Chapter by Chapter features me reading one chapter of the selected book at the time and reviewing it as if I were a reviewing an episode of a TV show or an issue of a comic. There will be spoilers if you haven’t read to the point I have, and if you’ve read further I ask that you don’t spoil anything further into the book. Think of it as read-along book club.

I’ve never heard of Matthew Baugh so I can’t tell you anything about him that isn’t on his site or on his other site. The end of the story mentions that he’s written for Arkham Tales, High Seas Cthulhu, Tales of the Shadowmen, The Avenger Chronicles, all books I’ve never heard of. So let’s go in flying blind as read his addition to the Ghost Who Walks.

The Phantom of Cobtree Manor

by Matthew Baugh

This story is told from the perspective of someone other than the Phantom but not by that character, namely one Emily Cobtree who has come to claim her family home, which she will do on her next birthday. There are some shenanigans happening however, including the first scene in the story where her wineglass mysteriously explodes during a dinner party. What follows is Emily trying to solve the mystery around her; strange lights on the marsh at night, talk of ghosts of previous owners before her family, and the jungle phantom who hunts pirates.

Baugh does a good job of introducing the characters. While none are specifically pegged as the “villain” of the piece they are connected to her and the events going on. You as the reader know something is going on and someone is responsible, but while there are no clues as to whom the villain or villains are, there is also no “that’s not possible” moments when they’re revealed. It’s not a detective story so much as a mild thriller.

It’s an entertaining story, and when the Phantom does appear he is very much the Phantom as we know him. A good story to check out, something I’ve said about most of the stories thus far. We seem to be past Nazi-time, but that’s only if we assume that the stories in the book happen in chronological order. We’ll see next time.

NEXT TIME: “A Grim Certitude” by Nathan Meyer

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