Growing up, I had a brother who took great delight in terrifying the crap out of me. And while he was unrelenting, he knew when to back off. And he would. For long stretches of time where I would think he was done tormenting me and I found myself lulled into a sense of security.

The sh*t-yourself-jump-scare would happen when I least expected it. I won't get into the fact I started carrying around steak knives -- this is true. bwhahaha! Hey! Back off! I was 7 and just defending myself. And a couple stories actually feature a brother or two which Richard claims is not anything like his real brother. I'll take his word for that, unless of course his brother is holding him hostage as I write this. If so Richard, just tap out in Morse code: The lizard bellows near the dirty sock -- and I will send the appropriate ninjas to rescue you. Of course, I would have to hear those taps. Unlikely. And I don't know Morse code.

Anyway, these entries by Richard Chizmar were very much like this -- just really nice writing, flowing along telling a story, clapping me on the back with a hearty howdy-do, lulling -- lulling -- and then he would come in with some really unexpected ending that left me feeling unsettled and totally blindsided. I would get to the end of the story and he'd change it up on me from where I thought it was going. And that was great fun! I ended up saying, "Oh. My. God" outloud, numerous times.

After reading him for a while though, I sort of started expecting a twist, I got into his mindset. I didn't always know what was coming or which character was going to deliver the blow, but I knew that twist was waiting to clothesline me. And I was prepared mentally for it, watching for it. So, I had a break in reading A Long December because life sort of jumped in, and that really ended up being a good thing. Because, I was lulled back into the role of victim. Talk about a kick to the girl balls!

At the back of the book, he does something I wish more authors would do. He chats about the stories and the seed of inspiration. I love to read about an author's process.

I only have one really huge complaint. And it's pretty bad.

What. The. Hell. Mr. Chizmar. Christmas eve? They got their tree Christmas eve in the title story, A Long December? That is just wronger than wrong. As I write this, 2-20-2018, my Christmas tree is still up with your book in my lap and a couple steak knives resting close by.

Big recommend from me. ( )

“And they called him Mailman on the street because he always delivered.”
Just like me! (I’m actually a mailman) :)

Anyway, I really enjoyed reading this collection! There are 35 stories in here, and I liked almost all of them! They are short, creepy, and, for the most part, surprising! Lots of end-of-story reveals about who dunnit, often with a family connection. Or co-worker, or neighbor, or even department store Santa! I smiled a dark, knowing smile at the end of most of the stories. Very enjoyable! ( )

I've been planning this review for a few days now. As each of the (many) stories in this collection unfolded, I was adjusting and editing the words I would eventually sit down and type when I finally closed the book. That moment has just arrived and I am finding my best-laid plans shattered in the wake of my completion of the final story. As a result of my mind being blown by the sublime perfection of that last entry, this review may be a little more disjointed than I had hoped.

This collection of tales, written over the course of thirty years, is a fascinating glimpse into the mind and heart of a very talented writer. Ostensibly 'dark' fiction, these works actually run the full gamut in terms of genre. Horror abounds, of course, as does eeriness, discomfiture, and spine-chilling creepiness. Crime, mystery, science fiction, and half a dozen other sub-genres also put in an appearance. This was all rather expected, given the usual output of the small press that the author founded and continues to run today.

What I was not expecting, however, was the pathos. The earnest, heartfelt characterizations. The insight into so many different aspects of humanity. The crisp, clear honesty of the writing. Chizmar's unique and poignant take on the world and all its dark corners elevates these (often) simple genre stories to something altogether more sublime.

The work is not without its faults, of course. No work is. A few of the unifying themes are rolled out so often and so blatantly that in the hands of a lesser writer they may have proven grueling to encounter again and again and again. But the risk of redundancy is expertly mitigated by Chizmar's deft weaving of nuance under the auspices of those rather broad umbrellas. While I personally would have liked to see more than a small handful of the 35 stories shy away from the heavy use of paternal or fraternal themes, the criticism is a slight one due to the writer's skill and ability to keep potential overuse from becoming hackneyed.

