Such a pretty book. And such good, spooky illustrations! TBR.

Finished last night. Really not a bad collection, and the illustrations add even more spooky atmosphere. They almost have a James McBryde feel, and editor Mark Nixon does mention M.R. James as an inspiration for the anthology.

"Under Shiel Croft" by Pete Alex Harris: I'd definitely shelf this under Weird fiction. Interesting bit of not-quite-folk-horror with a female protagonist. Also features this perfect nononoYES of a first sentence: Winter has loosened his grip on the earth, blossom has started to cluster and fall from the apple tree, and the thing under the cabin is killing birds again.

"A Macabre Melody" by K.B. Goddard: This felt a bit derivative, and I'm not a fan of hackneyed language supposed to evoke "ye (non-specified) olde times". But there's a sense of creeping horror if you're looking for one.

"The Gallow Glass" by Christopher Long: This story stands our for being something more like Dark Fantasy, but it's definitely not badly constructed.

"Quem Infa Nos" by Mark Nixon: Sometimes I get the feeling that stories by the editors of an anthology never get copyedited by anyone else (and it's difficult to judge your own work), and this story would really profit from some. And after so much backstory, the ending feels as if it's lacking something, too.

"Black Shuck" by Kris Holt: Again, nothing new, but nice atmosphere. Murder never pays etc.

"Nor Gloom of Night" by Andrea Janes: Nice bit of in-between-ness. Mainly about atmosphere. I enjoyed the botánicas and what feels like some (deliberate?) allusions to Fritz Leiber's Our Lady of Darkness.

"The Watchmaker" by Helen Grant: Maybe my favourite story in here. Helen (whom I met at an M.R. James conference some years ago) definitely knows how to write and how to build suspense. I'm looking forward to reading more of her work.

"Run" by Caitlin Marceau: A really good story about bullying and ghosts. The ending feels a bit... inevitable, but situations like that give off that kind of atmosphere in real life too.

"Deep" by M. Regan: At first I disliked the language (which I thought was just trying to be "poetic"), but after I got used to it and the slow and dream-like and weirdly structured plot progressed a little, it all made sense. And I'm always thankful for a mention of local cryptids to investigate (in this case Pressie / Mishibizhiw).

"The Commission" by Mark Cassell: Again, not very original, but a ghost / summoning story with a nice bit of slowly-building atmosphere. I enjoyed imagining the creeping mist invading the village.

"A Little Light Gets In" by Daniel Foytik: Interesting story with an interesting take on ghosts (and technology) and an ending that feels a bit like some of the better stories from NoSleep (which isn't a bad thing at all - I've done a series of readings for their podcast and hugely enjoyed it).

"Gytrash" by J.C. Michael: Typical ghost story like they come with ruined castles (and tales of immured maidens) - until you get to the ending with its interesting parallels and unexpected final reveal. Nice! (Also: Gudrun can be a man's name???!)

"The Sorrowful Wife" by Cameron Trost: Probbly the least menacing ghost in the book. Somehow I expected more of this story, but then I don't have the protagonist's "problem".

**** Permanent Collection **** - on the shelf next to the M.R. James books.