in Dark Houses.
Each richly drawn character has his or her own devil or devils and their personal stories unwind like onion skins as the overall story develops. I think that a reader will either find this story to be too much in terms of layers or richly rewarding, but isn't that the case with most literary fiction?

Review copy

Having never read anything from B.E. Scully before, I had no idea what to expect. Truthfully, I didn't anticipate being entertained as completely as I was.

Devils in Dark Houses is a set of four equally powerful novellas set in the author's home state of Oregon. The stories are all connected through a pair of homicide detectives assigned to the individual cases.

Before the tales, the author shares a pretty dark quote from Teddy Roosevelt - There is not one among us in whom a devil does not dwell; at some time, on some point, that devil masters each of us.... It is not having been in the Dark House, but having left it, that counts.

The Eye That Blinds - Ross Devlin, Tyler Wickett, and Brooke Merrill, call themselves the Three Muskateers. College friends, each with their own set of delusions. Ross believes he's been selected for a new reality show called "The Eye," Tyler is obsessed with monitoring and controlling Brooke's life, and Brooke has self-diagnosed MS. Scully delivers a captivating read which will leave detectives Monte Martinez and Cassie Shirdon trying to figure out a brutal, twisted puzzle, the kind we see on TV and just end up shaking our collective heads.

Each Castle Has Its King - A story that asks, "Can a house be evil?" Calvin Goodman and his wife, Rachel, and their dog, Jackson, move to the country. ...leaving Los Angeles for a "more peaceful, sane place." like Oregon. There was no question about the peaceful part. But Rachel wasn't at all convinced about the "more sane" part of the bargain. Their neighbor on the one side, Roy Crampton, was less than friendly. The Dell sisters, Mary and Mabel, lived on the other side of their property and were disturbing in their own way.

Nostri - This was my favorite of the four novellas is the collection. Disenfranchised teens and a story that asks some hard questions. Thought provoking and frightening. What starts with a fascination with the teachings of a Roman philosopher and taking a stand on some social issues, in an unusual way, takes a decidedly dark turn and ends in murder. Once again, Martinez and Shirdon are on the case. Without a doubt this was one of the most powerful narratives I've read this year. Chilling in its ramifications.

Devils in Dark Houses - Another story about ethics, addressing the issue in an entertaining, dark fiction sort of way. Good cops, not so good cops, DB Cooper, and an itinerant schizophrenic that refers to himself as the Hound. What's not to love. Plus, the Hound knows something about the past in the very police department where Martinez and Shirdon still work homicide. Given what they have to work with, getting to the truth will be anything but easy.

B.E. Scully has a very comfortable writing style which made reading this quartet of novellas a joy and I look forward to reading her work again, soon.

Definitely recommended.

Devils in Dark Houses is available from DarkFuse in both paperback and e-book formats. If you subscribe to the Kindle Unlimited program you can read this book at no additional charge. Also, if you're an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE through the Kindle Owners Lending Library.

From the author's bio - B.E. Scully lives in a haunted red house that lacks a foundation in the misty woods of Oregon with a variety of human and animal companions. Scully is the author of the gothic thriller Verland: the Transformation, the short story collection The Knife and the Wound It Deals, and numerous other short stories, poems, and articles.

This collection of short stories is a real mixed bag. I liked the idea of the theme, "be careful what you wish for." In execution some of the stories come off like something you would find in an old EC comic. This is not always a bad thing.
I liked the mix of classic and modern fiction, although some of the classics were real duds. My favorite piece was "Bad Things Happen." This started off the book on a high point that none of the other stories quite attained.
Overall, I could take or leave this collection.

Thanking Alex Scully and Firbolg Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Enter at Your Own Risk: Dreamscapes into Darkness.

Prejudice. I don’t like it a bit, yet it happened. Before I had even read one page, I thought it would be a matter of classics I’d love and modern day stories I’d hate. Probably cos I’d have the feeling those authors were trying to copy all the brilliant works which had been written decades, even centuries ago. With in the end some sorta balance.. Do you get my drift!?
I couldn’t have been more wrong! We aren’t talking about blood and gore dripping of the walls, but about sophisticated works of art which will give you the creeps on a totally different level. And perhaps there is a balance, although I prefer to call it harmony – hence I won’t be giving a detailed review of each story as I usually do with anthologies and collections. You’ve really got to see this book in it’s entirety …and enjoy every bit of it!

