I’ve reviewed A Sliver of Darkness by CJ Tudor for book recommendation site LoveReading.co.uk. See link for full review,, It has been chosen as a LoveReading star book and Liz Pick of the month.

I’m a fan of C.J. Tudor but not really a fan of short stories so this fell a bit in the middle for me. I’m definitely more into the horror stories rather than the thrilling ones but overall all were rather good.
I wish there was a tiny bit more atmosphere and angst in some of the stories but obviously can’t win on every single one when there’s 11 of them!

Here’s my rating for each story, I enjoyed the most the last 4:
End of the Liner: 3.5⭐️
The Block: 3⭐️
Runaway Blues: 3⭐️
The Completion: 2⭐️
The Lion at the Gate: 2⭐️
Gloria: 3⭐️
I’m Not Ted: 3.5⭐️
Final Course: 4⭐️
The Copy Shop: 4⭐️
Dust: 4⭐️
Butterfly Island: 4⭐️

This is an enjoyable collection of ten short stories from the author.

I think my favourite story was Copy Shop. I loved the thought of being able to get copies of broken items with sentimental value - plus so much more!

I read these all quite quickly, it was a bit of a shock to reach the end, I thought I was only about halfway through!

I loved how the author gave an introduction at the beginning of most of the stories. I found these to be interesting and informative.

This is the first book I’ve read by the author and it won’t be my last.

My thanks to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Whether it's for a snatched moment of macabre in the midst of a current read, a brief dalliance with darkness between books or an indulgence in a smorgasbord of twisted tales, This is *the book* for you.

Loved this, great insight into the author's life with the added bonus of some fantastic short stories.. really enjoyed the copyroom, Some were a little disturbing great read.

What a delightful collection of creepy and gruesome stories! This is my first book of short stories I’ve read since being a kid and it won’t be my last! Some of the tales really make you think, a couple had me on edge, but they were all fun and enjoyable in their own way!

— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: A Sliver of Darkness
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: N/A
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): C. J. Tudor
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Horror
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 29th September 2022
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4.5/5

”But that’s kind of how storytelling works, isn’t it? Like a onesided conversation. I ramble on, you listen. And if I lose your interest, well, you can just turn the page or close the book.
You won’t, though. You’ll want to hear this story. And I need to tell it. Because I’ve not told anyone else, not in over fifty years. And that’s a long time to nurse a horror.”

I didn’t think I’d love this as much as I did. But I’m coming to realise that C. J. Tudor never disappoints. She is such a great storyteller, she’s the kind of rare author that sees a story in everything around her, and this collection of short stories reflects exactly that. Readers can expect short horror stories centred around cruise ships, abandoned tower blocks, castaways, creepy villas covered in sand, and so much more.

I honestly can’t pick a favourite story out of the whole bunch. They were all so good. Although if there’s anyone I’d love to read more about it’s Gloria. Tudor alludes to not being finished with this character yet and that literally makes me so excited for her future books.

I enjoyed this so much. Many short story collections can feel as though each story is the same with slight variations, especially when they’re all told by the same author. However, each story was different, the characters felt distinguished from one another with different points of view, different dialects… different secrets. The best part about this collection is no matter the story, no matter the setting, each character felt real, with something to say.

Ive read and had mixed feelingss about CJ Tudors novels. Some I have really enjoyed, others not so much.
Here we have her venturing into the world of short stories with a collection of 11 overall, the perfect amount I felt for this particular collection.

Written during lockdown, there is an appropriate single theme to these varied stories - The Apocalypse. A mixture of horror, the supernatural and the macabre, the author begins each story with some notes on how she came up with the idea, mostly sprung from small events that happened to her in real life and, although nothing like the stories that follow, were enough to spring the seed of the idea or theme.

If you are a fan of horror or the macabre and want something to whet your appetite in bite size pieces then this is the collection for you.

Some interesting, dark and sometimes funny ideas, I thoroughly enjoyed this collection.

May thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.

A great collection of creepy short stories, perfect for Halloween! C J Tudor is a brilliant writer. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.

I really wanted to enjoy this book more, I am not a fan of short stories but I love this author's work. I found the introduction to each story so annoying and in my opinion was not needed. A mix of mystery and touches of horror. Nothing to raise my pulse, an entertaining read and I am sure other readers will enjoy it more just not for me.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Well.. I started reading this book with every intention of reading one story a day. Didn’t work out like that. Once I started reading I found I moved quickly from one story to the next and I was so lost in the fabulous worlds that CJ Tudor created, a few hours later I reached the end of the whole book.

If you like short stories, this is a collection I can highly recommend. Part mystery but with a sometimes horror themed twist, each offering brings us something slightly different. From the possible links to other dimensions, to stories of the apocalypse, some strange and somewhat terrifying graffiti, and a quick catch up with a name from the past (easily recognisable if you have read the author’s back catalogue), CJ Tudor delivers with each story. From spine-tingling tales, to ones that will bring a twisted smile to your face, there are one or two you just might not want to read with the lights turned off.

What I really liked it that each story featured an introduction from the author giving us insight into what inspired the tale. It does set us up, to a degree, for what is still to come, but not so much as to spoil any surprises. I ate them all up, in fact you could say consumed them. I was Hungry for more. 😏

Amongst my favourites were The Block, The Lion at the Gate, Final Course, Dust and Butterfly Island, although in fairness I could happily recommend them all. Each has a little something that tickles the tastebuds, proper tales of the unexpected, and each with that recognisable CJ Tudor vibe. It you like the author’s work you will love this collection. Definitely recommended for a nice Halloween-sequel read. Why not treat yourself?

