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charlotekerstenauthor's review
Spoilers for each story follow, and mentions of sexual violence, abuse and murder.
What I Thought
Field of the Dead by Kim Lakin-Smith: A contemporary writer's take on a motley collection of Victorian ghostbusters. I loved the mummers, their performances and hard-scrabble life, and there was a nice little twist at the end.
Collect Call by Sarah Pinborough: a woman finds herself deserted in an abandoned town and it soon becomes apparent that not all is as it seems. This one had some truly chilling touches, from the skittering of claws to the single hand in an abandoned building's window and the wonderful revelation at the end.
Dead Flowers by a Roadside by Kelley Armstrong: explores the grief of a man who can see the ghosts of everyone but his lost family. This one was a little too short to be satisfying, but I think it did its job.
The Shadow in the Corner by Mary Elizabeth Braddon: the first old story of the bunch, this one tells the story of a ruthlessly scientific man whose refusal to believe in the supernatural comes that the expense of his servant's life. There is nothing like a Victorian ghost story, is there? This one has the perfect spooky atmosphere of dread. .
The Madam of the Narrow House by Caitlin R Kiernan: would you fuck a ghost? This one was beautifully written and terribly sad, and made me think about how lonely and starved for connection a ghost could be. I loved it a lot.
The Lost Ghost by Mary Wilkins-Freeman: another period story, this one about a sweet, harmless and tragic little ghost. This one was much sadder than it was spooky, but I enjoyed it a lot. stars.
The Ninth Witch by Sarah Langan: a post-apocalyptic ghost story of a woman overcoming the world's horrific violence against women and learning to save herself. This one read like a super bleak, awful fairy tale, and it's easily one of the most unique of the bunch. The "ghost" in this story was easily one of my favorites of the collection.
Sister, Shhh... by Elizbeth Massie: another take on violence against women, this time in the form of two girls escaping from a hyper-religious cult that practices bigamy. For reasons that I can't truly put my finger on or articulate this one didn't work for me as well as The Ninth Witch did, and ended up feeling kind of gross.
The Fifth Bedroom by Alex Bell: a former model with a "ruined" face retires to the country to sulk after her divorce, and discovers that she is not as alone as she initially thought. This one featured one of the collection's most chilling endings, and I loved it.
Scairt by Allison Littlewood: a little girl moves to either Ireland or Scotland (can't remember sorry!!!) and is saved from danger by a little boy who was murdered. I do like my vengeful ghosts to be balanced out by sweet, helpful ones!
Seeing Nancy by Nina Allan: a woman's marriage collapses while she investigates the bloody history of her new house. I think it was going for spooky, but I never really felt it.
The Third Person by Lisa Tuttle: a woman agrees to let her friend use her apartment for an affair, and soon comes to regret it. There are a few stories that are super sexual in the collection, and this one was my least favorite.
Freeze Out by Nancy Holder: a story of domestic abuse and a family's deepest secrets. I appreciated the author's decision to write about an abusive woman, which is something that is not very commonly seen at all.
Return by Yvonne Navarro: a girl returns to her family after death and her return brings up secrets that have long stayed hidden. This one explores sexual violence and dysfunctional family dynamics pretty successfully, I think, and it made me much sadder than I was scared.
Let Loose by Mary Cholmondeley: another old story, this time about something evil lurking in a church crypt. Listen, I'm just a massive sucker for old-fashioned ghost stories, okay?
Another One in from the Cold by Marion Arnott: a woman contemplates abortion while growing more and more concerned with the spirit of a relative lost in World War I. This one did a beautiful job of blending the protagonist's real-world concerns with the supernatural elements.
My Moira by Lilith Saintcrow: upon a friend's death, a woman is charged with the protection of a mysterious magical amulet. This one was surprisingly funny, and the relationship between the main character and her best friend was my favorite part.
Forget Us Not by Nancy Kilpatrick: another lovely story about grief, and this one focused on the relationship between a woman and a pet cat.
Front Row Rider by Muriel Gray: a lonely woman who has had no life reflects on her one adventure. This is the only story in the collection that I truly actively disliked - it just left me entirely confused.
God Grant that She Lye Still by Cynthia Asquith: a chilling story of possession with a delightfully charming woman as the victim.
The Phantom Coach by Amelia B. Edwards: the oldest story of the collection, and another one positively suffused with spooky Victorian atmosphere.
