None of the stories in this collection felt like horror to me. I'd file them all as paranormal/ghost stories. I didn't find them scary, though they were dark and a bit creepy.

About half of the stories center on haunted houses, while most of the remaining stories take place during various wars. All are ghost tales.

Nicholson weaves a great story, with characters that quickly come alive. My only complaint is that the plots became repetitive. ( )

Ok book. Some stories are quite good. ( )

"Ashes" is collection of some of the best short stories I have ever read. They are not just suspenseful and delightfully wicked (and that they are) but psychologically complex, dense, and moving. Scattered Ashes is full of haunting tales, reminiscent of Edgar Allen Poe, colorful characters, and they probe such age-old and contemporary topics as love, relationships, motherhood, and the dark depths of the human psyche. Like Scott Nicholson's novels, they are set in the Appalachian Mountains, but they speak to readers all over the world. ( )

Downloaded this for free from Amazon for my Kindle. I was immediately surprised at the quality of the writing. Nicholson is a few notches above average, and, although I will admit to not being familiar with him, he has written quite a variety of novels and short stories. The last few pages of this eBook contain descriptions and links on Amazon to the rest of his books. The stories in this volume are quite dark for the most part, and they don't fall into the easy traps or routine endings of most horror stories. In this case, the phrase "You get what you pay for" is inoperable. If you're a fan of horror, you won't regret checking out this collection. ( )