Book Review: THIS WAY LIES MADNESS

by | Nov 8, 2025 | Book Reviews, Reviews, The Horror Review News | 0 comments

This Way Lies Madness
Dave Jeffery & Lee Murray, eds.
Flame Tree Collections (October 14, 2025)
416 pgs.
Reviewed by Carson Buckingham

It’s a crying shame that there isn’t an Academy Award for anthologies, because This Way Lies Madness surely deserves one, but I guess it will have to settle for the Booker Prize, which it abundantly deserves. This is the best, most tightly written anthology that I have read in a long, long time…maybe ever. Dave Jeffery and Lee Murray, the editors of this profound volume, have far exceeded my jaded expectations when it comes to such books and re-ignited the dimming light in my cynical eyes to the extent that I can now read in complete darkness.

In short, I loved this book. This is the first time that 12 out of 23 stories were my favorites. But don’t discount the rest—every story in this book is masterful—those 12 were simply my preferences. You may choose others.

Another thing I appreciated about this book was how it stuck strictly to the theme of the different forms of madness all the way through. Lots of anthologies I’ve read have gone off the rails when it came to adhering to the theme, but not this one. It was such a cohesive book that it almost seemed as if the authors were working together, cooperating with each other. I mean, I know that’s not the case, but the book is so well put together that it gives me that feeling.

And that feeling is down, not only to the authors, but to Dave Jeffery and Lee Murray, and their impeccable taste in selecting the stories that they did for this book. So brilliant that I’d probably have to wear sunglasses if I ever met them.

OK, so here are the stories:

“TBR” – A favorite right off the bat! You will never look at your To Be Read pile of books the same way again. After reading this story, I must confess to feeling somewhat uneasy in my living room library.

“The Scarlet Angels of Regret” – Another favorite. Be very careful about the name you give your child, because the wrong name, a silly name, may have horrific and quite unforeseen consequences in the fullness of time.

“Bangs” – Another favorite! This parable is a commentary on the societal idea of beauty and what it can do to an insecure young woman. Horrific what she volunteers to do.

“Sawn Wife” – This is a study of the Madonna/Whore Complex via a magician and his assistant wife.

“Self-Portrait” -An artist meets a woman he cannot create without, leading us to believe that she is his muse. But is she even really there?

“The Mark” – Another favorite. Her husband is not the man he used to be—at least, not to his wife. At first, it looks like she’s suffering from Capgras Delusion. At first…

“Poppet” – Yet another favorite. A morgue technician steals from the bodies. This story is a refreshing new take on a very old trope, and a commentary on the fierceness of a mother’s love. It is written in second person, which can be difficult to pull off effectively, but this author did a great job with it.

“Dissolution of the Self on the Altar of Your Dreams: A Case Study” – A Ph.D. student is so focused on her goal that she loses herself in the process.

“Calm Springs” – Thomas Wolfe said, “You can’t go home again.” Or can you? A blocked writer takes a strange bus trip to his old hometown—but can the ‘good old days’ be resurrected? This story is a reality check.

“The Soup of Life” – Three interplanetary explorers deal with the mental stress of living at close quarters on an alien planet, and what the planet does about it.

“Speak” – A poem about the devastating effects of having to deal with a stutter, from childhood to adulthood.

“A Solitary Voice” – Another favorite! Be very careful about being rude to a telemarketer. They have ways of getting even, resulting in a slow slide into mental illness.

“My Ghosts Have Dreams” – A poem about bipolar disorder in the form of the poet’s body as a haunted house.

“Nothing and the Boy” – A family of three moves into a house where an entity called ‘Nothing’ dwells. They have one son; the older one having died not long ago. This house is a fresh start for them. Only the son can see Nothing. In this story, we see how extreme loneliness can mutate into something darkly real.

“The Familiar’s Assistant” Another favorite! Old abuse leads to seeking a new abuser…and what an abuser he is!

“We Don’t Talk About the Sink” – Another favorite. Eating disorders become a monster in the sink.

“Old Friends” – A favorite. Clever story about two best friends and the effects of trauma/abuse on one of them. Lovely twist at the end.

“A Note for William Cowper” – A stranded mini-sub where we see two scientists dealing with isolation and little hope of rescue.

“There’s a Ghost in My House” – Another favorite! A fascinating mental syndrome is explored in this story, and I can’t tell you what it is, or it will give the story away.

“The Book of Dreems” – Another favorite! Misogyny and losing touch with reality are explored in this heartbreaking story.

“The Dark Gets In” – A study in paranoia that harks back to the COVID lockdown.

“Eighty-five Percent, Give or Take” – An accident survivor’s descent into madness and his friend’s helplessness.

“The Carousel” – A poem about post-partum depression and how it can lead to…other problems.

In conclusion, this is a book you will definitely want for your personal library. And it would make great Christmas gifts for the friends and family who love to read. I forgot to mention that the book itself is beautiful too, with lovely fore-edge painting that reflects the cover design. A work of art.

7 out of 5 stars—This is the highest rating I’ve ever given any book. Get your copy today!

About Carson Buckingham

Professionally, Carson Buckingham has made her way in life doing all manner of things, most of which involve arson. She is currently employed as a freelance writer on a work release program. In her spare time, she studies forensics, in hopes of applying her new knowledge to eluding the authorities more effectively the next time. She is originally from Connecticut, but now resides in Kentucky—and Connecticut is glad to be rid of her.

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