October – the spooky month; the time for chills, thrills and scares cumulating in the spookiest night of them all – Halloween! If you walk past all the Christmas stuff that is already starting to appear in the shops you will find all the spooky costumes, decorations and sweets for Halloween. While dressing up and having some Halloween fun is great, it’s even better when you snuggle up in your favourite reading nook with some spine-tingling ghost stories, stories that get the little hairs on the back of your neck standing to attention and saluting the authors of such tales. And you can’t go wrong with Haunted Tales, ghostly stories for the darkest nights, by Adam Macqueen. A collection of short stories that promises to send shivers down your spine and perfect for those who revel in the eerie atmosphere of All Hallows’ Eve.
Haunted Tales is a collection of 9 spooky ghost stories, that weren’t written for Halloween but are perfect for Halloween reading. Originally, the author would send a Haunted Tale to his family in place of a Christmas card, and now some have been put together in this spooky anthology.
Haunted Tales consists of 9 spooky tales:
- The Wrong Teletubby
- Come Quick, Danger
- The Old Folk
- Panic Room
- The Hawthorn Tree
- Multiple Occupation
- The Elf-Kin
- The Lily-White Boy
- The Gift That Keeps On Giving
The author of this chillingly spooky collection of tales is Adam Macqueen; a novelist, journalist and writer of non-fiction. For the past 20 years or so, every Christmas instead of sending greetings cards to his family he would send a Haunted Tale, a short story to chill them by the roaring fire. In Haunted Tales, we as lucky readers get to read an eclectic collection of 9 such short tales that chill, leaving a tingle racing up and down your spine and letting your imagination run wild – and all in time for Halloween.
Overall, Haunted Tales is a wonderful collection of haunting stories including a social media using ghost (I guess it’s as addictive in death as it is in life), a spooky radio transmission and the gift of life that just keeps on giving among the chilling tales that are sure to haunt readers long after they’ve turned the last page. From the unsettling to the outright terrifying, Haunted Tales is a veritable smorgasbord of the supernatural.
The stories are all very different, ensuring that no two tales feel the same, blending the past and the modern and all leave you wanting more, letting your imagination run wild and questioning what happened next. It is a seasonal treat that celebrates the art of storytelling and the enduring appeal of ghost stories.
With the darker nights and Halloween fast approaching, it’s a time when we can embrace the darker side of our imaginations, and Haunted Tales is the perfect companion for those dark, whispery nights. The short stories are quick to get through and are a testament to the skill of the author that they leave you with a chill, even in the warmest of rooms.
So, if you’re looking to indulge in the joys of spooky, spine-tingling Halloween reading, Haunted Tales by Adam Macqueen should be at the top of your list. Just remember to keep the lights on and listen out for those bumps and bangs in the attic!
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £12.99 (Hardback) / £7.99 (Kindle)
Available to buy from Amazon here.
