Bird of Ill Omen

Name: Bird of Ill Omen
Price: 22.99 AUD
Availability: PreOrder
ISBN: 9780712355995

The Gothic Tales of Catherine Crowe

Catherine Crowe, Ruth Heholt

$22.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

British Library
01 May 2026

Classic horror & ghost stories; Short stories; Horror

When morning broke, the ravages of this strange visitant were but too visible

graves had been opened, and the remains of the dead, frightfully torn and mutilated, lay scattered upon the earth.

A village is driven to a murderous frenzy by the wolf walking among them. In the dead of night, a sleepwalking monk reenacts a scene of violence glimpsed as a child. A lycanthropist draws closer to a monstrous truth while investigating a spate of grisly grave-robbings.

In the nineteenth century, Catherine Crowe's name was synonymous with haunting accounts of 'real' ghost stories, glimpses of the 'night side of nature' and well-wrought Gothic tales, earning her a reputation comparable to Dickens' to the Victorian readership. This new collection edited by Crowe expert Ruth Heholt features Crowe's unique, journalistic short tales of real ghost sightings alongside her Gothic stories written for popular periodicals, showcasing her singular gifts as one of the great storytellers of the Victorian era.

By: Catherine Crowe
Edited by: Ruth Heholt
Imprint: British Library
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 190mm, Width: 130mm,
ISBN: 9780712355995
ISBN 10: 0712355995
Pages: 288
Publication Date: 01 May 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Catherine Crowe (1790-1872) was a celebrated British ghost hunter and author, penning 'real' ghost stories from her own experiences and from public correspondence, as well as popular Gothic tales. Hers was a household name on par with Dickens and Thackeray during the Victorian era, though after a possible nervous breakdown during which she was found wandering the streets of Edinburgh naked, her reputation slipped, falling foul of contemporary sensibilities.