The Black Veil & Other Tales of Supernatural Sleuths
Title: The Black Veil & Other Tales of Supernatural Sleuths
Selected & Introduced by Mark Valentine
Publication: Wordsworth Editions Ltd (12 Jun 2008)
Paperback: 272 pages
Rating: 4 out of 5
16 supernatural mysteries and the minds which break the barrier between ignorance and elucidation form this collection released by the Wordsworth publishing house. Some very interesting and frightening stories share the pages with some pathetic tales. For instance, I couldn’t bring myself to waste any time over The Curious Activities of Basil Thorpenden by Vernon Knowles. It was followed immediately by another appalling story, The Necromancer by Donald Campbell.
Other tales such as Like Clockwork by R.B. Russell aren’t strictly supernatural – unless you consider the psychic who merely serves as a means of propelling the tale forward – but make for some disturbing reading. I couldn’t stomach the imagery used by Russell to depict one of the characters’ untimely death.
Clear-cut favourites are the 2 Carnacki stories by the original author, William Hope Hodgson and an author cum fan, A.F. Kidd. Arthur Machen’s The Red Hand is a brilliant and deliberately presented tale of archaeology and the unthinkable that is rarely unearthed but still present.
One thing which I appreciate in this collection is the range of stories on offer: from the Victorians to present day authors, we have the supernatural dealt with in appropriate styles. The final story, Spirit Solutions by contemporary author Rosalie Parker, is a steady build-up of mysterious happenings after the death of the family patriarch. The father’s restless spirit disturbs the children and they resort to seeking help from online psychics. The conclusion leaves much to be desired. Still it is a testament to the modern day mystery author and the continuing belief in life after death.
