MR James would be proud.

This short story is based on one from a set of manuscripts discovered by MR James in the early 1920s. The manuscripts dated from 1400AD and were penned, in Latin, by a monk at Byland Abbey , Yorkshire. James transcribed several , and published them.

Now, writer and broadcaster Dan Jones has taken one of the stories and re-written it for the modern day. It tells the story of Snowball the tailor and his experiences on the ride home following a commission. On the way he encounters a raven and a dog. To say more would be to spoil the story, but sufficient to say, the tale has all the makings of a classic MR James tale, told around a table, by candlelight. The language, the atmosphere, and the imagery are spot on and really do bring a shiver to the spine.

The book opens with some lovely "woodcut" style drawings, which will add to the allure of the small format hardback the publisher has promised (hopefully in the style of the gorgeous Susan Hill volumes). I was privileged to receive a NetGalley eARC but will be rushing to buy a proper copy when it arrives.

For fans of proper supernatural stories, of MR James and Dickens. Thoroughly recommended.

4.5 Stars
This short story (about Snowball the tailor) has been adapted from the original Latin medieval text and retold here for a modern audience. It is a hugely enjoyable ghostly, ghoulish tale from Yorkshire’s Byland Abbey that’s gruesome enough to grab and hold any students’ attention. I only wish the author had ‘tailored’ more! A lovely touch to include the original Latin script at the end. Published just in time for Halloween …
My thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.