Short stories are hard to get right. This one was OK but definitely didn't meet my expectations of being scared. It's a stretch calling it horror.

As a short story it was good but for me it didn't meet my expectations. I wouldn't class this as horror at all. Wasn't even remotely frightening.

This is a short and sweet, twisted story. A perfect length for an afternoon read. The writing flows well and kept me entertained and engaged through out the entire story. Definitely one I recommend!

#NetGalley #TheDarkManByReferral

This novellette takes a boy, and introduces him to a local creature of folklore, The Dark Man. It reads almost like a dark fairytale as our protagonist has an abusive and controlling stepfather. When he meets the mysterious dark man, his life and the life of his mother gets better but at a cost.

If anything, the dark man is a harbinger of death but he does so for the sake of the children he is referred to. We'll find out he's been plying his trade for a long time and basically gets referred to other victims of abuse through those he helps.

The abusers are the antagonists of this book. They're controlling, manipulative, and resort to violence when confronted. But with the supernatural help of the dark man, they suffer and slowly succumb to a wasting disease. In return, the dark man kind of feeds off their disease and the cycle continues.

It's a very imaginative novellette and well written. I do wish this idea would have been fleshed out and made longer. I would have loved to have more details not only about the dark man but the other characters as well.

That being said, you'll definitely want to add this one to read. I enjoyed the time spent in this world and I highly recommend it.

A short novella about the dark and sinister helping out the kids. It's a good read! Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a chance to read the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I'm always very happy about an ARC and being able to give it a review! <3

A short but strong and emotional story that will stay in my head for a very long time.

The cover looks amazing and the story captivated me immediately.

For me personally, it wasn't horror and not really creepy either, but the story still has a bad vibe to it. (Which I love) I'd love to read more of it

The Dark Man, By Referral is the kind of story that sneaks up on you—starting with childhood myths and creeping its way into reality in the most unsettling way. James thinks the Dark Man is just a story, but when he learns the truth, everything he thought he knew about fear, morality, and monsters gets turned on its head. I loved how this book played with perspective—who’s really the monster here? The eerie atmosphere and slow-building dread kept me hooked, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookbuzz.net for allowing me to read an ARC of this novelette. I enjoyed this nice, quick read. I really liked the idea of this story; maybe some monsters are just misunderstood. A good read when you just want a quick and eerie story.

This guy just kept popping up on Netgalley, so I thought I'd check him out. And what better way to do it than with a novelette, which won't take up too much time.
Well, it's actually decent. I say this with some measure of surprise because so much indie genre writing tends to disappoint, but this creepy tale of imperiled kids and The Dark Man who comes to their rescue was fairly well written, well edited, and entertaining. Not the sort of thing where you rush out to get all the other books by the author, but not the sort of thing where you avoid them in the future either. A fun quick read. Thanks Netgalley.

This short but powerful novelette delivers a chilling and satisfying dose of horror. Dark, unsettling, and expertly paced, The Dark Man, By Referral is a masterful tale of comeuppance that lingers long after the final page. With eerie atmosphere and razor sharp storytelling, it leaves you craving more from this author. A delightfully sinister read.

Loved this and will start another book by this author tomorrow. Thank you for the access!!

Oh, so you think boogeymen aren’t real? Think again. 😈 The Dark Man, By Referral had me questioning EVERYTHING. Monsters, myths, and who’s really the bad guy—it’s all wrapped up in a dark, twisty tale that messes with your head in the best way. It’s creepy, it’s clever, and it made me leave the lights on. Read it if you dare. 😱📖🔥