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A review by charlotekerstenauthor
The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women by Marie O'Regan
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.