I've had this softcover on my keeper shelves for quite a while now, and I think it's time it went traveling. It includes nicely creepy tales from a variety of authors, including many of my favorites; Lovecraft, M. R. James, Ramsey Campbell, and more are represented here. The theme is "the world of rogues", including some very nasty killers, with the stories grouped by "the Roll of Infamy" - tales based on historical fiends of various types - and "The Evil Lives On," stories in which old evil resurfaces later on.

There are many excellent tales here, including Angela Carter's "The Fall River Axe Murders," with a compelling description of the suffocating atmosphere of the Borden house. (I visited Fall River recently with a friend - who's distantly related to the Bordens, as it happens - and got to see the house, which still survives as a bed-and-breakfast.)

F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Fiend" is about a heinous killing in 1895 Minnesota, with the survivor grieving his lost wife and child - and seeking personal vengeance against the swiftly-imprisoned killer. The story's evocative, but I admit I was puzzled as to whether it was all fiction or not; I haven't been able to find material about an actual crime matching that description. It's presented as based on fact, but who knows?

Other criminals referenced one way or another are the appalling instigators of the Moors Murders, the famed "Brides in the Bath" killer, Jack the Ripper, and more.

I left this book in the Little Free Library; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in NH here.]

*** Released for the 2020 Clean Start for the New Year release challenge. ***