The Haunting Season: Eight Ghostly Tales for Long Winter Nights
- Downloads：1351
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-12-09 06:51:18
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Bridget Collins
- ISBN：1643137972
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
Eight bestselling， award-winning writers return to the time-honored tradition of the seasonal ghost story in this spellbinding collection of new and original haunted tales。
Long before Charles Dickens and Henry James popularized the tradition of supernatural horror， the shadowy nights of winter have been a time for people to gather together by the flicker of candlelight and experience the intoxicating thrill of a spooky tale。
Now eight bestselling， award-winning authors—all of them master storytellers of the sinister and the macabre—bring the tradition to vivid life in a spellbinding new collection of original spine-tingling tales。
Taking you from the frosty fens of the English countryside， to the snow-covered grounds of a haunted estate， to a bustling London Christmas market， these mesmerizing stories will capture your imagination and serve as your indispensable companion to cold， dark nights。 So curl up， light a candle， and fall under the ghostly spell of winters past 。 。 。
Long before Charles Dickens and Henry James popularized the tradition of supernatural horror， the shadowy nights of winter have been a time for people to gather together by the flicker of candlelight and experience the intoxicating thrill of a spooky tale。
Now eight bestselling， award-winning authors—all of them master storytellers of the sinister and the macabre—bring the tradition to vivid life in a spellbinding new collection of original spine-tingling tales。
Taking you from the frosty fens of the English countryside， to the snow-covered grounds of a haunted estate， to a bustling London Christmas market， these mesmerizing stories will capture your imagination and serve as your indispensable companion to cold， dark nights。 So curl up， light a candle， and fall under the ghostly spell of winters past 。 。 。
Reviews
Sue Frances
，
I enjoyed every word of this book。 Each story beautifully written by some of my favourite authors。
Bianca （Belladonnabooks）
，
What a line up！ As soon as I saw the authors who were part of this anthology I knew I had to get it in my hands as quickly as possible！ I’m so shocked at the negative ratings I have seen on Goodreads。 Perhaps people are picking this up with false expectations？ If you enjoy gothic literature， Victorian ghost stories and quiet horror rest assured you will likely enjoy this anthology as much as I did。This was the perfect collection to cosy up with and read a story each night。 𝐀 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖 What a line up！ As soon as I saw the authors who were part of this anthology I knew I had to get it in my hands as quickly as possible！ I’m so shocked at the negative ratings I have seen on Goodreads。 Perhaps people are picking this up with false expectations？ If you enjoy gothic literature， Victorian ghost stories and quiet horror rest assured you will likely enjoy this anthology as much as I did。This was the perfect collection to cosy up with and read a story each night。 𝐀 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 by Bridget Collins was a wonderful opening to the collection。 A dislikable male impulsively decides to rent a beautiful house and finds out it’s haunted in a very peculiar way by a previous tenant。 This story set the tone for the rest of the book。 𝐓𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐞'𝐬 𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭 by Hermes Gowar follows a woman and her son who escape an abusive relationship only to find they have entered a situation where they find themselves trapped once more。 I also really enjoyed this one。 Next up was 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐞𝐥 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 by Natasha Pulley， an eerie story about a group of friends who decide to holiday in the fens but meet the locals who are strange and creepy。 I personally didn’t enjoy this story as much。 It felt a bit clunky to me。 𝐋𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐭 was a bit strange。 A photographer falls in love with a dead corpse。 This one didn’t resonate with me either。 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫 is a tale of a haunted wheelchair。 Throw in a poisoning， a murder and ghosts that are reaching from beyond the grave to be heard and you have a ridiculous but fun time。 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬 by Andrew Michael Hurley once again showed me he is becoming a favourite author to date。 This story follows the narrator’s perspective as they reflect on a trauma in their past and the effect it is still having on their present life。 This was very folkloric and I loved it。𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 by Kiran Millwood Hargrove explores postpartum mental health and the deteriorating mental state of a new mother who is convinced an evil witch is trying to steal her baby。 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 by Elizabeth Macneal was a wonderful finale。 This story explores the myth of the selkies。 As a whole this was a wonderful collection and I’m incredibly glad I read it sooner rather than later。 。。。more
