This was . . . different from anything else that I have ever read, for a long time. There was that pulp feel to be sure. It had a different vibe to it, a vibe of a different time, not something created in modern times. While never living in it one felt as if they were in 1960's Detroit. Everything felt right, I am not sure how I knew, I just did. At times I felt as if I was reading a diary and not a work of fiction. I liked the Rasputin angle and how in depth the author went with it. What grabbed me was the concept of collecting peoples voices - in whatever form that voice took. There were times before this that I thought of Dead Souls - maybe it was just the Russian connection and the idea of voices. The ending, however, left me with no closure. What happened to the apartment building? Joey? There were times when I thought the main character would be covered in blood, all the snow and ice and Rasputin was in his head and he had murdered the occupants of the building. Then the time shift. But on the other hand, I have no idea where I wanted the story to go once he got out. I guess where it went was just as good as anywhere else.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Day Books for providing me with an ARC of Last Case at a Baggage Auction in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Gist

I have been on a quest throughout the month of October to find good Halloween books and movies.

On the movie end I had some great help from friends giving me their suggestions and recommendations. So, my evenings are spent watching spooky movies to my heart’s content.

But what about the rest of my day? I can only train Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu so much before I need to give my body a well-deserved break.

I stumbled upon Last Case at a Baggage Auction in the summer, but I didn’t have any time until this week to read it. And boy am I glad I did.

Not to spoil anything, but I’m going to use the rest of this review sing its high praises.

The Details

Truth be told, I was a little hesitant when I opened the file on my e-reader. I had just found myself in the middle of a bad reading slump, finishing a book that had me almost pull out my hair.

Always the optimist, I thought what’s the worst that could happen, giving this story a try.

Within the first paragraph I knew this was going to be good. Really good.

The protagonist, also the narrator in this case, had a degree of honesty and sincerity that encouraged a connection between the character and the reader.

He told the story with enough detail to make everything come alive, without feeling overwhelmed or unnecessarily wordy.

The interpersonal relationships between the protagonist and the other characters demonstrated depth and complexity that is difficult to create, especially within a shorter work of fiction.

The horror was superbly developed. It wasn’t sudden or gory, but sneaky, subtle and positively eerie.

The writing was excellent. It kept me spellbound until the last word.

I also felt a sort of connection to the setting. I lived a few years in Windsor, on the other side of the Detroit River, just across the Ambassador Bridge. Half of the TV channels we got with our cable bundle were from Detroit and Michigan. So, I feel a little bit of a nostalgic bond towards it.

The Verdict

Overall, I think I could go on for a long time, pointing out everything I liked about this story with an ever-increasing risk of spoiling the story itself.

For that reason, I’m going to stop right here, but must reiterate one last time how much I enjoyed this spooky story.

I would definitely recommend Last Case at a Baggage Auction.

This was a good little story. Short, fast paced, and I enjoyed the historical link.
Definitely well written, decent characterisation and descriptive imagery.
Despite that, I didn't find myself hugely invested in it for some reason. This was possibly due to its short length, which is ironic because I was specifically looking for a shorter book to read in this instance. So I can hardly blame the author for delivering exactly what I was looking for.
I guess for me this felt like a popcorn book. Thoroughly enjoyed it, but didn't really care much.

Charlie Stewart and Joey Third are skilled Baggage Auction hunters. In the 1960's people used to bet on abandoned luggage like people bid on storage sheds today. Joey finds an antique Gramophone that has some strange records. He becomes obsessed with the records which turn out to be haunted and its up to Charlie to try and save his old friend.
This was a great book. Nice late 60s' atmosphere and i just loved the idea of a haunted Gramophone. I wont give too much detail but a very interesting historical figure is involved along with a cult. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC.

If you’ve never read anything by Eric J. Guignard, then I think now is the time. Even though this novella was short, it was packed with an amazingly spooky story. The author sure knows how to make characters come alive and feel convincing. I really liked Charlie, and how authentic he seemed, all while trying to find his place in this world.