I was given this book in exchange for a review. I really liked it. Of course Gothic horror is one of my favourite genres and this anthology did not disappoint. I had read a couple of the classic stories before but it is not a chore to reread them. Of the modern stories, one of my favourites was First Horse. Some I liked more than others which is par for the course in any anthology. The illustrations were great. For lovers of Gothic horror this book is a must read.

The Knife and The Wound it Deals is a short story collection by author B. E. Scully, I knew nothing of the author when I began to read and had purposely avoided all the information already available online.

The first story, ‘The Thing Lives’, carried me through a tram ride in an overcrowded carriage into Manchester city centre, causing me to almost miss my stop. Will Aughten is a man who doesn’t live, he merely exists, terrified that he will unleash his closely guarded secret on the world. In the end he finds a far more terrifying truth.

In ‘Age Will Be Responsible’, fate comes back to take her revenge against an aged miscreant.

‘Earth Shall Return Them’ is the type of tale passed down from generation to generation, of ancient won epic battles.

‘The Devil’s in the Details’, asks how far would you go, what would you sacrifice in order to achieve success.

There is proper psychological horror here, subtle and sharp, the type that chills you to the bone and makes your heart beat faster, your nerves ache and requires you to check that the front door is double locked one last time, as opposed to ‘Saw gore fiction’, that is meant to turn your stomach. Not all of the stories are meant to induce chills, however, in the sad but sweet,’Animal Undertaking’, an elderly lady takes charge of her own end,’ and in ‘Released’, love finds a way to transcend all barriers.

It is my opinion that someone who can pull off a great engaging short story is probably a better writer than someone who can write a decent novel. There is less room for filler, more need for the sharply observed solid character and tighter plotting required.

Fascinatingly B. E. Scully changes voice in each and every story making it seem as if each one was authored by a different writer. Each voice is as authentic as the last. So many of these stories could have been full length novels.

‘The Suffering Other’, ‘Age Will Be Responsible’ and ‘Lucky 13′ were amongst my favourites, and many of the stories lingered in my imagination for days afterwards.

This is a collection written with a deft hand, best read alone, where the floorboards creak the loudest.

I want to read it again. I will read it again.



I received this collection after being contacted by the publisher on 28th Dec 2013, freely received for an honest review. The only information I had prior to reading was that provided by the publisher.

The Knife and The Wound it Deals is a short story collection by author B. E. Scully, I knew nothing of the author when I began to read and had purposely avoided all the information already available online.

The first story, ‘The Thing Lives’, carried me through a tram ride in an overcrowded carriage into Manchester city centre, causing me to almost miss my stop. Will Aughten is a man who doesn’t live, he merely exists, terrified that he will unleash his closely guarded secret on the world. In the end he finds a far more terrifying truth.

In ‘Age Will Be Responsible’, fate comes back to take her revenge against an aged miscreant.

‘Earth Shall Return Them’ is the type of tale passed down from generation to generation, of ancient won epic battles.

‘The Devil’s in the Details’, asks how far would you go, what would you sacrifice in order to achieve success.

There is proper psychological horror here, subtle and sharp, the type that chills you to the bone and makes your heart beat faster, your nerves ache and requires you to check that the front door is double locked one last time, as opposed to ‘Saw gore fiction’, that is meant to turn your stomach. Not all of the stories are meant to induce chills, however, in the sad but sweet,’Animal Undertaking’, an elderly lady takes charge of her own end,’ and in ‘Released’, love finds a way to transcend all barriers.

It is my opinion that someone who can pull off a great engaging short story is probably a better writer than someone who can write a decent novel. There is less room for filler, more need for the sharply observed solid character and tighter plotting required.

Fascinatingly B. E. Scully changes voice in each and every story making it seem as if each one was authored by a different writer. Each voice is as authentic as the last. So many of these stories could have been full length novels.

‘The Suffering Other’, ‘Age Will Be Responsible’ and ‘Lucky 13′ were amongst my favourites, and many of the stories lingered in my imagination for days afterwards.

This is a collection written with a deft hand, best read alone, where the floorboards creak the loudest.

I want to read it again. I will read it again.



