I suspect that I am in a minority on this book, but I quickly found the.stories here to be rather predictable and formulaic. For a quick dip in and out at Halloween, they are quite fun, but I don't think that I'll be reading more.
I have heard friends rave about the novels of this author, and they have evidently found a market that thoroughly.enjoys them. Sadly, I don't seem to be amoung them.

Six creepy stories that you probably won't want to read on your own at night! The ending of one of them actually made me gasp out loud. That was my favourite, though I didn't love all of them.

I did not realise that this book collection was linked to another series, but this did not stop my enjoyment of the short stories.

There are 6 spooky short stories that are very different to each other. The policewoman who can see death, the Professor who goes to Coruna on holiday, a twist on the cat woman, the scary ghost story set in Cornwall that was terrifying, Jocelyn the 40s bomb shell, and the creepy horror when a good woman meets a deplorable man.

The stories are creepy and the book itself is a quick read. Pull up the chair, pull down your blinds and enjoy some good old fashioned ghost stories.

The Strange Casebook is a collection of six unsettling tales narrated by characters connected with The Essex Witch Museum series. I haven’t read those books (yet) but these can easily be enjoyed as stand-alone stories perfect for a dark night.

The individual tales are varied but all carry a feeling of malice or foreboding. They are all well written but I particularly enjoyed ‘Death Becomes Her’ and ‘The House on Savage Lane’. These would both be great little reads on Halloween and the latter would make for a suitably spooky episode of ‘Inside Number 9’!

Having read the first book of the series, I was interested in seeing what these short stories held. I seem to be in the minority but I was rather disappointed. The best story was 'She Saw Three Ships'; a great story about wreckers (people who would lure ships onto rocks, murder the crew, and then plunder the cargo) which had shades of Jamaica Inn. The rest were so-so.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Oneworld Publications, for the opportunity to review an ARC.

My thanks to OneWorld Publishers for an ARC via NetGalley of this fun and spooky collection of short stories.

I am not particularly a reader of short stories, preferring novels where characters and plot are developed at a more leisurely pace. Yet I enjoyed these and they made me more determined to read The Essex Witch Museum series as soon as possible.

I was a bit concerned in advance that not having read any of the other novels that I might feel lost but the collection worked fine and provided a taster of Syd Moore’s style.

A perfect treat for Halloween!

Syd Moore's The Strange Casebook is a quick read to get you in the mood for Halloween! This collection of six short stories is fun and spooky; it also stands alone so that if you haven't read the other Strange novels, you won't lose out here.

Opinions differ on which stories in the collection are the "best." This of course depends on your preferences as a reader. If you like a longer, fully detailed story, reminiscent of a Victorian ghost or horror story, then you might enjoy "Madness in A Coruna" and "The House on Savage Lane" most, while "Snowy" might appeal to readers who like quicker, more modern-sounding reads. While I enjoy both styles, my personal favorite from the collection is "Snowy": it's a lovely take on the old cat lady stereotype and also has a bittersweet ending. I wasn't particularly enthralled with "Jocelyn's Story" simply because the narrative voice seemed forced, whereas characters' registers in other stories, like "Madness," felt more natural to the characters and stories.

"She Saw Three Ships" is a Strange story, and this is one I really liked. For me, the title is a tongue-twister, while the story itself is a nice twist on the figure of the wrecker. Plus, the setting made me want to read a Daphne du Maurier! I also enjoyed "Madness in A Coruna" which had a light Lovecraftian undertone. The title "Death Becomes Her" is a nice play on the plot of the story, although I did predict the ending fairly quickly, and thought the story was a bit abrupt.

Unfortunately, there were a lot of typological and formatting errors, but that might be because I read the Kindle version. These did impact the readability of the stories for me, since the sporadic comma usage broke up the narrative when it shouldn't have. However, the editing isn't bad enough that you won't enjoy this collection!

A spooky collection of 6 short stories each with different dark and paranormal aspects and characters with thier own eerie atmosphere.
Having not read any of the Essex Museum series by Syd Moore I was worried I would not follow along. These were easy to read regardless and having done so I'll be seeking out his other works and reading.

The imagery in each story transports the reader into the dark setting and certainly while reading every creak and groan and flicker of light had me freaked out and constantly alert.
The collection is well written with unique and interesting paranormal characters each with great spooky characteristics.
The House on Savage Lane gave me that traditional horror feel the classic horror tale with an eerily creepy atmosphere with a dark undertone to the things that go bump in the night.
As death reigns the centralised theme the stories are peculiar and wonderfully wicked each with thier own take on the horror story concept.
I really enjoyed the entirety of this collection and with Halloween impending it's the perfect book to settle in with when the thinning of the veil comences.

Thanks to Netgalley and One World publishing and Syd Moore for an ARC to review with an honest opinion.

These short stories are absolutely perfect reading for the Halloween season! I enjoyed "Snowy" and "She Saw Three Ships" the best, but each of them has eerily creepy aspects that fit right into dark rooms with low fires and creaky doors.
Grab some cocoa (and maybe a friend!) and dig into these six spooky stories before the next full moon!

Thankyou to NetGalley, Oneworld Publications, Point Blank and the author, Syd Moore, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Strange Casebook in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
This book offered six short, spooky stories. They were a good quick read. Each was well thought out and written and will keep you enthralled.
Well worth a read.

