GHOSTLY QUARTERS by C.E. Ward (Sarob Press 2025)

Clive Ward is one of the veteran contributors to Ghosts & Scholars who can always be relied upon to produce fiction in the M.R. Jamesian tradition. His stories usually offer slow-burn hauntings rather than gut-punch visceral horror - though he does sometimes deliver that punch very effectively. There is often that 'slight haze of distance' MRJ valued. This new collection from Sarob displays all Ward's virtues in four novellas (or 'Quarters'), longer tales in which there is sufficient elbow room to let the uncanny bubble slowly to the surface.

The first story, 'Promenade Walk', concerns a Norfolk seaside town which has seen better days. The narrator recalls a series of visits, each one punctuated by revelations about a notorious local family. Many of the ingredients will be familiar to fans of ghost stories. There's a Punch & Judy show, a tumbledown Martello Tower, and a lighthouse where a lone keeper went insane. At times, I could almost smell the tang of sea air. A dark family history is revealed as the narrator revisits the same run-down souvenir shop, oddly fascinated by its shabby mysteries. 

Ward's stories often have a cinematic quality - I can imagine 'An Episode of Family History' as a story in one of the milder Amicus anthology horror films. A retired colonel's wife dies after her horse was startled by an unspecified Something on their country estate. She is too badly hurt to speak, but as the story unfolds it's clear that Something in the area is Not Quite Right. Again we have the slow process whereby the violence of days gone by impinges on the present. There are some fine scenes here. I was reminded of several Jamesian stories, among them 'A View from a Hill' and 'A Warning to the Curious' but I will keep the spoilers to myself. Paul Lowe's cover art was inspired by this story.

'Where His Feet Pass' is the best offering here. Set in the post-war era, the story concerns a jittery priest relocated from a Blitzed London parish to an obscure rural parish. This ought to have done the Reverend Rumney a power of good, but of course, there is something strange to be found at Betton St Antony. A painting on the church wall depicting the Temptation of the eponymous saint inspires disgust and dread in our clergyman. It has a similar effect on his housekeeper. Yet others regard it as benign, as if they are seeing an entirely different picture...

I liked this one a lot. The characterisation of the priest is convincing and the denouement is very effective. The culture of rural England in 'the old days' is evoked to good effect, with parochial narrow-mindedness balanced by decency and compassion. The painting itself is described in just enough detail to make the baleful entity truly horrific. It's also a morality tale, which is well-suited to the ecclesiastical setting. The author deviates from the familiar Jamesian template here with regard to his protagonist, and that approach works well. 

'Warlock's End', the fourth quarter, nods to several Jamesian classics. We have a Karswell figure, a dream of a terrifying Punch and Judy show, and the sudden appearance of a cobwebby Thing. The disparate ingredients don't work so well together, although there is some good action writing. The obvious problem with any account of a black magician holed up in the countryside, however, is that these days his antics would be all over social media. The internet spoils everything, doesn't it?

All in all, this is an excellent collection for anyone who wants to sink into a comfy old armchair and read some ghost stories. Clive Ward's style is solid and dependable, his erudition is impressive, and his stories offer an entertaining mixture of chills and nostalgia. He remains one of the most consistent members of the modern 'James Gang'.