Dolls Kill - Shop now
$2.99 with 79 percent savings
Print List Price: $14.20

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC.
Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Rayne Hall
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Thirty Scary Tales: Creepy Horror Stories Kindle Edition

by Rayne Hall (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.8 out of 5 stars 506 ratings
Thirty creepy stories by Rayne Hall. This is subtle horror, atmospheric and unsettling rather than violent and gory. Some stories explore the paranormal, others probe into the dark corners of the human psyche. The frights may creep up on you and linger for a long time.

This book is a compilation of volumes 1-5 of the Six Scary Tales books. It includes the acclaimed stories Burning and The Bridge Chamber.

All stories have been previously published in magazines, ezines, collections and anthologies. Not suitable for young readers without parental guidance. British English.

Stories in collection include:
The Devil You Know, Greywalker, Prophetess, Each Stone A Life, By Your Own Free Will, The Bridge Chamber, Only A Fool, Four Bony Hands, The Black Boar, Double Rainbows, Druid Stones, Burning, Scruples, Seagulls, Night Train, Through the Tunnel, Black Karma, Take Me To St. Roch's, Turkish Night, Never Leave Me, The Colour of Dishonour, Beltane, The Painted Staircase, I Dived The Pandora, Terre Vert and Payne's Grey, They Say, Tuppence Special, Disturbed Sleep, Normal Considering the Weather, Arete.
Read more
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    262 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Accessibility
    Learn more
  4. Publication date
    December 16, 2013
  5. File size
    5.9 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
Next slide of product details

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00EGFCS32
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rayne Hall
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 16, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5.9 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 262 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 out of 5 stars 506 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Rayne Hall

Rayne Hall

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Rayne Hall MA is the author of over 100 books, mostly Dark Fantasy and Gothic Horror, e.g. The Bride’s Curse: Bulgarian Gothic Ghost and Horror Stories. She is also the acclaimed editor of Gothic, Fantasy and Horror anthologies (e.g. Among the Headstones: Creepy Tales from the Graveyard) and author of the bestselling Writer’s Craft series for advanced-level writers, including and the bestselling Writer’s Craft series e.g. Writing Gothic Fiction Writing Scary Scenes, Writing Vivid Settings, Writing Vivid Dialogue, Writing Vivid Characters, Writing Deep Point of View.

Born and raised in Germany, Rayne Hall has lived in China, Mongolia, Nepal and Britain. Now she resides in a village in Bulgaria, where men perform the annual demon dance, ghosts and sirens beckon, and abandoned decaying houses hold memories of a glorious past.

Her lucky black rescue cat Sulu often accompanies her when she explores spooky derelict buildings. He delights in walking across shattered roof tiles, scratching charred timbers and sniffing at long-abandoned hearths. He even senses the presence of ghosts… but that’s another story.

Rayne has worked as an investigative journalist, development aid worker, museum guide, apple picker, tarot reader, adult education teacher, belly dancer, magazine editor, publishing manager and more, and now writes full time.

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
506 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers enjoy this book's collection of 30 short stories that vary in setting and tone, with subtle horror elements that keep readers engaged. The writing is well-crafted with good grammar, making it a perfect addition to reading lists, particularly for stormy nights. Customers find the content fascinating and worth the price.

Select to learn more

Story qualityScariness levelReadabilityEntertainment valueWriting styleCollection qualityContentValue for money
68 customers mention "Story quality"55 positive13 negative

Customers enjoy the collection of 30 short stories, with one customer noting how they vary widely in setting and tone.

"...Overall, I again felt that these were a collection of grim Aesop's Fables, and that several of them felt familiar in that I had heard a similar..." Read more

"...The author knows how to tell a good story! Each tale was eagerly anticipated. I wondered about it during the day. I thought about the previous story...." Read more

"...There is just a little. The tales are all stand-alone, not connected, and vary from ghosts to vampires to decent humans to horrible humans..." Read more

"...I do really like that this book contains a bunch of short stories. They're short, simple, and get straight to the point...." Read more

58 customers mention "Scariness level"46 positive12 negative

Customers enjoy the scariness level of the book, which features subtle horror elements and suspenseful tales that give readers a good scare.

