HUMAN TENDERLOIN by Craig Wallwork – Review

I received this book for free from the Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Human Tenderloin by Craig Wallwork
Published by Underbelly Books on September 15 2021
Genres: Adult, Horror
Pages: 220
Format: eARC
Source: Author
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The nitty-gritty: Unsettling, creepy and emotionally devastating, Human Tenderloin is an excellent and varied collection of stories that will haunt you long after they’ve ended.

Based on the rather creepy and disturbing cover of Human Tenderloin, I was happy to discover that the stories inside are equally as creepy and disturbing. I’m so glad I took a chance on Craig Wallwork’s short story collection, and it’s perfect for this time of year, especially if you’re looking for atmospheric reading material to keep you company during the Halloween season. This isn’t a cheery collection by any means—many of the stories deal with death and loss—but I loved the way Wallwork approached these themes in new and intriguing ways. Some of the stories are still lingering in my mind many days after reading them, which is one sign of a well told tale. 

Below are my favorites of the bunch:

Bird Girl

The opening story is a very short and unsettling tale of a town caught up in a weird reversal of gravity. A woman notices one day that small insects and then birds are disappearing, sucked up into the sky where a sort of black vortex hovers like a storm cloud. Little by little, the family realizes that in order to survive, they have to tie themselves to the earth or they too will float away. Their young daughter Madeline, afflicted with Progeria Syndrome, longs to fly up into the sky with the other creatures and objects, but her parents are determined to keep her with them. As with many of Wallwork’s stories, the ending didn’t go where I thought it would, but ended on a poignant, emotional note.

Dollhouse

A young girl discovers a dollhouse in the attic, an exact replica of her own house, and thinks it’s a surprise from her parents, as her ninth birthday is just around the corner. Each night Darcy sneaks into the attic to look at the dollhouse, and each night she discovers something new has been added to it—furniture, carpet, artwork and even dolls that look just like her and her parents. Until that night she discovers something shocking. This was such a creepy story, and the ending was terrifying!

Farewell Valencia

Another great story about an odd hotel where people go for a very particular reason. Wallwork doles out clues about the hotel and the people staying there, and little by little the reader is filled with a sense of dread as we learn just what’s going on. This story took a turn I wasn’t expecting, but it made it all the more horrific.

Time’s Flies

A heartrending tale of loss, Wallwork slowly reveals the ominous details of a married couple’s life in their haunted house and how they try to escape it by moving. This one didn’t have a happy ending by any means, and yet there is a sense of peace at its conclusion. Like many of his stories, the author saves up his big gut-punch moment for the end.

Human Tenderloin

I explain to the receptionist that you can’t serve Southern-fried forearms when the person to be cooked is an amputee.

The title story was one of the most gruesome of the bunch but also one of my favorites. A group of friends who just happen to be cannibals meet once a month for dinner, taking turns with the hosting duties and trying to outdo each other with the most unique food and presentation. I loved the black humor and shocking ending!

Mother’s Day

A pregnant woman unwittingly decides to vacation at a lakeside resort, only to discover that the lodge proprietors are planning on using her for a nefarious and deadly purpose. This was such an empowering story about the strength of women and mothers, and I loved it to pieces!

Night Holds a Scythe

Wow, what a terrifying scenario! Wallwork imagines an uncontrollable virus that kills people when they fall asleep. The story focuses on a man and his child who are trying to stay alive—by not falling asleep. This one had an emotional punch that nearly brought me to tears.

Everybody Hurts

This story has an awesome twist at the end. A father has locked himself in the attic while his wife and daughter live below. The mother insists that her daughter follow her strict rules, like never let the father out and never tell anyone about the attic room. I loved the feeling of growing claustrophobia as the girl and her mother confine themselves to the house and cut off all interaction with the outside world. What exactly is going on? You’ll only find out if you read this story…

The Ballad of Windsong House

The final story in the collection is also the longest, an atmospheric ghost story that takes place in a haunted house. Building on his themes of death and loss, Wallwork introduces a woman named Abigail who has lost her daughter Ruby to a terrible illness. She’s determined to prove that ghosts exist by staying overnight in the supposedly haunted Windsong House, looking for closure in regards to her daughter’s untimely death. This story was emotional and spooky at times, and again it had an ending that I wasn’t expecting.

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Craig Wallwork’s stories are unnerving and creepy, and at times hard to read, but like the best short stories, they take the tried and true themes of the horror genre in new and unsettling directions. Grab this collection, you won’t regret it!

Big thanks to the author for providing a review copy.