Lanyon Jones - When Dusk Comes Creeping

[dem bones]

Lanyon Jones - When Dusk Comes Creeping (William Kimber, 1985)

Venus

Preface

The Old Boy's Network
The Ferryman
The Secret Garden
Déjà Vu
House Spirit
The Ship In The Bottle
The Call Of The Piper
All Is Not As It Seems
Blurb:
Michael had always disliked spiders - ever since his prep school days. And when he took the long journey into the remote Welsh countryside to visit an all but derelict Gothic mansion at the request of its bizarre owner, The Pingle, all his old fears were to reach nightmare proportions. With reason, for his surname was Muffet.

This is the setting of one of Lanyon Jones' outstanding stories in this new collection, whose themes are suggested by rhymes and songs from the nursery. But these are far from nursery fare, for when the light goes out, and dusk comes creeping, it is not sweet dreams that follow.

As slightly murdered on publication by Ro in Ghosts & Scholars #8. Too many books on the go, nothing but NOTHING could make me start another one .... but I read the opening story anyway and, predictably, warmed to it. The Old Boy's Network. A dashed sinister affair concerning the dreadful fate which befell Victoria Sampson, the first girl to be accepted into the sixth form at Bloefield Public School. Headmaster, the late-but-won't-lie-down, Dr. Fell, eminent Victorian Churchman and notorious Black Magician.

Very fond of the cover painting.

Have sworn to lay off the rest until New Year, set it aside as a Christmas present to myself or some such tomfoolery, but if anyone would like to deliver their verdict, please do so.

[helrunar]

Michael Muffet goes to visit the Pingle at the request of its bizarre owner... was his room called "the Tuffet"?  Inquiring minds do want to know.

I doubt I'll ever get hold of the book but it does sound intriguing.  And that blurb made me laugh, which was an agreeable sensation on a dreary Saturday morning as the snow begins to fall here in New England.

cheers, H.

[Swampirella]

Thanks to your post and brief description of the first story, Dem, I just found a copy at a ridiculously low price and bought it. It'll probably arrive after Christmas but that's fine with me.

Dec. 29th

The Old Boy Network

Despite his wife's objections, Richard Sampson enrolls his step-daughter Victoria at Bloefield boarding school. Not many girls were offered places; one came down with a mysterious illness, and the other two suffered horrible accidents. After Victoria informs her step-father by phone that all letters are read before being mailed (and that she'll write something in lemon juice) he decides to find out more about the school's founder, Dr. Fell. While at the library he finds the book he needs has just been taken out by "a youngish man with sandy hair" who promises to let him have it very soon. Then the librarian suffers a fatal accident, and Victoria tells of the odd, expectant atmosphere at school, and the disappearance of some of her hair from her hairbrush....

The Ferryman

Judith's (formerly Siamese) twin Sylvia is terminally ill. Their doctor tells her about a Dr. Maddon-Smith, who's "working on a psychical research project into Post Death Experience". You see, Judith and Sylvia are telepathic and know each other's every thought and feeling.

The Secret Garden

Max and grand-daughter Samantha pay a visit to his friend and former boss David, a retired pathologist, who's moved to the country with his wife Muriel. They own a beautiful house with a garden they didn't really want. Not to worry, old, witch-like Miss Hobswynd has taken care of the beautiful rose and plant garden for many many (many) years. Her home faces the part of the old graveyard reserved for suicides, of which there've been a fair few in the last couple of decades. What can she be feeding the plants to make them grow so big and beautiful? You can see where this is going; Lanyon Jones does a fine job of providing an exciting, dramatic finale without going over the top. Well, not for me anyhow.

The Ship In A Bottle

Newlyweds James, soon to leave as a commissioned ship's medical officer, and Sarah come across an old junk shop in an unnamed Cornish seaside town. They're both very taken with an exquisitely made ship in a bottle; the elderly proprietor, a former sailor, more or less gives it to Sarah to give to James. The first night after acquiring the ship, Sarah has a nightmare of James being on that ship in a raging storm....

