Montague Rhodes James (1862 – 1936), who wrote as M. R. James, was an English medieval scholar and provost of King's College, Cambridge (1905–1918), and of Eton College (1918–1936). He is best remembered for his ghost stories, which are regarded as among the best in the genre. James redefined the ghost story for the new century by abandoning many of the formal Gothic cliches of his predecessors and using more realistic contemporary settings. However, James's protagonists and plots tend to ...

M.R. James' classic mystery about a disappearing and reappearing hotel room, can you guess the room number?

The powerful sense of evil darkness, creepy hairy presences, cloaks, hoods, talons and tentacles pervades these classic ghost stories by M.R. James. A Cambridge scholar himself, James explored what happens when academics dabble in things they don’t understand and unleash forces of which they know nothing. The titles in Ghost Stories of an Antiquary range from witchcraft to the occult, and tap into our primal fear of things that go bump in the night. They are recognised as the best of their...

While engrossed in an ancient account of the sinister death of a student obsessed with his own hair, a man leans down to absently pet his dog - oblivious of the true nature of the creature crouching beside him. Seth's newly illustrated version of M.R. James' classic Christmas ghost story is a spooky holiday delight.

This is the unabridged audio recording of M.R. James' excellent ghost story 'The Rose Garden'. The author's stories were written with the purpose of being read aloud in the long tradition of spooky Christmas Eve tales. This highly-praised version, narrated by David Collings, is sure to scare and delight in equal measure.

The short story is often viewed as an inferior relation to the Novel. But it is an art in itself. To take a story and distil its essence into fewer pages while keeping character and plot rounded and driven is not an easy task. Many try and many fail. In this series we look at short stories from many of our most accomplished writers. Miniature masterpieces with a lot to say. In this volume we examine some of the short stories of M R James. M R James is widely regarded as THE master of the...

The short story is often viewed as an inferior relation to the Novel. But it is an art in itself. To take a story and distil its essence into fewer pages while keeping character and plot rounded and driven is not an easy task. Many try and many fail. In this series we look at short stories from many of our most accomplished writers. Miniature masterpieces with a lot to say. In this volume we examine some of the short stories of M R James. M R James is widely regarded as THE master of the g...

'Inspector Morse would appear to have a rival' - Scotland on Sunday'A perfect accompaniment to a sunny afternoon, a hammock and a glass of Pimms' - Guardian'An undiluted pleasure' - Scotsman_______________Sidney Chambers, the Vicar of Grantchester, is a thirty-two year old bachelor. Sidney is an unconventional clergyman and can go where the police cannot.Tog...

'Grantchester's answer to Alexander McCall Smith. The book brings a dollop of Midsomer Murders to the Church of England, together with a literate charm of its own' - Spectator'A perfect accompaniment to a sunny afternoon, a hammock and a glass of Pimms' - Guardian'Totally English, beautifully written, perfectly in period and wryly funny. More, please!' - Leslie Geddes Brown,Country Life...

'There is no denying the winning charm of these artfully fashioned mysteries' - Barry Forshaw, Independent'Gentle, often funny and undeniably charming' - Readers Digest'We should welcome him to the ranks of classic detectives' - Daily Mail_______________It is the 1960s and Canon Sidney Chambers is enjoying his first year of married life with his German bride Hildega...

'Delightful ... The ongoing plots bind the stories, yet each in themselves is precise ... They are a joy' - Stuart Kelly, Scotland on Sunday'All manner of nostalgic delights. Perfect reading for a sunny English garden' - Kate Saunders, Independent'The author knows the location well and has caught its dour charm and great art treasures to perfection' - Country Life_______________

_______________'If you love the TV series Grantchester, don't miss this captivating prequel. It reveals the backstory of how a young Sidney Chambers, carefree in London just before the Second World War, came to be the charming crime-fighting clergyman we know today' - Yours'Charming, clever and warm: perfect comfort food for the soul' - Joanne Harris, Daily Telegraph