Carnacki: Heaven and Hell
October 2025
William Meikle
Meet an Edwardian occult detective who goes where no other gentleman will dare. Nine stories and a novella take Carnacki deep into neolithic barrows and the crypts of ancient cathedrals and fight the elemental powers of darkness on his own terms in William Meikle's collection.
"The Blooded Iklwa" - A malevolent spirit is intent on blood. Can Carnacki identify the source of the attacks and stop the Zulu blade from its nightly haunting? Or will his client be forced to suffer a death of a thousand cuts?
"The Larkhill Barrow" - A pounding terror has been called out of Salisbury Plain, an ancient darkness that will haunt your dreams.
"The Sisters of Mercy" - Battle-hardened old soldiers lie sick and abed in fear for their souls. Only someone with intimate knowledge of the powers of darkness can help them.
"The Hellfire Mirror" - The rituals of an infamous club have left their mark on a mirror, leading Carnacki into a fight to stop his own home from being overrun by the forces of darkness.
"The Beast of Glamys" - Danger to the daughter of a Scottish Lord leads Carnacki to a remote castle and the uncovering of the secret behind a legend that has persisted for centuries.
"The Tomb of Pygea" - Something serpentine whispers in the dark under Admiralty Arch, and only Carnacki has the skills and the nerve to descend and to listen.
"The Lusitania" - A cruise ship is berthed in Liverpool, deserted by passengers and crew, and stuck in port until Carnacki can remove the cause of their terror, apparitions of disaster, and shipwreck
"The Haunted Oak" - Ghosts of the recent dead walk beneath its spreading boughs, and the Church needs Carnacki's expertise. But some things are best left to take their course -- natural or supernatural.
"The Shoreditch Worm" - When one of the churches of London changes its chimes, something old starts to wake. Can Carnacki stop it before it is too late?
"The Dark Island" - Carnacki uncovers a gateway to a dark realm of magic and myth, where the far future of our planet can be touched and seen if a man has the stomach for it.
Paperback
Cover and interior design by Scott Cole
This version of Carnacki seems a bit more voluble than the one I remember, but horror stories of this type generally assume a more relaxed and intellectual air than most modern ones. It's a style of writing that I appreciate, and miss. - Don D'Ammassa