Surprisingly similar to Roald Dahl Short Stories, thoroughly enjoyable collection of stories. originally published "Echoes from the Macabre: Selected Stories" this edition contains the 9 stories: Don;t Look Now, The Apple Tree, The Pool, The Blue Lenses, Kiss Me Again Stranger, The Chamois, Not After Midnight, The Old Man, and The Birds. The unfortunate placement of some of the illustrations (by Helen Smithson) spoilt the surprise for some of the stories, but as they were only short stories I guess I can forgive the publisher. Entertaining quick read.
SPOILERS:
Don't Look Now: Man and wife on holiday in Venice encounter elderly clairvoyant sisters who warn them of future events, but fail to interpret the man's demise.
The Apple Tree: A widower slowly loses his battle against a tree he has grown to despise.
The Pool: a young girl becomes a woman, leaving behind her childhood fantasies.
The Blue Lenses: a woman after eye surgery sees people as they truly are, before an error from the operation is rectified
Kiss Me Again, Stranger: a young man pursues romance with a young cinema usherette, only to discover from the newspapers she is a murderess
The Chamois: a wife dutifully accompanies her husband to shoot game in Greece and slowly comes to share his enjoyment
Not After Midnight: a teacher holidays in Crete and uncovers a sinister event surrounding his fellow holiday maker
The Old Man: an observer watches a family remotely as it grows and the offspring leave home, until the son returns only to be killed by his parents
The Birds: a family protect themselves from attacking birds by boarding up their home in Devon as they listen to the news for government intervention. As the tide goes out, the birds retreat, and the family venture out to discover the destruction and death the wild birds have caused, before returning home before the tide comes in. ( )