The perfect book for Halloween! A collection of short stories unusual and spooky.
The book was engaging and entertaining and I couldn't put it down.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Oneworld Publications and Netgalley for this ARC

Looking for another Halloween read for the month, I picked this up not realising it was connected to an established series by the same author – it didn’t matter one bit. Six standalone short stories are featured in this collection and they were firing on all cylinders, which I’ve found is rare in most short story collections. With memorable characters in each tale, every story takes a different approach to the paranormal and peculiar so it never feels repetitive.

Standouts were the sublime Snowy which was unexpectedly moving, and The House on Savage Lane for having a rather classical horror story feel, and giving me a dark chuckle.

This was an ARC in exchange for an honest review. With thanks to Netgalley and Oneworld Publishers

I haven't read any of the Essex Museum Mystery series by Syd Moore and was unsure what to expect from this. However, if you haven't read any, don't worry - there's no prior knowledge needed. What start off as weird, odd little tales that you have no idea where they're going, it often seems they stop abruptly, much sooner than you had anticipated - much sooner than you would expect to be able to wrap it up nicely - even for a short story. But it does end, and in most cases, there is one final line of the story that wraps things up nicely while simultaneously making you question everything and make you wonder what the hell you've been reading. Weird and, yes, definitely strange, these stories are turned on their heads to bring the wonderful and supernatural to life in just a short snippet of a story. I am definitely going to dive into more of Moore's work!

The Strange Casebook is an enjoyable collection of six paranormal and fantastical short stories, with the stories all short enough to read one in a sitting quite easily.

This is from the same world as the Essex Witch Museum Mystery series, none of which I've read, but I could still like the short stories, although I'm sure I will have missed the background of the characters in the stories, so if you have read the series, I'm sure you'll really get a kick out of them.

The Strange Casebook by Syd Moore is due to be published on 31st October, which is very appropriate, as these are quite spooky! Here's the pre-order link from Amazon!

I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and OneWorld Publications (the publishers) for this book.

Check out my GoodReads profile for more reviews.

These short stories are based on the Essex Witch Museum series and feature some of the characters that Rosie and Sam have either met or learned about in their work on the museum. This is such a fun series, who doesn’t love stories about Salem and witchcraft, and this short story compilation is a nice holdover until the next book is released

Six stories that are creepy and strange to get you in the mood for Halloween. They were all well done and I enjoyed them all. I hope to read more by Syd Moore.

A very enjoyable collection of spooky short stories. I'm not familiar with the Essex Witch Museum series, but i found lots to enjoy here and will be checking the other books out now I've discovered Syd moore!

The Strange Casebook caught my attention because it promised a collection of short stories that suited my fascinations well; the peculiar and the paranormal. Admittedly I yet to read the main Strange books, but these stories stand so perfectly alone that I didn't have a worry about whether or not I would be missing something.

Short stories collections are an inherently hit-and-miss sort of thing; some are liked, others not so liked. The Strange Casebook is no different. Jocelyn's Story was my least favourite; it felt wholly disjointed from the rest, focused on human vanity and obsession rather than what I had come to expect from the collection - the paranormal. Conversely, I enjoyed She Saw Three Ships supernatural and chilling aspects, but its length had my focus wavering.

Despite my differentiating opinions on the short stories, the one thing that they all have in common is that they are well-written. Indeed, they remain intriguing and the horror of the thriller lies within the suspense. Whilst I predicted the first twist of The House of Savage Lane quickly, the latter twist-come-cliffhanger caught me completely unawares. Yes, the stories are entrenched in the tropes of horror and thrillers, but those tropes do not weak these stories. Instead the tropes give the stories strength, as they play on our preconceived notions and fears.

Except, that is, for Snowy. This one is my favourite, and not merely because it includes cats. The second of the short stories, Snowy is perfectly placed to create a small break in the suspense and horror. Indeed, it exists without any of that and instead is a beautiful and gentle ode to love, loss and hope.

In all, The Strange Casebook is a perfectly spooky and quick short story collection to read on Halloween.

This is a collection of spooky and strange short stories with stories and characters connected to Rosie Strange and Sam in the Essex Witch Museum series. You do not need to have read the series to enjoy this selection of tales, so apt for autumn and this time of the year. In Death Becomes Her, Stacey Winters, a police officer, has been burdened with a gift from childhood, but no matter how hard she tries, death is hard to cheat. In Snowy we meet Norah and her cats, and the theme of reincarnation. In Madness in A Coruna, a semiotics academic celebrates the disintegration of his marriage to young Sheila by visiting his friend Xose, only to find himself witnessing a public suicide, encountering a strange and vindictive creature, and truly experiencing Madness in A Coruna. In She Saw Three Ships, Ethel-Rose Strange has arrived early to Cornwall, to ensure all is ready at Lilia Cottage, she insists on staying at the cottage for the night despite opposition. It is the Feast of All Angels, a night to beware of as Ethel-Rose is to discover to her horror. In Jocelyn's Story, Rita is obsessed with Betty Grable, and her legs in particular. The House of Savage Lane is a tale of horror for the innocent and good Cordelia when her path crosses that of a deplorable man. This is a short book, and none of the stories are very long, but nevertheless they manage to be scary and creepy. Perfect for this time of the year. Many thanks to Oneworld Publications for an ARC.

This collection packed a punch with it's strange and unusual tales. There's a bit of something for everyone and each story is so different from the last. My personal favourites were She Saw Three Ships & Jocelyn's Story. I won't give away any details because I think you will enjoy it more if you go in a little blind. But take it from me, you won't be disappointed