An Unkindness of Shadows

The Strange Encounters of Justin Margrave 

Author: John Linwood Grant 

Publisher: Lethe Press 

A Horror Book Review by James Bennett

“Disbelief has its place, but sometimes it’s no more than a luxury, one which not all of us can afford.”

Dark indie maestro John Linwood Grant returns to the fray with An Unkindness of Shadows, a new collection of short stories from Lethe Press. The ten tales gathered here revolve around the unlikely figure of Justin Margrave, an ageing London art dealer and critic with a reluctant eye for the uncanny. Cultured, portly and curiously streetwise, the character quickly draws one into his strange adventures with clever nods to classic and literary horror. When appraised of a haunted painting, Margrave is moved to assist his gallery owner friend, Marcus, and thus begins a sequence of paranormal yarns, all told within the bridging leitmotif of an unseen world. It’s a narrative conceit that works with aplomb as the eloquent (and often witty) Margrave becomes his own raconteur, adding depth and drive to his presence. There’s an anchor to these mostly standalone tales, elevating the collection to a cohesive and compelling denouement, another nice touch.

An Unkindness of Shadows makes for a fitting title, as the mysteries on offer remain tantalisingly just out of sight, leaving the reader to decide on their veracity. Nothing in Margrave’s world feels reliable, building a sinister atmosphere with dread lurking around every decayed urban corner. Every story here – some published, some new – earns its keep with crisp prose, engaging points of interest, the odd lewd encounter and vivid renderings of 70s and 80s London (and elsewhere). In terms of the city in question, the author displays a strong sense of knowhow concerning the era, particularly the social issues facing the gay men, women and PoC of the time. The setting never dips below the authentic, the art scene and its less-than-savoury denizens stark and believable. Consider the veiled peril of The Madness of Queen George with its Poe-esque themes of vanity and revenge, told against a backdrop of rent-boy haunted King’s Cross and the Caribbean-infused occult riddle of Auntie Vi, which bookend the collection with meaningful diversity and compassion, both threaded throughout these exploits entire.

Standout stories, for this reader, arrive in the form of The Beasts of Kemberdale wherein Margrave wanders into a folk horror yarn that recalls Machen and The Wicker Man, complete withgodless masks. In The Children of Angles and Corners, perhaps the most forthright of the supernatural thrills in the book, our eponymous ‘detective’ runs into trouble via the opening of a cursed witch bottle and risks a battle with dark and ancient forces – ones that may later come back to bite him. Personal favourite (and no easy choice) is likely These Pale and Fragile Shells, an extraordinary tale of art and excess that presents a deliciously vile antagonist and maintains the spookiness right up to its violent conclusion. Elsewhere, in Elk Boys, we encounter masculine rituals under the stars caused by the possession of an unearthed relic. Through each adventure, the unusual presence of Margrave himself – kind of an indisposed Lovejoy figure with an arcane bent – lends a marked freshness to proceedings. Ultimately, Margrave’s altruism and honest self-regard amount to a jaded ‘father figure’ that readers will surely come to cherish as much as they do the chills.

It makes for a fascinating contrast against all the weirdness, of which there is plenty. An Unkindness of Shadows is a thoroughly absorbing and impressive outing that rings with the voice of a true original, and proves a terrific exhibit for an author that all lovers of the macabre should be reading. There is pathos here, and wit and tragedy. There are secrets, horrors and ghosts. In the swift time this reader reached the grace note of the last tale, one could only imagine that others will also be left hoping that Justin Margrave returns. 

A Horror Book Review by James Bennett

An Unkindness of Shadows by John Linwood Grant 

Readers will delight in the wit and danger found in art collector Justin Margrave’s adventures in 1970s England. Whether the threat is folk horror or something from another dimension trying to slip through the cracks, Margrave deals with each situation with style and aplomb. 

Paperback, 256 pages

Cover and interior design by Jeremy John Parker

Purchase a copy of An Unkindness of Shadows by John Linwood Grant  direct from Lethe Press here

James Bennett

James Bennett is a British Fantasy Award winning author. Raised in Sussex and South Africa, his short fiction has appeared internationally. His acclaimed debut Chasing Embers came out in 2016, the first of his Ben Garston novels. Other works include the well-received The Book of Queer Saints and his latest stories can be found in The Dark, BFS Horizons and Occult Detective. James lives in the South of Spain where he’s working on a new novel. Feel free to follow him on Bluesky: @jamesbennett.bsky.social

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