My original review accidentally got deleted.
I got this book though early reviewer.
I enjoyed it. I liked some stories more than others. None of the stories are all that scary, but a lot introduced interesting stories and concepts. ( )

Well, how to review this as a whole? It was a mixed bag, really, as so many anthologies are.
Some stories I liked, enjoyed even; some I didn't like one bit, either because I didn't like the approach or feel of the tale, or they felt meaningless or nondescript to me.
A collection of ghost stories – or rather, of stories with a certain ghostly/otherworldly aspect to them. It was nice to read such different approaches to and explorations of what ghosts are and what a ghost story can be like – some were creepy; some otherworldly; some tragic; some light, funny, even; some full of loss; one fantasy/Norse mythology story was included ('The Waking of Angantyr' by Marie Brennan - fabulous).
Even a short hilarious erotica piece featuring a house spirit/sex demon (Jennifer Stevenson's 'Lideric' *thumbs up*) was included.
I don't regard it as a horror anthology (as marketed) at all, though. There's only one story that was light horror – my favorite of them, Shannon Doyle's 'Golden Spider Beetles'.

I received this book via LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program - Thanks, LT! - in exchange for an honest review. ( )

A nice variety of stories. Some were weird, some more scary than others, but all of them were great for spooky season. I enjoyed reading this book.

Well, this was certainly a variety of stories. There were some that felt like reading entries of a middle school writing contest. Others felt more like reading poorly selected excerpts of books. Some were mediocre works and others were pleasant surprises.

To expand on the above, some stories, I felt were a real reach to be considered "Ghostly Tales". Others opened in the middle of the action so to speak and ended just as abruptly, leaving me wondering what the point of the story was, as it was missing components of a well developed and written tale.

But the few gems that were scattered in the collection were well written and kept the reader engaged. The characters were compelling and their stories were interesting.
I will leave it to each reader to surmise for themselves which entries are which. ( )

Murmurs in the Dark: Thirteen Ghostly Tales delivers on its promise of being a varied collection. The stories range from humorous to a couple that hint at the gruesome. There's a broad middle ground of the moody, the mysterious, the atmospheric, and even the practical in ghostly goings on.

Even though I enjoyed most of the stories, I have a few favorites. “The Summer House: a Fable” by Chaz Brenchley had a mysterious and sensual quality that languidly sweeps the reader along during a summer house season. “Given to the Sunrise” by Dave Smeds is an atmospheric tale hinting at legends and a search for final resolution. Of the several stories treating the affairs of ghosts as a business, my favorite was “Borrowed Places” by K.E. Kimbriel that put a fun twist on the rental and hospitality business.

I expect another reader would have a different set of favorites from this competent mix. It’s just a matter of personal taste. All of the stories are well written and creatively develop novel takes on the subject of ghostly matters. ( )