The Old Nurse's Story by Elizabeth Gaskell: Gaskell is certainly one of the best writers of this collection, and it shows in this story about a family's cruelty being acted out over and over again.
Among the Shoals Forever by Gail Z Martin: a story of rooting out an evil sorcerer in antebellum Charleston. This one had one of the most interesting settings by far, and a ghost that struck me as one of the most tragic.
Afterward by Edith Wharton: an American couple moves to England and absolutely insists on an estate with a ghost. The hitch? You only know it's a ghost long after the fact. This was my absolute favorite of the collection. The ghostly part of the story was so clever, and as ever Edith Wharton is an incredible writer.
A Silver Music by Gaie Sebold: set in a secondary world with Victorian/steampunk vibes, this one is about a detective investigating an inventor's murder. I liked that this story was both a murder mystery and a ghost story, and the steampunk vibes were fun.
What I Thought
Field of the Dead by Kim Lakin-Smith: A contemporary writer's take on a motley collection of Victorian ghostbusters. I loved the mummers, their performances and hard-scrabble life, and there was a nice little twist at the end.
Collect Call by Sarah Pinborough: a woman finds herself deserted in an abandoned town and it soon becomes apparent that not all is as it seems. This one had some truly chilling touches, from the skittering of claws to the single hand in an abandoned building's window and the wonderful revelation at the end.
Dead Flowers by a Roadside by Kelley Armstrong: explores the grief of a man who can see the ghosts of everyone but his lost family. This one was a little too short to be satisfying, but I think it did its job.
The Shadow in the Corner by Mary Elizabeth Braddon: the first old story of the bunch, this one tells the story of a ruthlessly scientific man whose refusal to believe in the supernatural comes that the expense of his servant's life. There is nothing like a Victorian ghost story, is there? This one has the perfect spooky atmosphere of dread. .
The Madam of the Narrow House by Caitlin R Kiernan: would you fuck a ghost? This one was beautifully written and terribly sad, and made me think about how lonely and starved for connection a ghost could be. I loved it a lot.
The Lost Ghost by Mary Wilkins-Freeman: another period story, this one about a sweet, harmless and tragic little ghost. This one was much sadder than it was spooky, but I enjoyed it a lot. stars.
The Ninth Witch by Sarah Langan: a post-apocalyptic ghost story of a woman overcoming the world's horrific violence against women and learning to save herself. This one read like a super bleak, awful fairy tale, and it's easily one of the most unique of the bunch. The "ghost" in this story was easily one of my favorites of the collection.
Sister, Shhh... by Elizbeth Massie: another take on violence against women, this time in the form of two girls escaping from a hyper-religious cult that practices bigamy. For reasons that I can't truly put my finger on or articulate this one didn't work for me as well as The Ninth Witch did, and ended up feeling kind of gross.
The Fifth Bedroom by Alex Bell: a former model with a "ruined" face retires to the country to sulk after her divorce, and discovers that she is not as alone as she initially thought. This one featured one of the collection's most chilling endings, and I loved it.
Scairt by Allison Littlewood: a little girl moves to either Ireland or Scotland (can't remember sorry!!!) and is saved from danger by a little boy who was murdered. I do like my vengeful ghosts to be balanced out by sweet, helpful ones!
Seeing Nancy by Nina Allan: a woman's marriage collapses while she investigates the bloody history of her new house. I think it was going for spooky, but I never really felt it.
The Third Person by Lisa Tuttle: a woman agrees to let her friend use her apartment for an affair, and soon comes to regret it. There are a few stories that are super sexual in the collection, and this one was my least favorite.
Freeze Out by Nancy Holder: a story of domestic abuse and a family's deepest secrets. I appreciated the author's decision to write about an abusive woman, which is something that is not very commonly seen at all.
Return by Yvonne Navarro: a girl returns to her family after death and her return brings up secrets that have long stayed hidden. This one explores sexual violence and dysfunctional family dynamics pretty successfully, I think, and it made me much sadder than I was scared.
Let Loose by Mary Cholmondeley: another old story, this time about something evil lurking in a church crypt. Listen, I'm just a massive sucker for old-fashioned ghost stories, okay?
Another One in from the Cold by Marion Arnott: a woman contemplates abortion while growing more and more concerned with the spirit of a relative lost in World War I. This one did a beautiful job of blending the protagonist's real-world concerns with the supernatural elements.
