End Matter by Ezekiel Cartwright is an entertaining, intriguing and unique short novel/novella. Main character Nathan Cartwright makes money by publishing his novels in order to have something to leave his son, Danny, who is struggling to bring up his little daughter alone. Living in Sky Valley, an ominous wooden village with myths and rumors of witches and all sorts of horrors lurking nearby, Nathan’s inspiration comes from an unusual and alarming source - but will he be able to prevent the horrors of nightmares and fiction from becoming reality?

I thoroughly enjoyed Ezekiel Cartwright’s short novel and was intrigued and drawn into the story from the start. It is an absorbing and entertaining quick read that is carefully plotted and kept me guessing to the end. The book begins with Nathan’s reason for writing and there is a brief look back in time to his boyhood, the start of his fascination with thrillers, and a spooky occurrence that left him with his ability to create his scary and thrilling best-selling novels. The book is written from the narrator’s point of view and it unfolds at a good pace. Despite the shortness of the book, the author presents his characters, their personalities, and motivations very well and I found them realistic and believable. I loved the sense of mystery and secrecy, the hint of impending horror, and the twist of an ending. Ezekiel Cartwright is a good storyteller and readers who like short horror, thrillers and mysteries with a twist will enjoy End Matter.

End Matter by Ezekiel Cartwright revolves around the life of widower Nathan Cartwright as he faces his mortality. Also known as the grisly grandpa, Nathan is a successful thriller writer, although his debut works are in drama and romance. Nathan has two sons, the estranged Harvey, and Danny, the beekeeper who has a sweet little daughter. As Danny grapples with the emotional and financial strain of his cancer stricken wife, Nathan resorts to writing fiction thrillers so that he can help Danny out. There is, however, a price to pay that goes back to a rainy, eerie night a long time ago, when the young Nathan comes across a mystical grave. As events unfold, he has to do everything to keep a secret that endangers the legacy he wants to leave behind.

End Matter is a fiction thriller novella that clutches at the imagination. Author Ezekiel Cartwright views his subject from a distance, yet also intimately. Framing his story like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, he weaves together an incredible tale about a grandfather who is willing to face the horrors of his past to make the lives of his loved ones better. A master story teller in the footsteps of Edgar Allan Poe, Ezekiel’s 37-page novella is surprisingly filled with interesting and well-rounded characters, and a convoluted plot that still makes complete sense in the end. His words are sparse, but they are evocative and meaningful. And as Nathan, the reluctant thriller writer, grapples with the consequences of his actions, we accompany him along the way as we get lost in a story that is both heartrending and horrifying.