The Room Opposite & Other Tales by Flora M Mayor

The Room Opposite & Other Tales by Flora M Mayor: A Horror Book Review by Mario Guslandi

Solar Press 2023

Reprinted for the first time since 1935 ( when it was posthumously released) this is considered the only short story collection published by Flora M Mayor ( 1872-1932) a novelist nowadays largely forgotten. Truth be told Mayor had published an earlier collection entitled Mrs Hammond’s Children (1901) under the pen name of Mary Strafford, but apparently any trace of that book got lost.

Endorsed by no less than the great MR James The Room Opposite has now be made available again by Solar Press as an attractive volume graced by a wonderful cover picture.

The title story is an engrossing, quite dark tale, taking place mostly in a disreputable inn during a stormy night. Featuring a dying man, two doctors and a lost traveler who had taken refuge from the bad weather. A very atmospheric piece ( no pun intended) which will entertain in a disquieting way also today’s readers.

Among the other stories, the ones I’ve found more accomplished are the following:

“Fifteen Charlotte Street” a puzzling yet fascinationg piece depicting the strange events taking place in a long gone London and addressing the secrets and the power of the human mind.

“The Dead Lady”is a very entertaining gothic tale featuring various elements. A precious ring, a revenant, some unfaithful servants and a cheating husband.

“ Le Spectre de la Rose” is yet another excellent yarn, a moving and sad love story with a distinctive supernatural taste and a tragic ending.

Wholeheartedly recommended.

The Room Opposite & Other Tales by Flora M Mayor

In 1935, Longmans, Green and Co. Ltd. published The Room Opposite: And Other Tales of Mystery and Imagination by F. M. Mayor. A collection of sixteen tales that had been left unpublished at the author’s death. It was issued with a recommendation from no less eminent a critic of ghost stories than M. R. James, who wrote. ‘The stories in this volume which introduce the supernatural commend themselves to me very strongly.’ Secondhand copies of the first edition are incredibly hard to come by. And the book has never been republished… until now. This new edition contains all sixteen stories, along with a long article which originally appeared in The Queen newspaper in 1905 entitled ‘Life in a Touring Company’. This edition also includes an introduction by Gina R. Collia: ‘F. M. Mayor: Author, Actress & Champion of the Superfluous Woman’.