The Hair Wreath and Other Stories

Girls and boys disappear; couples caught in the heat and suppressed rage of urban life are haunted by the ghosts of their own making; neighbourhoods drift in the murky atmosphere of buried emotions, where the echoes of distrust and dissonance prove that something just isn't...right. These strange stories gather and weave themselves together into a wreath of memories, rife with an atmospheric and ominous creep redolent of Shirley Jackson. This eerie collection illustrates the disconnect amongst people and the places they inhabit - the gap that allows the supernatural to flourish.

Publishers Weekly

“D in the Underworld,” in which a woman searches for her missing daughter, rises above the rest. Fans of creepy, non-gory horror will appreciate this collection. . . .”

Rover Arts Review

“[F]or the most part these stories are very finely thought through; their language is precise. And, on the whole, the emotional effects are successful. It’s a strong debut collection, marking a writer worth watching.”

Quill & Quire

“Ghosts and other mysterious forces intrude on the characters in the new collection of dark fiction from Toronto-based writer Halli Villegas. . . . On the whole, this collection proves that the most effective ghost stories are the ones that leave you with more than just questions.”

Broken Pencil

“Overall, the collection is a modern twist on urban ghost stories, weaving the idea of dark spiritual encounters with modern lifestyles always getting in the way. . . . A perfect read for a quiet night alone, in the seeming tranquility of the city.”

About the Author

Halli Villegas is a writer, editor, and the publisher of Tightrope Books. She has published two books of poetry: Red Promises (Guernica Editions, 2001) and In the Silence Absence Makes (Guernica Editions, 2004). The Hair Wreath, a collection of ghost stories, was published in 2010 by ChiZine Publications.

Reviews

News