Niki （nikilovestoread）
，
Like most short story collections， The Haunting Season is a mixed bag。 There are some really good stories mixed in with a number of mediocre stories。 I was happy that the stories were reminiscent of Victorian ghost stories， but most didn't quite live up to their predecessors。 Anyway， the following are my personal ratings for each story。* A Study in Black and White - 5 starsI quite enjoyed this one， but it wasn't quite living up to my expectations until that final paragraph。 I loved the way this Like most short story collections， The Haunting Season is a mixed bag。 There are some really good stories mixed in with a number of mediocre stories。 I was happy that the stories were reminiscent of Victorian ghost stories， but most didn't quite live up to their predecessors。 Anyway， the following are my personal ratings for each story。* A Study in Black and White - 5 starsI quite enjoyed this one， but it wasn't quite living up to my expectations until that final paragraph。 I loved the way this one ended。* Thwaite's Tenant - 5 starsI really enjoyed this one。 It focused on the sad reality that women had few chances to escape an abusive relationship。 Emily had such few options and it was good to see her standing up for herself。* The Eel Singers - 1 starI didn't care for this one。 I haven't read the two books in the series with these characters and， as a short story， they just came across as strange。 It was more steampunk than victorian。 There were times when the writing didn't make sense either。 This one needed an editor。 I ended up skimming this one quite a bit。 * Lily's Wilt - 5 starsThis one fits in well with Victorian ghost stories。 It was creepy。* The Chillingham Chair - 5 starsThis one was do good， but I did wish there was more resolution。 It left it wide open about what happened next。 I probably should have docked a star for it， but I enjoyed it too much。* The Hanging of the Greens - 3 starsThis one was odd。 It was well written， but I didn't really care for it。* Confinement - 5 starsThis was a chilling story。 I loved the mother willing to do anything to save her baby and the premise that the reader doesn't know if it all happened or not。* Monster - 3 starsThe story of a horrible man who deserved what he got。 I didn't care much for the vulgar language thrown in。 It's not something that usually bothers me， but it was jarring。 It seemed out of place and thrown it for effect when it was unnecessary。 。。。more
Charlotte
，
‘Keita Mori could remember the future， and if he was being honest， which he wasn’t often， he did not enjoy it。’Actual Rating: 3。5Generally I love collections of stories like this – other than one very disappointing example earlier this year – and gothic chillers tend to catch my eye。 Horror isn’t something I read all too much of but， as a whole， when I do gravitate towards it it’s the atmospheric， chilling gothic sounding tales that reel me in。 So naturally this book intrigued me – especially as ‘Keita Mori could remember the future， and if he was being honest， which he wasn’t often， he did not enjoy it。’Actual Rating: 3。5Generally I love collections of stories like this – other than one very disappointing example earlier this year – and gothic chillers tend to catch my eye。 Horror isn’t something I read all too much of but， as a whole， when I do gravitate towards it it’s the atmospheric， chilling gothic sounding tales that reel me in。 So naturally this book intrigued me – especially as I’ve adored the books that I’ve read by Laura Purcell previously and The Binding by Bridget Collins was one of my favourite reads last year。Every tale within this collection creates a strong sense of unease within its atmosphere and leaves you questioning exactly what’s going on。 Picking out favourites is hard as， in truth， I’d say five of these tales are probably more or less on par with each other for me。 They’re the sort of story that leaves you wanting more， wandering what came next and questioning what’s hiding in the shadows。 The characters within all of these stories are complex and interesting。 The settings eerie and simply dripping with atmosphere。 Plus all of them are wonderfully well written and have made me curious to check out each of the authors full length offerings in the future。For me one of the stories was weaker than the rest but I don’t want to single it out and cloud anyone’s judgment of it in advance。 It featured a love story that felt uncomfortable though and definitely used insta-love in a way that I didn’t quite buy into。 It still ended in the chilling sort of way I’d have imagined though and definitely had its moments。 Another left me highly uncomfortable but， truthfully， I guess that’s the point， isn’t it？ So， although maybe not quite for me， it did what it set out to。Truthfully I’m torn as to whether to round this one up or down where sites require me to do so。 On the one hand I came away from this collection having expected more; I didn’t get as spooked as I’d envisioned and a few of the offerings I had mixed feelings about。 On the other hand each story was clearly crafted by a talented author and left me wanting to check out more by them in the future – albeit some more so than others。 Ultimately what’s pushed me to round this one up is the fact that， even now some of these short stories leave me with questions when I think back to them – something that I personally think is a good aspect within gothic chillers; they’re meant to play on your mind。 So although I’ve rounded this up to four stars （where necessary） please do bear in mind that， for me， it’s firmly a 3。5 really。 。。。more
