A sinister, wintery collection of stories with a historical gothic flavour. These were so spine-chilling that you could read them in the summer to cool you down. I would caution against reading them just before bed, if you’re prone to nightmares.
I wasn’t convinced I’d enjoy every story, because a few of them are by authors whose books I haven’t liked. I wanted to give it a try, however, because it’s seasonal and I’ve seen others recommend it. Mostly I thought the stories were good, if quite similar in their themes. The stand-outs for me were:
‘Inferno’ by Laura Shepherd-Robinson. A clever story of guilt and ghosts.
‘The Salt Miracles’ by Natasha Pulley. Pilgrims are being cured, then going missing, on a remote island.
‘Jenkin’ by Catriona Ward. Sisters, girlfriends, murder and a mysterious morphing creature.
‘Carol of the Bells and Chains’ by Laura Purcell. A governess is going to regret telling the children about Krampus…
The stories I thought were good reads but not stand-outs:
‘Host’ by Kiran Millwood Hargrave. How far grieving parents go to get their child back via spiritualism.
‘A Double Thread’ by Imogen Hermes Gowar. A story about servants, spirits and sewing.
‘Widow’s Walk’ by Susan Stokes-Chapman. A dark tale of bones, fans and revenge.
Finally, the stories I disliked:
‘The Old Play’ by Andrew Michael Hurley. The execution of the writing didn’t really live up to the idea.
‘Banished’ by Elizabeth Macneal. Based on a true story, a very cruel tale.
‘The Gargoyle’ by Bridget Collins. This story was so slow to get going that it lost my interest.
‘The Master of the House’ by Stuart Turton. Confusing and too gruesome by the end.
‘Ada Lark’ by Jess Kidd. I can’t tell you what this was about, I couldn’t get into the writing style.
This book delivers what it promises, ghostly stories ideal for the festive season. They are reminiscent of traditional Victorian style ghost stories, with moral endings in which wrongdoers are punished.
Published by Sphere, 2023.