Don’t Go to Sleep in the Dark

Don’t Go to Sleep in the Dark (1972) was the first gathering of Celia Fremlin’s short fiction, a form in which she had published prolifically – for the likes of She, Playmen, and Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine – while building her reputation as a novelist of psychological suspense.

Female characters predominate in these tales, as does the doom-filled atmosphere that was Fremlin’s metier. She explores her familiar theme of strained mother-child relations, but she also delves into the supernatural realm as well as the psychological. As ever, her capacities for making the everyday unnerving and keeping the reader guessing are richly in evidence.

‘Here are thirteen harrowing tales by the indisputable mistress of horror.’ Chattanooga Times

‘An outstanding collection…all are well-written and all are possible and none should be read when alone in a dark house.’ Savannah Morning News