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This is a book of short stories, so I would think that the best way to respond would be to each one individually ... all 15 (though there is, apparently, a different version with even more stories - so it looks like I will be buying the updated copy at some point!):
"The Cancer Cowboy Rides" - This was a quite chilling and remarkably grotesque story about a living cancer, embodied in "Buddy". A truly disgusting story, it was certainly entertaining and a quite solid short story.
"Mr. Pettinger's Daemon" - A much shorter story, but no less eerie and very reminiscent of The Descent... this one would be good for expansion, as many questions to the nature of the Beast have gone unanswered. The most interesting tidbit was the reference to the cannibalism of WWI... I wonder if that is actually based on historical record.
"The Erlking" - An eerie short story that reminded me of The Book of Lost Things more than anything else he's written so far. I thought I read somewhere that this one was going to be expanded into a screenplay, that I would certainly be interested in seeing! This one is the most fairy-tale-like so far.
"The New Daughter" - Yikes... this was by far the creepiest story... and the best so far as expansion into a movie, I think. This one is my favorite so far... so creepy! I do hope that the movie is made! I would definitely see it - though I might be a bit scared to!
"The Ritual of the Bones" - Ehhh... gross, but this one wasn't as darkly enchanting as the previous two. All in all, an average scary story.
"The Furnace Room" - An interesting twist of Hear-No-Evil, See-No-Evil and Speak-No-Evil, mixed with the Fates... fun and quick, but not terribly thought provoking.
"The Witches of Underbury" - The is was a very interesting short story and it would be interesting to learn if the actual witches in that town are based on a true story.
"The Inkpot Monkey" - A "cute" scary story, focusing on the "hazards" of writer's block. More funny and quaint than creepy, but still an enjoyable story.
"The Shifting of the Sands" - The problem with these short stories is that they are so... short. They are intriguing and do have a beginning, middle and usually a rather haunting open ending, but the would be better with more detail, stronger characters... in other words, length.
"Some Children Wander By Mistake" - A clown story - yikes! Though a pretty typical scary story and not too terribly unique.
"Deep, Dark Green" - Something about this short story reminded me of a poem... there was just something oddly poetic about it.
"Miss Froom, Vampire" - What a fun little vampire story! I just love a fun vampire story - who doesn't?
"Nocturne" - A more typical ghost story - still eerie, but not anything very remarkable.
"The Wakeford Abyss" - Spiders!!! Yuck! Also reminiscent of The Descent... I wonder if Connolly has read that book...
"The Reflecting Eye" - I was surprised that this Charlie Parker story was included, though I did enjoy it and it did bridge some of the gaps around his daughter's birth. He is a very good writer, with a real talent for humourous dialogue, building suspense and inclusion of "normal" paranormal activity. The ending certainly surprised me, though some questions were left quite unanswered. It just makes me eager for the next Charlie Parker novel!!
Upon Re-Reading "The Reflecting Eye": This Charlie Parker novella, within Connolly’s Nocturnes, a collection of spooky stories, chronologically follows The White Road in the series. Fitting in with the overall collection, this one has a strong supernatural bend to it. It also includes series regulars and introduces characters who will come to play larger roles in the books to come. Samantha, Charlie and Rachel’s daughter, is born here and the enigmatic Collector makes his debut as well. Though he is certainly a darker character, I have always found the Collector to be a particularly intriguing character and it is surprising to me that this slim novella contains so much pivotal action to the overall series and the character arcs.