Seth’s Christmas Ghost Stories 2024 Set
Biblioasis (December 2024)
$25 paperback set
Reviewed by Blu Gilliand
It’s become a favorite December tradition for me — reviewing the new set of Seth’s Christmas Ghost Stories as delivered to my stocking each year by the fine folks at Biblioasis. This year’s package contains tales of dread that will raise goosebumps on your arms faster than the coldest winter wind.
“The Amethyst Cross” by Mary Fitt — Margaret’s Aunt Dorothea is coming to visit her in the Moorlands, and she requests that Margaret find her a cozy cottage for her stay. Margaret eventually finds a dreary little cabin, isolated in a bleak nearby village, and arranges for Dorothea to stay. Almost at once, Margaret begins to hear whispers about the cabin’s unfortunate history. She does her best to ignore the tales, but soon is forced to confront the truth, as Dorothea abruptly disappears just days after her arrival.
This is a tidy little ghost story, enveloping the reader in a cold embrace of mystery, rumor, and murder. “The Amethyst Cross” is my favorite of this year’s set.
“Captain Dalgety Returns” by Laurence Whistler — Captain Dalgety has lost his wife, who passed away during childbirth. He is nearly swallowed up by grief, and has taken to roaming the grounds around his estate, trying to somehow connect with his daughter while navigating his own bottomless pain. During a walk one afternoon he is caught in a dangerous thunderstorm, an event that causes irrevocable changes in his life.
Whistler does a great job of mixing the very real sorrow Dalgety feels at the loss of his wife with the abject terror he faces in the wake of the storm. There’s very little in the way of relief in this story, for either the reader or Dalgety himself. Save it for the coldest, darkest part of the night.
“Podolo” by L.P. Hartley — Podolo is a tiny deserted island, or so a group of tourists believe when they set out to visit it one day. Soon they realize there’s at least one resident: a feral cat that one of their number becomes determined to rescue. The attempt quickly goes sideways, and the would-be rescuers learn that is they who now need help. This one had its moments, but I found it to be the least effective of the three.
As usual, Seth’s design and illustrations are a highlight of the set. The covers are truly striking, mixing Seth’s bold style with vivid colors. Inside each volume are numerous black-and-white illustrations perfectly set the tone and capture the mood of their respective stories.
If you haven’t checked these out, make this the year. Start with the 2024 set and work your way back — it looks like most, if not all, of the volumes are still available at the Biblioasis website. These stocking-sized one-sit reads really are a great way to spend those quiet moments when you can find them among the holiday craziness.
