Book 21 of 26 books for 2024! I should be able to reach 22, maybe 23, because I can read a book every 2 days, roughly…

I was browsing my shelves for books to read that wouldn’t take that much time, and found this gem I had forgotten purchasing at all: Twelve Tales of Suspense and the Supernatural, by Davis Grubb (1965).

I don’t even remember when I bought this, but I can see why I bought it: the author is Davis Grubb, who is best known for writing the 1953 novel The Night of the Hunter that was made into an absolute classic movie by Charles Laughton in 1955. Having never read Grubb’s work before, I was curious if his short stories would live up to the power of the movie I had seen, and the answer is: not quite, but I still enjoyed the read!

The book collects stories that appeared in various magazines such as Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and Weird Tales, and it is an eclectic mix of tales, some of which are whimsical, some of which are sinisterly supernatural, and some of which are straight up tales of crime. The writing reminded me somewhat of the works of Roald Dahl, who also wandered between the strange and the horrific, and also of the classic television series Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

There are twelve stories collected in the book, and I read through all of them in only a few hours. A few representative stories, including some of the highlights for me:

• Busby’s Rat. When riverboat pilot Busby loses his legs in a boiler accident, he ends up an embittered old wharfmaster who seems to have an unnatural rapport with the huge river rats. When a suitor comes wooing his pretty daughter against his wishes, Busby vows that the union will never happen — and his allies will help him.
• One Foot in the Grave. When Henry loses his foot in an industrial accident, the doctor gives it a proper burial, with a fancy shoe and all. But why, then, does Henry feel like his foot isn’t gone? Is it possible that it might have a life of its own?
• The Man Who Stole the Moon. The most whimsical tale in the book. A young man, smitten with a young woman who recently moved to town, believes the moon is an obstacle in their possible romance and resolves to take it to her.
• Nobody’s Watching! Working as a television engineer, Jennings has accidentally discovered a way to transport more than images and sound over the airwaves. When he is wronged by the host of a popular television show, he opts to take a particularly horrific revenge.
• The Horsehair Trunk. During a particularly dangerous fever, Marius learns how to separate his spirit from his body, and later extends the talent to the point where his spirit can influence things in the physical world. When he learns his wife is planning to leave him due to his cruelty, he plans violence — but things do not always go according to plan.
• The Return of Verge Likens. When Stoney Likens is shot dead by Riley McGrath, it is ruled a case of self defense, even though Stoney had no gun. But nobody is going to go against the powerful McGrath — except Stoney’s son Verge, who vows revenge. He plans a particularly unusual revenge where Riley will know who has come for him and will suffer incredible torments before the end.

One fun thing about reading a book like this is not knowing whether a particular story will have a strange element to it or be a more conventional crime story. It adds to the unpredictability of the stories, which to Grubb’s credit have enough twists to keep the reader guessing. “Busby’s Rat,” for example, would seem to be going in one very obvious direction through its story but ends somewhere quite different. My favorite of the collection, “Nobody’s Watching!”, has a horrifying significance to its title that hits like a hammer when one reaches its terrible denouement.

Almost every story in this collection involves violence involving romantic relationships, be it jealous lovers, marital strife, or overprotective guardians. This seems to be Grubb’s preferred style of conflict, which agrees with the story of The Night of the Hunter, as well.

Would I recommend this collection to read? It wouldn’t be a strong recommendation. Though I did find a number of stories were really enjoyable and had some power to them, very few fell into the “must read” category. But if someone is looking for a fun distraction that doesn’t take too long to read, Twelve Tales will fit the bill.

PS the link I shared for the book above is to the Internet Archive, where you can check out the book to read online!