Behind Closed Doors is a short story anthology from some of the UK’s premier and up and coming horror writers.
Come and meet the residents of the Watch Tower apartment block, one of the most prestigious apartment blocks in the country and home to some of the most twisted, depraved people in this world. A den of immorality, wickedness and a body count that comes straight from the warped nightmares of Matt Shaw.
Stories by Michael Bray, Matt Hickman, Shaun Hupp, Craig Saunders, Ian Woodhead, Andrew Lennon, Stuart Keane, Paul Flewitt and Matt Shaw, with a kind of introduction and last words by Mr. E Jones.
There’s one or two stutters along the way but Behind Closed Doors packs in more than its fair share of violently gruesome frivolities. With torture aplenty, brutal death, sharp implements, brutal death, gardeners, more brutal death, demons and to finish, a little bit more brutal death.
My favourite story has to be Apartment 3B with Resident: Connor Fox written by Stuart Keane. Connor phones his alcoholic wife whilst on business but he also has an apartment in the Watch Tower complex and Alice, who isn’t his wife, is due any minute. This is a gripping tale of madness and guilt as the protagonist’s sanity constantly flips in terrifying perspectives. Closely followed by Paul Flewitt, Apartment 16c and demonic horticulture (don’t laugh).
Andrew Lennon writes a revenge tale of the cheated husband variety from Apartment 2B Residents: Mr & Mrs Murphy. Husband is a butcher and he’s pretty handy with a cleaver, coupled with the cringing hobby of taxidermy.
Matt Hickman gives us Apartment 6A Resident: Lisa Harper, an attractive career woman who has been taking things to the extreme with drug and alcohol usage. Lisa gets a bit of a surprise when she stumbles in on boyfriend Daniel in a somewhat compromising position wearing a Rainbow mask (prepare yourself Zippy). She’s gone downhill ever since and is currently engaged in a drunken one nighter with Michael, and another revelation is about to hit so to speak, with a large sex toy.
Final story comes from the man himself Matt Shaw with Apartment 8B Resident: Phil and its party time, with a slight difference, minutest details really with regard to the amount of beating pulses in residence. Read it you’ll see.
Highly twisted and entertaining extreme horror shorts from an immensely talented ensembles.
Words by Paul Nelson, @pgnelson72
