The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women (Mammoth Books)

Marie O’Regan is a British Fantasy Award-nominated horror and dark fantasy writer and editor. She has served as the Chair of the British Fantasy Society, and has at times edited both their publications, Dark Horizons and Prism. In September 2009, Simon & Schuster’s Pocket Books imprint published her anthology (co-edited with Paul Kane) Hellbound Hearts, a collection of short stories based on the original novella The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker that inspired the movie Hellraiser. Marie lives in Derbyshire, England.

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The Mammoth Book of

Ghost Stories

by Women

Edited by

MARIE O’REGAN

Constable & Robinson Ltd

55–56 Russell Square

London WC1B 4HP

www.constablerobinson.com

Copyright © Marie O’Regan, 2012 (unless otherwise stated)

For Jen, who loves the spooky stuff

Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction Marie O’Regan

Field of the Dead Kim Lakin-Smith

Collect Call Sarah Pinborough

Dead Flowers by a Roadside Kelley Armstrong

The Shadow in the Corner Mary Elizabeth Braddon

The Madam of the Narrow Houses Caitlin R. Kiernan

The Lost Ghost Mary E. Wilkins-Freeman

The Ninth Witch Sarah Langan

Sister, Shhh . . . Elizabeth Massie

The Fifth Bedroom Alex Bell

Scairt Alison Littlewood

Seeing Nancy Nina Allan

The Third Person Lisa Tuttle

Freeze Out Nancy Holder

Return Yvonne Navarro

Let Loose Mary Cholmondeley

Another One in from the Cold Marion Arnott

My Moira Lilith Saintcrow

Forget Us Not Nancy Kilpatrick

Front Row Rider Muriel Gray

God Grant That She Lye Still Cynthia Asquith

The Phantom Coach Amelia B. Edwards

The Old Nurse’s Story Elizabeth Gaskell

Among the Shoals Forever Gail Z. Martin

Afterward Edith Wharton

A Silver Music Gaie Sebold

Biographies