Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Winter Spirits: Ghostly Tales for Frosty Nights by Catriona Ward, Natasha Pulley, Laura Purcell, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Bridget Collins, Jess Kidd, Andrew Michael Hurley, Stuart Turton, Imogen Hermes Gowar, Elizabeth Macneal

9 reviews

francescaminney's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Two of the stories were EXCELLENT - The Salt Miracles and Widow’s Walk. Some of the others were good and some were not so good. 
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ashleyserena's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

5.0

I'm not a horror reader, but if it's dipped in fantasy and folklore, it's a much more enticing meal to swallow. This collection of short stories ranged from making me feel mildly unsettled to prickling all over with goosebumps. Admittedly, some of the stories' endings made me more baffled than spooked, but there were quite a few that had me gripping my seat and making me think about them long after the narration had stopped. (Also, the narration was absolutely lovely, switching between a handful of absolutely excellent performers.) My favorite stories in particular were, "Inferno", "The Salt Miracles", "Widow's Walk", and "Carol of the Bells and Chains", with an honorable mention to "The Master of the House" for hitting me right in the parental guilt. And while most of these tales were centered around Christmastime, reading them in the cold of February still left me pleasurably chilled.
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foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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!
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heather_freshparchment's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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clothildev's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I read this mainly for Natasha Pulley and Bridget Collins, their stories were the spookiest for me, I was truly unwell after reading them 😅
The rest was okay, I don't think this is my vibe tbh 
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styxx's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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menagerie_of's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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nialiversuch's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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_bookbug's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Story 1: 4☆
Story 2: 3,75☆
Story 3: 3,5☆
Story 4: 4☆
Story 5: 4,25☆
Story 6: 3,5☆
Story 7: 3,75☆
Story 8: 3,75☆
Story 9: 3,75☆
Story 10: 4☆
Story 11: 3,75☆
Story 12: 3,75☆
 
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