More Bloody Horowitz by Anthony Horowitz

Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 978 1 4063 2561 4.
Perhaps the author could now have his name spelt as 'Horror' witz with this collection of 12 horror stories aimed at 12+ year olds.
The stories range in topics from the death of author Darren Shan to the modern day tales of selling your daughter on e bay and the T V reality show that provides a very grizzly end for the failed participants. With interesting twists and turns, Horowitz has fun with the genre and provides a variety of bizarre deaths and plots. My Bloody French Exchange is a vampire story with an unexpected outcome and in The Cobra and Power some very unpleasant children come to a very unpleasant end.
The book has an intentional retro 'cheap paperback' feel about it. The cover shows Horowitz's portrait watching a skeletal 'author' with quill and ink composing 'tales of horror', while the two column text on newspaper print quality paper is accompanied by black and white comic style illustrations. For those who need a break from the bloody stories an intermission section containing a 'poem, comment (and) crossword' is provided.
The book ends with a fun 'tongue in cheek' chapter from the chairman of Walker Books, David Lloyd.
For children who want something scary (but not terrifying) this is it. I have seen this book in a larger format and there is even a DS game with the same name!
Jane Moore