Four short story ghost stories from an author who has a good background in ghostly tales.

The title story reminded me of a Sherlock Holmes tale in the setting and telling of the tale. The story with the ending you guess early on, although that doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the story.

Boy Twenty One and Alice Baker both have you thinking about the endings. Boy Twenty One in particular gets the brain ticking over in possible scenarios before you reach the end of the story.

The Front Room is the most chilling tale in the collection. A wise warning about having your mother-in-law living with you!

Classic ghostly tales, perfect for when the nights are drawing in.

These are elegantly written, as Hill's stories always are but lack the chill of her best ghostly work. We do get to see the range of her imagination from the Victorian setting of 'The Travelling Bag' to the unusual 1950s suburbia of 'The Front Room', the weakest of the tales.

'Boy Number 21' is gorgeously melancholic as two lonely boys form an undying friendship, and 'Alice Baker' is a mildly humorous take on the office story, though with a frisson underlying it.

Nicely told and crafted, but don't expect to be looking over your shoulder with these.