The Call of the Piper

Music student Henry goes back North to spend the Christmas holiday with aristocrat friend and fellow student, Malcolm. They visit an ancient burial chamber, Piper's Stump, on Malcolm's father's land, which exerts a strange influence over Henry. Is it the faint screeching of pipes that he can faintly hear? It seems nobody is allowed to excavate the stump, the reason being known only to the head of the family, the present Lord Glendower, and the heir upon maturity. A year goes by before Malcolm invites Henry to dinner before they return to the family estate for Christmas. At dinner Malcolm reveals the reason to Henry; if the Piper is disturbed, the House will fall. So guess what happens.....

All Is Not As It Seems

A very good story with a strong Jamesian flavour, in my opinion. Crispen, the narrator, has come to the fictional town of Woolminster at the invitation of his uncle, Canon Cedric, to become a choirman and teach classics after having a nervous breakdown of some sort. Odd things begin to happen right away, such as a note with a Latin inscription, found in the jacket of the previous choirman later revealed as having died in an unfortunate accident. After Crispin translates it, the note mysteriously disappears. Another note that would have been dangerous for the intended recipient to have picked up occurs later on, in a nice homage to "Casting the Runes". Soon after, Crispen starts to hear chanting late at night from the "Song School", and later sees a circle of choirboys in red gowns, with their hoods up, on several occasions. His uncle is determined to find the answer(s) to whatever is going on; too bad Crispen has, he reveals, a "weakness" (emotionally at least) for choirboys, which the sinister Rupert soon takes advantage of.
 

[dem bones]

Dec 9, 2017 14:36:12 GMT helrunar said:

Michael Muffet goes to visit the Pingle at the request of its bizarre owner... was his room called "the Tuffet"?  Inquiring minds do want to know.

Sadly not, but, almost despite itself, a likeable bizarre horror story. From his introduction, at least some of the stories were written to entertain Rev. Jones's pupils. I trust he succeeded.

Déjà Vu: Michael Muffet, a historian studying feudal societies, travels to remotest South West Wales on the surprise invitation of a reclusive landowner known only as The Pingle. Llyspingle is a huge Gothic pile, and its owner - a noted arachnologist and, apparently a keen, if mediocre taxidermist - rules his estate like some seventeenth century Baron. His charges seem none the worse for it; on the contrary, if the death records are to be believed, they are extraordinarily long-lived. Muffet grows increasingly uncomfortable in the presence of his tiny-headed, spindly limbed host and discomfiting minions. It is as though he is being spied upon at all times. Beady red eyes flicker in the dark, cobwebbed corridors, and a monstrous spider visits him in bed. Trick ending is old hat but appropriate in the circumstances as the story would fit snugly into an Amicus movie.

House Spirit: Another exclusive Boy's School (unnamed) goes "truly co-educational," admits half a dozen girls to it's halls with more to follow. Where to board them? The Housemaster opts for "the gaff," aka "the tower room," long shunned on account of the nefarious activities of his eighteenth century predecessor. Dr. Mulleneux, misanthropic practitioner of the Black Arts, was discreetly dismissed following the disappearance of five pupils ....

[Swampirella]

Dec 24, 2017 20:20:00 GMT dem bones said:

Dec 9, 2017 14:36:12 GMT helrunar said:

Michael Muffet goes to visit the Pingle at the request of its bizarre owner... was his room called "the Tuffet"?  Inquiring minds do want to know.

Sadly not, but, almost despite itself, a likeable bizarre horror story. From his introduction, at least some of the stories were written to entertain Rev. Jones's pupils. I trust he succeeded.

