Ted's Reviews > Quiet Horror

Stanley Ellin’s first short story collection, it was published in 1959 with the title Mystery Stories. Later, the title was changed to Quiet Horror - more dramatic but perhaps misleading. The collection includes ten stories, originally published between 1948 and 1956 in the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. These are not horror stories of the blood and gore type and some may find them scarcely horror stories at all. They are a mixed bag of mysteries with elements of foreboding and dread or tales of murder (actual or intended) that tend to conclude with irony or some form of poetic justice. They are very well written and cleverly constructed to hold the reader’s attention. The endings are quite diverse. Some involve retribution, others irony, and a few are unsettling, strange or inconclusive. The stories are all products of the late 1940s and early 1950s. Several reflect the social conventions and mindsets of those times, while others deal with humanity's eternal interpersonal preoccupations and vexations. I enjoyed reading this collection and found the stories entertaining but not really exceptional. This may explain why the book hasn’t been republished since 1965. (3+ stars rounded up to 4)

"The Specialty of the House"..... 4
"The Cat's Paw"........ 4
"Death on Christmas Eve"......... 3
"The Orderly World of Mr. Appleby".. 4
"Fool's Mate"....... 3
"The Best of Everything"............ 4
"The Betrayers"................. 4
"The House Party"......... 3
"Broker's Special".......... 4
"The Moment of Decision".......... 3