Gothic Readers Book Club

This is the first book in a new series called Seasons of the Dead from Rob Smales. The Dead of Winter features three novella/ short stories. Each one is a ghost story, but the hauntings and outcomes are all very different. The first, "The Christmas Spirit," is a story about a protective ghost and the child-like belief in magic, Santa, and all things wondrous. "Fishing Hole" is a radical 180 about revenge, terror, and alpha male culture. "Snowbirds" examines that delicate line between the ghosts of our past and the unreality of our present as the two worlds collide. Smales is a fantastic writer. His stories capture the Gothic tone and atmosphere so well. The fear is real. It follows you into the dark night long after the last page.

If You Like: Mary Shelley, Ambrose Bierce, Sheridan Le Fenu