My Moira by Lilith Saintcrow: upon a friend's death, a woman is charged with the protection of a mysterious magical amulet. This one was surprisingly funny, and the relationship between the main character and her best friend was my favorite part.
Forget Us Not by Nancy Kilpatrick: another lovely story about grief, and this one focused on the relationship between a woman and a pet cat.
Front Row Rider by Muriel Gray: a lonely woman who has had no life reflects on her one adventure. This is the only story in the collection that I truly actively disliked - it just left me entirely confused.
God Grant that She Lye Still by Cynthia Asquith: a chilling story of possession with a delightfully charming woman as the victim.
The Phantom Coach by Amelia B. Edwards: the oldest story of the collection, and another one positively suffused with spooky Victorian atmosphere.
The Old Nurse's Story by Elizabeth Gaskell: Gaskell is certainly one of the best writers of this collection, and it shows in this story about a family's cruelty being acted out over and over again.
Among the Shoals Forever by Gail Z Martin: a story of rooting out an evil sorcerer in antebellum Charleston. This one had one of the most interesting settings by far, and a ghost that struck me as one of the most tragic.
Afterward by Edith Wharton: an American couple moves to England and absolutely insists on an estate with a ghost. The hitch? You only know it's a ghost long after the fact. This was my absolute favorite of the collection. The ghostly part of the story was so clever, and as ever Edith Wharton is an incredible writer.
A Silver Music by Gaie Sebold: set in a secondary world with Victorian/steampunk vibes, this one is about a detective investigating an inventor's murder. I liked that this story was both a murder mystery and a ghost story, and the steampunk vibes were fun.
itstoniy's review
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
sanamun's review
3.0
Kind of a mixed bag, as anthologies often can be. Overall, it was mostly just okay, but there were definitely some stories that stood out from the rest and made this a book worth reading.
uhm_kai's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
limarie87's review
3.0
It was alright. Some of the stories were more fantasy than ghost story, especially the last one. There were a couple that I liked, but most of them don't really stand out.
lets_get_fictional's review
4.0
So when I averaged out the stories I got an overall rating of 3.3 stars, but I'm going with 4 because pretty much all of the second half of this collection was very good!
nonesensed's review
4.0
A collection of short stories centered on ghosts, written by women from the 18oos all the way to present time. Now, them being ghost stories does not mean they're all horror stories. Seeing as I was looking for horror stories when I bought this, I must admit I was a little disappointed, but that's not the stories' fault.
There are some real gems in here, and I didn't read anything that I didn't enjoy at some level. Just keep in mind that some of these stories will be pure fantasy, or steampunk, or just an eerie or melancholy take on what might happen if you met a ghost, instead of stories intended to horrify, and I think you'll enjoy it too.
There are some real gems in here, and I didn't read anything that I didn't enjoy at some level. Just keep in mind that some of these stories will be pure fantasy, or steampunk, or just an eerie or melancholy take on what might happen if you met a ghost, instead of stories intended to horrify, and I think you'll enjoy it too.
amalia1985's review
4.0
''Although the stories vary from tales of ghostly children to those of lost pets, from murder to accidental death, from rage to sorrow and back again, one thing is central to all: a slight chilling of the skin as you read. A feeling of something being not quite there but rather just behind you, ready to make itself known, and leaving you reluctant to turn out the light.''
Marie O'Regan
Continuing with appropriate autumn reads, in mood for this year's Halloween, I chose a collection that has long been on my TBR. A volume containing 25 ghostly tales, written by women, populated with sad ghosts, spirits looking for retribution, Gothic mansions, abandoned chapels, specters of a life forgotten. These are my personal favourites:
''Cathedral was the Lord's House, he told himself. It was not to be slighted by spirits. A cold wind blew in from the direction of the altar. The stonemasons would later tell their families it was a change in the air which first alerted them to the mummers' presence. Hanging off precipices many fett up, the men detected a country aroma. Their minds turned to hay ricks, windfalls, smoking jam kettles and bonfires.''
Field of the Dead by Kim Lakin-Smith: A story with all the quintessential characteristics of British Gothic. A haunted Cathedral, a haunted inn, a confused young priest, a summer Autumn Eve, children's ghosts, poltergeists. Imagine The Sixth Sense, The Woman In Black, The Conjuring and Supernatural combined in a story. This is perfection.
''It was a dull grey evening, early in November; the student's reading-lamp was lighted, but the shutters were not yet shut, not the curtains drawn. He could see the leaden sky outside his window, the fir-tree tops tossing in the angry wind. He could hear the wintry blast whistling amidst the gables before it rushed off seaward with a savage haul.''