The story was set in the 60’s, and I could feel myself being transported back to that time through the author’s writing. He’s very talented, and has a knack for combining real historical events with his own imagination. I won’t give away the plot in my review, but there is a lot of interesting information to be found in this book about a certain figure most of us have heard about. I’ve always been fascinated by said historical character and truly enjoyed learning more.

Thank to Netgalley and Harper Day Books for the review copy.

Occasionally I stumble upon a novella which is so beautifully formed, I automatically imagine what it would be like on the screen, not as a film, but as an episode in The Twilight Zone. From its enigmatic title, to its authentic 1960s pulp style, Last Case at a Baggage Auction sucked me in, and I was as keen to discover the contents of Charlie and Joey’s lost-luggage purchases as the two gamblers were! This story was framed around this outstanding hook and I am certain look truly great on the small screen.

Interestingly, Last Case at a Baggage Auction was originally published in 2013 in a slightly different version and format which combined an established author (Lisa Morton) with Guignard who at the time was a newbie, with two works in the same package in a short lived series. The original novella was released as Baggage of Eternal Night and Guignard sees this new version as the “Author’s Preferred Text” as he refers to it in the fascinating endnotes which discuss how the piece evolved.

Since this initial appearance of this novella Guignard has earned an impressive reputation for his weird fiction and although this is my first foray into his work, I will happily return to his work. This little gem takes us back to Detroit 1963 and two-wheeler dealer hustlers who buy and sell objects they win in bids at auctions of items that have either been left or lost in big hotels. You might spend $5 but have purchased a baggage with stuff worth $500, or then again, maybe it is worthless. As the main character Charlie Stewart is a gambler, he loves the excitement of opening the luggage and seeing what the contents might be and does not mind coming up financially short, as he gets a genuine kick out of the hunt. This was a quirky concept to lie at the centre of the story and Guignard genuinely brings this to life and it had me wondering whether these auctions were based on fact. Something tells me they were.

I loved the authentic, colourful and witty first person narrative as Charlie and his best friend Joey Third get more than they bargained for when they buy a luggage box which includes an old gramophone record player with the story revolves around what happens when they listen to the rather unique accompanying music and chanting. This aspect of the story was neat and even though cursed objects are nothing new in fiction it is described so vividly you can almost feel the crackles as the music morphs into something incredibly sinister with the sounds obsessively getting under the skin of those who are unfortunate enough to hear the sounds. Charlie Stewart narrates the story in the first person and does a convincing job of developing a sense of unease.

The second half of the story makes a brave move by introducing a genuine historical (and rather notorious) character into the story and I was not convinced it was a complete success. Charlie, far too conveniently, discovers a way of shoe-horning his historical backstory into the plot and this played a key part in the loss of momentum in the later stages. This guy, to my knowledge rarely appears in fiction, so perhaps some backstory was required. However, I did wonder how things might have played out if instead of relying on a real historical figure for the supernatural angle, alternatively, Guignard dreamed up his own. On the other hand, this would taken the story into too different a direction.

I had a lot of fun with Last Case at a Baggage Auction and I am sure I could hear the haunting scratchy chanting in my dreams! It has an outstanding sense of time and place, very engaging narration and a supernatural hook to savour.

I received a copy of this from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review posted on several media outlets. This is that review.

For those of us whose grand-parents had attics or basements we probably rummaged an old case among the deflated basketballs, old baseball bats, and hat boxes. Inside were clothes, an army uniform, maybe letters, old cameras or other memorabilia from decades ago. A time capsule of family history. But those old cases were from our family and we pretty much knew what was in there before we opened them.

Now let’s say you bought or rented an old house and find an old case in the attic. This case contains items from people strange to you. You have no idea what is in there. Maybe an old wedding dress, or maybe a bunch of yellowed newspaper clippings of serial murders and a long, rusty knife underneath. Or dolls that look wrong somehow that you wished you did not know were up there. True, some boxes just contain memories. But Henry James, in “The Romance of Certain Old Clothes” tells us that some cases are time bombs and are left to do harm, to curse those that open them. The Last Case at a Baggage Auction is one of those cases.