Rachael
，
I've read a few excellent multi-author short story collections in recent years and I was excited for this one。 Unfortunately it just wasn't up to standard。 Several of the stories were so similar they are practically indistinguishable from one another， and the them of female Victorian characters grew old very quickly。 I've read a few excellent multi-author short story collections in recent years and I was excited for this one。 Unfortunately it just wasn't up to standard。 Several of the stories were so similar they are practically indistinguishable from one another， and the them of female Victorian characters grew old very quickly。 。。。more
Fiona Kimber
，
Some great little stories in this - certainly didn't disappoint！ Some great little stories in this - certainly didn't disappoint！ 。。。more
Becky
，
A truly gorgeous collection of eerie ghostly stories， absolutely perfect for the wintry months ahead！ And with contributions from eight well known spooky writers， seven of whom are women， it was bound to be a winning book in my opinion！A winner it certainly was。 I enjoyed every single one of these stories。 Interestingly the themes of each are fairly similar - most are Victorian settings in big spooky houses， with a woman leading the story。 One is set in the modern day， and has a man as the lead A truly gorgeous collection of eerie ghostly stories， absolutely perfect for the wintry months ahead！ And with contributions from eight well known spooky writers， seven of whom are women， it was bound to be a winning book in my opinion！A winner it certainly was。 I enjoyed every single one of these stories。 Interestingly the themes of each are fairly similar - most are Victorian settings in big spooky houses， with a woman leading the story。 One is set in the modern day， and has a man as the lead character。 This one， The Hanging of the Greens， therefore stood out as the wild card story a bit， but it didn’t hinder my enjoyment at all。 1） A Study in Black and White by Bridget Collins - a fantastic opening to the collection， and a brilliantly creepy story featuring an old house， a dead former owner， and a chessboard。 4/52） Thwaite’s Tenant by Imogen Hermes Gower - I wasn’t enraptured by the story， and found it pretty similar to the first one， but I still enjoyed it。 3/53） The Eel Singers by Natasha Pulley - once I realised this is set in the same universe as two of her novels， I decided to leave this story until I read those books， so as not to ruin it for myself！ 4） Lily Wilt by Jess Kidd - I love her writing so much。 She has a beautiful way with words， and I like the concept of this story。 A photographer of the recently departed is hired to photograph the dead corpse of young Lily Wilt， but he falls in love with her。 It’s a fascinating concept， but I feel it would have benefitted with a bit more information。。。 like how she died so young。 4/55） The Chillingham Chair by Laura Purcell - I feel I may be biased here because Laura Purcell is quite honestly my favourite writer。。。 but this story was absolute perfection。 It was well set up， with great characters， and super creepy right from the start， with a haunted wheelchair。 Fabulous！ 5/5 6） The Hanging of the Greens by Andrew Michael Hurley - a modern day tale of a priest who is haunted by an event of the past， in which he helped a man to make amends before he passed away。 It missed the mark for me and I didn’t really understand it， but I enjoyed the writing and the tension nonetheless。 3/57） Confinement by Kiran Millwood Hargrave - so I tried to read The Mercies by her， and actually gave up， so I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this story much。 I’m actual fact， I loved it！ The terror of childbirth and being a new mother， it was so intense and scary， and I really felt for Catherine。 The authors note at the end really personalised it too and it’s set into my head now as one I’ll remember。 5/58） Monster by Elizabeth MacNeal - I adore this writer， and I enjoyed the story。。。 but I didn’t wow me。 It was more sad than creepy， and I didn’t like the highly selfish Victor at all。 Intriguing though！ 3/5 Overall I really liked this collection， and if you’re looking for some eerie stories this winter， then give it a try！ It’s also a fantastic way to sample the writing of these authors， if you’re looking to give them a try！ ☺️☺️ 。。。more
Sheena Forsberg
