http://fantasycafe.blogspot.com/2009/... ( )

A book of old fashion ghost stories that follow the same character. The writing style is wonderful, with dry humor, and enough description that doesn't bog the story down, in fact I found myself wanting to know more than the teases the book gave me.

Highly recommended. ( )

http://tamaranth.blogspot.com/2009/02... ( )

A collection of ten interconnected short stories featuring a socially awkward archivist who finds himself unwillingly involved in a wide variety of supernatural mysteries.

Elegant writing, deft characterization and some truly creepy goings-on conspired to draw me straight into this wonderful collection. The stories belong to an older, more psychologically-based horror tradition than the one most prevalent today. There's little in the way of gore, and Monette doesn't play anything for shock value. Instead, she carefully builds up the tension, inviting us to place ourselves in Booth's shoes as he does his best to avoid the spirits that plague him. It's beautifully done; one particular scene, in which Booth and a colleague flee an unknown menace, has really stuck with me. I've been there. I've done that. And Monette has captured the experience perfectly.

In many cases, she also avoids telling us exactly what's gone down. I do think this added to the collection's overall feel, and it certainly operated under the old maxim that nothing the author can tell us is as horrifying as what we can imagine ourselves, but I did sometimes find it frustrating. I'm the kind of reader who likes to see her suspicions confirmed or denied. I have, however, read scads of classic horror in the months since I read The Bone Key; I think I've developed a keener appreciation for this approach. I'll be interested in seeing how this greater familiarity influences my opinion the next time around.

Overall, I enjoyed the collection very much. I was sorry to see it end, and wished it had been at least twice as long. I most definitely recommend it to anyone with an interest in classic horror. ( )

Ten delightfully scary ghost tales about museum archivist Kyle Murchison Boothe. Monette writes in her introduction that she loves the stories of MR James and HP Lovecraft, but doesn’t love that they didn’t write compelling characters. In Boothe, she writes a fascinating character who grows and changes over these interrelated stories. ( )