The Dead of Penderghast Manor
Julianne Snow
Genre: horror/black comedy
Sub-genre: talking corpses
Novel, novella, short story: short story
Serial or stand alone: stand alone
Setting: non-specific rural Canada
Characters: Chester Penderghast, James Penderghast, William McShane, Holly and Rose Gideon
Synopsis: Chester Penderghast works in his father’s funeral home, preparing the recently deceased for their final internment. Ffor reasons not explained, those dead bodies still cling to the remnants of life. Much to Chester’s chagrin, these corpses talk, walk around, and essentially act as though they were not dead. Ah, but they only do so in his solitary presence. This has caused no small share of problems for poor Chester. However, much to his dismay, a bigger problem is about to arrive at Penderghast Manor…..the corpse(s) of conjoined twins Holly and Rose. They have a unique final wish, with some dark and humorous consequences.
Thoughts: Judging from the title one would assume this was another tale of ghosts in the attic of the boarded-up house at the end of the overgrown drive. These “ghosts” are in the basement, and the house is a funeral home. And they only show themselves to one person: Chester Penderghast. This is a funny, well-written, quick read. The story is an unexpected comedy trip into the machinations of the recently dead, who drag hapless Chester along during their final cognitive moments. From the lewd William McShane, to the bizarre request of the conjoined twins, to the sudden “understanding” of Chester’s father, James, the story is unpredictable and quite humorous.
About the author: A member of the Horror Writers Association, Julianne Snow’s work has appeared in numerous anthologies and publications. Her longer works include Days with the Undead and The Carnival 13.
Links
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Penderghast-Manor-Julianne-Snow-ebook/dp/B00J7R2M4Y/
Website: http://dayswiththeundead.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JulianneSnowAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CdnZmbiRytr