Unexpectedly good. Honestly so grateful to be able to found NetGalley! There are so many hidden gems here and I can't resist them.

Yet another from the "Selected Papers from the Consortium for the Study of Anomalous Phenomena" series. The theme of "familial trauma" runs through these novellas in one form or another - children and parents, husband and wife, mother and daughter, etc - and in this instance the support and acceptance of an adopted sibling.

This one has a really great premise and I'm glad I stuck with it. I only wish the narrative had been more concise. When a character is working through their feelings or trauma, the mind will wander of course. We can all relate to that. But when we feel horror, or are witnessing or experiencing violence, our brain clears. In the moment, everything is instinctual, unanticipated, shocking and we have no time to think about or make analogies of our actions. For example, "...I thought in white, all I heard was a shrill whistle, like a train bearing down on me, but behind it..." This creates a lot of run-on sentences - 6 lines long at times - and cuts the tension.

A chapter or two from Thorn's perspective would've been better I think, after all most of the action happens in his cottage and not the manor. But I'm glad that Thorn was able to confront the source of his torment directly. The ghosts are drawn to his guilt, and it shows that excessive empathy can be just as unhealthy as true apathy. Loyalty and love can only go so far, the cure must come from within. Honestly the best of this series so far!

3 1/2 out of 5 on Instagram!

like the title suggests a story about a character losing himself into alcohol and others trying to stop that decline.

overall this story was good but it’s not my favorite from this collection of short stories/ novellas.
the other had a bit more of a thrilling or horrific twist that didn’t feel as realistic and because of that made it very good little horror stories - this story felt just realistic and real in ways that if someone is an alcoholic that’s just what happens and while this story had gothic tones overall it didn’t give me horrific moments.

could just be me and as i said overall this was a good story and i do recommend this and the entire collection this is part of.

I was really impressed with this novella. I didn’t realize there were previous books when I had started reading this, but I didn’t have any issues with understanding what was going on. I am definitely going to go back and start the series from the beginning. I loved that this book was about a found document. That is one of my favorite tropes. Definitely worth checking out!

I am so glad I came across this book! Let me explain why. "Bottling his Ghosts" by S. H. Cooper is a novella that's part of the 'Selected Papers from the Consortium for the Study of Anomalous Phenomena' series, which features novellas curated by editor, R. J. Joseph. There are currently eight books in this series, including this one, each written by a different author and all covering the peculiar and uncanny.

In this book, we are introduced to the recently widowed Henrietta who goes back to her family home to process her grief and put some distance between herself and those that knew her and her husband. Instead of peace and quiet however, she finds her cousin, Thorn, far removed from the man she once considered her brother. In an effort to help him escape the hold liquor has of him, she finds herself facing a terrifying haunting that threatens her and everyone she cares for.

The novella is very atmospheric and the author is very good at not just painting a dark, gothic setting, but explore in depth the emotional scars society inflicts on the individuals. What starts with Netta's grief (which I found to be one of the most realistic and honest portrayals of grief I've read so far) reveals much more about the dark side of humanity in a beautifully gothic ghost story.

I can't say that it left me terrified beyond the last page, but I did find myself tensing up sometimes during the read. What can I say, the paranormal will always be my obsession and weakness. I did feel that the ending was somewhat abrupt, but I can't decide if it's because I expected something darker and bigger or if I simply enjoyed the novella too much and wished for more.

All in all, I loved this novella and do plan on reading all the others in the series. I'm very curious to find out if any of the characters may be recurring.

If you're looking for a gothic exploration of grief, humanity and family, this is the novella for you!

Well written gothic novella. I’ve enjoyed the last few entries of this series from RDS Press and this is another great one. In Bottling His Ghosts we follow Netta shortly after the abrupt death of her husband, Victor. She travels home to her family and discovers her parents in good health although her cousin, Thorn, with whom she was raised has become a severe alcoholic at the expense of everything he loves. There are significant elements of grief, trauma, addiction and what happens when our minds are unable to cope with life and we turn to substances to switch it all off for a bit. The supernatural elements were more muted than I anticipated and the ending felt a bit hurried. I appreciated the ambiguity surrounding Thorn’s ghosts, but expected a bit more to unfold in the last bit of the story to cinch the preternatural vein to Eudora or the ghosts.

