Publisher – Black Shuck Books

Published – Out Now

Price - £11.99 paperback £1.99 ebook via https://blackshuckbooks.co.uk/smile/

Behind a Broken Smile brings together 21 uncanny stories of the beauty and horror that lie at the heart of everyday life. From the childish pleasure of clowns and dolls, to the simple scent of flowers or the tang of the sea drifting on the breeze, what brings joy to one can bring terror to another. Penny Jones brings her own unique voice to this collection of harrowing tales.

Often horror is about disruption to our reality. In the form of something strange be it a monster or humanity at it’s worse we get to see someone’s world shattered. That’s the horror that this could happen to anyone if you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time. But a really skilled writer can make us see this from a different perspective a world that looks perfectly normal but slowly we note the discrepancies; the things not being said and we realise we are in waters that are far deeper than they looked and the shore is not where we thought it was. This was my reaction when I read Penny Jones’ new collection of short fiction – Behind A Broken Smile an absolutely enthralling, excellent and chilling suite of tales that fans of psychological horror should run and get immediately.

Among the many many stories I enjoyed were

Waxing – A young woman is given a doll that both repels and fascinates her. She is being kept against her will from her family and is furious. But this story over just a few pages explains itself within the gaps not being said. A pit of cold horror awaits when everything is finally shown to us and at the same time we know our narrator is totally unaware of what is going on.

The Deer – A poetical description of a beautiful morning in a picturesque village is broken by a middle-aged man’s car hitting a young deer. His desire to not be seen as responsible is darkly comical as he struggles to find a body, but all secrets will be revealed in time in the most shocking way.

Along The Long Road – Beth is a young woman whose mother is suffering from dementia is offered a wild night out with her work colleague and two guys. But this night will end badly for everyone. Here Jones plays with our sympathies in an unusual way that is darkly funny and tragic at the same time.

Slipping – A young woman with so many things on her mind is getting annoyed by a sock running down her foot into her shoe. But we discover she is probably using this as a distraction for the horrifying situation she is now in. A growing sense of fear as to what is going to happen at the end of her journey in just a few pages is a masterclass in a character’s voice – someone we may not immediately like but still feel for.

The Farm – A stunningly dark tale of one woman cleaning a floor. This innocuous activity though leads to an examination of all the strange events in this person’s life from being a child to a parent and certain traits all start to come apparent, but our character always has someone else to blame. Jones makes us see what is coming just a little bit ahead of the characters and we then see the crash about to happen in a terrifying way.

Non-Standard Construction – A young man seeking his fortune in London realises flats are never cheap and gets a bargain, small and dusty flat to finally make his own. He is warned its an unusual cement build. This is one of the rarer tales where this could be down to supernatural athe rthan human means but out character finds his room and himself constantly covered in dust that needs cleaning. That takes over his day and nights. We feel his reality shifting and the end is truly memorable!

Piggies – A hallmark of Jones’ work is exploring how their characters have become who they are. A simple typical childhood act of swallowing a tooth in a toffee becomes a long road to ever more disturbing acts. The reasonableness of our narrator belies what is actually happening and the last line is a kicker! I can’t say more but this will stay with you.

Places To Run, Places To Hide – I was waiting for the hammer to fall in this story and instead it’s a beautiful examination of someone having a perfect day and yet also needing a precious moment to themselves. Jones captures that feeling of a making a day count; becoming an adult and knowing the future is still unclear and sometimes we need a moment to take it all in. A gorgeous bit of writing

Warpaint – Jones gives a man afraid of carnivals and clowns. Clowns are not unusual in horror but here Jones explain someone’s fear and then the resulting pile of terror that erupts to a chilling set-up for a scene we will not be seeing. Another example of how Jones exploring their character’s mental state in intimate and intelligent ways.

Dendrochronology – My favourite of the stories as its packs so much social commentary into he life of a person being committed to a mental health ward. Jones gives our character a reflecting voice and we see all the horrific events that our world has caused impacting them and bringing them to this place that is not itself a safe haven or guarantee that everything will be alright. Jones has a wonderful way of showing us the world we are in; the people we tend to ignore of shuffle away from and say have you ever wondered what made them get here. A standout tale

Behind A Broken Smile – The end tale bookends Waxing with another young woman being tormented by a doll. There is a similar sinister reason behind the story but in this case a darker more menacing and supernatural indicator of what may be going on and it leaves us on a note of intense worry.

Penny Jones is one of the finest British horror writers and delivers story that are darkly beautiful, intelligent, sensitive, and not afraid to whisk the carpet away from the reader to show you the trapdoor you’re now on. They always remind me of the work of Shirley Jackson and that is always a high compliment from me. An incredibly strong collection and well worth your time.