Kindle Edition Amazon Amazon Amazon Melange Category:  Horror Publisher: Melange Books Type: Fiction Pages: 107 Copyright: 23rd April 2011 ISBN-13: 9781612350646 Anthology of short stories, mainly ghost and horror, some romance. Nobody ever goes upstairs in Margaret’s house. So what is making the strange thumping noises up there? And why is there a toy rabbit under the kitchen table? Margaret’s Ghost is just one of a collection of short stories consisting mainly of horror and science fiction, ranging from a classic gothic tale – Jack Trevellyn – to the Wyndhamesque Victim of Fortune, and the modern Waiting for Daddy, with its spine-chilling twist. There is also the occasional excursion into romance with A Castle in Spain and Jess’s Girl. But most of these tales take you to a place which is not quite as it seems. It’s bedtime now. Time to go upstairs. Time to take a look. Just one look. WARNING: Do not exceed the stated dose. Excerpt She reached up and switched on a hanging lamp above the table, then marched across to the door and switched off the main light. Instantly the room was plunged into near total darkness. Only the space in the middle of the table was illuminated with a deep, rosy glow. He noticed that the lamp was draped in some soft, silky material of a deep red. Behind him came a stumbling sound and a muffled curse as the old woman tripped over something on her way back to the table. After some fumbling, she resumed her seat and carefully unwrapped the object she had removed from the windowsill. It was a simple glass globe on a wooden stand, but she gazed at it reverently as if it were a holy relic. Passing her hands over the top of it several times and crooning under her breath, her face bloodied by the red light, she could have been some ancient priestess communing with her dreadful gods. Gradually, he began to get the impression that her face was under-lit, that the globe itself was giving out a milky luminescence. She closed her eyes and swayed slightly, then opened them wider than before and peered into the globe. “I can see a strange land,” she declared in a sonorous chant, her voice suddenly taking on a deep and powerful note. “It is a dreadful place, all red desert and black rocks. And it is hot.” She drew her hands back from the globe as if she could feel the heat scorching her flesh. “So hot.” She moaned. She seemed to have forgotten the presence of the young man and he leaned forward, trying to see into the globe. It remained clear and empty, bland and innocuous. “There are terrible storms here. The winds rage over the surface and rains fall on the black rocks. A terrible place.” She drew her breath in a long whistle. “The rain is poisonous. Nobody could live here. How could anyone live in this desolate place?” She lifted her eyes and looked at him, but it was clear that she wasn’t really seeing him. In a daze, she returned to the crystal. “Yet there are people here. There are buildings, and I can see people walking amongst them. I think they are people.” She uttered a low moan, closed her eyes and shuddered, then her eyes snapped open and she looked directly at him, seeing him. “You!” she cried. “You come from this place!”

Take One at Bedtime - but beware of becoming addicted!
enny Twist's collection of short stories `Take One at Bedtime' sounds like very good advice. Being greedy though, I took two...and sometimes three. They are the ideal length for a gripping bedtime read - depending on your will-power. Beautifully-crafted little cameos of life - each one completely different yet no less skilfully drawn - this collection of stories is really excellent.

From wronged housewives seeking revenge in sinister ways or to reward themselves in delightful indulgence to fascinating tales of haunting parallel dimensions or alternative universes; from heart-warming stories of love and faith to spine-chilling horror and ghostly tales. It's impossible to list them all, but thanks to Jenny Twist's scope as a storyteller, all tastes in fiction are catered for here and every reader will discover his or her favourite.

My favourites were `The Apple Tree' and `Margaret's Ghost' and my only complaint was that these were not full length novels. All the stories were thought-provoking but these two in particular drew me completely into their worlds and left me desperately wanting more.

`Antonio's Grandmother' is a delightful story of an austere, unsmiling matriarch who finally learns to smile. In `The Scam' and `Mistaken Identity' the ingenious crimes of two completely different sets of people receive their come-uppance in surprising ways. Another great favourite of mine was `The Problem with Mother' - because, of course, mother's `problem' turned out to be something rather unusual and quite wonderful.

I don't know how Jenny Twist succeeds in creating such real characters and big plots in short story format but there is no doubt in my mind that she does so extremely successfully. Her voice is strong and sure throughout and every story weaves its own little magic spell to keep the reader engrossed from the first page to the last. Would I recommend `Take One at Bedtime' - absolutely! I'd say this little collection is just what the doctor ordered.

"Take One at Bedtime"
Review: I love anthologies they were by far one of my favorite types of book to read. Those wonderful stories that are short and quick to read, yet leave you thinking afterward. "Take One at Bedtime" is by far one of the best short story anthologies I've read in a long time. The stories are not all scary, there are quite a few that are touching and leave you with a feeling of euphoria at the end. The author did a remarkable job capturing her characters and even though the stories were short you still felt the full emotion you'd get if you were reading a full length novel. This book is well worth the time one would take to read it and I highly recommend it.

Fictional Bookshelf's review
Jenny Twist is certainly a new author who has all the makings of becoming best selling author.
Take One At Bedtime is a collection of short stories/anthologies that each has their own unique plots, characters, settings, and emotions. However, it’s hard to just read one of the short stories. I sat down and read the whole book in one sitting. It was fun, thrilling and chilling in several areas. I truly loved Jenny’s writing style.

What I loved;

1. It’s several short stories so when you know you don’t have time to read a full novel you can pick one of the many wonderful stories in Take One At Bedtime and be able to feed the need to read. This collection of stories has several paranormal and contemporary elements.
2. Each story was truly different from one another so there is a wide variety.
3. The characters were amazing. Their emotions shined through each page and helped me connect to the stories extremely fast.
4. The writing style made the pages fly by in an addictive sort of way.
5. Last but not least it has several refreshing plotlines.

I give this book 5 out of 5 red crows.(blog rating system)