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 An eclectic mix of authors （I was only familiar with the work of one of them beforehand） and short stories。 There’s likely something you’ll enjoy to be found here （I know I did）。 Perfect for these ever shorter days and longer nights where you want to stay inside curled up under a blanket with something new to read （or， possibly a （ghost） story you’d like to read for someone on Christmas Eve？）。 The stories that struck a cord will stay with me for some time and I’ll make an effort to look up more An eclectic mix of authors （I was only familiar with the work of one of them beforehand） and short stories。 There’s likely something you’ll enjoy to be found here （I know I did）。 Perfect for these ever shorter days and longer nights where you want to stay inside curled up under a blanket with something new to read （or， possibly a （ghost） story you’d like to read for someone on Christmas Eve？）。 The stories that struck a cord will stay with me for some time and I’ll make an effort to look up more stories by the authors who wrote them。 I’ve marked the （imo） stand-outs with an ‘*’ and added short summaries below:-A Study in Black and White （Collins）:Morton is a bully and has left his boarding house after ‘a certain little unpleasantness’ when he finds himself inexplicably pulled towards a local black and white “chess house” （complete with chess piece topiary） and decides to rent it。 The real estate agent seems apprehensive & quite keen to get going before dark， but Morton insists that this is the place he wants。 So begin the strange happenings: Noises waking him up， chess pieces that move on their own， a town kid who mentions something walking the halls。-Creeping， hinting of something ominous waiting for the main character & never explicit until the last pages， this story is reminiscent of the classic gothics。 -Thwaite’s Tenant （Gowar）:A story about being let down by the men in life: Lucinda has taken her son and left her abusive husband。 Her father takes her to a house he owns and where he usually brings his mistresses to end their unwanted pregnancies （and affairs）。 Thinking at first that her father is helping her and that she’ll get a divorce， she soon learns that she is to be taken back to her husband。 They spend some less than restful nights at Thwaite’s House， with an angry male poltergeist who keeps her up at night， but there’s also a more benign spirit haunting the halls; Emily， and she does not want Lucinda to go back to her husband。 -The Eel Singers （Pulley）: *Mori is a precognizant able to see futures; all of the them， and as such， walking around the Christmas Market is particularly hard on him。 Fortunately， there seems to be a solution: Mori is aware of certain small areas across the world where his ability simply turns off and he would be just like anyone else。 One of these special places is located in the Fens， just a few hours away by train。 Unable to resist the thought of a break， Mori and his friends/rag-tag family consisting of Thaniel & Six， decide to get out of town for the holidays。 What follows is a disconcerting stay dominated by largely the subconscious: Songs about sisters turned into eels that inexplicably plants itself in one’s brain with eerie ease and seem to want to be played or hummed， creeping suspicions that the locals are hungry for something （or， someone） and somehow look watery and act like the Borg or something out of the body snatchers， the feeling that the lake hides something， sleepwalking at night that has Thaniel waking up ever closer to the cold lake & inexplicable memory loss and concentration issues。-I really liked this story and that it was set in the Fens （I don’t think there’s enough creepy stories that have made use of this location）。 The cast of very different （and outcast） characters is also one that will stay with me， the dynamics between the 3 worked really well and I kept hoping they’d all be alright when I turned the last page。 -Lily Wilt （Kidd）:*Kinda if Frankenstein was funny。From dead body and a very lively spirit， to a body very much alive and a deadened/brain dead ghoulish spirit。 Disturbing but infused with a solid dose of humor as well （e。g。 a book seller who’s naked in order to absorb knowledge）。Lily Wilt’s beauty seems to be otherworldly and people are mesmerized by it。 There’s just one problem: She’s dead， and it’s her cadaver people are coming by to ogle。。 Lily is still aware of the effect she has on people as her spirit has decided to stick around。 She eventually manages to talk Pemble， a photographer now obsessed with her， into figuring out how to reunite her spirit with the body。 This is not without complications as he’s refused reentry to see her， and her body’s sold off to an American showman。In the end， both Pemble & Lily find that sometimes coming back to life is better left undone。 At least if you haven’t a clue what you’re doing and going by a book you got from a naked book seller。 -The Chillingham Chair （Purcell）: Evelyn suffers a riding accident on a visit to a suitor （Victor Chillingham） she rejected due to unsettling rumors。 She regrets this when she actually meets him and learns that her younger sister Susan will marry him instead。 Evelyn was fortunate to survive the fall from the horse， but she didn’t come out of it entirely unscathed， and her leg is broken。 Unable to get around， Victor lends Evelyn his late father’s mechanical wheelchair。 The only problem is that the chair seems to have a mind of its own and something it needs to show her。 