I received this collection after being contacted by the publisher on 28th Dec 2013, freely received for an honest review. The only information I had prior to reading was that provided by the publisher.

The Knife and The Wound it Deals is a short story collection by author B. E. Scully, I knew nothing of the author when I began to read and had purposely avoided all the information already available online.

The first story, ‘The Thing Lives’, carried me through a tram ride in an overcrowded carriage into Manchester city centre, causing me to almost miss my stop. Will Aughten is a man who doesn’t live, he merely exists, terrified that he will unleash his closely guarded secret on the world. In the end he finds a far more terrifying truth.

In ‘Age Will Be Responsible’, fate comes back to take her revenge against an aged miscreant.

‘Earth Shall Return Them’ is the type of tale passed down from generation to generation, of ancient won epic battles.

‘The Devil’s in the Details’, asks how far would you go, what would you sacrifice in order to achieve success.

There is proper psychological horror here, subtle and sharp, the type that chills you to the bone and makes your heart beat faster, your nerves ache and requires you to check that the front door is double locked one last time, as opposed to ‘Saw gore fiction’, that is meant to turn your stomach. Not all of the stories are meant to induce chills, however, in the sad but sweet,’Animal Undertaking’, an elderly lady takes charge of her own end,’ and in ‘Released’, love finds a way to transcend all barriers.

It is my opinion that someone who can pull off a great engaging short story is probably a better writer than someone who can write a decent novel. There is less room for filler, more need for the sharply observed solid character and tighter plotting required.

Fascinatingly B. E. Scully changes voice in each and every story making it seem as if each one was authored by a different writer. Each voice is as authentic as the last. So many of these stories could have been full length novels.

‘The Suffering Other’, ‘Age Will Be Responsible’ and ‘Lucky 13′ were amongst my favourites, and many of the stories lingered in my imagination for days afterwards.

This is a collection written with a deft hand, best read alone, where the floorboards creak the loudest.

I want to read it again. I will read it again.



I received this collection after being contacted by the publisher on 28th Dec 2013, freely received for an honest review. The only information I had prior to reading was that provided by the publisher.

I received this e-book through the ER program. I was only able to finish a couple stories before I dropped my Nook and broke it. I was unable to finish the rest of the book.

The stories I read were dark and intriguing. I usually don't read many short stories but I liked the author's style and the creepiness of his stories. I wish I could finish the rest of them.

Verland is a Gothic-type vampire story. I hadn't read any vampires books except Anne Rice's vampire series and Nosferatu by G. Fleming. I've seen Twilight and True Blood on video. So, I thought the concepts pertaining to vampire immortality, loneliness and angst had pretty well been explored. Given that, Verland is in much the same vein, true to the genre -- with an added twist or two, the choice of its heroine, and the villain.

Elle B. is smart, focused and doesn't get carried away. She keeps her integrity during the novel, which is rare when woman meets vampire. The villain is a rich egomaniac who wants immortality and uses people like pawns to have his way. The vampire, Verland is the key to the villain's grandiose plan. There is a cerebral bend of the novel, rather than an over-reliance on gore in most current vampire novels.

I gave the novel three stars because the character and subplots were a bit flat. Lovely touches were added, around hawks for example, which makes the novel good for a debut. There wasn't enough real tension or inner conflict to give the characters depth or any richness of flesh and blood. However, the writing is clear, edited, and didn't get in the way of the story. That said, I think the basic elements are there for development. The story is certainly complete as written, but E.B, er, I mean B.E. left room for a sequel.

An excellent collection of unusual and unsettling short stories. Well worth reading and I look forward to reading more from this author.½

I kind of feel bad. The Knife and The Wound It Deals is getting really high reviews from every other reader, but I found it rather meh. The stories are diverse and compelling, but I had a really hard time reading around the ARC's formatting issues. The text laid out on my ereader with a line break a few words into every second line, a handful of seemingly random words were given hyperlinks that lead nowhere, and changes in point of view or setting aren't weren't the slightest visual separation cue, even something as little as a paragraph break. Rather than falling immersed into Scully's stories, I spent my time paging back and forth trying to figure out if I was in a new scene or if someone new had entered a conversation.

Two stars. Scully is a writer worth following, and I suspect I would have been happier with her stories if I had encountered them in a more accommodating medium.