I was not fully engaged by this collection of short stories, despite liking the premise. I wasn't a fan of the lengthy introductions providing context - I don't personally think short fiction needs this sort of explanation in order to work successfully. However, I'd still recommend it to fans of the author's other work as the tone is consistent and there are some effective moments.

If you want to read something weird and creepy, C.J. Tudor is a great choice.

As a huge fan of the author, I was thrilled to see there’s a new book coming!

The short stories collection is definitely something different and I’ve enjoyed it thoroughly!

I love the intros to each story where the authors talks about coming up with the idea and gives a bit of context to each piece.

I definitely can see how they could be transformed into Netflix tv series (kind of like my favourite show Black Mirror) and I’d love to see them on the screen!

Strong 5 stars as always!

Excellent! Such a great author I had to read this collection of short stories. Remind my so much of Stephen King and every single one I can imagine in film! Highly recommend.

C.J. Tudor is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. Certainly one of the most anticipated authors in her eerie horror/thriller genre. This compilation of stories provides an insight into the mind of the genius, not only through the introductions to the book and each short story, but through the darker and slightly twisted unique offering that each short story provides.


Each story is brilliantly written and greatly entertaining. The collection starts off with ‘End of the Liner’ a dystopian twist on luxury cruises with a though provoking undertone and continues to deliver eerie gems such as ‘The Block’, ‘The Completion’ and the really fun ‘I’m Not Ted’ and ‘The Copy Shop’, finally completing (although not quite completing) in ‘Butterfly Island’

Each story is unique (as is C. J’s inspiration), each with a different level of creepiness, but all with a massive dose of enjoyment.

Thank you NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for a Review Copy

As a huge fan of all her other books I couldn’t wait to try something a little different from CJ Tudor.

A set of short stories this time but just as brilliant! She has such a wonderful way of storytelling and setting the scene in a creepy but intriguing way which keeps you completely immersed in the story.

A real gripping page turner and an author that I would pick up without even reading the blurb. Yes….she’s that good!

This is a collection of short stories that have a horror/mystery/dystopian themes. Each story is very different and C.J.Tudor does an introduction to each story and tells us what her inspiration was. I found it really interesting to learn what sparked the ideas for each story. I enjoyed some stories more than others. A few of my favourites were

End Of The Liner
The Block
The Completion
I’m Not Ted
The Copy Shop.

If you like previous books by this author then you will enjoy these stories. I also think that it is a good introduction to this author if you have never read any of her books before.

A Sliver of Darkness is a collection of short stories written by one of my favourite horror/thriller writers currently on the scene. C.J Tudor manages to create amazing atmospheres that have you clinging onto the edge of your seat and shouting for the characters to run while they have the chance. This collection of short stories was no exception.

Recently I have found myself drawn to shorter novellas and short story collections. As someone who talks and writes a lot I am in awe of how writers can create the worlds they do in such a short amount of words. C.J. Tudor is amazing at this and I cannot stress how much I enjoyed this collection.

Each short story also has a small introduction where C.J. Tudor gives you an insight into how she came up with her ideas. One in particular that I loved was the tale of ‘The Lion at the Gate’. Something so simple, graffiti on a gate gave C.J. Tudor inspiration to create such an amazing short story built on paranoia and genuine childish fear. She makes the worlds real and believable which is not something a lot of writers are capable of doing.

C.J. Tudor’s short stories are a fabulous example of the horror/mystery/thriller genre. If you are just getting into these genres I highly recommend you check these out, especially with the release date being close to spooky season. As these are short stories you are not bogged down with too much information and speculation which is often the case in big novels.

One thing I loved about this book was the fact C.J. Tudor didn’t hide away from why these short stories came into being. Writer’s block was a very real experience, and as someone who aspires to publish my own novel in the future, I was able to relate to her experience and learn from her skills. Her ability to think outside the box and use everyday mundane activities to create the world she does is very inspiring and has encouraged me to look into the world more and use that in my own writing.

A highly enjoyable collection of, very original and diverse, short stories.
I loved that the author let us into her world a little at the start of each story with personal information and background to the birth of the story.
I also love that the author is from Nottinghamshire, as am I originally, so she tied some of the stories into her knowledge of the area and growing up experiences.
Some of the stories are quite dark and a bit disturbing which also appeals to me, a bit worrying really?!
I’m a big fan of her other books so was confident that I’d like this too and certainly wasn’t disappointed. It’s quite different to some of her novels but equally good in my humble opinion, so shows the breadth of her talents and just how twisted and unique her imagination is. I mean that as a compliment by the way! Thank you for the chance to read this, recommend!

This book is a collection of 11 short stories, they are all set in a dystopian/ apocalyptic world.

A Sliver of Darkness is perfect for fans of Black Mirror and The Twilight Zone. The book reminded me of both and the short stories could easily been turned into episodes for both of these shows.

Although these were short stories I found myself gripped from the first line of every single one. Some of them I preferred more than others but as a whole they were so well written and I could not put the book down.

I thought it was really impactful that the author shared her inspiration for each story at the beginning of each story. It helped me to connect with the stories as well as the author. I also found it fascinating how the author took her own experiences and turned these into such unique plot lines.

C.J Tudor is a auto- buy author for me.