Steve Duffy is a modern master of the horror story. Hailing from the U.K., he’s fast become a favorite of mine. He’s produced several story collections and appears regularly in various Year’s Best anthologies. His short story “Rag-and-Bone Men” (see below) won The International Horror Guild award in 2000. He also won the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novelette, “Even Clean Hands Can Do Damage”, in 2015.
The Stories (Posted by publication date order):
1. “The Marsh Warden” (1997) – When Mr. Rushall decides to lodge at a hostelry known as The Marsh Warden located near Southminister, he’s surprised to find himself the only guest. While the owner proves amiable enough, Rushall’s stay is unpleasant as a disturbing smell permeates the place and the food spoils quickly. What’s behind the blight which has befallen The Marsh Warden?
2. “The Close at Chadminster” (1998) – Renovations being performed at a church during the holiday season reveals a cavity beneath the altar containing some old papers which shed light upon an ancient mystery. During Christmas Eve a mysterious dark figure begins stalking the area following the discovery. You can listen here for free: https://youtu.be/ly9B7BtE1NQ
3. “The Rag-and-Bone Men” (2000) – In the days leading up to Christmas, a Lithuanian living in London begins to notice eerie, thin figures following him in the wintery streets. He’s haunted by thoughts of twenty years previous during WWII and the horrible fate of captive Jews in Germany being taken to a place they are told is called Padernice, but it is a place which doesn’t actually exist. This is a spooky, very somber tale which is beautifully written.
4. “Old As the Hills” (2001) – While driving to offer a quote for work at a wealthy house in Wales, Rafi encounters blizzard conditions resulting in his hitting a previously wrecked car. He then pulls an unconscious priest out of the other car and takes him to a nearby church which is in the middle of some strange funeral ceremony. Finding himself stranded there with an odd collection of strangers, he learns about some terrifying hill creatures which inhabit the area and is drawn into helping them through a terrifying night.
5. “Lie Still, Sleep. Becalmed” (2007) – Three friends sailing their boat off the Welsh coast notice something moving toward them under the water in their fish-finder. They then see the body of a man floating on the water’s surface. After they pull it aboard with a hook, they are shocked to see its eyes open. The unknown man is disoriented and unable to remember what happened to him or even to perform basic tasks. They soon come to realize something is very wrong with him. This is a great, creepy tale set on the open water.
6. “In the English Rain” (2020) – The narrator of this story meets a beautiful girl named Sally at his school when she asks him about his living close to one of the Beetles, which was something he’d boasted about. In truth, the house, called Shelgrave, was purchased by John Lennon, but he never actually lived there. From this meeting, the unnamed narrator and Sally become best friends although he would have preferred a closer connection. One day when his father’s out of town, Sally insists they scale the fence and go explore the now abandoned, neighboring house. This is a superb haunted house story which really invests you in the characters and has a bizarre, chilling ending. I give it my highest recommendation!
7. “The Strathentine Imps” (2021) – Thirteen year old Amanda is forced to take care of herself and her younger brother Euan due to her wealthy, self-absorbed father’s regular forays into a drug fueled haze. They live closeted away in an old lodge in a secluded section of Scottish forestland called Strathantine. Trouble arises when a friend of her father’s named Alge (short for Algernon) comes to visit for awhile with his girlfriend. She senses Alge can’t be trusted alone with young Euan so she strives to kept a constant vigil on him. Tension is kept high in this story as Euan finds himself enraptured by flickering firelight resulting from Alge’s dark influence upon him. Things come to aclimatic supernatural crescendo in late October on Guy Fawkes Night as the local children come to the house for an annual bonfire celebration wearing Imp masks. This is an atmospheric tale of chilling supernatural menace filled with strong characterizations which highlights the struggles of Amanda’s singlehanded attempts to keep her dysfunctional family together. It would serve as a great Halloween-style story as well. Highly recommended!
8. “The Hunting Grounds” (2022) – After returning home from Afghanistan, Shay wants to leave behind everything about his former life. He begins hitchhiking to various locations to live alone in the wilderness. While riding in a semi truck through Alaska, he spies an area near the mountains which calls to him, so despite the driver’s protestations, Shay gets out. He begins hiking away from the highway, awed by the natural beauty of the place when he comes upon a perfect spot beside a lake. He’s surprised to discover an old, abandoned cabin there which he moves into. He stays there through fall, loving the solitude until a local approaches him during the onset of winter and warns of a terrible presence which appears in that area he calls “The Hunting Grounds”. He implores Shay to leave while he still can. This is a magnificent tale which makes you feel for Shay and his desire to lose himself in the quiet solitude of nature before inciting worry about his safety as a result. This story appears in issue #1 of Nightmare Abbey Magazine.
9. “La Nina Atardecer” (2022) – While driving through Mexico in his sports car, a man takes on an attractive hitchhiker dressed in white. She remains quiet as they go except to encourage him to keep driving. She seems intent on getting to her destination quickly and is displeased whenever he has to stop at a gas station or truck stop. She also somehow knows about upcoming accidents before they come across them. He soon begins to suspect there’s something unnatural about this woman. This is a great ghost story set on an endless stretch of open highway. This story appears in issue #2 of Nightmare Abbey Magazine.
10. “Nights of No Moon” (2023) – A boy’s life is forever altered after watching his father and brothers carrying his mother home from a small cluster of trees near their house one October evening. Some undisclosed incident occurred that night resulting in her becoming consumed by madness which worsens whenever the moon wanes. At times she seems possessed by a malignant presence. This story appears in issue #3 of Nightmare Abbey Magazine. https://www.amazon.com/Nightmare-Abbey-3-Steve-Duffy/dp/B0C6BQZ6DP
Steve’s U.S. Amazon Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00B2PB5VA/about
Steve’s U.K. Amazon Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Steve-Duffy/e/B00B2PB5VA?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_6&qid=1690849299&sr=1-6
Article by Matt Cowan
Horror Delve 
Hi Matt,
Totally agree with you about Steve Duffy. I have his collection of tales titled The Night Comes On and each tale is fabulously written and well told. Love nearly all of the tales in the collection, though if I had to pick a favourite it would be Figures on a Hillside.
Duffy’s text rests on my shelf alongside Sheila Hodgson’s The Fellow Travellers. Both books contain some of my favourite stories.
Hodgson’s work, as I’ve mentioned in these pages before, contains, alongside her own stories in the volume, those that M.R. James never actually wrote into full stories himself. These are the stories James refers to at the end of his Collected Ghost Stories in ‘Stories I have Tried to Write’.
John Connolly’s two volumes are worth mentioning. These are Nocturnes and its sequel: Night Music. Both contain some interesting and highly entertaining stories, and, likewise with the writings of Duffy and Hodgson, well told as well.
On the whole, I’d say the first volume of Connolly’s (Nocturnes) is slightly better than its sequel. Only because I seem to be able to pick more favourites from this volume than the latter.
It’s a shame these writers haven’t produced a greater output of work than they already have done. Personally, I feel there are not enough writers around covering this genre, of the calibre of Duffy and the writers I mention above, when it comes to a ghost story well told.
I always enjoy reading your write ups and recommendations. HorrorDelve is my first port of call whenever I’m seeking out new authors to read, or simply wanting to check out your comments regarding writers from the past and your selection of their best stories. I’m certainly looking forward to reading your recommendations for Duffy.
Thanks for the kind words, Gary! I really appreciate the feedback. I definitely plan to read more of Duffy’s work (the stories in this post consist of every story I’ve read of his thus far). I still need to pick up some Shelia Hodgson and John Connolly stories. I’ll keep an eye out for them.