Kecksies and Other Twilight Tales

Book excerpt: Marjorie Bowen is remembered primarily as a distinguished historical novelist (pseudonym of Gabrielle Margaret Vere Campbell - 1886-1952), but her vast literary legacy additionally embraces several supremely accomplished tales of terror. Miss Bowen's ruthlessly honest portrayal of human nature and masterful knowledge of period settings combine with her keen sensitivity for the macabre in a group of eerie tales that often scale the heights of starkly spectral fear. Prefaced with an introduction by the author, the stories include: "The Hidden Ape, " "Kecksies, " "Raw Material, " "The Avenging of Ann Leete, " "The Crown Derby Plate, " "The Sign-Painter and the Crystal Fishes, " "Scoured Silk, " "The Breakdown, " "One Remained Behind, " "The House by the Poppy Field, " "Florence Flannery, " and "Half Past Two."