Henrietta and Thorn were great but I would’ve loved some more detail with Eudora. She was fabulous and I feel like she could easily have her own story to tell. The author has done an excellent job at showing the significant weight of trauma on the psyche in Bottling His Ghosts. The familial bonds are strong within the Alden family, and the gothic nature of the setting added a bit of appreciated texture to the story. This is one of those tales that is universal in the sense you can envision it happening in virtually any setting of time and place. Another well done novella in the Selected Papers from the Consortium for the Study of Anomalous Phenomena series.

For some reason, I expected Bottling His Ghosts to be more of a paranormal fantasy than a horror book but author S. H. Cooper fully delivers the horror book they promised. If you want to stay awake all night, read this book as you are going to bed (like I did). If you need to feel like you're never alone, this is the book for you. And if you've ever wondered how brave you really are, pick up your copy of Bottling His Ghosts as soon as possible. You won't be disappointed!

Publishing date: 15.07.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and RDS Publishing for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

We are back with bangers from RDS in the Selected Papers series. I really enjoyed this one.

While it takes a little while to get into the horror of the book, I find the buildup to be important for this specific story. Exploring the downfall of two people, how bad it can actually get, and the eventual being alone part of it sets up a great scene for horrible things to happen.

I didn't find this scary-scary, more of a "oh this would be scary in a movie setting, but I could read this in the dark" kind of scary. The jumpscares would work wonders on the silver screen.

How the ghosts work in this book is also a brilliant exploration of how traumatic events stick with you. Literally.

I will continue to recommend these books to those already reading the series, but also to anyone wanting a quick horror novella.

Giving this 4 stars, I'm already looking forward to the next entry.

I received an ARC of this book from the author, RDS Publishing, and Netgalley. This review is my own.

Bottling His Ghosts is a breathtaking work of Gothic horror. Newly widowed Netta returns home to find that all is not as it should be with her cousin, Thorn. Thorn has been drinking to excess, causing his wife and daughter to leave, and Netta is determined to snap him out of it. But after confronting Thorn, Netta finds herself the target of Thorn’s quite literal ghosts.

This was a properly chilling book in the tradition the great Gothic horror writers. There’s a damsel in distress, a haunted rogue, and a supernatural specialist with two very good boys. It had everything I wanted from this book.

And like the best stories, Bottling His Ghosts is more than that. It is a reflection on grief and grieving. Yes, the tale is about a widow dealing with the death of her husband and having to adjust to his loss, but that’s just the surface. It is about how we respond to those who are grieving and how those responses, however well intentioned, can make things worse. It also forces us to reckon with the consequences of not allowing the space and time to feel that grief. I’m glad to have had the opportunity to read this story.

My synopsis: Set in the Victorian era, Henrietta also known as Netta is a young woman going through tremendous grief after her husband tragically passes in a work accident, leaving her widowed. Netta returns home to Daunderhead, and finds out that her close cousin Thorn (whom she sees more as a sibling) has succumb to alcohol to the point of alcoholism and has l for some time, but no one knows why. He has a loving wife, young daughter and a great job as a coroner’s constable, and suddenly throws it all away. Netta takes on the responsibility to help Thorn in hopes of understanding what happened, and help him see the light again.

“Hell had come to Daunderhead, and it had me squarely in its sights.”
“You do not need to carry this burden alone. I am here. I have always been here.”

My review: I really enjoyed the atmospheric writing, description of the ghosts in this book and the illustration of how different people deal with grief differently. I liked both Eudora and Netta as characters, especially Netta as she was brave and deeply caring but I wish I knew more about her. I understand it’s a novella, but maybe 20 more pages getting to know the characters, as this is the first book I’ve read by this author so felt it lacked character development. I also think the ending happened too quickly, I wish it slowed down as I had to re-read it as was confused how everything was concluded.

