Set in the historic county of Essex, this gripping compilation includes stories of restless Vikings that still haunt their former sparring grounds; the distraught countryman of Canvey Island forever searching for his horse and cart; the mysterious haunted picture of ‘Cunning’ Murrell, the last witch doctor in England; spectres of a runaway funeral carriage; dastardly Harwich smugglers; strange wartime encounters; foul murders; weary ferrymen on storm-tossed nights; the sites of abandoned wrecks… With his flair for atmospheric storytelling, Robert Hallmann interweaves historical fact and reported ghost sightings with imaginary events to create perfect tales for reading under the covers on stormy nights. Illustrated with charcoal drawings and the author’s own eerie landscape photography, this book will enchant readers time and again.

Customer reviews:
I found this book to be a very entertaining read. Hallmann uses existing ghost stories and legends from the area and winds them into very entertaining tales. People with no prior knowledge of the area will find that no handicap at all, as the narrative creates very vibrant atmospheres. Recommended.

19 March 2009, T Church

It’s not every day that you get a book that gives a highly readable and plausable backdrop to legends and stories that have haunted small Essex villages for centuries. Robert Hallmann takes mysterious tales of strange goings on and with a gift for storytelling, weaves them into good old fashioned ghostly yarns.

17 March 2009, Essex