“I don’t know, it gets a bit creepy sometimes. It’s a bit like one of those houses in horror films.”

107. The Strickland Demon – Jack D. Shackleford

This is exactly like reading a Hammer or Amicus or Tigon, I’m thinking Tigon right this second and the Curse of the Crimson Altar aka The Crimson Cult, movie from the late 60s early 70s. I can see that color palette in my head and also the level of sexy weirdness and style all those movies have. Especially the Curse of the Crimson Altar with the very sassy dream sequences. They even mention Dennis Wheatley novels, although those were filmed by Hammer with varying degrees of success. But that is the vibe here and it is a fun one.

Spinneys, the house with the “secret” which is also huge and maintained by minimal staff now is inherited by a newly married young couple after a car crash kills Mark’s parents, before his father could tell him “the secret,” which is super important. When they ask the staff, Bennett notes there were six dates throughout the year where they all had to leave except Mark’s father and previously his grandfather and the American wife recognizes that the dates are all witchcraft related. Clever girl, Shirley.

They enlist the help of a sexy witch who is really strong and helps them contain it for a bit and who knows exactly what scary black magician to contact about figuring out that there are rites to be performed to hold up the pact made that she doesn’t know because she’s not an evil witch. I could easily see Christopher Lee making a cameo as said scary black magician, he knew what to do. So, if you’ve seen any of the style of movies I mentioned, you know it’s all naked rites and staying in the circle if they can and trying to figure this old demonic business out in style. I will say, though, The Strickland Demon comes with the wink of a real Witch being the writer.

 

If there’s parsley in the circle, Finny might stay in it.