The Horrors Hiding in Plain Sight 

by Rebecca Rowland 

Genre: Psychological Horror, Transgressive Dark Fiction, Short Stories 

Three adolescent bullies discover that the vicious crime for which they were never charged will haunt them in unimaginably horrific ways; a dominatrix and a bondage fetishist befriend one another as one’s preoccupation grows to consume his life. A man persuades his wife to start a family, but her reluctant pregnancy comes with a dreadful side effect. A substitute teacher’s curiosity about a veteran teacher’s methodology provides her with a lesson she won’t soon forget. An affluent, xenophobic lawyer callously kills two immigrants with her car with seeming impunity; a childless couple plays a sadistic game with a neglected juvenile each Halloween. An abusive father, a dating site predator, a neglected concierge, and an obsessed co-worker: they are all among the residents of Rebecca Rowland’s universe, and they dwell in the everyday realm of crime and punishment tempered with fixation and madness. There are no vampires, zombies, or magical beings here; no, what lurk in this world are even more terrifying. Once you meet them, you will think twice before turning your back on that seemingly innocuous neighbor or coming to the aid of the helpless damsel in the dark parking lot. These monsters don’t lurk under your bed or in the shadows: they are the people you see every day at work, in the supermarket, and in broad daylight. They are the horrors that hide in plain sight, and they will unsettle you more than any supernatural being ever could. 

Trigger Warning: 

Contains graphic violence (though not continually) including accidental death, murder, and suicide; sexual content, and occasional graphic language. Sexual assault is implied but not described in a graphic nature. No animals are harmed. 

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The Horrors Hiding in Plain Sight is a collection of short stories, each one featuring a human monster. People suck sometimes. Let's face it. But some people are dark, depraved animals preying on the innocent. The normal, everyday people who just happen to suck sometimes. Each story in this collection will introduce you to one of those horrific monsters pretending to be human. From teenage bullies to abusive fathers, and everyone in between, there's at least one story here that will resonate with readers.
Some of my favorite stories from the collection include:
It Comes Around - a story about karma
Open House - a strange story set during Halloween
The Munchies - a story about pregnancy...and cravings
Just a Taste - a true "bedtime story" with a twist
Deja Vu - a story about Russian Roulette
I actually found Deja Vu to be the saddest story in the book, strangely enough. It's a bit horrific, but also kind of depressing. And even though Just a Taste is super messed up, I think it's my favorite of the bunch. I knew that twist was coming, but still. Ugh. So good.
Fans of short horror stories, especially ones grounded in reality rather than featuring fictional monsters, will enjoy The Horrors Hiding in Plain Sight.
4 stars!

Rebecca Rowland is the transgressive dark fiction author of the short story collection The Horrors Hiding in Plain Sight, co-author of the novel Pieces, and curator of the horror anthologies Ghosts, Goblins, Murder, and Madness; Shadowy Natures, and the upcoming The Half That You See and Unburied. Her writing has appeared in venues such as Coffin Bell, Waxing & Waning, and the 

WiHM online collections The Ones You Don’t Bring Home to Mama and Final Girls with 20/20 Vision and has been anthologized in collections by Red Room Press, Transmundane Press, Forty-Two Books, Emerald Bay Books, Twisted Wing Productions, Thurston Howl Publications, J. Ellington Ashton Press, and Dark Ink. To surreptitiously stalk her, visit RowlandBooks.com. 

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