"Stirring speculative fiction anthology"

SUBTERRANEAN HEARTBEATS consists of seventeen stories of mystery and coincidence. Most stories are contemporary in setting, with the notable exception of the opening story entitled ARCADE, which is set in a post-apocalyptic future. The anthology shows us sides of our everyday lives that we may not see. Whether it be learning about a father's revenge (BAKER'S DOZEN), an apartment that is much more than it seems (THE DEVIL'S GARDEN) or a woman who must combat her disturbed ex-husband's claim on their daughter's soul (WHITE SANDS) Kemp-Jones delivers her stirring stories with loving detail. Though none of them are precisely romantic, Kemp-Jones' explorations into her characters touch that depth that lovers of romance novels come to expect from their favorite characters. She enables us to root for the man who has lost his family as well as the man who has lost his mind. Reminiscent of "The Twilight Zone," and in some ways the television show "Tales from the Crypt," SUBTERRANEAN HEARTBEATS is a fun, quirky collection that anyone who enjoys short speculative fiction would appreciate.

ParaNormal Romance Reviews © Copyright 2002

Reviewed by Ann Leveille
Posted July 8, 2002

Read an Excerpt

Beyond the fragile veneer of the everyday world lurks a frontier not open to ordinary exploration. No willing pioneers trek this land, only the waylaid few sucked into a domain where shadows have substance and nightmares spring to life. It is a realm with only one road to travel, a road with neither beginning nor end, a road which leads to a place bordering the edge of oblivion ...

Summary

Subterranean Heartbeats is a collection of sixteen Twilight Zone-type stories. They are compelling tales which delve into our most haunting nightmares.

While some of the stories are suitable for older children, others graphically depict the seamy side of adult life. Dialogue is realistic, gritty at times. From richly described settings to the heartfelt yearnings that run deep in her characters, Ms. Kemp-Jones packs a lot into each story. Common to all the stories are plots which twist into unthought-of endings, each giving me cause to reevaluate what I thought I had been reading. Ms. Kemp-Jones is a master of luring you into the plot until it is beyond your ability to retreat, often times leaving you dangling from a craggy precipice, left to wonder with awe, When had the road taken this turn? At what point did I begin to lose solid footing?