The Bone Key, Sarah Monette; Prime Books

“An unwilling foray into necromancy makes Booth attractive to the creatures who roam the darkness of the world. Ghouls, ghosts, and incubi single him out as one of their own in these ten stories.”

Robin’s Note: This collection of interconnected short stories is fueled by an old-fashioned sense of horror, built around frightening ideas and situations rather than gore or violence.  Monette has a keen sense of atmosphere, and Booth, her lead character, is an appealingly awkward lead.  Lightened by flashes of humor, Booth’s entanglements with spirits and ghouls haunt the reader long after this collection ends.  If you like horror but not gore, these stories are a great new collection to consider, and the spookiness can’t be beat.