"It's strange how our perceptions of places, events, even people can be totally different from the reality. You convince yourself that something was one way and when you go back to check, it really wasn't."
-- Joseph Freeman, "A Prayer for the Morning"

The quotation above gives a feel for exactly what's going on in this collection of short stories. Add that to the seaside locations where these authors set their eerie tales, and that's why this book appeals. The back-cover blurb is also enticing, letting us know that the places we're getting ready to read about have a colorful past:
"The British Seaside -- golden sands, toffee rock, amusement arcades. But also the ghosts of better days: phantom performers who if they can't get laughs will get screams; derelict fun-parks where maniacs lurk: hideous things washed in on bitter tides..."

Editor Paul Finch also gives his readers a bonus: beyond the stories found in this collection: he has also seen fit to throw in some interesting, often arcane lore between stories. For example, in the short piece about "The Eerie Events at Castel Mare," he tells of a house built during the Victorian period where strange phenomena have been reported, giving it a reputation for being haunted. I won't say more about Castel Mare, but there are thirteen (!) of these little inserts that sent me searching online for more about each. As interesting as these are, though, there are also fourteen short stories in this book, some of which gave me an outright case of the willies and all of which made for fun reading alone during a thunderstorm.

Favorite stories here: "The Entertainment," by Ramsey Campbell and "The Poor Weather Crossings Company," by Simon Kurt Unsworth.

I understand that there is an entire series of these "terror tales" -- with this book, there are nine, I think, ranging from the Lake District up to the Scottish Highlands, even going out into the ocean! I'm so there, if this book is any indicator. As I'm fond of saying, with every anthology of short stories, I can expect some that are excellent, some that are good, and some I don't think are so hot, but as a whole, Terror Tales of the Seaside is entertaining, definitely creepy, and one I can recommend. I'm also very happy to find new authors to read! This one is really for fans who like their horror more in the cerebral zone; probably not something to read if you can't do without guts and gore. Must buy book 2. ( )