Note that I read an ARC PDF for this review and that the formatting issues that so bothered me might not feature in a finished copy.

The knife and the wound it deals has a variety of short stories that can appeal to many readers. Unfortunately I like my horror more bloody and harsh. The Gothic style most of the stories have is too tame, more psychological than anything. That being said there is some very good writing here and an understanding of the "real" horror of humanity. The aspects described in each story are disturbing but subtle. Covering obsession, death, revenge and more each story focus' on those traits we find in ourselves if we dare to look closely enough. A brief glimpse into the madness that makes us tick and compels humans be their worst.

This was a nice anthology. The author had a wide variety of styles that is sure to appeal to anyone who like dark tales. I have seen some comparisons to Poe and I don't think that's too far off the mark.

Well done.

This is a collection of short horror fiction. Some, like ‘Champ’s Last Round’ make me think of the Twilight Zone- they would have made great episodes. Others, like ‘Grief Assassins’, are very poignant. ‘Released’ is achingly sad. ‘A Simple Game of Chess’ could easily have been written by Poe. There is dark fantasy (‘Earth Shall Return Them’) and the author’s version of the selling your soul to the devil tale.

It’s a well rounded collection; the stories are all very distinct. Scully avoids excess gore and blood in favor of more subtle, sophisticated horror. This is a connoisseur’s anthology.

With the notable exception of 30 Days of Night, the vampire sub-genre has been stuck in a “sexy-vampire” groove for the last three decades. Of course, what verged on revolutionary when Anne Rice did it has now become cliché, with Twilight threatening to slay the vampire as a serious horror figure for all time. Unfortunately, Verland: The Transformation will do little to change that. But while that may disappoint some of us who crave a return to the demonic death dealers of old, Verland is nevertheless a fantastic novel and a marvelous debut by the author, B.E. Scully.

Verland: The Transformation successfully pulls off one of the more difficult literary feats—the story within a story. The present day story revolves around Elle Bramasol, a true-crime writer hired to write a book about Eliot Kingman. Kingman is in prison for a murder that he claims he did not commit. Prior to his incarceration, Kingman was one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, a director who just happened to have recently filmed a movie about vampires. Elle suspects that Kingman has more on his mind than simply telling the story of the murder, a suspicion that is confirmed when Kingman reveals that he possesses a book of inestimable value—the diary (h/t to Bram Stoker) of a man who claims to be a real, undead, vampire. But as Elle learns more about Kingman and the mysterious Verland, a once in a lifetime opportunity threatens to become her undoing.

Verland: The Transformation is, in many ways, an excellent book. It’s a remarkably quick read (I finished it in a single day of travel), and Scully’s talent for immediately hooking the reader well no doubt serve her well in her future books. Scully has an eye for detail, perfectly describing her settings without drowning the reader in the sort of overindulgent excess that plagues so many books. Scully’s characters are as deeply fleshed out as her scenery. These are people with flaws and strengths that the reader will believe in. There’s also little of the convenient stupidity that is a staple of horror—no one runs up the stairs when they should run out the front door.

The only thing that keeps me from loving Verland is the plot itself. The title is accurate; this is really the story of Verland’s change from human to vampire. And while that is enjoyable in of itself, it leaves the reader wanting. Verland suffers from the same problem as most origin stories. It focuses so heavily on how the “hero” came to be that it forgets to invest the present day story with the same level of drama. Nothing much that happens to Elle is that surprising or that exciting. The diary story starts and ends strong, but the middle bit meanders. In the end, a surprising number of questions go unanswered, from the identity of Verland’s creator to the fate of the chief villain. I suppose that this might be the first part in a series of sorts, but it doesn’t really seem that way.

Moreover, we never really fear for Elle’s life. And we don’t fear for Verland’s either. There’s simply too little in the way of conflict. Verland is never in danger. All the vampires we learn of—even the one that is the most blood-thirsty—come off as noble figures. In fact, we completely lose track of the fact that these vampires are murderers. The world Scully creates does not allow for subsistence from animals or blood banks. In order to live, the vampires must kill. I was simply unable to reconcile that fact with the way in which Verland and his comrades were portrayed.

In the end, Verland: The Transformation is a fine debut effort from a writer to watch. If you are a fan of vampires and don’t mind if they are more enigmatic than terrifying, you should check this book out. By the end, you will believe.