Things Are As They Should Be and Other Words to Die For by P.M. Raymond
Uncomfortably Dark Horror (April 26, 2026)
Reviewed by Elizabeth Broadbent
As a fellow Southern author, I read P.M. Raymond’s Things Are As They Should Be and Other Words to Die For with particular relish. An interconnected book of short stories with recurring characters, families, and settings? Give it to me in the vein. Southern Gothic horror fans buckle up: this is the kind of collection you won’t want to miss.
Raymond adores variations on the get-what-you deserve plot (“Society,” “Pied Piper of Présage,” “Too Late to Turn Back Now—2,” and arguably a few others). It’s a great gothic trope, and in her hands, it doesn’t get old. She uses plenty of body horror in this collection, including “Society,” “Piper,” and “Don’t Drink the Water.” There’s also doppelgängers and and spells, inherited curses and axe murders, hoodoo and demons — everything your dark gothic soul desires in collection. There’s also lot of imagination in these plots — they go places you don’t expect, from cupboards that appear out of nowhere (“Rent Party”) to your worst dental nightmare (“A Pretty Smile” — and seriously, this is the worst, and not for the reasons you think), from a burger joint-spell bar (the Far Burger Bar, featured in three stories) to a canine ring bearer (“Cinderella at Midnight”).
Moreover, the overlapping genealogies work very, very well. While we have a few recurring characters, including darling little Lyla, it’s the Booker and Brownstone families who get center stage. They weave through most of the stories, forming a tapestry with a meaning greater than an isolated narrative. Pay attention to the names you read; it’ll pay off. The recurring settings and names in Things Are As They Should Be add texture and weight to the narrative, giving it a realism rooted in time and place.
While there’s a lot to admire in this collection, the prose and use of Southern dialect also shine. Raymond turns a lovely phrase, whether she’s talking about beauty or beasts. She also does great Southern dialect, which is hard to do — it takes a stellar ear for both dialogue and rhythm. Raymond not only nails it, she hits it out of the park.
If you’re a junkie for Southern Gothic horror, this book is your next must-read. Casual readers will enjoy it, but readers who give this book the attention it deserves will find themselves richly rewarded. Many of the stories in this collection have already won awards, and it’s safe to call Raymond a bright new star for indie horror.