Grief, despondency, and alcoholism mix together to wake the dead in S.H. Cooper's Victorian gothic, Bottling His Ghosts. Smartly told through the eyes of widowed Henrietta, who returns home to her family estate to find her cousin in dire straits, Cooper concocts a wicked cocktail of hauntings with plenty of spirited ghost action. The end result is potent and heady, best paired with a smooth dram.

Bottling His Ghosts by S.H. Cooper is a haunting, atmospheric tale that blends grief, guilt, and the supernatural in a way that lingers. The writing is sharp and evocative, with a slow, creeping sense of dread that builds beautifully. The emotional undercurrent hits hard, and the characters feel grounded even as the story veers into eerie territory. A few moments felt a little too quiet, but overall, it’s a chilling, thoughtful read that sticks with you long after the final page.

Bottling His Ghosts is a novella in the Selected Papers From the Consortium for Anomalous Phenomenon series.
Henrietta is a grieving young widow who returns home to her family at Daunderhead Hall. Instead of the comfort she expected, she finds her parents tormented by their concern for Thorne, the nephew they raised as a son. Leaving a good job as a coroner's constable, he has brought his wife and daughter to live in one of the family's decaying cottages while he drinks himself into an alcoholic stupor. Henrietta is determined to figure out the cause of her cousin's degradation and help overcome it.
Bottling His Ghosts is a ghost story set in Victorian England. The author depicts the ghosts and their effect on the living vividly. The problem I had is that the novella form is too brief to allow for the characters' development but it is also too long to sustain the the impact that a good short story could have.
I requested this title based on the description, not realizing that it was part of a series of novellas.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Raw Dog Screaming Press for the opportunity to access a free advance copy of this novella in exchange for my honest opinion.

DNF at 22%
The prose/writing style is just really dry and not working for me at all. I've been bored from the beginning, and I kept checking that percentage in the corner every time I clicked to the next page hoping I would be much further along than I actually was. I keep waiting for something to happen, but nothing really does. This just isn't the story for me

<I>Bottling His Ghosts</I> by S.H. Cooper is a tidy little tale with a tight plot and a brisk pace, part of the <I>Selected Papers from the Consortium for the Study of Anomalous Phenomena</I> line of novellas curated by R.J. Joseph. I appreciated that the story didn’t overstay its welcome. Cooper delivers a full narrative arc in under 150 pages, where many authors might have dragged it out over 300. If that had been the case, I likely wouldn’t have finished.

That said, the Regency/Victorian setting just isn’t my thing, and that preference definitely colored my experience. For readers who enjoy that era, this may land better. The theme centers around the idea that “family is a complicated, bloody beast,” but it didn’t quite hit with the emotional weight I think the author was aiming for.

Overall, a solid quick read with a clear beginning, middle, and end. It didn’t resonate with me personally, but I can see the appeal for others, especially fans of moody, compact horror grounded in historical settings.

"After a tragic accident leaves her widowed, Netta flees home to Daunderhead hoping for the space to process her grief. Instead, she finds her cousin, Thorn, once like a brother to her, swimming at the bottom of every bottle he can find. Her parents, unable to break him from his alcoholic stupor, have grown despondent and resigned to his fate; and her once beautiful childhood home has fallen into the grasp of nefarious ghosts whose goals remain unclear. Refusing to allow another tragedy to befall her family, Netta takes it upon herself to help her cousin and - hopefully - stop the hauntings."

Ghosts do love their drunks...

FYI: I received an ARC of Bottling His Ghosts by SH Cooper through NetGalley. Many thanks to the publisher for granting my request.

Bottling His Ghosts by SH Cooper is a novella that explores the ghosts we carry with us and how societal expectations determine how we’re “allowed” to grieve.

Summary
Victorian England: after the sudden death of her husband in a work accident, Netta returns to her childhood home Daunderhead. Here, she hopes to have space to process her grief.

