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Book Review: Whispers in the Dark: Real-life Ghost Encounters and Indian Folklore by Sourav Rana

cover art for Whispers in the Dark by Sourav Rana

Whispers in the Dark: Real-life Ghost Encounters and Indian Folklore, by Sourav Rana

Independently published, 2026

ISBN: 979-8194194773

Available:Illustrated paperback, Kindle edition

Buy: Amazon.com

 

 

People that appear to be alive suddenly disappear; strange screams shatter the quiet; spirits wrestle with and attack their victims; dead men march in lines; and shapeshifters wreak havoc. This might sound like what to expect in the latest horror novel, but they are actually part of Sourav Rana’s creative nonfiction ebook.

 

In this spooky collection, Rana describes actual encounters with ghosts and demons in India. The stories focus on lonely rural locations that become terrifying after dark. The threat of danger or actual danger is real, and although some of the stories describe similar experiences, Rana’s brief descriptions of the victims, their situations in life, and the particulars of their environment provide background that supports the authenticity of each story.

 

In addition to the details the victims are able to provide, Rana includes interesting context. We learn about the characteristics of the rural Indian landscape, the variety of occupations there, and the superstitions and religious beliefs of the villagers. We also gain insights on the culture’s folklore.

 

Each story is very brief, usually not more than a page or two, and gets straight to the surprising events while still building some suspense and providing a compact storyline. The end of this chapbook also lists descriptive, informative definitions of Jin, The Ghost Procession, Human Spirits, Raakshas, and Betaal. According to the people in the book, it is not totally unexpected that these entities could show up in everyday life, but they were still shocking to experience.

 

It seems possible that a full-length book could be developed from this version by adding stories, expanding the types of encounters, and perhaps by grouping them and adding more specific information about Indian mythology and Hinduism, with more detailed explanations. It would also be fascinating to find out how prevalent these stories are, if they tend to be connected only to specific parts of India, and if there has been any scientific evidence collected on these occurrences.

 

One thing is for certain, lives are changed when these ordinary people come face to face with what most people have only read about in mythology. They quickly decide not to be out and about after dark following these incidents, they learn that there are sacred boundaries that protect human beings from actual contact with the undead, and their mysterious adventures give credence to ancient beliefs about the thin line between the human and the supernatural.

 

 

Reviewed by Nova Hadley

Posted on October 10, 2026 by , Reply

Book Review: Uncertainties 7 edited by Carly Holmes

Cover art for Uncertainties 7 edited by Carly Holmes

Uncertainties 7 edited by Carly Holmes

Swan River Press 2024

ISBN: 0781783800506

Available: Hardcover

Buy: Swan River Press

 

This is the seventh volume in the ongoing anthology series published by the excellent Irish imprint Swan River Press, collecting “strange”, unsettling stories penned by writers from the UK, Europe and USA.

 

The first, successful, six volumes have assembled a number of noteworthy authors and editors, trying their hand at every possible subgenre of speculative fiction: ghost stories, horror tales, science fiction, fantasy and more.

 

And since it’s normal that not everything pleases everybody, I will point out the stories which, in my opinion,are the best in the present volume.

 

In the intriguing and sinister “Pond Scum” by Tyler Keevil, two brothers vacationing in Tuscany are involved in a scary paranormal experience revolving around an unusual pond. This is one of the very few cases of fiction in English  where sentences in Italian are reproduced  and spelled correctly…

 

“Sad Face”, by the prolific Mark Morris, is a disturbing, atmospheric piece where a widower searching for peace in a wild and secluded resort place ends up being literally engulfed in an unwanted embrace.

 

“The Winding of the Willows” by Steve Toase is an effective mix of horror and SF, depicting how the water of a stream brings about disease and death in a small village.

 

“The Good Old Days” by Craig Rosenberg is a kind of neat “ Twilight Zone” story, in which an Aussie man relocated to the USA has to face the past while taking a vacation back in his hometown.

 

I am looking forward to volume number 8.

 

 

Reviewed by Mario Guslandi

 

 

 

 

Posted on January 11, 2025 by , Reply

Book Review: Passing Through Veils by John Harrison

cover art for Passing Through Veils by John Harrison

 

Passing Through Veils by John Harrison

Wordfire Press, 2023

ISBN-13 : ‎ 978-1680574234

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition

Buy: Bookshop.org | Amazon.com

 

Sometimes, the best stories have the worst narrators, at least in reliability. Spending time with the character who we travel through the book with, wondering how much is accurate versus that person’s perception, makes for an intriguing read-– if written well. Passing Through Veils has been compared to Gone Girl and The Haunting of Hill House, but John Harrison has penned a novel that forges its own path in Passing Through Veils, constructed with skill and insight, into a mentally unstable mind. Harrison has plenty of experience in entertainment, from writing episodes of Creepshow, to directing Tales From the Darkside, and the horror miniseries Residue, on Netflix.

 

The novel opens with a vicious murder, witnessed only by a young boy, and is seemingly unconnected to the rest of the novel.

 

The reader is then introduced to Kathryn, once a promising star in the legal field until a complete breakdown sends her to a psychiatric ward for six months. When released, she secures a job with a friend’s firm, and purchases a townhouse with her mother. She hears music and other noises through the walls, but just as she is about to relapse, she punches through the wall – and discovers a secret room with a vanity, o ther items, and the source of the music.

 

As Kathryn investigates who used to live there, possibly the murdered woman from the scene at the beginning of the book, reality begins to unravel in front of her. Visions of a strange woman plague her, and she is having bouts of dissociation when in the house or with items left behind. She meets an intriguing man with a connection to the house and his odd brother, both who have integral roles in the story. How the story is resolved is worth the read. Recommended to fans of ghost stories and unreliable narrators-– or simply well told tales.

 

 

Reviewed by David Simms

Posted on March 13, 2024 by , Reply
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