Flint Kill CreekStories of Mystery and Suspense

by Joyce Carol Oates
Flint Kill CreekStories of Mystery and Suspense cover
Good Books rating 3.89
Technical:
  • ID: 459
  • Added: 2025-09-11
  • Updated: 2025-09-11
  • Reviews: 3
Reviews
app.thestorygraph.com · Unknown · 2025-09-18
enthralling 4.50

Joyce Carol Oates's disturbing collection of 12 short stories features ordinary people whose lives descend into the unsettling and macabre. Narrator Kelli Tager's vivid performance enhances the emotional depth and pacing of the stories.

Joyce Carol Oates's new collection, Flint Kill Creek, is a disturbing yet captivating set of 12 short stories that delve into the unsettling and macabre. Each story features ordinary people whose lives take a dark turn, exploring themes of fear, anger, and uncertainty. The stories are varied, from a man uncovering a mystifying past to a woman realizing her husband is not who he seems. Narrator Kelli Tager delivers an exceptional performance, bringing forth every emotion with expressive precision. Her attention to pacing keeps listeners on the edge of their seats, making this collection a thrilling listen. Fans of Oates's work will find this a pitch-perfect blend of psychological thriller, mystery, and suspense.

Quick quotes

    Oates’s many fans will be enthralled by this pitch-perfect collection of that combines psychological thriller, mystery, and suspense.

    Narrator Kelli Tager offers a vivid performance of Oates’s stories, expressively bringing forth every emotion, from fear to anger to uncertainty.

    Tager’s attention to pacing is exceptional and will keep listeners on the edge of their seats.

publishersweekly.com · Unknown · 2025-09-18
mixed 3.50

The collection features well-written and intriguing stories, though some may find the prose challenging and the themes dark and unsettling. The stories are praised for their distinct prose and exploration of cruelty and unease, but some readers found the writing style difficult to follow.

Readers have mixed opinions about this collection of stories. Some appreciate the well-crafted and intriguing narratives, noting that the prose is distinct and dreamlike, often brimming with cruelty and unease. The stories are seen as dark and mysterious, with a focus on flawed characters. However, others find the writing style challenging and difficult to follow, with some struggling to understand the prose. The collection is not universally loved, as some readers feel it is not for them or that the stories are hit or miss.

Quick quotes

    These are stories, so some hit the spot more than others. But they are all well written and intriguing.

    Her prose is so distinct. Dreamlike and nightmarish. These stories are brimming with cruelty and unease. I loved this collection!

    I tried to like it…persevered…my mind hurts! Too many words…I understood those words by themselves…but struggled to understand them when strung together!

celestialtimepiece.com · Unknown · 2024-11-05
mixed 3.67

Readers had mixed reactions to Joyce Carol Oates' short story collection, with some praising the haunting and lyrical narratives, while others found the stories abrupt and unfinished. The narration was widely appreciated for its excellence.

The collection of short stories in Flint Kill Creek received a variety of responses from readers. Some were captivated by the haunting and lyrical nature of the stories, finding the narration exceptional and perfectly matching the tone of the author. The suspense and subversive plots were highlighted as strengths, with the narrator's performance bringing the characters to life vividly. However, others felt that the stories were too abrupt and unfinished, leaving them dissatisfied with the lack of resolution. The abrupt endings were a common critique, with some readers feeling that the stories could have been more fully developed. Despite this, the writing style was generally praised, and many expressed a desire to explore more of Oates' work in longer formats.

Quick quotes

    The stories are haunting and creepy and lyrical, as always from this master, and the narrator matches her tone perfectly.

    I love a good cliffhanger but it is frustrating as a reader when reading a collection of short stories and each story ends feeling unresolved.

    Joyce Carol Oates will always be at the top of my list.

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