More suspicious near-accidents ensue， and someone seems to want Evelyn dead。-The Hanging of the Greens （Hurley）:Ed recounts an episode from his younger days which left him with a severe distaste of Christmas greenery。 Working for the parish， the then-holier-than-though-Ed is approached by a man （Joe Gull） who’s sick and believes he’s inhabited by evil spirits and been sentenced by God。 All Joe wants is to make things right with the last real friends he ever had， the Oxbarrows。 Joe used to drink and it ruined his relationship with the couple， and he doesn’t think an apology letter would cut it （nor can he go to their farm himself）。 So， our protagonist agrees to go over to their farm for Joe。 Things get really strange from there on out: Ed finds a farmstead with an extreme amount of Christmas greenery， a disconcertingly empty home where the items left indicate something happened （a fall from a ladder f。ex） but where no one can be found。 What comes next is that Ed’s car mysteriously disappears & Ed being pulled into episodes from Joe & the Oxbarrow’s time together that he is forced to witness。 He sees a friendship taking a nosedive due to Joe’s drinking and associated abusive behavior to the Oxbarrows （and their dog）， a couple at their wits end calling on an exorcist-like man （and his cronies） and the very unconventional treatment they prescribe for those with evil spirits （you won’t look at greenery the same way）。 It will leave you questioning the reason for Ed being forced to witness these moments of Ed & the Oxbarrow’s lives: Was it a divine act， meant to put Ed in his place？ Or， a genuine wish from Joe to make amends and just not knowing that the Oxbarrow’s didn’t live there anymore？ A haunting Joe’s way of letting someone know what happened to him？ The ending is open to interpretation， although the feeling I’m left with about greenery is not。-Confinement （Hargrave）:*A neighboring plot of land with an associated ‘evil witch and child murderess-legend’ and a woman far away from where she grew up giving birth and being placed under the （to me） inhuman practice of confinement （in this case， meaning isolated and locked away in a room）。 Mrs Catherine Blake is told the story of the late Mrs。 Bright （a baby murderer & rumored witch） shortly before she goes into labor while walking through the Bright property。 She also thinks she saw something（one） when it happened， and has an ever increasing feeling that the witch might not be entirely dead。 Told from Catherine’s perspective， we’re privy to ever increasing supposed run-ins with the witch while also witnessing the isolation and increasing mental strain on the young mother。-This one reads in two different ways; aside from it being a witch story， it is also a really clever and empathic take on postpartum psychosis （which the author had gone through herself） and inspired by a real-life case （Amelia Dyer）。 There’s not nearly enough stories shining a light on and humanizing this condition， and I’m glad I’ve come across this one。 I’m a new mother myself， and it’s hard: The thought of through that first week+ like Catherine did makes me shiver。 I can’t state enough how important the support from my family has meant （and still does） when the little one came。 -Monster （Macneal）:Victor is an arrogant， petty， bully of a man-pig （and rapist） who struggles with the fact that his little brother is having more success in life than him， and is a well-to-do and famous horticulturist。 He decides that the way to show people is to find a massive fossil， a monster。He is successful at this but it comes at a price and boils down to what， or who， is the monster of this story。 。。。more
Ruth
，
Loved these spooky stories from some of my favourite writers。 Bought another copy as a gift already。
Monica （crazy_4_books）
，
#buzzwordathon December Pick。 "The Haunting Season" is an anthology collection with some great short stories involving paranormal stuff and weird creepy settings。 It's great to read it if you want to experience winter cozy vibes and some of the stories are set during or near Christmastime。 Some stories are better than others。 The first one is “A Study in Black and White” by Bridget Collins。 It's a haunted house tale set with a dark and dreadful eeriness。 The protagonist named Morton decides to m #buzzwordathon December Pick。 "The Haunting Season" is an anthology collection with some great short stories involving paranormal stuff and weird creepy settings。 It's great to read it if you want to experience winter cozy vibes and some of the stories are set during or near Christmastime。 Some stories are better than others。 The first one is “A Study in Black and White” by Bridget Collins。 It's a haunted house tale set with a dark and dreadful eeriness。 The protagonist named Morton decides to move into a creepy house almost within minutes of first seeing it。 He is struck by its garden shaped figures resembling chess pieces。 Once inside， he gets caught into what it seems to be a chess set that seems to be playing a game by itself。 The next story is "Thwaite’s Tenant” by Imogen Hermes Gowar。 This story is a tragic one， narrating the real-life horror of domestic violence and how a mother feels trapped between two evil forces， her husband and her father， and there are also paranomal or supernatural developments along the way。 