Ghastly and Ghoulish: Tales from the ER by Mitch Goldman is a collection of short stories that come from the lives of an emergency room medical staff under pressure, ranging in length and subject matter. In My Big Beautiful Car, Dr. Finkel faces an accusation of reporting an ER incident, leading to escalating strain and the vandalism of a man’s car. Space Pearl follows Finkel as he treats a low-acuity patient, Angel, who presents a mysterious pearl, leading Finkel to think humorously about its significance after the CEO’s visit. In The Magic Bathroom, Dr. Peter Moore, overwhelmed by stress, isolates himself in a bathroom, fixating on ants. His absence from the ER triggers a crisis, and when colleagues find the bathroom empty, they question whether his disappearance is real or a hallucination.

In Ghastly and Ghoulish: Tales from the ER, Mitch Goldman does well in giving readers a great mix of stories set in the pressure cooker of emergency medicine. The writing is sharp and intelligent, leaning into the emotional and psychological strains of the job with dark humor, existential musings, and the surreal. There were two standouts for me. Stonehenge harnesses itself to a doctor's fixation on a trivial bathroom mark, symbolizing his desire for immortality; while in Applause, the quiet moments surrounding a dying patient force us to consider love and closure. Goldman’s homing in on his characters’ inner turmoil is pitch-perfect, creating a striking contrast between the chaotic world of the ER and the personal battles that everyday people face in not-so-everyday situations. Macabre, introspective, and very highly recommended.

Step into the world of a busy ER in Mitch Goldman’s Ghastly and Ghoulish: Tales From the ER. If you think you know what happens in a hospital emergency room from watching many TV series, think again. This collection of 16 short stories is gritty, realistic, and in your face. The author spent 36 years working in ER, and his stories are based on real situations. Step into the world of Doctors Lars Anderson, Bob Finkel, Dean Miller, and a cast of interns, nurses, and admin staff. You’ll get to read stories about strange cases, hospital romances, and what really goes on behind the scenes. You might never look at your favorite doctor or nurse the same way again. You’ll laugh, you’ll gasp, and you may even shed a tear.

I’m a fan of medical dramas, so Ghastly and Ghoulish: Tales From the ER hooked me from the opening paragraph. Mitch Goldman uses a lot of hospital jargon in this anthology as it fits the narrative and has thoughtfully provided a complete glossary at the back of the book to assist the reader. I read the glossary from start to finish and learned a lot of new medical terms. Even though they’re short stories, in his note to the reader the author asks them to read these in order. This makes sense as characters appear and reappear and the reader is taken on a journey. It’s not for the faint of heart as some medical procedures are detailed, and, as is to be expected, there’s blood, vomit, and other bodily fluids everywhere. I loved it!