"...to those looking for a good heart thumping book scary set of writings...." Read more

"...The lack of gore and sex makes "Thirty Scary Tales" by Rayne Hall a suitable read for adults, but also for (mature) young teens who might..." Read more

"...This books stories are what I would consider just scary and fun...." Read more

"...The tales are all stand-alone, not connected, and vary from ghosts to vampires to decent humans to horrible humans...." Read more

39 customers mention "Readability"39 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read, with one mentioning it's perfect for stormy nights, and another noting it's suitable for adults.

"...and sex makes "Thirty Scary Tales" by Rayne Hall a suitable read for adults, but also for (mature) young teens who might like a good..." Read more

"...inject me with paralysism from the scariness, I did find them enjoyable to read...." Read more

"...for your oil to be changed in your car, or wherever, this book is a good read...." Read more

"...not particularly scare you or creep you out, but are still an interesting read...." Read more

29 customers mention "Entertainment value"24 positive5 negative

Customers find the book entertaining, describing it as good reads for light thrills, and one customer mentions it has something to appeal to everyone.

"...I was proved wrong repeatedly. It was deliciously delightful!..." Read more

"...This books stories are what I would consider just scary and fun...." Read more

"...I personally enjoyed The Bridge Chamber, The Devil You Know, and Burning the most...." Read more

"...recommend this book for young readers, but it is a quick, entertaining read for adults. Also great for commuters!..." Read more

18 customers mention "Writing style"15 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, noting it is well written with good English grammar, and one customer mentions it kept them on the edge of their seat.

"...The terror comes more from our own imagination. The author is a truly talented writer who presents us with creepy stories that stoke our imagination...." Read more

"This well-written collection has something for everyone...." Read more

"...The Stories Are Clear And Well Thought Out. I Also Liked The English Grammar And Spelling It's Something New." Read more

"...I appreciated the authors remarks at the ends of each story & how he came up with the ideas." Read more

5 customers mention "Collection quality"5 positive0 negative

Customers like the collection quality of the book.

"This was a very good anthology filled with tales from the subtle to the creepy to the disturbing...." Read more

"...Those still creep me out. However, this is a good collection...." Read more

"Great collection! Rayne Hall is fun to read!" Read more

"Not all stories were equal, but none were bad. Overall, this collection engaged and entertained me. What more can you ask for?" Read more

5 customers mention "Content"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the content fascinating, with one mentioning that each story contains enough information, and another noting that they will keep you guessing.

"...they are satisfyingly creepy and will keep you guessing until the twist at the end you never saw coming...." Read more

"...Each Contains Enough Information To Allow Me To Create A Images In My Own Head. The Stories Are Clear And Well Thought Out...." Read more

"...describing how she came up with the stories, or other interesting tidbits...." Read more

"...ever read a book of short stories and found each one interesting, intriguing so well written...." Read more

5 customers mention "Value for money"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book worth its price.

"I love to read horror novels and short stories. This was ok for free. I would've been disappointed had I paid for it." Read more

"Good book. Worth the money." Read more

"Entertaining, but not great. Was worth the price i paid" Read more

"Anything scary I do enjoy also foe the price it is a steal." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • siren.zombie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Love It... Great for Halloween
    Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Now when I first heard about this book I was thinking more of the typical blood and gore like in the movies. Boy! was I wrong this collection of stories from Rayne Hall are great with out all of that. While reading my heart would race and I could feel it throughout my body. I would get so wrapped in to the story nothing around me would matter much (reading at night with nothing on in the house could be both a good thing and a bad thing looking back on it).

    Now I know your probably still wondering "How can this be horror stories with out the blood and gore??" and I have to say answer being scared or horrified does not take some of us to achieve through seeing blood or something murdered and a scene outrageous. But the unexpectedness of what you think to be red eyes in the distance to the clink of keys, or even just your own fear of unknown around the corner is what brings the HORROR to life in these stories.

    I do have to say if your looking to get in depth and in love with a character like in a full story this is not a book like that. You may feel for a character or wish they things had happened different in one way or another but it is not going to be where you know a characters life story. You get just enough information that your not lost and then it is on to story telling.

    I would certainly recommend this book or even just certain stories (depending on the people I know) to those looking for a good heart thumping book scary set of writings. Each story has something different to offer anyone who read for me it is going to be different then if I told a friend to read because we all have our own fears.

