Publisher:  Cemetery Dance

   “The Painted Darkness,” a novella from Brian James Freeman, is a stunning example of how a skilled writer can make just a few hours in a character’s life and leave readers spellbound.

   Henry is a painter specializing in the macabre. He had a frightening experience when he was five and his father taught him to “paint against the darkness.” If he paints when scared, the fear dissipates.

   The novella tells two stories in alternating chapters—the events of the day when Henry was five and a present day harrowing encounter with the unknown in his basement. Both stories have satisfying conclusions that are thrilling and poignant, and also complement one another.

   Freeman is a gifted writer. His descriptions vivid, the horror lurking in the shadows he creates unsettling, the novella is carefully crafted like Henry’s paintings.

   The three star scare factor rating is not a slight. This story is not designed to make you jump, the horror here is subtle like the prose of a master like Poe or Hawthorne. It lingers long after you are done reading.

   Highly recommended, this ranks with some of the best literary thrillers I have read.

 - George Wilhite

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