'Sithean'

'The photograph showed a white cottage against an improbably blue sky - improbable for the Hebrides, that is..."

Peter Bell's Revenants and Maledictions is one of those books that offers extensive travel opportunities to the reader. Many ghost stories focus on the domestic hearth, but Bell wants to get out into the fresh air. And he clearly loves the bracing climate of the Scottish isles, as 'Sithean' is set on Skye.

This story is a little different from the others covered so far, as this time the English narrator has a partner. His girlfriend, Andrina, is returning to her home isle for a brief holiday. They rent a cottage, and discover that it is linked to a local tale of tragedy with a supernatural component.

'Sithean' is full of beautiful imagery that hints at strange phenomena at work. Eventually the tragic events of the past are echoed in the present, and the narrator is left to ponder mystery and loss.

Bell is adept at using M.R. James' technique of gradual, low-key revelation. But unlike James he explores his characters' emotional landscapes as well as the geographical setting. The result is a read that might not be as disturbing as the Provost's best tales, but still offers a satisfying sense of depth. The mystery may be explained, at least in part, but it can never be wholly dispelled so long as it occupies the mind of the narrator, or indeed the reader.