The Shadow In The Corner by Mary Elizabeth Braddon: A young woman finds herself in a scholar's estate and has to put up with a strange presence and an even more frightening and infinitely cruel old man. A very atmospheric and very sad story.
''She had an especial liking for yellow roses, and for mulled cider, as well, and late autumn, and the inscriptions she finds carved on slate headstones when she walks between the rows of Copp's Hill.''
The Madam of the Narrow Houses by Caitlin R. Kiernan: A haunting, sensual story of a woman who has the gift (or the curse) to converse with ghosts.
The Lost Ghost by Mary E. Wilkins-Freeman: A sad story of a young girl who is looking for a mother and three brave women.
The Ninth Witch by Sarah Langan: A visceral story about a witch, her daughters and the cruelty of men, set in pagan times. Outstanding is too weak a word for this one.
''Don't fight, they told her. The alternative is almost always worse than what you already have.''
...''Sister, Shhh...'' by Elizabeth Massie: A girl who tries to escape a community where polygamy = rape are practiced and a young who had an abortion meet in a hotel room. A story of injustice, cruelty and revenge.
''Before the last echoes of the bell had faded, music began to play from somewhere within the house. Softly at first, and muffled, as if coming to her through a dense fog, so that Chloe had to strain to hear it, but gradually becoming louder and clearer until each sad, sweet not was crystal perfect. It was the aria from the second act of Giselle when the grief-stricken duke mourns at the tomb of the girl he has himself driven to madness and death.''
''On one occasion, on the exact stroke of midnight, Chloe looked from one of the windows and saw white shapes flitting between the trees at the end of the garden, She was certain they were wilis- the female spirits described in the ballet as risen from their graves at night, to seek revenge upon men by dancing them to death.''
The Fifth Bedroom by Alex Bell: This is how stories on haunted houses should be written. This is how you depict the bond between two women that are divided by decades and united in injustice and cruelty. This is how you create an atmosphere of dread and sadness.
Seeing Nancy by Nina Allan: I don't know what to say about this story...It goes beyond everything we know about hauntings, restless souls and past crimes. Nina Allan is an extraordinary writer and this tale is among the jewels of the collection.
Return by Yvonne Navaro: A dead girl returns to a family full of perversion, selfishness, and utter cruelty. A raw story full of trigger warnings (rape, substance use, and psychological extortion).
Forget Us Not by Nancy Kilpatrick: A winter's tale of a love that has died and a strange cat, set in Montreal.
God Grant That She Lye Still by Cynthia Asquith: An old-fashioned story of past lives and loves, with a distinctive Gothic feel and a few well-placed traces of Wuthering Heights.
The Phantom Coach by Amelia B. Edwards: A haunting, darkly picturesque story of the Dead Cart, set in the moors.
The Old Nurse's Story by Elizabeth Gaskell: A foreboding estate full of spirits and secrets in a classic Gothic story.
Among the Shoals Forever by Gail Z.Martin: Pirates, necromancers, vampires, beautiful ghosts, powerful cameos in a story set in Charleston.
Afterword by Edith Wharton: How far would you go to have your very own ghost?
Most collections of this genre are a mixed bag and this is no exception. There are a few true gems, many atmospheric stories and a couple that belonged to the trash bin, unworthy to be found in a collection that includes Wharton and Gaskell. However, every reader and lover of ghost stories will find many things to appreciate here and this is a volume that definitely deserves a spot among our Halloween reads.
My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/
Marie O'Regan
Continuing with appropriate autumn reads, in mood for this year's Halloween, I chose a collection that has long been on my TBR. A volume containing 25 ghostly tales, written by women, populated with sad ghosts, spirits looking for retribution, Gothic mansions, abandoned chapels, specters of a life forgotten. These are my personal favourites:
''Cathedral was the Lord's House, he told himself. It was not to be slighted by spirits. A cold wind blew in from the direction of the altar. The stonemasons would later tell their families it was a change in the air which first alerted them to the mummers' presence. Hanging off precipices many fett up, the men detected a country aroma. Their minds turned to hay ricks, windfalls, smoking jam kettles and bonfires.''
Field of the Dead by Kim Lakin-Smith: A story with all the quintessential characteristics of British Gothic. A haunted Cathedral, a haunted inn, a confused young priest, a summer Autumn Eve, children's ghosts, poltergeists. Imagine The Sixth Sense, The Woman In Black, The Conjuring and Supernatural combined in a story. This is perfection.
