Summer Bludgeon

33 Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense Stories That Hit Hard

Forget lazy beach days and breezy nights—these tales of sunbaked dread and creeping shadows will have you questioning every picture-perfect post.

Summer Bludgeon peels back the idyllic facade to expose broken dreams, twisted desires, and the sinister secrets simmering in summer’s relentless heat. Gritty and poignant, this anthology gathers 33 short stories from emerging and award-winning voices in crime, noir, and psychological suspense.

Back in a new edition from Disturb Ink Books—with a fresh cover and a chilling new story—Summer Bludgeon is your ticket to a season where the only thing hotter than the sun is the rage just beneath the surface.

Prepare to be unnerved as love turns toxic, relationships shatter, and the heat brings not just sweat, but a cold shiver of fear during the "warmest" time of the year.

For fans of Joyce Carol Oates, Gillian Flynn, and Black Mirror and anyone who likes their fiction short, sharp, and haunting.

Edited by H. Dair Brown and Robin Knabel, this anthology (originally published under the same title by Unsettling Reads) weaves together tales from acclaimed and emerging authors alike.

📘 Note for readers: This is a revised edition of the collection originally published in June 2022 by Unsettling Reads, LLC. It features one new story and one story from the original edition removed.

Disturb Ink Books publishes fiction for readers who like their horror quiet, their thrillers sharp, and their noir steeped in shadows.

394 pp. Short Story Anthology

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Contributors:

Allison Vincent

Amanda Nicholson

Bev Vincent

Brandon Barrows

Brian J Smith

Cath S Nichols

Chris Wheatley

Christine Eskilson

Corey Lynn Fayman

Edward Michael Supranowicz

Elliott Orchard-Blowen

Elyse Kallen

Eric Knabel

Ewan A Dougall

Frank William Finney

Gay McKenna

H. Dair Brown

JM Connors

Jacob Steven Mohr

Jahmil Effend

Joseph J Dowling

Joseph S Walker

Juleigh Howard-Hobson

Justin Thurman

Katie Brunecz

Ken Luer

Lee Pletzers

Mark Thomas

Robin Knabel

Sebastian Corbascio

Shannon Lawrence

Yvette Viets Flaten