The Winter Spirits: Ghostly Tales for Frosty Nights Paperback – 3 Oct. 2024

good read

This collection of 12 short stories has a definite spooky and supernatural feel. They are ghostly and are great for reading by the fire, at least that is when I read them over the New Year period!The stories range in topics, but they all have an eerie undertone. They are written by different authors, some of which I have heard of, some I have read books from, but the majority I have not come across. This makes the collection ideal for discovering authors you may not have come across before.The short stories are as follows -Host by Kiran Millwood HargraveInferno by Laura Shepherd-RobinsonThe Old Play by Andrew Michael HurleyA Double Thread by Imogen Hermes GowarThe Salt Miracles by Natasha PulleyBanished by Elizabeth MacnealThe Gargoyle by Bridget CollinsThe Master of the House by Stuart TurtonAda Lark by Jess KidJenkin by Catriona WardWidow's Walk by Susan Stokes-ChapmanCarol of the Bells and Chains by Laura PurcellThey all have a gothic and mystery edge to them and are mostly set in the UK, for me, this adds to the overall atmospherics of the stories, their settings and the general feel. They are mostly historical fiction and again this adds to the gothic vibe.With any collection of short stories, there are always going to be some that hit the spot more than others, and this one was no exception. For me, there was a mix of 3, 4 and 5-star stories but all were good and very readable.A good collection for the winter months and they will send some chills and eeriness to the reader. Happy to recommend this collection.

Every single one of these stories was beautifully written and they were exactly what I felt like reading at this time of year. Some you will like more than others but I could not pick out a poor one. Personally I thought Host was magnificent and my top pick, but other people have rated it their least favourite so hey-hoe - horses for courses. Read them - what will be your favourite???

Maybe the stories are just not my genre

A selection of ghostly, supernatural stories, all with winter as the common theme. Written by a celebrated group of authors, each chapter has its own special handling of a scary tale.A mixed bag, with a couple of the stories outstanding.A very worthwhile read.

brilliant collection

Loved the cover, and thought it would be a perfect book to curl up and read on winter nights. It is a very enjoyable read.

Firstly, I know it's not winter, but do you know what, the weather was so autumnal there for a while it felt like it nearly was, so why not.This is a collection of 12 short stories (most around 1 hour listen) centred around Christmas and advent, by some of the best historical and gothic fiction writers:• Host by Kiran Millwood Hargrave: 4.5 Stars• Inferno by Laura Shepherd-Robinson: 4 Stars• The Old Play by Andrew Michael Hurley: 2.5 Stars• A Double Thread by Imogen Hermes Gowar: 3 Stars• The Salt Miracles by Natasha Pulley: 4 Stars• Banished by Elizabeth Macneal: 4.5 Stars• The Gargoyle by Bridget Collins: 4 Stars• The Master of the House by Stuart Turton: 3.5 Stars• Ada Lark by Jess Kidd: 3.5 Stars• Jenkin by Catriona Ward: 4.5 Stars• Widow's Walk by Susan Stokes-Chapman: 3.5 Stars• Carol of the Bells and Chains by Laura Purcell: 4.5 StarsOn the whole this has been a great listen, with some stories being more spine tingling and engaging for me than others and the narrators where good too, which always helps.Even with the lower starred stories, that is based on spookiness, rather than quality of writing , as all the stories are well crafted, we just all have our own tastes and ideas of what is scary or suspenseful.I think this would be a brilliant listen around the festive period for fans of all things ghostly and gothic.What I've enjoyed about this is getting a taste for the authors style and not only enjoyed the stories from authors I already love, but have now found some new authors to add to my list, what a great introduction, in time for spooky season.