IN GHOSTLY COMPANY

First published in 1921, IN GHOSTLY COMPANY is the only work of fiction by Amyas Northcote, a contemporary of M. R. James at Eton. Whether or not the acquaintance with James prompted Northcote to write his own book of ghost stories will probably never be known; but the fact remains that IN GHOSTLY COMPANY is one of the strongest collections of tales to be published during the 'golden age' of ghost stories.Montague Summers was the first to recognised Northcote's talents in the field, when he included 'Brickett Bottom' in his classic THE SUPERNATURAL OMNIBUS in 1931. The deceptively simple tale, set in the seemingly harmless English countryside, builds to a horrifying and haunting climax. No less assured is 'The Late Mrs Fowke', in which a hapless cleric discovers that his wife is dabbling in devil-worship, yet is powerless to do anything to stop it.Northcote was not, however, a one- (or two-) story wonder. As Jack Adrian argues in his afterword to this volume, IN GHOSTLY COMPANY is a 'prime collection, and one that ought to have been critically celebrated over the years.' Ash-Tree Press is pleased to be able to bring this elusive collection back into print, with an introduction by Richard Dalby, who has researched Northcote's background to provide the most extensive biography of the author available. Lovers of the classic ghost story who know of Northcote only through 'Brickett Bottom' have a rare treat awaiting them.

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