Terror Tales of Cornwall (2017) edited by Paul Finch

Contemporary Cornish horror fiction

Readers unfamiliar with Terror Tales of Cornwall may wish to read my notes only after reading the anthology.

"We Who Sing Beneath the Ground" by Mark Morris

Stacy, a deputy head at a small village school in Cornwall, tries to uncover the mystery behind her student Adam North's strange behavior and absence.

"In the Light of St Ives" by Ray Cluley

Emily visits her sister Claire in St Ives after Claire is hospitalized for attempting to burn down her house. Emily investigates the scene of the fire and discovers that Claire has been painting everything black in an attempt to escape the "seeping colours" that haunt her.

"Trouble at Botathan" by Reggie Oliver

Roger Tregillis, a student at a summer reading party at Botathan Place in Cornwall, discovers a diary that reveals the dark secrets of the house and its former owner, Professor Bligh. He also encounters a mysterious female entity in a nearby wood. A superb story with a folk horror emphasis.