Instead, she finds her cousin, Thorn - who was like a brother to her - has been drinking heavily and not doing much else with his time.

Can Netta help Thorn conquer his ghosts?

SH Cooper’s Bottling His Ghosts is a short novella that features a mystery surrounding ghosts.

Thoughts
So here’s the thing. Both Netta and Thorn are experiencing grief brought on by trauma. Their trauma may be different, but it’s impacting them nonetheless.

We can talk about how everyone responds to trauma differently, which is true.

But I think that with Bottling His Ghosts, Cooper was trying to make a point about how gender can influence how people are “allowed” to show their grief.

When Netta lost her husband, she was expected to display her grief. She wore black and went to stay with her parents / support network. No one batted an eye.
When Thorn experienced immense trauma, he was told to bottle up his grief. He’s told to “be a man,” to be stoic, to not show his grief.

Because Thorn is not allowed to adequately process his trauma, he turned to some self destructive behaviors. While it’s never explicitly stated, it’s very possible that Thorn is experiencing PTSD. Studies have shown that people with PTSD often turn to drugs or alcohol to self-medicate.

A Tangent / Rant
There’s often a lot of talk about the “strong female character.” It always bugs me when this term is used to describe female characters who eschew traditionally feminine traits. I mean, yes, adopt some traditionally masculine traits if you want to, but that doesn’t mean traditionally feminine traits are inferior. I would love to see more female characters (and characters of all gender identities, really) possess a mix of traditionally masculine and feminine traits. I feel like by eschewing traditionally feminine traits, you’re suggesting that these traits are inferior. This has some sexist implications.

Why the Tangent?

I wanted to make it clear where I stand. Additionally, I think that Cooper might share my opinion. In Bottling His Ghosts, Cooper demonstrates that traditionally masculine traits aren’t always superior.

A Negative
One criticism I have of Bottling His Ghosts is that I felt the end was kinda rushed. I realize Cooper set out to write a novella and that this comes with certain expectations regarding length. I don’t think Cooper needed to write a full length novel here, but I also thought Bottling His Ghosts might have benefitted from being slightly longer.

In Conclusion
Bottling His Ghosts is a novella that explores how we handle grief and how gender may play a role in how we’re “allowed” to express our grief.

Henrietta, a recently widowed young woman, heads back to her family home for a time. Once there, she realizes something is going on with her adopted brother. Everyone thinks it's a sudden bout of alcoholism, but Henrietta begins seeing things, and realizes there is something otherworldly haunting her brother. 
This was a solid little gothic ghost story about grief and family. The pacing and plot were good; the characters and setting well done. I enjoyed it a lot.

I rated it 4/5.
Thank you to NetGalley and RDS Publishing for the ARC!

Enjoy another great read in this series. Started slow, but ending up just right. Will need to read more from S H Cooper. #BottlingHisGhosts #NetGalley

*Bottling His Ghosts* by S.H. Cooper is a haunting, intimate tale that wraps its horror around grief, memory, and the quiet devastation of love lost. From the first page, it’s clear this isn’t just a ghost story—it’s an emotional excavation, a slow unraveling of a person clinging to the past in all the wrong ways.

Cooper’s writing is both lyrical and sharp, effortlessly moving between tender moments and creeping dread. The supernatural elements are chilling, yes, but they’re never just there to scare—they’re deeply tied to the emotional core of the story. Every eerie moment feels earned, each one echoing the narrator’s internal decay.

What struck me most was the vulnerability. This book doesn’t flinch away from pain or guilt—it leans into them, forcing the reader to sit with the uncomfortable truths we often bury. The atmosphere is thick with sorrow, yet somehow still beautiful in its brokenness.

*Bottling His Ghosts* lingers. It’s the kind of story that follows you into the quiet moments of your day, whispering reminders of all the things we carry, and what happens when we try to keep them too close. Heart-wrenching, eerie, and deeply human—I loved every moment.