The ending is horrific and terrifying but told without any graphic detail – indeed, as with the best horror, most of what the reader sees is what her own mind creates. It condensed and began gradually to assume a shape, the shape of a little child.”įirst published in 1933, when spiritualism was still at its height, the story is based on an acceptance that Simone’s powers are genuine, including her ability to generate ectoplasm and Christie is skilful enough to make even this cynic go along with the premise. A ribbon-like stream of mist was issuing from the medium’s mouth. Suddenly Madame Exe drew in her breath sharply. “The curtains of the alcove seemed to have been pulled back a little, the medium’s figure was just visible through the opening, her head fallen forward on her breast. The reader knows that something very bad is about to happen, and is left in that delicious position of inwardly screaming ‘No! No! Don’t do it!!’ Simone has a deep feeling of unease about the client, but Raoul brushes it off, making it clear he feels Simone has a duty to fulfil her promise and ought to have more womanly sympathy for the bereaved mother. She is a mistress of building suspense and in The Last Séance, we learn of Simone’s anxiety and fear through her conversations with Raoul. In The Hound of Death collection, Christie takes a break from her usual crime writing to show us that she can turn her hand just as effectively to horror writing. She has agreed, however, to hold one final séance for a mother who wants to see her dead child one last time… As the story begins we learn that Simone is about to stop giving sittings – partly because she is about to marry Raoul and partly because the séances are leaving her exhausted and ill. The spirits don’t just talk through Simone though – she has the ability to use her spiritual energy to excrete ectoplasm, giving the spirits a physical form. Madame Simone is a hugely talented medium who gives private sittings to people wishing to communicate with their dear departed. Since my own memory of it was that it scared the bejabers out of me when I first read it many years ago, it seemed that it would be just right for… Fortunately, regular commenter BigSister (who by an amazing coincidence just happens to be my big sister) reminded me a couple of weeks ago of Agatha Christie’s The Last Séance, and remarked that it was the story that put her off spiritualism for life. Muir, The 118 Ghost Bikes 120 Ghost Festival 120 Ghost Hunters 121 Ghost in the Invisible Bikini, The 122 Ghost Riders in the Sky 123 Ghost Story 124 Ghost Story for Christmas. Wilkins 110 Frighteners, The 111 Gender 113 Ghost 115 Ghost Adventures 116 Ghost and Mr. Yes, yes, I know I said it was going to be Susan Hill this week, but honestly the story turned out so dull and totally unscary that I couldn’t think of anything to say about it – misleading blurb syndrome. 1408 106 Fox Sisters 108 Freeman, Mary E.
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