Christmas Tales of Terror by Chris Priestley

From malevolent snowmen to Father Christmas - with a difference ... Chris Priestley is on absolute top form in these atmospheric, clever and thoroughly chilling stories. Add a new kind of thrill to the fluffiest of seasons with seven brilliantly conceived examples of why you'd better be good at Christmas time. For stories which can be enjoyed by the whole family, unwrap these perfectly formed festive tales of terror, each with a gripping yarn and genius twist.

Singing carols may never seem quite the same again ... especially after dark.

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Ever since I cracked open Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror back in 2008 I've been a fan of his blend of the macabre and sinister, and since I'm a sucker for all things Christmassy, there was no way I was going to miss this one. The question I needed answering was whether he was going to maintain the high standard I expect from him or if the edginess of his work was going to be eroded by a capitulation to popular sentiment. CToT -currently only available as an ebook-features seven short stories, opening with 'The Green Man'.

The Green Man tells the story of Stephen Levenson, home for the christmas holidays and trying avoid arguments with his mother. What he finds this year though is that his mother has embraced a spirit of change and has had his stepfather gather armfuls of holly from the ancient hill on their lands, a hill that his father had taught him never to trespass on. His intention to avoid arguments crumbles as he tries to fathom why she would do such a thing, but for the sake of a good Christmas, he grits his teeth. But the fear and respect his father treated the hill with weren't misplaced, and when night closes over the house there's more than Santa's generosity to worry about. The twist left me staring at my kindle mouthing 'whoa' for a moment before I greedily tabbed into the rest of the stories.

Trying to decide which of the seven was my favourite has been far harder than I thought it would be. Each has so much going for it and the quality of the writing and the sheer macabre wonder of the twists in each is consistently high. After annoying Liz by thinking out loud (aka arguing with myself like a madman), I've decided on "In the Bleak Midwinter" for the sheer tragic horror of it. It's also, now that I think about, the only one of the stories that doesn't see any of the characters dying..! 

Midwinter starts off nice enough, with choirboys from the local church out carol-singing to raise money for repairs to the church roof, and quietly skimming a small percentage off to divvy out amongst themselves. Amongst them is Simon, who unfortunately owed the local bully a wad of cash after succumbing to the recent craze of playing cards. When the others decide to call it a night, Simon argues for them to do a few more houses, but is outvoted and they start heading back to the village, guided by the light of their sole lantern and singing for the fun of it. It's then that one of the other boys says that they shouldn't be singing in a graveyard. Of course, in the way of boys around the world, they immediately begin to sing louder.. and soon discover that they should've listened to their friend. What follows is so wonderfully chilling it makes me weep to think that of the drivel that the BBC is wasting money on instead of bringing stories like this to more people. 

Suffice to say I should never have doubted that Priestley would deliver anything less than a smorgasbord of dark delights. Do what you must, but buy a copy of the Christmas Tales of Terror for whatever e-reader you have. Read them to your kids or save them for yourself. You won't be sorry.

You can visit Chris's website here or visit his blog here.

The Dead of Winter by Chris Priestley

Michael Vyner recalls a terrible story, one that happened to him. One that would be unbelievable if it weren't true! Michael's parents are dead and he imagines that he will stay with the kindly lawyer, executor of his parents' will ...Until he is invited to spend Christmas with his guardian in a large and desolate country house. His arrival on the first night suggests something is not quite right when he sees a woman out in the frozen mists, standing alone in the marshes. But little can prepare him for the solitude of the house itself as he is kept from his guardian and finds himself spending the Christmas holiday wandering the silent corridors of the house seeking distraction. But lonely doesn't mean alone, as Michael soon realises that the house and its grounds harbour many secrets, dead and alive, and Michael is set the task of unravelling some of the darkest secrets of all.

Dead of Winter starts with an introduction by the main character, Michael Vyner, as he sits down to record the strange and terrible events that shaped his life. Thereafter it shifts into the past, and we meet Michael as he stands at his mother’s freshly dug grave, his only companion the stiff-backed lawyer handling their meagre estate. There he’s given the news that he is to be taken in by the aged benefactor whose support his mother had reluctantly accepted after Michael’s father gave his life to save in a past conflict.

Michael’s understandably less than enthusiastic, and sets off into the bleak, fog drenched fenlands that surround his new home with a heavy heart and no little foreboding. Matters soon take a turn for the strange in Chris’s distinctly gothic manner, and from thereon in Michael’s world becomes one of disembodied whispers, shadowy apparitions and a growing sense of dread as Hawton Mere begins to relinquish the secrets buried within its walls. Michael is a conflicted character, haunted by the grief of his mother’s recent death, plucked from everything familiar and thrust into a strange new world presided over by his even stranger benefactor, a man he can’t help but resent for what he represents. His loneliness and fear are offset by his awkward but genuine interactions with the staff, and the scenes amidst the warmth and bustle of the kitchen contrast starkly with the subtle malevolence that grips the rest of the house and each is enhanced by the other. It’s cleverly done and very effective.