That minor criticism aside though, there is so much to like in this collection. Chizmar's strongest talent lies in his ability to utterly disarm the reader into thinking that everything is going to be alright. A memory, a hope, a dream. The secrets of children. The lazy summer passtimes of brothers. A mother's kiss. The kindly old mailman. Your best friend.

It's all so warm and normal and perfect. You know you're reading 'dark' fiction, so that latent sense of dread is always quivering just below the surface, but the crisp, simple prose and heartfelt approach to everyday situations can almost make you forget it's lurking there. Just waiting to jump up and grab you by the balls and squeeze.

And that's when he does it. That's when he gets you. The very moment you settle into the chair and smile at the blissful normalcy of it all is when the other shoe drops. And by 'drops', I mean it comes down and kicks you right in the breadbasket. Leaves you chilled or dizzy or sickened or sometimes just terrified.

You see, Richard Chizmar has heart. And that heart shines through in every story he writes. You feel like you're getting a little piece of Richard Chizmar in every tale. You're there with him, watching as he grows and develops and matures and fights and wins and loses and everything else that a guy comes across in thirty years of living. Thirty years of writing.

And it's all that heart. All that earnestness. All that -humanity- that he instills in the work that makes it so goddam brutally effective when he comes along and guts you with something that turns your spine to ice. And therein lies his greatness as a writer of dark fiction.

Get this book. Give it a read. If Chizmar's brand of macabre Americana is even remotely in your wheelhouse, you won't regret it. There's a few misses in this bunch, but far more hits. Plenty of hits.

Whatever you do, though, don't pass up the title story. If you read just one short story in all of 2016, in fact, I heartily recommend that you pick that one. I'm still reeling from it. ( )

Review copy

Thirty-four short stories and the title novella combine to make a worthwhile collection for any reader who enjoys good speculative fiction. The only reason for giving Richard's career spanning compendium four stars is the number of stories I felt were incomplete. Those stories were all compelling and entertaining right up until the final page where I would feel a bit let down or disappointed.

The collection begins with Blood Brothers - Even after all of the years and circumstances which have kept them apart, the Foster brothers still have a special bond, one that would be seemingly unbreakable. My favorite line in the story was and the cubs were gonna in the goddamn world series. A premonition perhaps?

The Man With the X-Ray Eyes about one man's quest to save the world from aliens is a prime example of a great story that ended too soon. It could have been so much more.

Don't get me wrong, there were many wonderful stories to be found in this book. One such tale was Ditch Treasures. You wouldn't believe the things found by road crews mowing the median stips along the Maryland stretch of I-95.

The Lake is Life is a wonderfully twisted little tale of the Solomon Island slasher. According to legend, there was once a drifter who had gone crazy and started kidnapping local girls and bringing them here to the island. Once he had them trapped here, he would let them go and then hunt them down in a sadistic game of cat and mouse, ultimately capturing them and slicing them to pieces with a hunting knife.

Brothers (written with Ed Goman) was one of my favorites, as was Cemetery Dance, one of Richard's earliest shorts and astory which would become the name of both his horror magazine and small press.

A Crime of Passion was the best story in the book. Both believable and frightening. There's also a very dark Christmas tale called A Season of Giving.

I found The Poetry of Life to be powerful and bleak. The darkness in this tale just sort of snuck up on me.

And then there's A Long December, a novella which by itself is worth the purchase price. The long-time neighbor and good friend of Robert Howard is found to be a serial killer, but there is so much more to the truth.

Despite my minor complaints A Long December is a collection I can easily recommend.

Originlly published as a signed, limited edition hardcover from Subterranean Press, A Long December is now avilable in both trade paperback and e-book formats from Short, Scary Tales Publications.

From the author's bio - Richard Chizmar is best known as the publisher and editor of Cemetery Dance magazine and the owner of Cemetery Dance Publications. He also edits anthologies, writes fiction, produces films, writes screenplays, and teaches writing. ( )