{"id":6825,"date":"2020-12-19T15:44:54","date_gmt":"2020-12-19T15:44:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.horrifiedmagazine.co.uk\/?p=6825"},"modified":"2023-01-03T13:38:22","modified_gmt":"2023-01-03T13:38:22","slug":"in-a-deep-dark-december","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.horrifiedmagazine.co.uk\/archive\/in-a-deep-dark-december\/","title":{"rendered":"In A Deep, Dark December &#8211; a review"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"6825\" class=\"elementor elementor-6825\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-be0cdc8 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"be0cdc8\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4e41313\" data-id=\"4e41313\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-df50587 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"df50587\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">In A Deep, Dark December<\/h1>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-73d8a9b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"73d8a9b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">reviewed by William Brown<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a8ae5cb elementor-drop-cap-yes elementor-drop-cap-view-default elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a8ae5cb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;drop_cap&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>M<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><b>y girlfriend doesn\u2019t get Christmas horror.<\/b> My partner in the macabre for the rest of the year, our tastes diverge dramatically during the festive season; I have to tolerate repeated screenings of\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Elf<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">,\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Santa Clause<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, and\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It\u2019s A Wonderful Life<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. Hell, I even have a bit of a soft spot for\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Love, Actually<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. But my year-round craving for horror only seems to increase once the nights draw in and the decorations go up. Give me\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Better Watch Out<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">,\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Krampus<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">,\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Dead End<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. I\u2019d have\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Black Christmas\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">playing while we ate Christmas dinner if I was allowed&#8230; I mean, doesn\u2019t snow just look so much better when it\u2019s sprayed with blood?<\/span><\/p><p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Paul Finch shares my proclivity. He\u2019s an author after my own heart: \u201cI seem to have written an awful lot of Christmas scare-fare over the years\u201d, he wrote on his\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/paulfinch-writer.blogspot.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Walking in the Dark<\/span><\/em><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0blog last Christmas, gifting another snow-encrusted and blood-soaked seasonal horror tale to his fans. \u201cI\u2019m not sure why I so love this combination of Christmas joy and ghostly chiller&#8230; But suffice to say that this is a sacred time of year.\u201d He speaks of \u201cthe mysterious Yuletide aura\u201d \u2013 a quality that\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In A Deep, Dark December<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, his latest collection of \u201cfive festive chillers\u201d, possesses in spades.<\/span><\/p><p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">This is gourmet Christmas horror, as lovingly crafted as the toys Santa used to make before he sold his soul to the tech giants. Each story perfectly nails the conflicts inherent in the season: between the glamour of the lights twinkling within every home and the icy darkness swirling without; between the modern Christmas promulgated by Dickens\u2019\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A Christmas Carol<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0and the darker, pre-Christian beliefs and rituals underlying it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">There are no weak stories here, but these are my picks:\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u2018<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Christmas Tales<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u2019 is a gleeful, darkly comic little opener with a plot reminiscent of\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Home Alone<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, as two hapless burglars attempt to strike a particularly bountiful-looking house on Christmas Eve. Like Hank and Marv, they get more than they bargained for \u2013 but there\u2019s something a whole lot more sinister than a prepubescent Macaulay Culkin waiting for them inside.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u2018<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Midnight Service<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u2019 is my favourite in the collection. A man (and it\u2019s invariably men that come a cropper in Finch\u2019s stories, it has to be said) is stranded on Christmas Eve in an unknown town. Stumbling into the local church to ask for directions, the vicar \u2013 creepier than Reverend Henry Kane in\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Poltergeist II<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0\u2013 offers him a bed for the night. All he has to do in return is play the role of the \u201cDerby Ram\u201d in the church\u2019s annual miracle play, which is to be performed that very night before an audience of \u2013 as his sinister host puts it \u2013 \u201cthe orphans\u201d. Again, the denouement is no great surprise, but the climax is guaranteed to make your flesh crawl. It put me in mind of Clive Barker\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Books of Blood<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">: it\u2019s that damn good.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Finch saves the thriller-chiller novella \u2018<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Killing Ground<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u2019 for last. Husband and wife Ruth and Alec Whitchurch (former police officers now working as a private investigative duo) are hired by Hollywood megastar Mark Duvalier to investigate the \u201cone hell of a ghost story\u201d attached to Killingly Hall, the Herefordshire country house where he intends to spend Christmas with his glamorous wife and wilful daughter. Fans of Finch will be aware of his fascination with Britain\u2019s dark histories and lore; he\u2019s in his element here and weaves \u2013 with an attention to detail reminiscent of M. R. James \u2013 the story of the 900-year-old curse of Baroness Morgana, a La Llorona-esque demon who preys upon children. It\u2019s a thrilling read, and there are moments of bloodcurdling terror as Ruth and Alec increasingly fear for the young daughter\u2019s safety.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Finch writes exceedingly good horror. He writes Christmas exceptionally well, too. It seems a strange thing to say of a collection of horror stories, but this book helped me find my festive cheer this year. Glowing within these tales are Christmas scenes as resplendent as any Marks and Spencer or John Lewis advert, sans the cloying musical accompaniment. \u201cIt looked charmingly festive: snow coating its roof and the encircling fir trees; icicles hanging over its windows, lamplight spilling warmly from the diamond-paned side-panel next to the front door\u201d \u2013 descriptions like this are as warming as a generous glass of Dooleys.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">But don\u2019t be deceived. The snow that falls in Finch\u2019s stories buries and isolates; the delectable feasts seduce and intoxicate; and the decorations are, in two of the stories at least, deadly.