    I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
    Helpful
     Report
  • nonersays
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good Reads for a Light Thrill
    Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I am a fan of horror fiction. So, when I saw a chance to read and review a collection of short stories called "Thirty Scary Tales" by Rayne Hall then I had to give it a try.

    Now, while the title of the book is Thirty Scary Tales, they are not scary in the way that you might think.

    There are not a lot of horrible monsters or an abundance of gore in these stories, which the writer warns you of in her introduction. In fact, a lot of the fear is subliminal, playing on the phobias that people might have. If you're afraid of birds, dogs, drowning, being stuck in tight places, or even plain old fashioned racism, then there is probably a story in here for you. (But there's no clowns, so if you have coulrophobia you're safe to read it too)

    The lack of gore and sex makes "Thirty Scary Tales" by Rayne Hall a suitable read for adults, but also for (mature) young teens who might like a good scare.

    One of my favorite tales in this collection was "Greywalker." When I first saw the title I thought, "This one has GOT to be about zombies," and I was not disappointed. I was also not disappointed that it was not your traditional zombie tale.

    My ABSOLUTE favorite story in this collection was "By Your Own Free Will." In it a very brilliant young woman very much wants the man of her dreams to fall in love with her. She is will to give ANYTHING to become the beauty queen she thinks he wants, even if that means giving away some of her brilliance. While not exactly scary to me, it did strike a chord. The theme of being less of yourself to please someone else, and the lengths women will go to to be "beautiful" is all around us in the world today. Maybe we should be MORE frighted of it.

    "Burning" was another tale that is scary simply because it hits VERY close to home. It is a stark reminder that times where people are in danger just for being different (different skin, different religion) are not behind us.

    Something else I loved about Thirty Scary Tales was that at the end of each story, Ms. Hall shares a personal tidbit about how that story came to be, what inspired her to write it. As someone who enjoys writing myself I love it when other authors share where their ideas come from.

    Now that I've raved about what I loved I feel like I have to mention the couple of things that I didn't like.

    Most of the stories had very predictable endings. It might just be because I'm such a fan of the horror genre, but nothing came as a surprise to me at the end of the stories. Most of the twists I saw coming from the beginning.

    Also some of the stories seemed a little repetitive. Not in content but in theme. The stories "The Painted Staircase," "I Dived the Pandora," and "Terre Verte And Payne's Grey" are three that felt VERY similar to me in feel by the end of them.

    However, those two cons are not enough to keep me from recommending this book who might want a light thrill read. Out of Thirty Scary Tales, at least one of them is SURE to send a shiver down your spine.

