Reviewed by Brenda Casto for Readers' Favorite

Carnival Of Nightmares is an anthology of 15 short stories and one novella. Each of these stories is like unwrapping a gift, because you never know what you are going to get!

One of my favorite stories had to be "Across The Street." In this story, 13-year-old Frankie enjoys sitting on his porch watching his neighbors, but there is one family that he thinks is just creepy. The Johnson's are a family that have unkempt property with several discarded appliances strewn in the backyard. When Frankie notices Mr. Johnson in the backyard talking to an old refrigerator, Frankie is certain there is something or someone in the freezer. He decides to go over and investigate, and just as he is ready to peer inside, a hand covers his; he realizes it’s a mummy! Frankie runs like a shot but is still curious about what’s going on at the Johnson's. Is there something sinister going on, or is it the overactive imagination of a thirteen year old boy?

Another story that really grabbed me was titled "Road To Nowhere." In this one Josh Springs is on a road trip to California when he decides to stop at a rundown diner for a "cuppa joe." He notices that there are six customers in the diner and each are missing a body part. When Josh is told that he will lose an eye because he parked in the handicapped parking spot, he begins to think he is in some kind of nightmare. Just as the author had me thinking the worst, he does a complete shift and wraps up the story with a heart stopping ending that hits you like a mack truck!

What is so great about the stories in this book is that they are so unpredictable. In one story you may be reading about angels, then you start another story and you're reading about a haunted vanity, or a grandmother who gets a helping hand from an angel. Some of the stories scare you, some have you laughing, and others really get into your head and make you think. While the stories really vary they all have one thing in common. They grab your attention, pull you along and make you anxious to see how many twists the author can throw into a short story. This book reminded me a lot of the old TV show Tales From the Crypt, because they were so varied and unpredictable. I loved those shows, and I highly recommend this book. Be ready to go on a thrill ride you won't soon forget!