This is the seventh volume of a collection of stories that are like "Final Destination" meets "The Monkey's Paw" (W. W. Jacobs, 1902). They are a little bit Roald Dahl with a hint of Poe, and a touch of Edward Gorey. As such, they are tragedies more than either mysteries or horror, and would appeal most to readers who enjoy the inexorable pull of a story arc that leads to doom. In each story, a protagonist (usually a rotter), makes a wish that comes true with fatal results for someone, often the person making the wish. Sometimes the victim is just a nice person with bad luck.

Similar to the other collections in "The Screw Turns" series, the stories in this collection do contain murders and somewhat nasty deaths, but are not heavy on gore, and there are no sex scenes and no gratuitous violence towards women or animals in the plots. Coarse language is avoided unless the plot really and absolutely needs it. The stories typically have a medical or healthcare related angle, and many of the actors in them are employed in healthcare or are patients or caregivers.

The technical details surrounding the fatal (or near fatal) event are drawn from real cases in the US OSHA incident report database or other similar sources, and are therefore entirely realistic even if seemingly outlandish. The plots draw lightly from cultural beliefs around actions such as pointing at someone with a stick or knife, wishing in front of a mirror, or stepping on a crack.

Most of the stories were published in Physician's Weekly in 2023 and 2024 as part of a medical fiction collection, but this volume contains several other pieces that I hope you will like. About half of the stories started their life as a three-paragraph flash fiction piece during a LightHouse Writers Workshop session.

A special note of gratitude to the physicians and medical researchers who help me keep my facts straight, and to the beta readers who make sure everything is accurate, flows, and makes sense. Any remaining errors are my own. If you like this collection, please consider reviewing it, it helps.

Thank you.

Humphrey Archer

October 2024