Red Gloves

In this two-volume set, Fowler (Bryant & May Off the Rails) offers a banquet of dark, disquieting, and often supernatural tales to commemorate his 25 years in the horror genre. This superlative collection entertains while illuminating a number of contemporary issues. Volume I: Devilry offers a disturbing travelogue of London's communities and idiosyncrasies, from the construction of a new tram station on a plague site in "Dead Ground Zero," to modern-day ghost-busters who make a tragic discovery in "An Injustice," to a pair of young men whose attempt to create an urban legend begets consequences greater than they can imagine in "The Deceivers." Volume II: Infernal opens with "The Eleventh Day," a tale of two people trapped in a Moscow elevator that will resonate with readers long after they've moved along. The narratives are regularly enlivened by some elegant prose, and though a number of tales offer a twist ending, he is not overly reliant on a single device. Even in weaker entries like Holmes pastiche "The Adventures of Lucifer's Footprints" or the elaborate "Poison Pen," Fowler's range remains impressive. (Nov.)