Another great one is “Lily Wilt” by Jess Kidd， in which we encounter a a funeral photographer falling for one of his deceased subjects and trying to bring her back to life， oh creepy shit！。 One of the best is “The Chillingham Chair” by Laura Purcell， from whom I already read "The silent companions"。 Purcell knows how to write a good ghost story with lots of action。 This one is about a Victorian wheelchair inhabited by the ghost of the old man who used to own it before the main protagonist finds herself with no other choice than to use it after a bad horseback riding accident left her with an injured foot。 “Confinement” by Kiran Millwood Hargrave reminded me of "The Push" but set in Victorian times。 Unfortunately， I didn't really care for Natasha Pulley’s “The Eel Singers and “The Hanging of the Greens” by Andrew Michael Hurley， while the last story in the book， “Monster” by Elizabeth Macneal， is about an ambitious explorer who will stop at nothing in order to gain fame and fortune after finding some unique fossils， but the story itself was too slow to earn my investment。 I really enjoyed 5 out of the 8 stories， and I also discovered some writers I've had under my radar for a while but haven't read any works yet。 Recommended。 。。。more
daisy-grace
，
starting off on a good note ， i personally loved the stories by bridget collins （ although i do not support them ） and kiran millwood hargrave ！ i thought collins’s story was unique and well told and i loved the ending ， it was also one of the few stories that actually felt spooky and eerie 。 a problem i had with this collection was that a lot of them felt similar ， many revolved around a female protagonist in the victorian times and i would’ve loved for some more modern takes 。 i did get a bit starting off on a good note ， i personally loved the stories by bridget collins （ although i do not support them ） and kiran millwood hargrave ！ i thought collins’s story was unique and well told and i loved the ending ， it was also one of the few stories that actually felt spooky and eerie 。 a problem i had with this collection was that a lot of them felt similar ， many revolved around a female protagonist in the victorian times and i would’ve loved for some more modern takes 。 i did get a bit bored of the repetitiveness however i loved hargrave’s story i thought the premise was interesting ， the writing was gripping and the plot felt much more exciting and dramatic than the other stories。 as a collection the stories didn’t feel cohesive and i don’t really feel like they fit together 。 i was expecting some spooky stories and some of them fell short ， but it was definitely interesting in places 。 this took me quite a while to get through because i kept putting it down 。 if goodreads let you rate things with half stars i probably would’ve rated this 2 1/2 stars rather than 3 。。。more
Riley
，
It's not that I'm disappointed， I just wasn't really blown away by the majority of the stories and it seems like I might be in the minority here。 I think the creepiest one really reminded me of The Yellow Wallpaper， which gave me nightmares as a teenager so that one was the most visceral for me I think。 A good collection of winter spook stories though。 It's not that I'm disappointed， I just wasn't really blown away by the majority of the stories and it seems like I might be in the minority here。 I think the creepiest one really reminded me of The Yellow Wallpaper， which gave me nightmares as a teenager so that one was the most visceral for me I think。 A good collection of winter spook stories though。 。。。more
Irene
，
Fantasmi， mostri， streghe ed esseri innominabili。 Si tratta solo di scherzi della mente o le presenze oscure sono vere？Adoro questa serie di racconti。 L'atmosfera natalizia si sente poco， è appena un ricamo sullo sfondo delle narrazioni e la cosa non mi dispiace affatto。 Se fossero ambientati in un qualunque altro periodo dell'anno sarebbero comunque interessanti da leggere。 Amo gli stili diversi dei vari autori。 Il mio racconto preferito è il secondo （di Imogen Hermes Gowar）， forse perché lanci Fantasmi， mostri， streghe ed esseri innominabili。 Si tratta solo di scherzi della mente o le presenze oscure sono vere？Adoro questa serie di racconti。 L'atmosfera natalizia si sente poco， è appena un ricamo sullo sfondo delle narrazioni e la cosa non mi dispiace affatto。 Se fossero ambientati in un qualunque altro periodo dell'anno sarebbero comunque interessanti da leggere。 Amo gli stili diversi dei vari autori。 Il mio racconto preferito è il secondo （di Imogen Hermes Gowar）， forse perché lancia un messaggio ferocemente attuale sebbene sia ambientato in epoca antica。 Consiglio vivamente la lettura di questi racconti， purché non siate persone facilmente suggestionabili。 Sono racconti brevi， sì， ma assicuro che l'atmosfera horror si fa sentire。 。。。more
Annabelle Penhaligon
，
A real mixed bag - some deliciously spooky reads and some which fell flat。
Elaine
，
Thoroughly enjoyed this collection。 Lily Wilt by Jess Kidd and Confinement by Karen Milwood Hargrave were the standouts for me。
Willow
，
