I recently found out that it was a Victorian tradition to read ghost stories for Christmas. And I have to say, this was the wintery collection I didn’t even know I needed for the festive season.

I can see why gothic ghost stories were popular for Christmas. They blend questions about religion and morality with bleak, dark, isolated settings in a way that encompasses the shadow side of winter.

All the stories had a historical setting that made for an atmospheric read I particularly enjoyed The Host, Inferno, A Double Thread and The Salt Miracles. The Host scared me the most and had me jumping at shadows in the night. Inferno had that Boschian style that really stuck in my brain. A Double Thread had such a gripping descent & I thought the FMC had good-character-building. The Salt Miracles I thought was the most unique and had an interesting, harrowing religious connection that had me hooked. 

Overall, I’d definitely recommend adding this one to your gothic Christmas reading list!