This story is told in a classic style. The action takes place many decades ago. Even though I was alive when the story is set (1963) I have to acknowledge that it was so long ago as to be a completely different world than the one we live in today. This setting and characters from that time make this story work so much better. The story line is also classic. As with the Henry James story written over 130 years ago, or even the myth of Pandora, the finding of an old box that contains cursed items is a very old horror motif. It has been used over and over by many horror writers. Because it works.

I don’t like to give away plot when I write reviews so that is all I am going to say about this story other than you should get this novella. Run your hands over this very old box. Does it feel cold? Do you think you hear voices inside? Pick the old ornate locks and lift the lid.

5 stars. I love stories like this.

LAST CASE AT A BAGGAGE AUCTION is a killer novella of quiet horror and it's a blast!

Set in Detroit in the sixties, Charlie and his buddy Ray make a living scrounging about, making bets, and by buying baggage at auctions. Apparently this was a thing back then. Similar to the storage lockers of today, they bid on each bag-but they aren't allowed to look inside them. After getting home with their booty, they have fun discovering what's inside. Ray goes last and opens his big case, and discovers a gramophone with some old records. Charlie and Ray listen, struggling to understand what is being said. They became uneasy with it and so did I! What were the people on the wax disc saying? Why does it make both men uncomfortable? You'll have to read this to find out!

I'm not going to get too far into the plot, but I thought these characters were deftly drawn and I could easily relate to all of them, most especially Charlie. He's not a bad guy and is struggling a little bit to find his place in life. A better friend would be hard to find.

As the tale progresses, things change drastically and in the second half we learn more about the gramophone and its owner. Towards the end, I felt a distinct cosmic horror vibe, even though this really wasn't a novella of cosmic horror. That might've just been me, but I'd be happy to discuss with you after you're done reading!

Highly recommended!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC of this novella in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*

This was so enjoyable, creepy, scary, thrilling and intriguing at each step. Written so beautifully with period correct verbage. There is an Asian character, the author stayed true to the time with his words. This was just one of the little details that made it such a fascinating read. The details, the history, the ambiance, all excellent. How have I never heard of this exceptional author before ?
Two gentlemen both attend an unclaimed luggage auction. One buys a case that will forever change their lives. The case contains a gramophone that has a history from Russia. Things aren't as simple as a song, and somethings just don't quit.
Omg read this novella !

Dear authors, you know, when you set a book in the past, a past when people often used homophobic and transphobic terms in everyday conversation, that doesn't mean that YOU need to use those terms in your characters' conversations. You can establish the setting in ways that don't perpetuate harm. The protagonist in this novella is a crude, immature jerk, which is too bad because his being so has no real role or purpose in the overall premise, which is a pretty good one involving the intersection of technology and the supernatural.

This book was a surprise that really blew me away. The writing is in the style of a 1960s, almost pulp-style, author, and I had to check this wasn't a re-issue of a hidden gem of the 60s. The book builds masterfully slow and steady, planting deep roots of creepy eeriness, making me think of master of creep, Shirley Jackson. Then the door is thrown wide open into a fantastical horror-scape with Mad Monk Rasputin at the helm. The weaving in of the legends surrounding Rasputin's search for immortality through his gathering of souls was really wonderful, and felt like a new corner of horror not often explored. The key to the greatness of this book was the slow, purposeful build, which is not easy to do without continuing to add in the right amount of eeriness or losing the audience. The length for this was also perfect.

Fans of the horror podcast "The Black Tapes" might really fall for this short tale, complete with music that seeps into souls and curses anyone who hears it, not unlike the Unsound of that podcast.

I will look forward to Eric J. Guignard's future works. If this work is any indication, they will be masterful.

A great little spookfest that is mostly successful. Some average joes go to an unclaimed baggage auction (apparently a real thing) and end up buying more than they bargained for.

I really enjoyed this novella. The title grabbed me, as did the length, as I agree with the consensus that novella-length horror is usually the best horror. The story is a fantastic blend of Runyanesque characters (even thought these guys live in the 60s), cosmic horror, cursed media, and Russian history that is wonderfully creepy throughout.

My only complaint is that the reveal of the Big Bad takes place a little too soon. Don’t get me wrong, it’s REALLY GOOD. But as soon as the reader understands what’s going on, there is an extended chapter in which the plot stands still and nothing actually happens. A bit of soul searching, I suppose, but that doesn’t really add anything to the story.

