| Some of
the stories here are set in Tempest's
world, and feature characters from the books.
You don't have to read them to get the full
benefit of the books, or vice versa, but they do
have their own place in the overall narrative
arc, and one might occasionally comment on
another.
Mrs De
Runtzen's Jewels
Inspector
Behrends thinks he may have solved the mystery
of who desecrated poor Mrs De Runtzen's grave,
and stole all her jewels. But when he confronts
the grave robber he discovers a far more
shocking and profound mystery lying in wait for
him.
I wrote
this story whilst still working on Caxton
Tempest at the End of the World. I wanted a
break from the book, but not the Victorian
atmosphere. It is intended as a homage to the
ghost stories of Conan Doyle in particular, but
also M R James and others. The origins of the
basic idea come from a story my sister's
boyfriend used to tell me just before bedtime,
when they were babysitting me.
I always slept with a light on.
Little Monsters
A father takes his son out 'trick or
treating' on a frosty Halloween night in a quiet
country village. But when two small boys decide
to 'trick or treat' him the evening turns
extremely nasty.
I wrote this
story a couple of years ago for a Halloween
themed competition. It made the shortlist but
lost out on the top spot. |
