What the Dead Know

Into Shadow collection

By: Nghi Vo

Narrated by: Natalie Naudus

A woman posing as a medium who can channel the spirit world comes face to face with the truth in this short historical fantasy by Hugo Award-winning author Nghi Vo.

The Fogg River Seminary, a girls’ school in a small Illinois town, is supposed to be just another stop on Maryse and Vasyl’s endless travels. They’ve made lucrative use of Maryse’s “foreign” looks in their melodramatic séance act—and an act is all it is. Then, during their performance, a blizzard sweeps in and cuts them off from town completely. In the freezing halls, there’s a voice speaking the secrets of the dead, and Maryse has no choice but to listen…because this time, the voice is real.

Nghi Vo’s What the Dead Know is part of Into Shadow, an enthralling collection of dark fantasy stories about the lure of forbidden knowledge. Read or listen to each in a single sitting.

©2022 Nghi Vo (P)2022 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

The writing style

Loved the historical setting, but wished we got a deeper plot. And more of the characters’ personalities or backstory.

#abrknpoet reviewed What the Dead Know

What the Dead Know is a short story by Nghi Vo, part of the Into Shadow collection. It tells the story of Maryse and Vasyl, a pair of con artists who pretend to be mediums and perform fake séances for money. They arrive at a girls’ school in a small Illinois town, where they encounter a real voice of the dead that reveals secrets they would rather keep hidden. Vo creates a tense and atmospheric story that mixes historical fantasy and horror. She explores themes of guilt, identity, and redemption in this haunting and clever story that will keep you guessing until the end. What the Dead Know is a brilliant and original story that will appeal to fans of Vo’s The Singing Hills Cycle and anyone who enjoys stories with twists and surprises.


4.2 brkn stars

@stuartbrknjohns Twitter/Goodreads

dead

More impactful than I was expecting, but I thought that this was an interesting short paranormal story.

Great little short story

I really enjoyed this short story, good descriptive writing, interesting story too. Nice quick listen when your commuting or have an hour to spare!

Title says it all

I enjoyed this little bon-bon of a horror story. The author has talent, writes well using descriptions that immerse you in the scene. Narration is clear and easy to listen to, although a bit breathy (why do so many female narrators use breathiness to express emotion?) In the end, we know what the dead know.