The Only Way Out Is Through

Thanks to Cemetery Gates Media for the physical arc!

This is a rereleased story, that has been updated and elongated along the way from the original. The release also features two forewords, an afterword, as well as extra stories. The additional content from the author was cool as it kind of felt like being included in the know.

This story has all the makings of something right up my alley. Someone running from a shady past, a small town, one that’s filled with old traditions and dark secrets, and it’s a cop crime story. The opening is eerie and has all the makings of a creepy atmosphere that could have kept the reader guessing. The witness testimony, as well as the evidence tape, could have grown into something really mysterious.

Unfortunately, this story is quite short, and doesn’t really have the legs to get that atmospheric feeling out there. It relies heavily on the plot, and kind of barrels ahead full throttle until it eventually comes to its short end, petering out. Charlie, while being an interesting character, doesn’t actually have that much to lose, and with it being so short, it kind of feels as if his backstory is just thrown in.

The ending is rather straight forward, with little to surprise the reader. And while that isn’t always a problem for me, I did feel like it happens just to happen, to have an end. Most of my enjoyment was saved by some of the characters, so while it was short, I didn’t entirely dislike it.

The short stories that accompany, according to the afterword, all connect in a singular way, or a theme, but for me they still felt kind of just tacked on. Especially with the longer story being the actual release. Again, not always bad, but in this case, unnecessary. I'm not sure if this will be a hit with folks, but if you're looking for a quick crime story this could be it.