Philip Fracassi shows off his extraordinary talent to transform ordinary objects into sources of terror in his latest novella D7 where the seemingly innocuous and nostalgic jukebox becomes the centerpiece of an eerie tale set in an isolated dive bar.
Dive bars on the outskirts of nowhere come with their own challenges that a lot of tourists may find difficult to navigate, but our protagonists quickly find out that the problems they envision potentially could happen become a whole different set of nightmares the quickly spiral out of control. Trapped inside said dive bar becomes an unsettling experience they cannot escape.
While we follow a couple into the Happy’s Bar and Grill, the haunted jukebox takes center stage quickly. Philip Fracassi use of something as entertaining as a jukebox to instill fear into us as readers is right up the author’s alley. Francassi uses vivid descriptions and an atmospheric setting to craft a world within this bar the feels both unsettlingly foreign while also a bit familiar.
What Francassi does with a few short pages is simply fantastic. One might expect with such a brief novella that there would be a lack of depth of complexity, but Francassi defies these expectations with ease. D7 is a quick, fast-paced and exhilarating read that grips you tightly with suspense and dread. Despite its short length, the story delivers on multiple fronts–great character development, tons of plot twists, and somehow a emotional resonance–all within a compact story that allows us to devour it in one sitting.
I can sometimes feel I want so much more from a novella after closing the last page. However, D7 stands out as a great example of how less can indeed be so much more–not that I wouldn’t have loved more. The great use of every page to tell this story allows for concise storytelling with little fluff.
While Philip Fracassi storytelling shines in D7, it is worth noting that Shortwave Publishing continues to prove they are curators of excellent stories. Each new release continues to bring top-notch horror tales like D7. Alan Lastufka seems to know exactly what we all want and strives towards a commitment of quality over quantity that shines through each and every release.
D7 by award-winning author and screenwriter Philip Fracassi is a short yet intense horror tale that will grab your attention from the very first page. Fracassi has gained a reputation for his ability to infuse mundane elements with spine-tingling horror and D7 is a true testament to this skill. D7 is a truly unforgettable read where the unsettlingly dread lasts long after you close the book.
D7 hits bookstores on May 27, 2025 from Shortwave Publishing.
