Mrs. Gaskell's Tales of Mystery and Horror

Just in time for Halloween, I stumbled upon Elizabeth Gaskell's short stories of the macabre while reading the more traditional novella "My Lady Ludlow" My Lady Ludlow and Other Stories (Oxford World's Classics). I liked them so much, I requested her "Tales of Mystery and Horror" from my local library. In short, Mrs. Gaskell switches effortlessly from her better-known Victorian works of comedy and social satire to more supernatural themes of witches and curses. Sometimes, the stories may be a bit predictable in their ultimate conclusions, but still they are thoroughly engaging in their attention to atmosphere and nuance, especially on a dark and stormy night.