Dead of Winter is a delightfully dark gem and reaffirms my opinion of Chris as a masterful storyteller. His voice is very distinctive and like his previous works, it begs to be read aloud on a dark and stormy night - an audio version would go on my wishlist in a heartbeat.

Tales of Terror from the Tunnel's Mouth - Chris Priestley

Robert Harper is going back to school, and it is the first railway journal he has ever made alone. And it is not a very usual sort of railway journey. The train stops at the mouth of a tunnel and in order to help pass away the time a strange woman dressed in white tells Robert stories. But these are not the kind of stories normally told to a child. Soon Robert is both entranced and terrified by the strange woman and her macabre stories.

Prepare to be chilled to the bone as Robert discovers just how frightening it can be to be alone on a train with only strangers to keep you company.


Some books are made for summer, for reading on the beach, or at leisure on a sofa in a comfy coffee shop somewhere. Then there's Tales of Terror, perfectly suited for those nights when you're trapped in a creaking old inn on a desolate, storm wracked moor.

As with Uncle Montague and the Black Ship, Chris has given us a trove of deliciously dark and gothic flavoured treats, each one sporting a macabre sting in the tail and written with an old fashioned slant that's perfectly suited to his style of storytelling. The stories are capped with David Roberts' delightfully spiky and Tim Burtonesque black and white illustrations which accentuate the unique quirky voice that the stories have.

A new governess

'Gerald' was a particular favourite of mine from this collection, a truly spooky and unsettling little story that really should be read by candlelight.

I thought I'd guessed the the identity of the strange woman who entertains young Robert with the tales and the way the overall theme of the story would pan out, but here too there was a dark 'n sneaky twist.

All in all, it's a wicked read and one that I can't recommend enough for when the nights draw close and winter's fingers scratch at your windows.

Tales of Terror from the Black Ship, Chris Priestley

I was absolutely delighted when this dropped through the letterbox.

I packed it in my bag for lazy day out we had planned, expecting to be able to read it at my leisure. However, things didn’t quite go as planned and on the drive home we found ourselves stuck in the gigantic parking lot known as the M25. Sick of the drivel on the radio and the CD’s in the player, I asked Liz to dig out the Black Ship and read me a page or two.

After only a little pleading, she agreed and so it was that the newest Tales of Terror were told to me as they should be. I can’t remember the last time anyone read to me; I can happily say that the Tales are perfectly suited for this kind of storytelling. If you like your kids clinging to you at night I’d recommend reading these as bedtime stories!

Not surprisingly, given the title, this volume of Tales has a nautical theme. We meet the sickly siblings Ethan and Cathy as they wait for their father to return one storm lashed night. In the deep of the night they answer a knock on the door, and we meet the enigmatic Mr Thackeray, a sailor seeking shelter from the storm that rages beyond the Old Inn. To repay their kindness and pass the time, he kindly offers to tell them stories from the high seas, terrifying tales which couldn’t possibly be true..

Chris has a talent for tension. It lurks in every sentence, a gently nagging feeling that something isn’t right.. it takes hold early, and becomes increasingly insistent until the dreadful truth of things spills out. The tales are laced with mischievous menace,told with relish and beg to be read out loud by firelight. On Halloween.

‘The Boy in the Boat’ was a particular treat, the promise of something dark and dreadful woven through every sentence, staying with you long after you’ve turned the last page. It creeped Liz out completely.

Dave Roberts’ scratchy illustrations suit the tone of the book perfectly, flavouring the pages with a sense of childish mischief and lurking horror.

All in, it's a wonderful book and a welcome addition to my hoard. I can only hope there’s more to come- it would be a crying shame if there isn’t.

Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror, Chris Priestley

It seems quite fitting that I’m here writing this with thunder stalking the night and dead leaves whispering their secrets in the backyard. Uncle Montague’s Tales of Terror is a deliciously dark and wonderfully macabre collection of stories that deserve to be read by candlelight ..when you’re alone.

Sitting by the fire in the study of his old and very dark house, the enigmatic uncle Montague regales young Edgar with fantastic stories of wonder and terror, bringing the oddities lining the walls to life, while the wind tugs at the shutters and strange thumps resound from the deserted rooms above.

More than a collection of classically gothic horror, a darker undercurrent runs through uncle Montague’s stories, inexorably dragging something dreadful to the surface, something that will make his uncle’s warning ring very true..

“You would not like it here after dark…”

Chris Priestley has done a great job – I absolutely loved this book, devouring it in two sessions. His stories are fresh and served with generous lashings of atmosphere; any one of them could be expanded into an enthralling novel on it’s own. For me, Winter Pruning takes the prize –top notch! It brings elements of Grimm and Poe and classic, black-and-white horror together beautifully.

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You can visit the website here.