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camerontrost's reviews
414 reviews
Crime and Tide: Brisbane River Mysteries by Jean Bedford
5.0
"Crime and Tide" is an intriguing book I found at my local second-hand bookshop, Logical Unsanity Books & Miscellaneous Phantasmagoria. This excellent anthology of crime mysteries set along the Brisbane River was published by the now defunct CrimeWriters Qld group. What a shame they're not still weaving their webs together! You don't have to live in Brisbane to appreciate this anthology. If you love mysteries, you'll love this publication.
The 18th Pan Book of Horror Stories by Alan Temperley, Jane Gregory, Samantha Lee, Monica Lee, Myc Harrison, Norman P. Kaufman, Barry Tonkin, Patricia Highsmith, Carolyn L. Bird, Maureen O'Hara, Harry E. Turner, Herbert van Thal, Judith Eleanor Green
4.0
This is the eighteenth title in the series of Pan horror anthologies, and I found it a far more entertaining and engaging book than the fifteenth and sixteenth (I haven't come across the seventeenth yet). In some ways, it's almost a return to the quality of the early issues, which included classics from the likes of Stoker, Poe, and Christie. There are several typical horror stories, some that don't seem to have much of a point but which are creepy and icky, but also a handful of atmospheric and thought-provoking tales.
For me, these are the two stories that bumped my rating up from three stars to four:
1) Belvedere's Bride by Jane Gregory. I'll give it 5 stars! Although somewhat predictable for the fan of psychological suspense, the existential questions posed make this an unforgettable tale, and it was so wonderfully written from start to finish; eloquent, haunting, and poignant. What's more, the setting was one that never fails to make an impression on me; an isolated manor on the rugged coast of Cornwall. This story has made my list of favourites. If anybody knows more about Jane Gregory, please tell me. The internet age seems to have forgotten her.
2) Rest in Peace by Norman P. Kaufman. Let's give it 4.5 stars. Different from Belvedere's Bride in terms of style and atmosphere, even though it's also set on a beach, this tale also acts as an existential study. The reader can't help but sympathise with the protagonist.
Other contributions worth a mention are Stevie, by Monica Lee, and The Unknown Caller, by Rosemary Timperley. The former is a weird (very weird!) novella about a precocious boy obsessed with mummification, and the latter is a predictable but suspenseful short story which will remind you of a Poe classic.
For me, these are the two stories that bumped my rating up from three stars to four:
1) Belvedere's Bride by Jane Gregory. I'll give it 5 stars! Although somewhat predictable for the fan of psychological suspense, the existential questions posed make this an unforgettable tale, and it was so wonderfully written from start to finish; eloquent, haunting, and poignant. What's more, the setting was one that never fails to make an impression on me; an isolated manor on the rugged coast of Cornwall. This story has made my list of favourites. If anybody knows more about Jane Gregory, please tell me. The internet age seems to have forgotten her.
2) Rest in Peace by Norman P. Kaufman. Let's give it 4.5 stars. Different from Belvedere's Bride in terms of style and atmosphere, even though it's also set on a beach, this tale also acts as an existential study. The reader can't help but sympathise with the protagonist.
Other contributions worth a mention are Stevie, by Monica Lee, and The Unknown Caller, by Rosemary Timperley. The former is a weird (very weird!) novella about a precocious boy obsessed with mummification, and the latter is a predictable but suspenseful short story which will remind you of a Poe classic.
The Good Woman by Porle Joen
4.0
The Good Woman is a dirty and daring tale in which revenge is exacted in a context of psychological and sexual confusion. I'm looking forward to more from Porle Joen.
Itch by Shane Jiraiya Cummings, Andrew J. McKiernan
5.0
This short story is literary torture! Let the itch begin.
Alfred Hitchcock's Death-Mate by Alfred Hitchcock
4.0
A solid anthology from Alfred Hitchcock. The standouts for me were the opening story, The Human Fly, which is an original and quirky psychological suspense tale that borders on the ridiculous, "An Interrogation", a more realistic and thus disturbing suspense tale, "Choice of Weapon", which is gripping suspense with a clever denouement, and "Mr D. and Death", a short, sharp detective story. If you like suspense and noir, this is worth your while.
The Grief School by Matthew Tait
4.0
The evil influence of money is one of my favourite themes in fiction. The Grief School is a stylishly written horror story which starts off by introducing us to a man called Myles Lacey and giving us convincing insight into his mind-set and priorities in life. What happens next is directly connected to his way of thinking and feeling.
The tale is an intense mix of the psychological and the physical - although, as is directed stated in the story - the villain's motives are not clearly addressed. This is horror for people who like stories that are raw, twisted and shocking. It is only a short tale but it's full of mind-bending moments.
Be sure to check out Matthew's short story collection, "Ghosts in a Desert World" too!
The tale is an intense mix of the psychological and the physical - although, as is directed stated in the story - the villain's motives are not clearly addressed. This is horror for people who like stories that are raw, twisted and shocking. It is only a short tale but it's full of mind-bending moments.
Be sure to check out Matthew's short story collection, "Ghosts in a Desert World" too!
John Silence: The Complete Adventures by Algernon Blackwood
3.0
Algernon Blackwood is one of those weird tale writers who impress and disappoint me by turns. Several of these stories show Blackwoods' talent for evoking the power and mystery of the natural world; particularly, The Camp of the Dog, and demonstrating the spiritual interconnections he believed to be inherent between all elements of nature. Similarly, his character, John Silence, who always manages to make his mark on the narrative despite appearing only briefly in some stories, is a credit to Blackwoods' creativity. What disappoints me, almost to the extent of spoiling his work, is that he does far too much explaining and repeating, and indeed the narrative often transforms into a sermon of his spiritual viewpoint. In this way, a gripping tale of weird fiction in which the tension is built slowly, strangely, and steadily, loses its power to hold the reader. In addition, and although this may be counter-intuitive, Blackwood's belief in the existence of lycanthropes and elemental demons, as indicated in these tales, renders the suspension of disbelief impossible. In some of his other work, including "The Willows", the subtler and more removed approach is far more effective in capturing the reader's sensibilities.