Carnacki: The Edinburgh Townhouse and Other Stories

Carnacki #3

by William Meikle

CARNACKI operates in shadowy occult realms, on the fringes of science, in places out of sight and out of mind of normal everyday people. But sometimes the darkness touches the lives of others in ways they cannot understand, and they find they need help - the kind of help that only Carnacki can provide. In MR. CHURCHILL'S SURPRISE and INTO THE LIGHT Carnacki is called on to help a young Winston Churchill investigate a strangely empty German U-Boat captured in the North Sea, and in dispelling something that is lingering in a London inn that was home to a club of gentlemen seeking illicit pleasures and a path to power. In FINS IN THE FOG and THE KING'S TREASURE, Carnacki again aids another Hodgson character, Captain Gault, in ridding him of a nemesis brought up from the deeps of the ocean intent on revenge, and in the salvage of a cursed treasure off the coast of Scotland. In other tales you will meet an Egyptian amulet and the thing that protects it, a photographer whose pictures contain strange developments, a very strange occurrence on a cricket field, an old Edinburgh townhouse that is much more than it seems, and much more. In these new stories, Carnacki helps old friends and new acquaintances in the never ending battle to keep the Great Beyond at bay.

Genres: Horror, Occult Detective

207 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 25, 2017

About the author

I'm a Scottish writer, now living in Canada, with more than thirty novels published in the genre press and over 300 short story credits in thirteen countries.

My work has appeared in a number of professional anthologies and I have recent short story sales to NATURE Futures and Galaxy's Edge. When I'm not writing I play guitar, drink beer and dream of fortune and glory.

For an intro to me, my writing and my accent see my Youtube channel

Reviews

[Karl]

Contents:

001 - "The Photographer's Friend "
017 - "Fins In the Fog"
031 - "The Cheyne Walk Infestation"
051 - "An Unexpected Delivery"
069 - "A Sticky Wicket"
085 - "The King's Treasure "
105 - "Mr. Churchill's Surprise"
123 - "The Edinburgh Townhouse"
153 - "A Night In the Storeroom"
173 - "Into the Light"
195 - About the author
197 - Also from Lovecraft Ezine Press




Cover by Wayne Miller

[Frank Errington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review copy

Thomas Carnacki is a fictional occult detective created by English fantasy writer William Hope Hodgson. Carnacki was the protagonist of a series of six short stories published between 1910 and 1912. These stories were printed together as Carnacki, the Ghost-Finder in 1913.

Somewhere along the way, William Meikle picked up the torch and continued the tradition begun by Hodgson more than a century ago. Carnacki - The Edinburgh Townhouse is Meikle's third such collection.

The basic formula for these stories hasn't changed in over a hundred years, yet the stories are fresh as anything being written today.

The Photographer's Friend - The tale of a studio photographer with an unusual problem. An image which appears in all of the photos he takes, potentially destroying his livelihood. " ...a bloated, gray form, almost the size of a soccer ball and hunched like a squat curmudgeonly toad, which was there in every photograph..."

Fins In the Fog - The story of a shark with revenge on its mind. Featuring Captain Gault, a pirate, of sorts, who is being chased by a shark, even on land.

The Cheyne Walk Infestation - One of Carnacki's dinner parties is attacked by creepy crawly thingies.

An Unexpected Delivery - Thomas Carnacki is questioned by Scotland Yard in the death of his old friend George Edwards as a cursed locket comes into his possession.

A Sticky Wicket - I love the title of this tale of a problem at a local cricket club where the home team seems to be at a mysterious disadvantage.

The King's Treasure - A King's treasure and a curse to boot as Carnacki's friend and pirate, Captain Gault, is once again over his head with the occult. "Aye," Gault replied. "Every time we try to make a dive. I've got blasted air giving out, lines getting fouled, anchors not taking grip on the sea bed, and suits springing mystery leaks; Any one of them I'd be able to shrug off as a minor problem, but all of them at once? It's too much to be mere happenstance.'

Mr. Churchill's Surprise - One of my favorite tales in this collection. One of Carnacki's infrequent encounters with Winston Churchill. "What you are about to see is the best kept secret in the country at the moment, and we must ensure it remains that way. Apart from my chaps on guard here, there's only ten people know of it, and you are the tenth."