''It was a dull grey evening, early in November; the student's reading-lamp was lighted, but the shutters were not yet shut, not the curtains drawn. He could see the leaden sky outside his window, the fir-tree tops tossing in the angry wind. He could hear the wintry blast whistling amidst the gables before it rushed off seaward with a savage haul.''
The Shadow In The Corner by Mary Elizabeth Braddon: A young woman finds herself in a scholar's estate and has to put up with a strange presence and an even more frightening and infinitely cruel old man. A very atmospheric and very sad story.
''She had an especial liking for yellow roses, and for mulled cider, as well, and late autumn, and the inscriptions she finds carved on slate headstones when she walks between the rows of Copp's Hill.''
The Madam of the Narrow Houses by Caitlin R. Kiernan: A haunting, sensual story of a woman who has the gift (or the curse) to converse with ghosts.
The Lost Ghost by Mary E. Wilkins-Freeman: A sad story of a young girl who is looking for a mother and three brave women.
The Ninth Witch by Sarah Langan: A visceral story about a witch, her daughters and the cruelty of men, set in pagan times. Outstanding is too weak a word for this one.
''Don't fight, they told her. The alternative is almost always worse than what you already have.''
...''Sister, Shhh...'' by Elizabeth Massie: A girl who tries to escape a community where polygamy = rape are practiced and a young who had an abortion meet in a hotel room. A story of injustice, cruelty and revenge.
''Before the last echoes of the bell had faded, music began to play from somewhere within the house. Softly at first, and muffled, as if coming to her through a dense fog, so that Chloe had to strain to hear it, but gradually becoming louder and clearer until each sad, sweet not was crystal perfect. It was the aria from the second act of Giselle when the grief-stricken duke mourns at the tomb of the girl he has himself driven to madness and death.''
''On one occasion, on the exact stroke of midnight, Chloe looked from one of the windows and saw white shapes flitting between the trees at the end of the garden, She was certain they were wilis- the female spirits described in the ballet as risen from their graves at night, to seek revenge upon men by dancing them to death.''
The Fifth Bedroom by Alex Bell: This is how stories on haunted houses should be written. This is how you depict the bond between two women that are divided by decades and united in injustice and cruelty. This is how you create an atmosphere of dread and sadness.
Seeing Nancy by Nina Allan: I don't know what to say about this story...It goes beyond everything we know about hauntings, restless souls and past crimes. Nina Allan is an extraordinary writer and this tale is among the jewels of the collection.
Return by Yvonne Navaro: A dead girl returns to a family full of perversion, selfishness, and utter cruelty. A raw story full of trigger warnings (rape, substance use, and psychological extortion).
Forget Us Not by Nancy Kilpatrick: A winter's tale of a love that has died and a strange cat, set in Montreal.
God Grant That She Lye Still by Cynthia Asquith: An old-fashioned story of past lives and loves, with a distinctive Gothic feel and a few well-placed traces of Wuthering Heights.
The Phantom Coach by Amelia B. Edwards: A haunting, darkly picturesque story of the Dead Cart, set in the moors.
The Old Nurse's Story by Elizabeth Gaskell: A foreboding estate full of spirits and secrets in a classic Gothic story.
Among the Shoals Forever by Gail Z.Martin: Pirates, necromancers, vampires, beautiful ghosts, powerful cameos in a story set in Charleston.
Afterword by Edith Wharton: How far would you go to have your very own ghost?
Most collections of this genre are a mixed bag and this is no exception. There are a few true gems, many atmospheric stories and a couple that belonged to the trash bin, unworthy to be found in a collection that includes Wharton and Gaskell. However, every reader and lover of ghost stories will find many things to appreciate here and this is a volume that definitely deserves a spot among our Halloween reads.
My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/
maree_k's review
5.0
A bit of hit and miss collection with some good stories and others that failed to impress. My favourite was Edith Wharton's 1910 story, Afterward. Chilling and creepy, it was the story that really lingered. Others that resonated with me include God Grant that she Lie Still, The Ninth Witch and Sister, Shhh. I really enjoyed the inclusion of he older stories. Although their old fashioned style made them a little difficult to read, it was great to see the roots of ghost story writing and how writers of the past influence what is being written now. Definitely worthwhile if you're interested in ghost stories and horror writing.
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