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-f0da73e elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"f0da73e\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-e3a4dad\" data-id=\"e3a4dad\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a43c4ae elementor-widget elementor-widget-author-box\" data-id=\"a43c4ae\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"author-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-author-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Perfuddled\" class=\"elementor-author-box__avatar\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.horrifiedmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/IMG_20201208_184437.jpg?fit=300%2C296&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Picture of William Brown\" loading=\"lazy\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-author-box__text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Perfuddled\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-author-box__name\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWilliam Brown\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-author-box__bio\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>William Brown has an MA in English Literature or some such. He\u2019s presently researching British fairy lore and glutting on Christmas horror movies. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2f9ec97 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2f9ec97\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4269ff9\" data-id=\"4269ff9\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-76693e3 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"76693e3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-96ee4d8 elementor-share-buttons--view-icon elementor-share-buttons--skin-framed elementor-share-buttons--shape-circle elementor-share-buttons--align-center elementor-share-buttons--color-custom elementor-grid-0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-share-buttons\" data-id=\"96ee4d8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"share-buttons.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"elementor-share-btn elementor-share-btn_facebook\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttabindex=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\taria-label=\"Share on facebook\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"fab fa-facebook\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"elementor-share-btn elementor-share-btn_twitter\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttabindex=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\taria-label=\"Share on twitter\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"fab fa-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"elementor-share-btn elementor-share-btn_linkedin\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttabindex=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\taria-label=\"Share on linkedin\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"fab fa-linkedin\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"elementor-share-btn elementor-share-btn_reddit\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttabindex=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\taria-label=\"Share on reddit\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"fab fa-reddit\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"elementor-share-btn elementor-share-btn_pocket\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttabindex=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\taria-label=\"Share on pocket\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"fab fa-get-pocket\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"elementor-share-btn elementor-share-btn_whatsapp\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttabindex=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\taria-label=\"Share on whatsapp\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"fab fa-whatsapp\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"elementor-share-btn elementor-share-btn_email\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttabindex=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\taria-label=\"Share on email\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"fas fa-envelope\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-d2c555c elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"d2c555c\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1755c56\" data-id=\"1755c56\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ee4725c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ee4725c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\">Click on the image below to purchase <strong>In A Deep, Dark December<\/strong><\/h5><p><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/37AE4FT\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-6829 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.horrifiedmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/51wwkOxfeVL-209x300.jpg?resize=209%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"In A Deep, Dark December\" width=\"209\" height=\"300\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.horrifiedmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/51wwkOxfeVL.jpg?resize=209%2C300&amp;ssl=1 209w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.horrifiedmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/51wwkOxfeVL.jpg?resize=278%2C400&amp;ssl=1 278w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.horrifiedmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/51wwkOxfeVL.jpg?w=348&amp;ssl=1 348w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 209px) 100vw, 209px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2af6ddd elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2af6ddd\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-c347bcf\" data-id=\"c347bcf\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a64a289 elementor-widget elementor-widget-wp-widget-recent-posts\" data-id=\"a64a289\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"wp-widget-recent-posts.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t<h5>Recent Posts<\/h5><nav aria-label=\"Recent Posts\">\n\t\t<ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.horrifiedmagazine.co.uk\/amicus-retrospective\/tales-from-the-crypt-1972-2\/\">Tales From The Crypt (1972)<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.horrifiedmagazine.co.uk\/amicus-retrospective\/the-people-that-time-forgot-1977\/\">The People That Time Forgot (1977)<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.horrifiedmagazine.co.uk\/amicus-retrospective\/at-the-earths-core-1976\/\">At The Earth&#8217;s Core (1976)<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.horrifiedmagazine.co.uk\/amicus-retrospective\/the-land-that-time-forgot-1974\/\">The Land That Time Forgot (1974)<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.horrifiedmagazine.co.uk\/amicus-retrospective\/madhouse-1974\/\">Madhouse (1974)<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\n\t\t<\/nav>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>William Brown reviews In A Deep, Dark December, Paul Finch\u2019s collection of dark and lovingly-crafted Christmas horror stories&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6829,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2030],"tags":[644],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.horrifiedmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/51wwkOxfeVL.jpg?fit=348%2C500&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horrifiedmagazine.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6825"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horrifiedmagazine.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horrifiedmagazine.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horrifiedmagazine.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horrifiedmagazine.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6825"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.horrifiedmagazine.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6825\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":122747,"href":"https:\/\/www.horrifiedmagazine.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6825\/revisions\/122747"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horrifiedmagazine.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6829"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horrifiedmagazine.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horrifiedmagazine.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6825"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horrifiedmagazine.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}