The Edinburgh Townhouse - A delightful tale of a haunted townhouse with a touch of romance.

A Night In the Storeroom - What lurks in the storeroom beneath the British Museum Library? "There was another grunt, louder than ever, and a shuffle, followed by a high screech as crates were roughly shoved aside as if they were empty."

Into the Light - Winston Churchill once again calls upon the services of Thomas Carnacki. In this tale we learn that summoning a demon is one thing and controlling it is quite another.

I greatly enjoyed the storytelling which often takes place after a nice meal with friends and retiring to the library for drinks and smokes. The style is not dissimilar to that of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, even though the tales themselves are decidedly different.

Now I'm going to have to go back and read Meikle's previous Carnacki collections, Carnacki Heaven and Hell and Carnacki: The Watcher At the Gate.

Carnacki: The Edinburgh Townhouse and Other Stories in both paperback and ebook formats.

From the author's bio - William Meike is a Scottish writer, now living in Canada, with twenty novels published in the genre press and over 300 short story credits in thirteen countries. He lives in Newfoundland with whales, bald eagles, and icebergs for company and when he's not writing he drinks beer, plays guitar and dreams of fortune and glory.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining fantasy listening 🎶🔰

Another ten will written fantasy world 🌎 haunting horror ghost 👻 adventure thriller short stories by William Meikle. Each story is different with interesting well developed characters lots of action, misdirection, and violence leading to the unexpected conclusions. I would recommend this novel and author to 👍 readers of paranormal fantasy adventure mystery novels 👍🔰. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa read books 📚. 2023 😀😯😕

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 4 out of 5]

These crisp stories involve Hodgson's Edwardian ghost-hunter. But they also infuse a sharply modern spirit into them, pun intended. It makes the stories more ruthless, while snips away the pseudoscience Hodgson used to add so painfully. These stories, or adventures, as included in the book were:
1. The Photographer's Friend
2. Fins in the Fog
3. The Cheyne Walk Infestation
4. An Unexpected Delivery
5. A Sticky Wicket
6. The King's Treasure
7. Mr. Churchill's Surprise
8. The Edinburgh Townhouse
9. A Night in the Storeroom
10. Into the Light
These stories can be delightful companions not only in damp October evenings or chilly December nights, but even in this season, while the heavens open up.
Recommended.

[user · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can only hope for less Churchill in the next volume... Good stories on the whole.

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the interest of full disclosure, I read this in manuscript form prior to publication, as I was hired to paint the cover art for the book. William Meikle is a deft hand at capturing the essence of Carnacki, and, I daresay surpasses the source material. That will ruffle some purist feathers, I expect, but I call em as I seeem. Personal involvement aside, I heartily recommend this collection, and my hat is off to the author. Well done!

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old worldly feel.

A nice collection of stories to enjoy by candlelight on a dark dreary evening with a warm drink in hand.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been following William Meikle for a while, and I think his Carnacki stories are about the best thing he's done. Carnacki seems to be a perfect fit for Meikle's own voice.

[John R. Dailey Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

TALES WITH A LOT OF COLOR IT IS....

Hello, fine bunch of short stories. Ole Carnacki sure has a lot of neat equipment. Read, drink and smoke. Thanks.

[mrs susan workman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carnackie

If you like this genre then you will enjoy this book, I loved it.
I am now going to order another Carnacki before I get withdrawal symptoms.
Sit back, relax and enjoy.

[Midu Hadi · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I understand correctly, Meikle continues in the footsteps of the author who created Carnacki. Carnacki is the last hope for people who have no one to turn to. In this compilation, we meet supernatural bugs, phantom sharks, and get to peek into the world beyond the veil. Although, I'm not reviewing it in my usual way, i.e., a review for each story, I can tell you that I liked all the stories and the way they were written. The old-world feel takes you back to the time you read Poe and MR James as a kid.

The author has two other collections featuring Carnacki, and I'll be reading them for sure!

[Jennifer Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good collection of stories about Hodgson's Carnacki. Meikle really caught the mood here. Yes, it is a type of "fan fiction", but, Meikle is a fantastic writer.