Brand X — Christianna Brand

Eighteen short stories -- chilling, lovely, and sad -- from a modern master of the form

For days she has been terrified that the phone will ring. Whenever she picks it up, the voice is there -- breathing, cursing at her, terrifying her with words alone. Tonight, though, it isn't the phone that rings, but the doorbell. A man has come to inquire about buying her dresser, but as soon as he opens his mouth, she knows he is the man who has been tormenting her -- and they are all alone in the house.

Though best known for intricately plotted mysteries starring the brilliant Inspector Cockrill, Christianna Brand was equally adept at crafting short fiction. These eighteen tales run the gamut of genre and mood. There are stories of travel, crime, and desire -- and even a depiction of the birth of an infamous historical figure. Throughout, Brand's talent illuminates the darkness that lies coiled within daily life.