“Elderly Lady, Lives Alone” by Paul Finch left me with a smile on my face. There’s nothing like reading about a worthless thug getting his comeuppance to make my day. How said worthless thug gets his just desserts is something I’ll leave for other readers to discover. This story, I highly recommend.

“Muscle Car” by Kurt Newton and L.L. Soares is…

Well, there are these people in an apartment that turn into muscle cars as a means to regain the masculinity that today’s feminized society has stolen from them. Why they need to shape change into cars to feel and act like men, I have no clue. Personally, if I could shape change into a vehicle, I’d prefer a tank! Overall, I found the story boring, and the main character struck me as a bland, moping emo. Others may like it, but muscle cars?

“Never Let Go” by Mitch Maraude starts off as a sad, tragic, heartfelt tale that ends in a psychotic, macabre manner. Well, this is a horror antho. While readers will certainly sympathize with the main character’s plight, the ending may leave most a bit shocked and dismayed. In other words, I lovessss it!

The dialogue is great, even the minor character is an interesting (if, um, eccentric) fellow, and the ending: whoa! Catches you completely off guard yet remains a logical progression from the beginning. Not for the squeamish, but if you’re squeamish then why read horror in the first place?

“Three Hammers” by Albie is yet another WIS piece of flash fiction, this one involving an unnamed character running around committing random assaults and murders for no apparent reason.

“And Still Insists He Sees the Ghost” by Jeff Somers is a ghost story with a clever twist. George Hellon has been dead for several years, stuck within the 50ft proximity to his grave that all ghosts are. When a recently buried ghost (Morty Harris) arrives, George gives him the breakdown of what’s up. But this new ghost, unwilling to admit he’s dead, then disappears. Did this new ghost find a way to break the 50ft rule? George wants to find out.

A well-plotted tale; although, it seems to progress slowly for being only six pages. While some of the minor characters were quirky and interesting, the main character didn’t grab me. Still, it was better than many of the stories in this half of the anthology.

“The Third Horseman” by Chris Ringler is a story that could’ve been great, especially with its apocalyptic feel and a worldwide plague. Unfortunately, it’s yet another WIS that tells instead of shows and has no dialogue whatsoever. Not exactly a story a reader can lose himself in.

At last, a first-person POV story where the main character actually has a name! “Chokecherryblack” by Alyssa Sturgill is by far one of the better stories in Bare Bone #9. “Jezebel” is a female serial killer who kills prostitutes. And one night she discovers a wet-dream-come-true in a prostitute with multiple personalities. Psychological horror that delves into the surreal and strange, this one is sure to grab and not let go a la an acid trip gone bad. Kudos to Sturgill.

“Dána” by Colette Phair is the third-person POV version of a Where’s Ishmael. Phair proves that not only first-person narratives have this problem. But aside from a main character who seems to be a monk named “he,” the story is well-written, and the psychology of the character is well thought out. This tale is a warning of what can happen when religion and “enlightenment” get taken to the extreme.

“Razor Jack” by Tim Curran delves into the psychology of a paranoid schizophrenic. But is Jack nuts, or do the city and its inhabitants truly have a sinister side? As he runs and hides to avoid being taken back to the ward, he encounters others who share his concerns, and the reader is left to wonder if Jack isn’t insane after all. But then, the dialogue that reinforces Jack’s delusions can be interpreted in different ways. Curran delivers a dark, surreal story that is fast-paced and possesses psychological depth. You may want to read this one twice, at least.

In “The Whispered Sighs of Grateful Souls” by Mark Justice, a small town has a tradition on Halloween.  Just before Trick-or-Treating, little girls go house to house to collect the favored objects of the deceased. Why? And why only little girls? You’ll just have to read it to find out. While the story is certainly a well-written fantasy tale, I’m not sure if it falls into the realm of horror or even dark fantasy. A ghost story to be sure, but not a scary one. Regardless, it’s one I recommend.

“Laughter on the Rain” by C.J. Henderson is a short tale with a nice twist. If there’s a morale to be found, it’s probably “beware of hitchhikers and beware those who pick them up.” On his way to his girlfriend’s house after a fight over the phone, Peter hitches a ride—a nice ride, from a guy with wads of cash—a dream-come-true for a career carjacker/mugger like Peter. But unless he foregoes such things, he’ll lose the only girl he ever loved. Does he cease being a career criminal or choose love over vice? And why does this carjacking opportunity seem too perfect? Henderson handles characterization and suspense in a masterful way and is certainly a writer to watch.

“Crying Tears of Blood, Sweet Like Honey” by James Chambers is by far the best story in this anthology and also the longest. Chambers knows how to write a good zombie apocalypse and delivers his own little twist. In many zombie apocalypse stories, the dead rise to eat the living and the reason why is a mystery. But Chambers delivers a reason, and it’s just as mysterious as the event itself. And while showing us this large apocalyptic backdrop, Chambers still keeps to what matters: characters. Each and every character in this tale is fleshed out (pardon the pun) and well developed with a moral grayness expected in such stories. Even the “mindless” dead seem to have a consensual personality and purpose all their own. Mysteries, suspense, action, intrigue; heck, whatever you want, it’s likely here. And while the story has a satisfying ending, there’s still room for a possible sequel.

While I found things to like and dislike in this anthology, there are certainly stories here that make it worthwhile. This was simultaneously the most frustrating and also the most rewarding anthology I’ve ever had the privilege to review.  And maybe other people like those WIS stories or stories that seemed (to me) to go nowhere.