Then it gets back on track and all is right with the world. So this is a minor quibble that should not stop you. Get this and read it. It is very enjoyable and highly recommended.

*******I received a free copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is it.*******

Last Case at a Baggage Auction was an enjoyable, easy read about what could be almost be called a cursed, or haunted, object except in this case it was much worse. Charlie and his buddy Joey make a living by going to unclaimed baggage auctions in Detroit, with hopes to find treasures to sell within those bags. Joey wins the last bid and the two friends discover that the very unique trunk contains an old gramophone and some old, handmade records. They play one of these records and they are weird. How weird, well….you’ll have to read the book to find out, but suffice it to say that these record create a life changing experience and transport you beyond your imagination.

I don’t want to provide any spoilers, so I’ll just say that this book made me curious to learn more about the Russian seer, Rasputin. I had never given him much thought before. I found the visuals of the snow, blizzards and Joey's apartment very interesting and vivid. The characters were good guys that you care about, except for that rascal Rasputin anyway. He's just up to no good. One nice element of the book is that we all leave behind a piece of ourselves with our written word on postcards and letters. So, when you're in an antique store looking through old, used postcards read the back.... that was a living person having a moment and this piece of them lives on all these years later in this little bin you're digging through. I like that idea. #netgalley #LastCaseAtABagAuction

* I was provided a free copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review *

First: I wanted to give this book 4 or 5 stars, but I couldn’t in good conscience.

Before I dive into the review, I want to frame the review with a few comments.

Writers are free to write whatever they want and my critique of what they've written is not "censorship." They wrote it. They published it. Ergo, no one has censored them. My review is my experience of reading their writing. This is not up for discussion.

I think that every reader who might ever pick up this book understands that the early 60s were a different time, where language was used differently — in particularly, casually racist, sexist, or bigoted words. Since we all collectively understand that this is a given when writing a story set in the past, I do not think it needs to be shown for a reader to understand that world. When writing the past, what a modern writer chooses to INCLUDE can be very telling. Unless this language serves to move the plot forward (it didn’t) or give greater depth or context to a character (it didn’t) there’s no reason to include it. A presumably straight white man using these words isn’t subversive, transgressive, or edgy. It’s business as usual. We can’t change the past — but we CAN change how we write it in fiction so that every reader can feel welcomed into the text.

I deducted another star because the dialogue didn’t match the narrators interior tone and cadence. I think the author was going for a “hard boiled detective” type of voice and it just didn’t sync up with their own voice and tone. I wish he had just trusted his own style enough to let the character relax into the story. I felt that this was another device used to reaffirm the setting of the 60s. The truth is, the story didn’t need to be propped up like that. I preferred the story when the narrator was just talking to the reader, instead of another character, because the interior voice sounded more authentic.

The three stars I can give this story — it was a great plot, it moved along at a brisk clip that was easy to follow, and it’s a downright creepy premise. There are elements of the film Pontypool, Lovecraftian Eldritch horror, Rasputin lore, and a dash of Stephen King’s From a Buick 8 twined together in a way that was wholly original and that part of the book, I really enjoyed. The illustrations were well-suited to the story and made it like reading an old pulp magazine, which was, I think, the intention.

Overall, it’s a good read with a few bummers that interferes with my enjoyment of the story or that pulled me out of the narrative. I would probably recommend it to some folks, but I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone because there are definitely readers who won’t appreciate — or feel welcomed into the story — by the things noted above.

Last Cast at a Baggage Auction is a spooky short read.
3.7/4.
I liked that the book dove right into the story without a lot of set-up. It allowed for a punchy novel that's also short. The story moves quickly. What happens happens pretty much instantly, which might not be satisfying for everyone. A little more build up in exploring the background of the "haunted" item could have had more of an impact that the relatively short discovery.
I really liked that Rasputin was involved. He's a historical character with untold mystical depths that I haven't read explored in fiction as much as he should be.