A chilling combination of ghostly stories。 Would've been a perfect read for October， but alas。。。still enjoyed it in the holidays！ A chilling combination of ghostly stories。 Would've been a perfect read for October， but alas。。。still enjoyed it in the holidays！ 。。。more
Kirsty
，
My personal favourites were by Kiran Millwood Hargrave， Jess Kidd and Elizabeth Macneal。
Linda Edmonds cerullo
，
Delightfully creepy holiday ghost stories。 This book was better than I thought it would be。 All of the tales are set in the English countryside which only adds to the eerie setting。 Some wonderful writers here and a thrilling treat for the holiday season。
Lizz
，
Every one's a winner。 Every one's a winner。 。。。more
Magdalena
，
I love a good ghost story and so I was really excited about this contemporary collection of stories written in the tradition of the classic christmas ghost story of the Victorian era。 Alas！ Most of the stories in The Haunting Season are rather meh， very forgettable and frankly just not that atmospheric or interesting。 Of course Laura Purcell delivered， as always， and her "The Chillingham Chair" was gripping， eerie and I LOVED IT。 Andrew Michael Hurley's story was pretty good too， but I just love I love a good ghost story and so I was really excited about this contemporary collection of stories written in the tradition of the classic christmas ghost story of the Victorian era。 Alas！ Most of the stories in The Haunting Season are rather meh， very forgettable and frankly just not that atmospheric or interesting。 Of course Laura Purcell delivered， as always， and her "The Chillingham Chair" was gripping， eerie and I LOVED IT。 Andrew Michael Hurley's story was pretty good too， but I just love his writing whatever it is。 Although it's not the best or strongest read， I hope that this collection will bring the christmas ghost story to people's attention as there are so many actually wonderfully spooky old tales you can find and read during dark and cold evenings。 。。。more
Hannah C。
，
In the heart of upcoming Christmas， this came up on my bookshelf as a collection of 8 short ghost stories。 I thought I would like it - short enough to not drag on the suspense， a collection of supernatural ghosties from multiple writers， I get to sample different writing styles。 But it's not really my type of tea。。。 Some stories were quite abrupt - sorry， I know I just said I wanted to not drag on the suspense - and I didn't really get much of a fear factor from the stories。 I'd say the title go In the heart of upcoming Christmas， this came up on my bookshelf as a collection of 8 short ghost stories。 I thought I would like it - short enough to not drag on the suspense， a collection of supernatural ghosties from multiple writers， I get to sample different writing styles。 But it's not really my type of tea。。。 Some stories were quite abrupt - sorry， I know I just said I wanted to not drag on the suspense - and I didn't really get much of a fear factor from the stories。 I'd say the title got the "Long Winter Nights" part right， but not so much "Ghostly Tales"。 Maybe just a bit creepy！ My favourite one was "The Eel Singers" because I loved Natasha Pulley's previous book and this story featured her main characters & her descriptive writing style; also， "Confinement" because of how it had basis on postpartum psychosis。 And it was actually pretty freaking creepy。 On the other hand， I had no idea what was happening in the "Hanging of the Greens" and all that holly。 Okay， maybe I've never smelled holly and pine before， so I couldn't really understand。 If you like gothic and are looking for a short read， you might like this。 。。。more
Siobhán
，
Really nice short story collection of which I enjoyed all but one immensely。 Wonderfully dark and Gothic， entertaining and I thought that almost all of them deserved a continuation。 The Kiran Millwood Hargrave one gave me "Yellow Wallpaper" vibes， Bridget Collins' fascination with games mirrors her two other adult novels， and I of course loved Natasha Pulley's little short story on Mori & Nathaniel & Six in the Fens was deliciously weird。 Pick it up if you like something mildly scary and Gothic Really nice short story collection of which I enjoyed all but one immensely。 Wonderfully dark and Gothic， entertaining and I thought that almost all of them deserved a continuation。 The Kiran Millwood Hargrave one gave me "Yellow Wallpaper" vibes， Bridget Collins' fascination with games mirrors her two other adult novels， and I of course loved Natasha Pulley's little short story on Mori & Nathaniel & Six in the Fens was deliciously weird。 Pick it up if you like something mildly scary and Gothic for bleak winter nights with a nice hot cuppa！ 5 stars and I usually don't like short story collections that much 。。。more
AmberRose2410
，
Tricky to rate as I enjoyed some but not others。。。between 3 and 3。5⭐️ My favourites were Confinement （Kiran Millwood Hargrave）， Chillingham Chair （Laura Purcell）， Eel Singers （Natasha Pulley） and Lily Wilt （Jess Kidd）。
Rachelle
，
The excellent stories in this collection are all rooted in the Gothic tradition of the macabre and are evocative of Dickens， Poe and Henry James。 Written by 8 bestselling authors such as Jess Kidd and Bridget Collins， these tales are indeed ghostly， but none are horrific or gory – perfect for those who want a chill， not a shock。 I found this an entertaining read。
