A collection of twenty one short stories based on and inspired by the ghost stories and legends of South West England.  Anyone, such as myself, who has an interest in rural mythology will find this an interesting read, combining as it does fiction, folklore and actual history.  The author's passion for the people and places involved also shines clear here and the Afterword reveals the facts and inspirations behind each of the stories.  Taken purely as works of fiction, the stories lack the real chills which one would hope for and, on occasion, the motivations of the characters are unclear and their actions contrived.  This is not helped by the fact that we, as readers, are never in any doubt as to the nature of the odd people in old fashioned clothing who appear out of nowhere, robbing the book of any real mystery.  Also I have to acknowledge that a large part of what I enjoyed about this book was the fact that it's stories visit sites with which (being a Westcountry man myself) I am very familiar, adding a powerful sense of nostalgia which will be absent for any reader who hasn't visited Devon and Cornwall.  One specific element worth mentioning before I finish is the tongue-in-cheek irony evident at the end of 'Cutty Dyer', wherein a man who is terrified of trolls and has to keep telling himself out loud that they're not real, is murdered by a troll out to punish those who don't believe in his kind.  I was a little disappointed that the author's strong sense of humour (which I know from having met the man) isn't apparent elsewhere as well.

3 out of 5

'The cold white moon shone through the leafless branches of the oak as the clock, high in the tower of Cornworthy church, struck midnight.'

Then there are countless books which recount the myths, legends and ghost stories of England's south west.

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