    DISCLAIMER: I received a free copy of this book. All the thoughts and comments are 100% my own.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Mali
    3.0 out of 5 stars 30 Tragic Fables ReImagined Instead of 30 Scary Tales- 2.5 stars
    Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I was looking forward to reading this collection of thirty scary horror tales because the description promises true scares instead of gory or grotesque horror. I am not a fan of gory horror. I prefer scary psychological horror scares.
    However, there was a story or two in here that definitely qualified as gory complete with blood and guts.
    The majority of stories are more harsh tales of lessons learned, than anything scary.
    I had some difficulty downloading it to my Mac Kindle, and then I had some difficulty getting through the stories. The first 8 I disliked. They ranged in tales of women who learned not to trust the wrong person, go with their gut, the man who should have appreciated what he had, and so on.
    It reminded me of the short tales you would read as a child, aesop's fables, etc. that always had a somber or tragic lesson.
    The first story seemed to lack that and just seemed tragic and misplaced.
    The stories improve with Night Train, a story of a traveler who didn't trust the wrong person and it still ended in tragedy. The end of the story did give me a slight chill. Through the Tunnel feels familiar in that I have heard very similar stories, and it tells the story of a foolish girl and a guardian ghost on a mission to protect people from the same fate he had. Black Karma has a similar theme.
    I did not enjoy Turkish Night, which is a bizarre nightmare come true with a twist, but it picks back up with another familiar theme of a murdered wife that leaves her mark. The Painted Staircase gives a deserving end with a fantasy twist to a very unlikable man, and the Color of Dishonor has a familiar theme that brings to mind Poe's Telltale Heart, with a crooked slaughtering warlord instead. They Say is not a story. Tuppence Special feels like it lost the point of the story or a real conclusion. The next two also failed to capture me, and Arete picks back up with a story of freedom and revenge based on mythology.
    I enjoyed the interesting and unexpected twist of Only A Fool, it was a unique exploration of a bad situation completely reversed.
    Four Bony Hands I felt nothing but annoyance towards, a story that was supposed to be a what if, but only made me annoyed with the lead character's complete disregard for common sense that resulted in tragedy in the form of a twisted fairy tail.
    Druid Stone, which I disliked the end of, had a chilling lesson of be careful how you act towards helping others, because you never know who it may affect or if you may end up in that position
    Double Rainbows was the last story I enjoyed the ending message and theme of, where a truly bad person meets their end after underestimating those they have abused.
    Overall, I again felt that these were a collection of grim Aesop's Fables, and that several of them felt familiar in that I had heard a similar story before, but some of them were clever twists I did not expect as in the case of Only A Fool. Some of them fall into the category of horror where you feel truly unsettled with how the story had ended, and you feel that deep in the pit of your stomach. This is the case in Druid Stone, where you want to go back to the beginning to shout at the character to make a new decision to change the outcome that causes so much tragedy at the end. It's a form of horror not commonly utilized, but one I remember reading a book of horror stories for kids on as a child. One that comes to mind was the story of The Yellow Ribbon, where the main focus is a ribbon worn around a girl's neck that must never be removed. At the end of the story, it is removed and her head falls off because the ribbon was holding her together.
    The thing about fables and mythology, and even fairy tales, is that they have been told and retold so many times over centuries that each version and each retelling is just an update to the story, a different version to go into history.
    I just don't particularly enjoy the kind of horror that leaves that bad feeling in the pit of my stomach, and some of these did that.
    Some of them also lead to nowhere or were very neutral, while others caught me by surprise.
    I received this product free from Rayne Hall through the BuView review program in exchange for an honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
    Best: Night Train, Through The Tunnel (although familiar), Black Karma (also familiar), Never Leave Me(familiar), The Painted Staircase's end, The Colour of Dishonor (familiar), Only A Fool, Double Rainbows
    Worst: The Devil You Know, Greywalker, Prophetess, Seagulls, Turkish Night, Normal Considering The Weather, The Black Boar
    Tuppence Special, Four Bony Hands, Burning
    Many many of these have sad or tragic endings, and a few have fitting endings that cap a bad end on to a deserving person.
    I am in conclusion, caught in the middle hating some stories and liking others. The reason that it was so hard to finish this collection was that most of the stories I disliked were the first batch of stories, which made it hard to go on and read another.
    I am sure that any reader will find stories they they both liked and strongly did not like, but for me, the dislikes outnumbered the likes.

    I received this product rom Rayne Hall through the BuView review program in exchange for an honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. That said, my copy was received on Kindle and although the cost of the book was covered, tax was not, so I cannot say I received it for free.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Dodo
    4.0 out of 5 stars Scary Tales, not Horror Tales
    Reviewed in Germany on July 26, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Rayne Hall weist schon in ihrem Vorwort darauf hin, dass ihre Geschichten keine Horrorgeschichten, sondern "uncanny stories", also "unheimliche Geschichten" sind, wobei das Unheimliche in der Regel leise daherkommt.
    Weniger gefallen haben mir die Geschichten, die in Raynes eigener Fantasy-Welt spielen, über die sie auch Romane geschrieben hat. In solch einer Anthologie fand ich die Stories eher unpassend, hier hätte sich ein seperater Sammelband besser angeboten.
    Die "Stand alone"-Stories dagegen fand ich sehr gelungen, da mir auch Raynes athmosphärischer Stil gut gefällt, sie ist eine dieser Autorinnen, die man schon gern liest, weil die Schreibe überzeugt.
    Ein nettes Schnäppchen wohlig unheimlicher Gute-Nacht-Geschichten, die auch genau die richtige Länge für die Abendlektüre haben.
    Report
  • Vanessa Navarro Reverte
    4.0 out of 5 stars Well-written Spooky Stories
    Reviewed in Spain on March 30, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    On the one hand, I am quite fond of horror and dark fantasy; on the other hand, I really like short stories. So, this book seemed a win-win for me right from the start. Anyway, it had to live up to expectations, and it mostly did.
    I found Ms Hall's writing style neat and compelling. I also liked the wide range of themes dealt with throughout the different stories, and the unique light on familiar tropes shown in some of the tales. This is maybe the reason why my favourite tales are ·"Greywalker", "Night Train", "By your Own Free Will", "Arete" and "Four Bony Hands". The latest is also one of the few tales that gave me the creeps, together with "Druid Stones".
    Personally, I did not find the stories scary, but for the two I've mentioned before, and just mildly. Maybe this is because I cut my teeth on horror fiction at age 13 many years ago, so it's not the author's fault. However, they are spooky enough to appeal to most readers' horror threshold.
    Finally, there are a few tales that bored me because I found them too predictable ("The Devil you Know", "Double Rainbows", "Seagulls" "Through the Tunnel"). Anyway, this is my opinion - others could find them enjoyable.
    In short, this is a well-written and interesting compilation that can be enjoyed one piece at a time.
    Report
  • JJ Adams
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant collection
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 17, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I love short story collections and this is one of the best I have found on Amazon. As other reviewers have pointed out (and as the author herself indicates) this isn't gory, obvious horror but is more unsettling and disturbing than scary.

