In ‘Gothic Tales, ‘ Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-1865), the eminent Victorian author, brings us nine chilling gothic stories. Collected here are tales that set a precedent for ghost and horror stories of the era. In ‘The Poor Clare’ a young innocent girl named Lucy is haunted by an unrelenting ghost invoked by her aging grandmother. In the novella ‘Lois the Witch’ the young Lois sails to America to join her distant family. She is greeted by a New England engulfed in the fever of the Salem witch trials. Soon all goes wrong when she is deemed one of the cursed. The reader confronts the peaks of suspense in ‘The Grey Woman’ — a terrifying psychological thriller. These among others shape this well rounded collection of one of the most respected Victorian authors. Gaskell was championed and published by Charles Dickens in his literary magazine ‘Household Words.’ Her style, vision, and delivery are seen at its best here in ‘Gothic Tales.’