It’s that time of year!

Yes, the time of pumpkins and pumpkin spice, of dark nights and the wind ripping the dying leaves from the trees, of eerie decorations popping up throughout the neighborhood and candy, of cornstalks and orange sunsets and the witching wonder of what lurks out there in the darkness.

But what to read during this magical time?

That’s always a bit of a challenge for us here at Ruined Chapel because—given our love of the season—we have to find something that really suits the mood. It has to be eerie and unsettling, without simply being an outright bloodbath. The classic ghost story; only not too classic, because after all, we know all the classics so well, they lose their element of suspense.

I’m happy to say that Walking After Midnight is exactly the type of book that fits this need. It’s a collection of short stories, each of which capture the Halloween mood. Haunted hayrides, ouija boards, dark country roads, and Shadow People all make appearances in this volume, vividly and memorably. One can almost imagine each vignette as a different caller on Ghost-to-Ghost AM, spinning their yarn as the reader, in the role of Art Bell, listens thoughtfully.

Most importantly, each story keeps that critical element of ambiguity that is vital to the best horror. Every time a story ends, we are left with questions. Different possible interpretations to mull over. This is the key to any good ghost story: there has to be some central unresolved mystery for the reader to ponder.

This is a perfect collection of stories for reading on some dark October night, when the fog is rolling in over the rooftops and the distant dogs are baying their nightly hunting song. (If that’s not happening where you live, what’s wrong with you???) This collection earns Ruined Chapel‘s Halloween-certified stamp of approval.