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“The cries of the dead are terrible indeed; you should try not to hear them.” - Philip K. Dick, VALIS

to assert her independence as an adult, Carla Bracken leaves the security and comfort of her overprotective parents' home and moves to Moorlands Close. the rent is cheap and the location is near where she works and where her boyfriend lives making the "old, unkempt, and unfashionable" place ideal for Carla's new-found freedom. however, unexplained phenomena start happening on her first night and on the days that follow, scaring Carla out of her wits.

it was not difficult to enjoy this novella. it had an old-school horror feel to it with the requisite creepy atmosphere, the panic-stricken and obviously terrified heroine, the supportive yet skeptical boyfriend, the unobliging neighbor and the indispensable ghost hunters/mediums.

these cast of characters may sound like stereotypes and employing "hauntings" may appear to be an overused trope but author Fiona Dodwell made all these elements work from start to finish. what took place in the last few pages were so unexpected and i never saw it coming. i also liked how the story ended.

for something short, Nails was packed with creepylicious stuff that resurrected - albeit temporarily - my inner child's fears of the dark, of bizarre voices and of ghostly apparitions.

*received a copy for review