Whispers in the Night

The introduction to this new collection from Copper (The Black Death) cites his extensive experience writing everything from hard-boiled detective thrillers to dark fantasy to gothic horror. The following five stories and three novellas (eight of them original, three published before but only in Copper's homeland of Britain) are, indeed, eclectic. In ""Better Dead,"" a man obsessed with old films meets his end at his cheating wife's hand. ""Riding the Chariot"" and ""Final Destination"" likewise address obsessions that lead to tragedy. The Lovecraftian narrative ""Reader, I Buried Him"" details the downfall of an isolated research station threatened by a mysterious blood-sucking murderer. ""One for the Pot"" delivers a twist ending for an elderly woman who occasionally enjoys poisoning her guests' teacups. ""The Grass,"" regarding a hunt for lost diamonds, is a tale as grim as the WWII era during which it was written. The most effective entry is the haunting novella ""Wish You Were Here,"" wherein musty antique postcards from a distant, dead relative herald an unearthly arrival. Though most of these narratives were produced during the last two decades--that is, during the years of splatterpunk and beyond--they all exhibit a restrained air that complements well their macabre tone. Readers looking for horror with dense, highly charged atmospheres will find what they crave here. (Aug.)