Women who endure perpetual money hardships and relationships filled with betrayal—but their briefest moments of escape might make it all worse. Women who pine to grant innocent and normal requests of their children, but shadowy risks hover over the maternal response. Women who look into a face that has driven them beyond fear, steeling themselves with perpetual anticipation of the “him…or me” encounter. Welcome to the Appalachia of Meagan Lucas’ story collection “Here in the Dark.” Starting off the points of view taken up by women whose bleak hopes seem to be sputtering, Lucas welcomes readers with an immediate slap: a veteran cop’s hometown morning goes to frenetic, chaotic hell. The potent salvos that follow range from dystopian pulp paranoia (“Frogs in the Pot”) to a crazy duel incited by pawnshop gossip (“Picking the Carcass”) and to unbearable heartbreak (award-winner “Kittens”). Publisher Shotgun Honey wants their pages overflowing with triggering, edgy noir: mission accomplished. Tough-minded compadre authors Frank Bill and J. Scott Todd will come along for the evening.—T.E. Lyons