Déjà Vu: Michael Muffet, a historian studying feudal societies, travels to remotest South West Wales on the surprise invitation of a reclusive landowner known only as The Pingle. Llyspingle is a huge Gothic pile, and its owner - a noted arachnologist and, apparently a keen, if mediocre taxidermist - rules his estate like some seventeenth century Baron. His charges seem none the worse for it; on the contrary, if the death records are to be believed, they are extraordinarily long-lived. Muffet grows increasingly uncomfortable in the presence of his tiny-headed, spindly limbed host and discomfiting minions. It is as though he is being spied upon at all times. Beady red eyes flicker in the dark, cobwebbed corridors, and a monstrous spider visits him in bed. Trick ending is old hat but appropriate in the circumstances as the story would fit snugly into an Amicus movie.

House Spirit: Another exclusive Boy's School (unnamed) goes "truly co-educational," admits half a dozen girls to it's halls with more to follow. Where to board them? The Housemaster opts for "the gaff," aka "the tower room," long shunned on account of the nefarious activities of his eighteenth century predecessor. Dr. Mulleneux, misanthropic practitioner of the Black Arts, was discreetly dismissed following the disappearance of five pupils ....

Re: Deja Vu, you're perfectly right about the "trick ending", but I could still kill Michael myself for getting off that bus, or not getting back on before it left....

[ripper]

The stories sound familiar, so I feel I must have loaned this collection from my local library in the 80s. They had so many of this publisher's volumes on the shelves, then they seemed to disappear quite quickly, and I have hardly ever come upon any since, apart from on-line sellers' listings at scary prices.

[dem bones]

Jan 10, 2018 9:37:26 GMT ripper said:

The stories sound familiar, so I feel I must have loaned this collection from my local library in the 80s. They had so many of this publisher's volumes on the shelves, then they seemed to disappear quite quickly, and I have hardly ever come upon any since, apart from on-line sellers' listings at scary prices.

I believe the Public Libraries were Kimbers main outlet. When William Kimber died in 1991 it seems any surplus stock went to Remainder bookshops. Can well recall seeing various RCH, Mary Williams, Amy Myers, and Denys Val Baker titles piled high in various Charing X Road outlets at the time selling for 50p - £1 a time.

[helrunar]

I just read Paul Finch's review of another Lanyon Jones collection from 1979, The Seven Deadly Sins--a couple of dud tales it would seem but by and large, sounds like good cracking fun:

paulfinch-writer.blogspot.com/2020/08/terror-soon-coming-to-home-counties_25.html

Scroll way down for the review. Sadly, no copies at all available on a popular online used book vending site so if it shows up anywhere except your proverbial "car boot sale" or "charity shop," it's probably absurdly priced. 

Hel.

[Shrink Proof]

Nov 15, 2023 4:06:23 GMT helrunar said:

Scroll way down for the review. Sadly, no copies at all available on a popular online used book vending site so if it shows up anywhere except your proverbial "car boot sale" or "charity shop," it's probably absurdly priced. 

Hel.

Sadly, I've never, ever come across a Kimber book for sale in a secondhand bookshop or anywhere else. For the Ionicus covers alone I'd buy them at whatever price (within reason, obviously, even I have moments of sanity).

[𝘗rincess 𝘵uvstarr]

A Kieth Lanyon Jones story (The Ghosts of Warwick Castle) can be found in the following collection:

vaultofevil.proboards.com/thread/8541/warwick-castle-competition-ghosts-feelings

[helrunar]

Our very own Librarian Miss Scarlett did find one at a quite reasonable price somewhere. Demonstrating again her deft, extraordinary powers of astute bibliophile awareness.

cheers, Hel.

[Swampirella]

Nov 15, 2023 15:19:18 GMT helrunar said:

Our very own Librarian Miss Scarlett did find one at a quite reasonable price somewhere. Demonstrating again her deft, extraordinary powers of astute bibliophile awareness.

cheers, Hel.

Thank you, Hel, your comments are much appreciated. But even I can't find one now for under US$100 nowadays.