Cover art by Ronald Clyne.

The nine stories — two of them novelettes — which comprise this collection represent the entire output of Cynthia Asquith in the genre of the weird and fantastic. Her reputation as a connoisseur of the macabre long ago established by the anthologies she edited, Cynthia Asquith has created a group of old-fashioned spectres and apparitions which will delight the aficionado.

Here are such fine tales as In a Nutshell, a striking study of poetic justice; The Corner Shop, one of the gentlest of ghost stories, and a fine example to prove that all ghosts are not malefic; The Follower, a story of horror no reader will easily forget; and The Lovely Voice, a memorable study of crime, seen through the eyes of a child.

Cynthia Asquith’s conventional English settings, her simple, direct style, combined with a vivid sense of the dramatic, and a strong story-sense all contribute to the effectiveness of these tales of the supernatural.

This Mortal Coil is the first collection of her stories to be published anywhere.

Contents:
• "In a Nutshell"
• "The White Moth"
• "The Corner Shop"
• "God Grante That She Lye Stille"
• "The Playfellow"
• "The Nurse Never Told"
• "The Lovely Voice"
• "The First Night"
• "The Follower"