An Unheavenly Host by C.E. Ward (Sarob 2022)

 

Cover art by Paul Lowe

A new collection of ghost stories by a disciple of M.R. James (and others) is always of interest. C.E. Ward, a long-time contributor to Ro Pardoe's Ghosts & Scholars, is an old hand at recreating the distinctive atmosphere of those classic tales. Here are garrulous countrymen, curious scholars, interesting settings, and strange phenomena. Four of the eight tales collected here are new. The others have appeared in G&S, The Silent Companion, or in The Ghosts and Scholars Book of Shadows. 

One of Ward's fields of interest is military history, and this informs the first story, 'Autumn Harvest'. The deceptively serene title does not prepare the reader for the tale of violence and maleficia stemming from a clash between a Royalist squire and Parliamentary forces in the Civil War era. There are parallels with 'Mr. Humphreys and His Inheritance'. Here, too, we find a young gent who unexpectedly inherits a country house with a strange secret lurking in the gardens. There are a number of nice Jamesian touches as the story behind a mysterious apple tree that fruits successfully in an otherwise dead orchard unfolds.

The second story, 'The Chapter House Window', concerns a learned gentleman who in 1899 goes to the city of Lyeminster to research a chapter for a book on English cathedrals. Another very Jamesian beginning. Our gentleman finds himself struggling to get much information from the locals. What's more, the church warden follows him around with limpet-like tenacity and tries to get him out of the cathedral before dark. Gradually the scholar pieces together some interesting - and disturbing - facts about the eponymous window and other features of the building. The climax, when it comes, is satisfying - an intensely tactile encounter with a being that has interesting motives.

It needs to be said (as I sometimes overlook this point) that the cover art by Paul Lowe is superb. It depicts the disturbing imagery of 'The Chapter House Window' and conjures up the scene without being too specific. Vintage stuff!

'A Wrong Turn' is very different, with its modern setting and less elliptical approach to the mystery. A couple's veteran car conks out near a reservoir, and after bickering they are separated. The man hurries to catch up with his girlfriend, who he expects to find the nearby village pub. Instead, he finds a deserted village in a state of decay. But it is not entirely uninhabited... A grim little tale that moves swiftly from minor crisis to horrific conclusion, with a coda of explanation culled from the local paper.

'Assizes' is a fine example of that sub-sub-genre, the sequel to a ghost story by M.R. James. In this case, the story is 'Martin's Close'. Once more, a man stands accused before the notorious Judge Jeffreys. The feel of the story is just right, capturing the liveliness of late seventeenth-century English, and the denouement satisfactory. 

'Captured in Oils' offers a different take on those cruel times, with more than a not to 'The Mezzotint', which is mentioned in the story's preamble. A mysterious portrait of a Cavalier lady and her son changes when the narrator looks at it, leading him to discover what lies behind it in more than one sense. The historical detail is, as always, rigorous, and the actual horror - when it comes - works well.

'11334' is an interesting sequel to M.R. James' 'The Tractate Middoth', offering a glimpse of the life of the characters after that interesting and spidery tale. The house that once belonged to the notorious Dr. Rant is up for sale, and someone is unwise enough to buy it - and then start poking about into things best left undisturbed. It's a satisfying piece, marred only by one odd error. John Eldred (the baddie in the original story) is here referred to as the brother of the good heiress, Mrs Simpson. But James made it clear that they were cousins. 

The final story, 'Substantiated Evidence', has a more modern slant. An ageing reporter searching for a grittier kind of ghost story ventures to a remote village. Locals are hostile when they find out his objective, except for one person who is willing to enlighten him in return for cash. It emerges that the village ghost is connected to a murder/suicide. We know from the title that our man will find out something, and the finale is trailed very neatly. A series of glimpses of something skinny that might just be a trick of the light leads to a nasty ending for the over-inquisitive hack.

Overall, this is a solid collection in the 'James Gang' tradition, and I'm sure Ward's fans won't be disappointed. The high standard he set with his early stories has been maintained, at the very least.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.