Aimee Knupsky （bookchantment）
，
A flight of stories from all my favorite neo-gothic authors。 What a treat。
ermine mack
，
Oopopllkoop
Amy Bentley
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Seeing as this is a book of short stories， I will give my thoughts on the book as a whole rather than review each story。I really wanted to like this book， but I just couldn’t get into it。 I started it on Halloween and it took me until the 23rd of November to finish it。 I felt like the majority of the stories followed the same theme of 19th century ghost stories which not much variation。 I didn’t feel any chills during any of these stories， one of them even made me laugh because I couldn’t take i Seeing as this is a book of short stories， I will give my thoughts on the book as a whole rather than review each story。I really wanted to like this book， but I just couldn’t get into it。 I started it on Halloween and it took me until the 23rd of November to finish it。 I felt like the majority of the stories followed the same theme of 19th century ghost stories which not much variation。 I didn’t feel any chills during any of these stories， one of them even made me laugh because I couldn’t take it seriously。 In short:A Study in Black and White: 3/5A nice start to the book， a little eldritch story of an old house with a history of short tenancies which is shortly revealed as to why people don’t stay for long。 Clever little foreshadowing at the beginning too。Thwaite’s Tenant: 1/5I hated it。 This was supposed to be a ghost story， I didn’t want to read about prejudice and abuse towards women。 A father telling his daughter she deserves all she gets is not what we’re going for。 Write about it by all means， but don’t disguise it as a ghost story。The Eel Singers: 2/5I feel like I’d have enjoyed this more if the author didn’t expect you to know the characters already from their previous novels。 Having to read a paragraph directed by an asterisk at the bottom of the page got tedious to learn about the characters。 Just use new characters？Lily Wilt: 3/5This one was just weird。 It did get progressively better towards the end but the obsession became a little over the top and unrealistic。 Almost like an immature student with a crush。The Chillingham Chair: 4/5This was probably my favourite one。 It didn’t scare me at all， but I’m giving it 4 stars purely for the fact it made me laugh。 I cannot take a haunted wheelchair seriously when it suddenly starts flying around the house like it’s turbo powered。The Hanging of the Greens: 5/5Finally！ One that isn’t written in the 19th century or confusing to understand！ This was incredibly well-written。 I loved the descent into madness of someone that was then suspected to be possessed。 The element of possession was executed amazingly here and seeing the gradual slip into paranormal through realistic behaviours was great。 Well done！Confinement: 3/5Probably the creepiest one of the eight。 I always find ghostly women targeting children to be unnerving。 Just wished this one was a little longer and delved more into the aspects of creepy going-ons and paranormal signs， otherwise it would be my favourite。Monster: 3/5This one was going really well， however the very vivid explanation of sexual acts made me feel uncomfortable because I wasn’t expecting it。 I like reading erotica as much as the next person， but when I’m not expecting it， it takes me back a little。 Story was quite interesting though。Although I have given the stories higher ratings individually， a lot of them had the same theme reading them one after the other so the lack of diversity made it a little monotonous， therefore I will give this book 2 stars。 。。。more
Penny Park
，
I really enjoyed this book; there was two I didn’t understand and failed to draw me in but overall a fantastic read。 Collins and Purcell’s were by far my favourite， and they had me chilled and hooked from the first page！ Andrew Michael Hurley is slowly becoming one of my favourite authors; he has such a way of drawing you in and making you feel a part of the scene。
Lacer
，
The Haunting Season is a collection of short stories with a wintery， haunting theme。 I got this primarily because I’m a massive Natasha Pulley fan， and her story of Thaniel， Mori and Six’s holiday in the Fens did not disappoint。 I also particularly enjoyed a rather scary story about a woman’s confinement after birth （Kiran Millwood Hargrave）， a clever story about a haunted wheelchair （Laura Purcell） and a very interesting take on the theme of haunting in a tale about a fossil hunter （Elizabeth M The Haunting Season is a collection of short stories with a wintery， haunting theme。 I got this primarily because I’m a massive Natasha Pulley fan， and her story of Thaniel， Mori and Six’s holiday in the Fens did not disappoint。 I also particularly enjoyed a rather scary story about a woman’s confinement after birth （Kiran Millwood Hargrave）， a clever story about a haunted wheelchair （Laura Purcell） and a very interesting take on the theme of haunting in a tale about a fossil hunter （Elizabeth Macneal）。 Still， all the stories were good， there wasn’t a dud among them。 。。。more
Ceridwenn
，