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Review of “Brickett Bottom” by Amyas Northcote Halloween Countdown

Plot: Reverend Arthur Maydew takes a well-deserved vacation of sorts by swapping parishes with an elderly Mr. Roberts. His two daughters, Alice and Maggie, go with him. Both girls are social and attractive. They like going for strolls in the area. On one of their walks, Alice comes upon an old-fashioned brick house with aContinue reading “Review of “Brickett Bottom” by Amyas Northcote Halloween Countdown”

Review of “Three Spanish Ladies” by Walter E. Marconette Halloween Countdown

8) “Three Spanish Ladies” by Walter E. Marconette Plot: Finding himself at the Pearly Gates, a loyalist Spanish soldier, deceased during the Spanish Civil War, * explains how he left the land of the living in the presence of the three women he loved. Hey, being with one woman is bad enough, but three? TheContinue reading “Review of “Three Spanish Ladies” by Walter E. Marconette Halloween Countdown”

Review of “The Four-Fifteen Express” by Amelia B. Edwards Halloween Countdown

7) “The Four-Fifteen Express” by Amelia B. Edwards Plot: On his way to visit his friend Jonathan Jelf for Christmas, narrator William Langford is surprised to find a gentleman letting himself into what he expected to be his private rail car with a key. Langford declines to make a fuss because he recognizes the interloperContinue reading “Review of “The Four-Fifteen Express” by Amelia B. Edwards Halloween Countdown”

Review of “The Dunwich Horror” by H. P. Lovecraft

6) “The Dunwich Horror” by H. P. Lovecraft Plot: Dunwich, Massachusetts, is a backwoods town settled by refugees from the Salem witch trials. Most people dislike it and avoid it now, though they couldn’t tell you why. Lavinia Whateley, the deformed and emotionally stunted daughter of Old Whateley, becomes pregnant and gives birth to WilburContinue reading “Review of “The Dunwich Horror” by H. P. Lovecraft”

Review of “The Double Admiral” by John Metcalfe Halloween Countdown

5) “The Double Admiral” by John Metcalfe Plot: Bishop John Charles receives a letter from an old friend, a retired admiral named Hood, inviting him up to spend a weekend at his seaside bungalow in Hampshire. John Charles hasn’t seen Hood for a while, but he’s heard rumors about him. He also knows he isContinue reading “Review of “The Double Admiral” by John Metcalfe Halloween Countdown”

Review of “Caterpillars” by E. F. Benson

4) “Caterpillars” by E. F. Benson The nameless narrator recounts how he sensed something was wrong the moment he set foot in the Villa Cascana—although it was a delightful house. When he saw letters on the table waiting for him, he thought perhaps there was some terrible news, but this was not so. The hostessContinue reading “Review of “Caterpillars” by E. F. Benson”

Review of “The Beckoning Fair One” by Oliver Onions Halloween Countdown

Plot: Forty-four-year-old novelist Paul Oleron rents the first floor of a house to finish his novel, Romilly Bishop. He has fifteen chapters. He needs a quiet, pleasant place to concentrate. The house needs a bit of sprucing up. He hires people to paint and then moves in some furniture he has in storage that hisContinue reading “Review of “The Beckoning Fair One” by Oliver Onions Halloween Countdown”

Review of “The Ash-Tree” by M. R. James Halloween Countdown

2) “The Ash-Tree” by M. R. James In describing the country estate of Castringham Hall in Suffolk, the narrator remarks, “The one feature that marked out the house from a score of others is gone. As you looked at it from the park, you saw [in times past] on the right a great old ash-treeContinue reading “Review of “The Ash-Tree” by M. R. James Halloween Countdown”

Review of “The Ambitious Guest” by Nathaniel Hawthorne: Halloween Countdown

This is the first of what I thirty-one reviews of horror/ghost short stories I have planned for October as a Halloween countdown. Enjoy and wish me luck. 1) “The Ambitious Guest” by Nathaniel Hawthorne A family runs an inn in a remote area of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. They are happy. Because theirContinue reading “Review of “The Ambitious Guest” by Nathaniel Hawthorne: Halloween Countdown”

Review of “The Last Word: The New York Times Book of Obituaries and Farewells A Celebration of Unusual Lives” Edited by Marvin Siegel

The Stuff: This book is a collection of approximately 90 obituaries and write-ups from the New York Times Magazine. The focus is on interesting lives, regardless of whether the person was famous or lived an everyday life. Not all are saints. One is a reputed gangster, whom one acquaintance referred to as “a nice man.”Continue reading “Review of “The Last Word: The New York Times Book of Obituaries and Farewells A Celebration of Unusual Lives” Edited by Marvin Siegel”