Mystery Lights

Valencia’s debut short story collection finds women of all ages and experiences faced with horror, both real and supernatural. “Dogs” tells the story of a scriptwriter’s break in the desert where, during a walk, she is threatened by a pack of menacing dogs. Rescued by an innocuous-looking man in a truck, she finds that danger comes in all forms. “The White Place,” perhaps the strongest story in the collection, depicts a sixtysomething artist, her twentysomething lover who uses her to get his artwork noticed, and the teenager he has impregnated. A mysterious glowing orb in the desert informs each character’s actions, leading to an eerie ending. The title story follows a TV crew filming a publicity stunt out in the desert, which is hijacked by an influencer and her violent acolytes. “Trogloxene” is the utterly creepy tale of two sisters who enter a cave with their parents on a tour; only one emerges. Jess Nahikian narrates the stories with effective pacing, impressive inflection, and a real ability to convey the odd circumstances of each tale. Her immersive narration draws listeners in and inexorably ratchets up the tension.