Thursday, March 8, 2012

Title spotlight - "Terror Tales of the Cotswolds" edited by Paul Finch

Back in September last year I’ve spotlighted Paul Finch’s “Terror Tales of the Lake District”, due to be released at the time by Gray Friar Press. Unfortunately, like many other titles I wished to read last year “Terror Tales of the Lake District” ended up forgotten in the hectic turn taken by my personal and working schedule. This year I settled on a steady reading rhythm, not as before, although that was not a very fast either, but pretty regular nonetheless. A little piece of news brought hope to my readings catch-up desires, at least for Paul Finch’s anthology, “Terror Tales of the Lake District. Why for this particular title? Because Paul Finch brings through the same Gray Friar Press a new similar collection of stories, “Terror Tales of the Cotswolds”. With a similar cover as well, realized by Steve Upham, and which although is not at the same level as the first one it is still good to see that it keeps the same line as that of “Terror Tales of the Lake District”. With subject and stories that do not need to claw for my interest, because it was settled already after I first saw “Terror Tales of the Cotswolds” presented, the collection also features some of the authors I really appreciate, such as Alison Littlewood, Gary McMahon, Reggie Oliver, Joel Lane and Ramsey Campbell. Hopefully I would be able to read Paul Finch’s both anthologies of terror tales by the end of the year.

The Cotswolds – land of green fields, manor houses and thatched-roof villages, where the screams of ancient massacres linger in the leafy woods, faeries weave sadistic spells, and pagan gods stir beneath the moonlit hills …

The flesh-eating fiend of St. John’s
The vengeful spirit of Little Lawford
The satanic murders at Meon Hill
The ghastly mutilation at Wychavon
The demon dancers of Warwick
The cannibal feast at Alvington
The twisted revenant of Stratford-upon-Avon

“In The Quiet And In The Dark” by Alison Littlewood
Fury From Beyond
“Straw Babies” by Gary McMahon
A Bizarre and Terrible Event
“Charm” by Reggie Oliver
The Grimmest Castle in All England
“Hoxlip And After” by Christopher Harman
The Undead Who Wander The Wye
“The Shakespeare Curse” by Simon Clark
Oxford’s Black Assize
“The Scouring” by Thana Niveau
The Cannibal Feast
“Wassailing” by Steve Lockley
Bloodbath Under A Spectral Sun
“The Silent Dance” by Joel Lane
What Walks In Ettington Park?
“Waiting For Nicky” by Antonia James
The Satanic Slayings at Meon Hill
“The Horror Under Warrendown” by Ramsey Campbell
Worcester’s Most Odious Relic
“The Lurker” by Gary Fry
The Beast of St. John’s
“The Cotswold Olimpicks” by Simon Kurt Unsworth
God’s Dire Warning
“A Taste of Honey, A Horror of Stone” by John Llewellyn Probert
Lovell’s Long Wait
“Bog Man” by Paul Finch

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