Elliott O'Donnell (1872–1965)

Despite too many over-descriptive passages and moments of melodrama, this is at times an entertaining read, featuring some dark humour along the way.

My one big criticism is the ending. Some people might call it an open ending, but I call it unfinished. It’s as if the final page has been ripped out. It doesn’t make a great deal of sense, either. Also, the fates of three or four main characters are left untold.

Still, the whole idea of three paupers conjuring up demonic forces to make show more themselves rich makes for an decent story, albeit not a great one. show less

I first got this book as a middle schooler, better than 50 years ago. It was a lot creepier then than it is now - maybe because we're so overloaded with ghost hunters. The author was one of the first "professional" paranormal investigators, and this uneven collections of anecdotes was his last published book. Worth a look if for no other reason than the language - written very well. And to remind ourselves that there is nothing new under the sun, or the moon...

The title made me assume this must be a non-fiction book, when in fact it’s a collection of thirteen short fiction stories.

I found this a mixed bag in terms of quality. About half the tales are engaging, while some are too slow-paced, and one was so rambling and boring that I didn’t finish it.

My favourite story was ‘The Head’. It’s about a headless woman who walks the same road on certain dark nights. You’ll hear the ‘tap, tap’ of shoes, which gradually grows louder, until show more the ghost materialises. The author does a great job with creating an eerie atmosphere.

Certainly worth a read. show less

"Lots of ghost stories here, mostly from the late 19th century.
The author has a very weird agenda that they wrap the stories in, but that's not unusual in ghost story collections.

Lots of fun to be had :)"