Review

Eerie Exhibits is a collection of strange and unnerving short stories that all centre around the exhibits in an old museum. This is a dark and gripping collection of tales that were incredibly well crafted and entertaining.

All five of the stories are set in the same museum and some of the same characters are mentioned in multiple stories. I enjoyed all five stories immensely and I thought Williamson did a terrific job of creating a tense, uneasy atmosphere throughout the stories. These horror tales explore both supernatural horror and the horror of real life, with the stories focusing on a range of subjects including grief and parental abuse. Williamson does a magnificent job creating complex characters that feel well fleshed out in only a small number of pages.

The stories are well written and while short, each one manages to pack a punch. My favourite of the five stories had to be Et In Arcadia Ego, which was an incredibly compelling story with a few moments that sent a shiver up my spine. I also found it fascinating that Williamson took some of her inspiration from trips to Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow. Being local to the museum, it is somewhere I have visited many times and after reading these I am definitely planning to visit again soon. A gripping short story collection, Eerie Exhibits is a terrific read if you’re looking for something short and creepy, and I am definitely looking forward to reading more from Victoria Williamson.