Jane Jakeman, historian and author of In the Kingdom of Mists and other atmospheric mysteries, writes:
Marc Pastor: Barcelona Shadows, 2014, translated from Catalan by Mara Faye Lethem, Pushkin Press. Set in Barcelona, this is a brilliant, literate and original vampire (not giving anything away here) story of missing children and a splendidly dissolute detective.
John Ajvijde Lindqvist: Let the Old Dreams Die, 2013, translated from Swedish by Marlene Delargy, Quercus. Collection of eerie stories by the author of ‘Let the Right One in’, including a glimpse of our sanguinary heroine in ... Barcelona, where else?
John Boyne: This House is Haunted, Black Swan, 2013. Victorian governess takes up post in deepest Norfolk, with appropriate strange happenings. A full-length ghost story, probably genre devotees will find it a bit predictable, but still solid festive reading. No trips to Barcelona.
I thoroughly enjoyed SLADE HOUSE (2015) by David Mitchell, a haunted house novel that spans five decades. Whether he intended it or not the story owes a large debt to Lovecraft and Hodgson and maybe even Matheson. I think anyone who enjoys those writers will eat it up. (Couldn't resist that metaphor for those who have already read the book.) And a huge plus for me it was just under under 250 pages. Amazing!
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