A unique, noir, cult(?), historical fiction, horror.
Charlie lives in Detroit and gets by with betting on the horse races and luggage auctions. As Charlie says “a man is successful if he lives every day with the ability to do what he wants.”
At one of these luggage auctions, Charlie’s friend, Joey, buys a case that contains more than he bargained for. Joey can’t escape what he uncovers and he is bringing a lot of his fellow apartment tenets with him into the madness.
This was a very interesting read with a flowing writing style that was picturesque. Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Day Books for an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review

This is a fascinating tale about a haunted gramophone and the man who tried to save the world from its evil. Joe is an easygoing guy, making his living primarily by buying and selling objects he finds at baggage auction (i.e., whatever possessions there are in suitcases that have been lost or forgotten by travelers). He has a girlfriend, Gloria, that he likes but doesn't want to commit to and he likes his life just fine. Until he finds a suitcase containing a gramophone and some old records - then things go to hell in a hurry. Set in the 1950s, LAST CAST AT A BAGGAGE AUCTION is a fun and spooky read. and you learn a few things about Russian history...

This was a short and spooky read. I had actually heard of these auctions before. I think I saw it on some reality show my husband may have been watching. People bid on abandoned or unclaimed property, forgotten or left behind by their owners or sometimes just lost by baggage handlers. You never know what is inside or what you've won until you open it later. Charlie and Joey are pals who live in the same run down apartment building and attend these auctions together. Occasionally they make some money off their finds, but more often than not the suitcases and their contents just pile up in their messy apartments. After one such auction, they open an antique gramophone and some strange looking homemade records. The music is horrible and the chanting is quite unnerving, but the more they listen, the more they feel compelled to keep listening. Charlie takes a record to someone who may be able to decipher what the chanting is saying, but Joey stays holed up in his apartment with the gramophone and other records, and the more he listens the more he begins to change. Even though Charlie is a good person with a big heart, he does have a habit of being late and a bit absent minded so I'm not sure I would want to count on him in a situation where time is of the essence. Just ask his girlfriend who has often been left waiting for him, or the neighbors in his building who can hear the chanting coming from Joey's apartment and are now compelled to keep listening.
As a reader who loves both horror and historical fiction I found this ominous tale to be right up my alley.
4 out of 5 stars

It is 1963 in Detroit and the fun thing for Charlie Stewart and Joey Third to do is go to baggage auctions. What are these you ask? Exactly what they sound like. You go to them and bid on baggage. Various types of baggage. Picture Storage Wars 50+ years ago. Joey buys a case with a gramophone and records inside. But these are not your usual run of the mill records, no these are the satanic chanting/mumbling of Rasputin himself. Yes, that Rasputin. The one that brought down the entire Romanov dynasty. These records are dangerous and addicting and Joey is not lost in the word of Rasputin. Charlie is trying to save him but he too listened to some of the records and saving Joey may not be possible. This was a book I selected on a whim and am glad I did so. I had no idea I would be reading about Rasputin who while I have not read about, I do own a few books on and I have also read about the Romanov and their downfall. This was a short easy read with I did enjoy. I would give it a 3.5, but since we can only give even stars, I am willing to round to 4.

I’m a big fan of the horror genre and am always looking for something new to watch or read, and I discovered the Last Case at a Baggage Auction from NetGalley. It’s a short story, and I was able to finish it in a couple of days. I really liked this story. The story itself is short, sweet, and to the point, not bogged down with over detailing or ramblings of any kind. It has enough detail to keep you turning the page and wanting to see what happens next.

The story follows Charlie Stewart and his friend Joey Third while they attend auctions, bidding on luggage that was never claimed from hotel guests. At their last auction, Joey finds an old gramophone with some unique records and his life is never the same after that. What’s unique about this story, is that it’s set in Detroit in 1963 and has ties to Rasputin. I’m a big history nerd and when I started reading about that, I got excited, because his history is insane at best. The story touches on parts of his life, but more on some occult things that he was a part of and I really enjoyed that.

Overall, this was a great read. It was creepy, unsettling, and had me looking over my shoulder while I was reading at night hoping something wasn’t going to jump out and spook me. The characters are great, they’re both interesting with their quirks, and you get just enough to understand what’s happening with them. The story itself is good, and I enjoyed it.