The first three stories share a common cast of characters and general theme, and are based off of characters played in a "Call of Cthulhu" campaign. Set in the 1920's, the stories are told in through the diary entries of Natasha Collins, a professor of philosophy and religion with the ability to interact with the supernatural. Of course, nobody in her family believes her. In the first two stories, I wasn't sure if the tales were real or figments of the protagonist's imagination. The horror is very cerebral, and could be interpreted either way. But once I got into the third story, the lengthy novella September, I discovered what was really going on with Natasha. The evidence is presented subtly, and I had to reread the section to let it sink in. Sort of one of those "Did I read what I think I just read" moments. It was creepy and enlightening at the same time.
The first story, "A Candle for Imbolc," describes Natasha's investigation of the death of another professor. The second, "The Horror in the Attic," details the events around Natasha's investigation into the apparent suicide in her mother's friend's home. Both stories are well done, with just the right balance of dark atmosphere, humor, and character development to really engage the reader.
And both do a fine job setting up the events in September. In September, Natasha's sister Natalie, and archeologist who is struggling in the male-dominated field she has chosen, gets the biggest opportunity of her career when she is invited to head up an expedition into the desert outside of Cairo to locate and retrieve an artifact from the tomb of a long-forgotten pharoah. Natasha is asked to join the team due to her extensive knowledge of the religions and cultures of the area, because the sponsor wants to insure there are no problems. The story moves quickly, and really has the feel of an old pulp horror story. It's full of unique characters, witty dialogue, and some creepy and disorienting moments.
There are sixteen stories and poems in all, and they range from the quirky (the poem "A Knock at the Door") to the darkly theological (the short story "To Dine with a Demon.") Each story has a feel of its own, and if it wasn't for the fact that the author's name is on the book, you might not even realize they were all written by the same person. Dawson has a wide range as a writer, and can really present a story in such a way as to get you right into the head of the characters. My favorite piece was "A Daughter's Pride" a flash fiction piece about a family of werewolves.
As far as layout and design, it's a fiction collection, so there really isn't much to say. There is a very funny illustration between September and the rest of the book that refers to some inside joke with the gaming group, but fans of Call of Cthulhu will get the reference. The type is a little larger than the average book, but other than that it really isn't designed any different than most other fiction books.
I enjoyed this collection a great deal and recommend it to fans of the horror genre.
