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Tuesday 8 January 2013

Stained Glass by Catherine Czerkawska

 review by Maryom

Stained Glass is yet another of the numerous free downloads I found over Christmas. This time something slightly different - a collection of three short supernatural stories, 22 pages in total;
- Stained Glass - in which a house-renovator sees more than he'd expected through the reclaimed window he installs.
- The Penny Execution - an unusual 'peep-show' style antique that's rather more gruesome than its purchaser anticipated.
- The Sleigh - set in Poland, this story is made all the more chilling by being inspired by the author's family history.

I'm not normally a fan of supernatural/ghost stories. I don't scare easily and too many set out merely to shock the reader and then fall completely flat if they don't! These three short stories are subtler than that - think of the stories in Mrs Gaskell's Curious, If True, collection. They all managed to send shivers up my spine - even though I guessed the 'twist' in Stained Glass as I've read another story with a similar premise though completely different setting and feel (Bob Shaw's Light of Other Days)

My only complaint would be that I'd have liked more!

Maryom's review - 4.5 stars
Publisher -
Wordarts
Genre - Short stories, supernatural/ghost stories, adult

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