My Review (4 stars out of 5) Sceptic and would-be ghost believer Danny Robins has been spooking us with his award-winning podcasts, Uncanny and The Battersea Poltergeist, as well as his recent BBC version of Uncanny. In this book, he relates more creepy stories from ordinary people who’ve had extraordinary encounters. I first heard of…
Category: Occult
‘Off Season’ by Jack Ketchum
My Review (5 stars out of 5) A New York book editor invites her sister and a few friends to spend a few days in the lonely cabin she’s rented near the quiet beach town of Dead River. Shortly after the friends arrive, a strange tribe of cannibals descend on the isolated house. Meanwhile, the…
‘Ash’ by James Herbert
My Review (4 stars out of 5) (Audiobook) Paranormal investigator David Ash is sent to the mysterious Comraich Castle to look into possible supernatural causes behind the bizarre death of one of the castle’s inhabitants. But Comraich is no ordinary fortress and Ash soon finds that the people who work there are part of a…
‘The Legacy of the Pan Book of Horror Stories’ by Johnny Mains
My Review (3 stars out of 5) The series known as the Pan Book of Horror Stories ran for 30 volumes between 1959 and 1989. In this latest version, editor Johnny Mains has collected a host of new stories along with several from the original series. As a teenager, this series was one of…
‘Carrie’ by Stephen King
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Unpopular teenager Carrie White is no ordinary girl and when a traumatic event unnerves her, she begins to harness the power inside her mind – telekinesis. When one of the girls who tormented her feels guilty, she persuades her boyfriend to ask Carrie out to the high school…
‘Rosemary’s Baby’ by Ira Levin
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Rosemary and actor-husband, Guy, are desperate to move out of their one-room bachelor pad when they hear about an apartment in the Bramford. The old New York City building might have a worrying reputation and a tenant list that seems only to include ‘mature’ residents, but the couple…
‘The Demonologist’ by Gerald Brittle
*** Thought by some to be experts on demonology and exorcism, Ed and Lorraine Warren have many thousands of investigations to their credit. With several movies (such as The Conjuring) based on the Warrens’ experiences, this should be a fascinating book. However. It’s certainly true to say there are some chilling stories in The Demonologist,…
‘The Exorcist’ by William Peter Blatty
The Exorcist It begins with noises in the attic, strange odours, a sickly child. Then the bed starts jumping around, furniture moves by itself and a man is found dead with his head turned completely around. Movie actor Chris MacNeil is concerned for her daughter…
‘The Hellbound Heart’ by Clive Barker
The Hellbound Heart Clive Barker’s superlative novella tells a gruesome tale of greed, love and desire, as the hedonistic Frank determines to explore the intricacies of a strange and magical box. Given that the book prompted a great movie series (Hellraiser et al) which Barker also directed, I’m puzzled that it’s taken me this long…
‘Dark Visions’ Edited by Dan Alatorre
Dark Visions Compiled and edited by Dan Alatorre, this is another gathering of spooky stories that will appeal to horror fans, with tales from 27 different authors, including Alatorre himself. What I like about collections of horror stories is that there’s usually something for everyone – whether you enjoy being scared witless or prefer to…
Colin Garrow 