Storyteller, librarian and former teacher, Gail De Vos has several books on folklore under her belt and this latest collection is required reading for those with an interest in urban legends.
Gail covers a multitude of areas, with sizeable portions of her book covering supernatural legends. By charting the evolution of stories which range from the chilling to the downright humorous, we can see how certain tales were altered as they were passed from one generation to the next, mixing the ancient with the modern. For me, one of the most fascinating parts covered the famous '27 Club' where famous musicians and singers passed way before their time, and there were several fascinating theories; some of which I'd heard and one which really caught my breath.
If haunted tunnels, highway ghosts, curses generated by social media and a good few stories that have influenced motion pictures.
The only section that disappointed me just a little concerns conspiracy theories: I did hope for more comprehensive coverage of conspiracy theories. That's just me being picky though. Overall, this is a fine collection, beautifully written and offering real value for multiple reads.