    I really enjoyed the variety in this collection and I had to double check that they were actually written by one author. Some of the stories were set in the modern day, some in older times, and some in a fantasy world that I understand the author created for a full length novel. Some of them involve the supernatural and others involve horrors from the real world.

    In the afterword, the author said she'd like to hear which stories we enjoyed the most and which we weren't so thrilled with, so here's my top:

    By Your Own Free Will - A high-flying career woman and MENSA member visits a modern day witch for a love potion, and ends up giving away a crucial part of herself in the quest for love. Although there is very little 'horror' in it, it is one of the most disturbing short stories I've read. It reminded me strongly of another short story, Mr. Pull-Ups by Jack Kilborn, which is far more extreme and gruesome but sticks with me in just the same way.

    The Bridge Chamber - A little girl tries to earn the respect of her bullies by taking them to a secret place she has discovered, but things don't quite go to plan. This is one of those stories that drops you right into the scene and has you thinking "good god, what if that was me?".

    Seagulls - A young woman moves to the seaside and is constantly aware of a menacing trio of seagulls watching her every move through the window. The author achieved a disturbing feeling of claustrophobia and imprisonment in the very place we should feel safe - home - and it was very effective.

    Take Me To St. Roch's - A lone driver picks up a hitchhiker who is stragely uncommunicative and sulky, and the night turns into a nightmare. I loved the black humour in this one.

    The Colour of Dishonour - This was set in the author's fantasy world creation and it transported my right there - not easy to do in a short story.

    Four Bony Hands - A modern twist on a well-known fairytale. Even though we all know how the story ends, this was very well done and kept me interested.

    Double Rainbows - An ill-treated lover gets her revenge in a very clever way.

    Which ones didn't I like so much?

    Arete and Night Train. They were still well written, it's just that vampires and werewolves don't interest me.

    Burning - One of the most disturbing books in the collection, about racism and hatred. Very effectively told through the voice of an innocent, unprejudiced child.
    Report
  • Dani Apples
    2.0 out of 5 stars And the write up she does after every story was just kinda boring: / sorry
    Reviewed in Canada on November 29, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Just couldn't get into these stories. And the write up she does after every story was just kinda boring :/ sorry, Rayne - she can write, I just didn't like this book much at all.
    Report
  • Miff
    5.0 out of 5 stars The sample stories she supplied made me keen to check this book out and I'm so glad I did
    Reviewed in Australia on April 10, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I've only recently discovered Rayne Hall through her books for writers. The sample stories she supplied made me keen to check this book out and I'm so glad I did. Rayne is brilliant at writing those, 'woman alone and stranded' stories. I could feel the character's tension and unease. Any writer that can put me in the shoes of the character and make me feel their terror has definitely done their job well and I can honestly say Rayne does this in her stories. The thing I love about short stories is that if one story doesn't rock your boat you don't have wait long to read one that makes up for it. None of Rayne's stories disappoint, they all affected me on some level. I highly recommend this as a great read to enjoy on the couch with a cuppa as I did.
    Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report