Tip of the day: avoid rural trains in the north of England!
(Don’t) Call Mum by Matt Wesolowski
The Northern Weird Project
Throughout 2025, Wild Hunt Books will publish six fantastic pocket-sized novellas from authors based in the North of England and who are also engaging with the North as setting, subject and character.
The novellas incorporate eerie and uncanny incidents including a strange occurrence on a train, a young boy’s disappearance in a village, a grieving couple renovating a haunted house, a group of mysterious strangers by the beach, a sinister wellness retreat and the unearthed danger beneath an ancient peat bog.
Editor Ariell Cacciola said of the project, ‘Im so excited about this project. The novellas will transport readers into the strange and dangerous corners of the North, and it will be impossible not to read each book in one sitting.’ We have already reviewed This House Isn’t Haunted But We Are by Stephen Howard . And today Tony Jones reviews (Don’t) Call Mum by Matt Wesolowski, but that’s not all. We have also rescued a massive article from the archives of the dead Ginger Nuts of Horror Website from Tony Jones and Steve Stred, to celebrate the launch of (Don’t) Call Mum by Matt Wesolowski from Wild Hunt.
You can read Why ‘Six Stories’ is a Must-Read for Horror Fans here
I approached Matt Wesolowski’s latest release, (Don’t) Call Mum with great excitement as there are no greater fans of his Six Stories (2016-21) than myself. Although this formidable six book sequence, about a researcher who investigates unsolved cold cases via six interconnected podcast episodes have the ‘bestseller’ tag, they rarely pick up much press in horror circles and are ripe for discovery by a significantly larger audience.
In the series secretive host Scott King “rakes over old bones” and these books deserve a ‘cult classic’ tag rather than a token ‘bestseller’ sticker. If you’ve never come across Six Stories (2016), Hydra (2017), Changeling (2018), Beast (2019), Deity 2020) and Demon (2021) I urge you to correct that today, rarely will you come across a more convincing feeling of the undiagnosed supernatural, in a sequence with no weak links and bangers from start to finish.
(Don’t) Call Mum sees Matt Wesolowski continue this fine run of form and repeating his tricks of old, who knows, perhaps further down the line we will see podcaster Scott King resurrected to chew over the weird goings on in this compellingly strange little novella. Scott might have his work cut out though, as the narrative does not feature enough characters for his bestselling podcast show to interview!
However, it does contain the unsettling folk horror vibe which permeates throughout much of the Six Stories, focusing upon an obscure localised north of England myth. This has notable similarities to the Six Stories; back in 2022 horror author Steve Stred and I interviewed Matt Wesolowski for Ginger Nuts of Horror where he commented upon his lifelong interest in folklore:
“I’ve always been fascinated by folk tales; as a child I read British Folk Tales by Kevin Crossley-Holland (1987) so many times, I could tell most of them off by heart – they’re adapted folk tales from various different parts of the British Isles and it taught me so much about folklore and the art of storytelling. Folk tales and local lore has a huge part in forming societies
– cautionary and moral stories, usually told orally hold huge power and it’s no wonder everywhere has their own tales of boggarts, selkies and strange creatures. Where I live in the Northeast of England, we have an abundance of local lore, from the vicious ‘Duegar’ or ‘little people’ of the Simonside Hills to the monstrous Lambton Worm in County Durham. Whenever I go anywhere, I always try to find out about the local tales and legends.”
The novella opens with Leo trying to catch his train back home to the village of Malacstone in Northeast England for a break from university. He is working parttime in a bar and feels directionless, going home means another bout of his mother prodding him about his long term career prospects and catching up with old school friends who have never left the village. Most of the story is set on the train with Leo unsure of whether he still has a place in his childhood home. Uneasy discontent with the current state of his life clearly foreshadows what lies ahead.
Before boarding the train Matt Wesolowski does an outstanding job of creating an atmosphere of unease with trains being cancelled left and centre (normal for the UK!), except for the service Leo intends to catch. After the train has travelled some distance Leo chats to a young woman from another northern town and they casually banter on the near empty carriage.
At this point in the narrative the reader is happy to ride along with Leo and Jodie with curiosity piquing into which direction the story might head. Wesolowski plays his cards close to his chest and at a certain point events spiral into something akin to a Twilight Zone episode, not everything made sense, ambiguity plays a key role, perhaps too much so for some tastes.
(Don’t) Call Mum takes clearer shape when another student gets on the train a few stops later, interrupting the conversation of Leo and Jodie. New arrival Angus is portrayed as a loud and unfriendly type who initially avoids the pair until he realises he has caught the train going in the opposite of his intended destination, London. Around this time things begin to get both stranger and darker, the train stops and starts, and Leo worries about what lurks in the shifting darkness outside the train. Like with other Wesolowski works setting and location is critical to the story, even if the threats lurk on the other side of the train windows.
Folk horror can often be hard to define, but common traits often include both obscure local myths and places which locals avoid, outsiders are unaware of and fall into the trap. And lurking in the background of (Don’t) Call Mum is the small town of Underwood, which is on the train route, but nobody ever seems to get on or off.
Underwood undoubtedly could have been lifted straight out of a Six Stories podcast and Scott King would have a terrific time in peeling its layers. From their childhood both Jodie and Leo recall being trained to avoid Underwood and this location is given an outstanding buildup as the story develops. I only wish it were used more and there were more significant reveals if the story had been expanded I would have certainly loved to have spent more time in Underwood.
As (Don’t) Call Mum is a novella it would have had more impact if it were longer, providing more opportunity for development, particularly in the closing stages. However, it is still a terrific read and I struggled not to finish it in one sitting, forcing myself to take a break. Matt Wesolowski is one of the most distinctive voices in modern dark fiction, and although this novella lacks the depth of his masterpiece Six Stories, it features all of Matt Wesolowski’s trademarks of his unique style and was a thoroughly entertaining read.
(Don’t) Call Mum by Matt Wesolowski
HE ALWAYS COMES FOR YOU…
Leo is just trying to catch his train back home to the village of Malacstone in North East England. But there’s disorder at the station, and when a loud young man heading for London boards the train accidentally, a usually easy journey descends into darkness and chaos. The train soon breaks down in the middle of nowhere, and as night falls, something…or someone steps out of the distance. Is it a man or something far more sinister?
When one of the passengers goes missing, Leo fears that a folkloric tale whispered to him in childhood might be the culprit.
(Don’t) Call Mum blends Matt Wesolowski’s trademark voice of mystery, folklore and humour in this heart-racing tale.
Further Reading
For fans of horror literature, The Ginger Nuts of Horror website is an essential destination that should not be overlooked. This platform offers a dedicated horror book review section that caters specifically to the needs of horror enthusiasts. With its unique blend of insightful critiques, expert recommendations, and a vibrant community, the site serves as a treasure trove for anyone seeking their next spine-chilling read.
One of the standout features of the horror book review section is its diversity. Readers can discover everything from classic horror novels to contemporary indie gems, ensuring that there’s something for everyone. Each review is thoughtfully penned, providing not just a summary but also a deep dive into the themes, writing style, and overall atmosphere of the works. This allows readers to gauge whether a particular book aligns with their preferences.
For those passionate about horror literature, checking out this section is a must!
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