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Whistling Past the Graveyard |
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 Whistling Past the Graveyard byPeter Sellers Mosaic Press 200 pages, December 1999 ISBN 0889626758 Reviewed by Morgan Ann Adams No, this is not a novel sent from the grave written by the late British actor. This Peter Sellers is quite alive in Canada, known best for his humorous, yet macabre short stories. Whistling Past the Graveyard is a collection of some of his most intriguing work both previously published and new to this collection. Sellers has a gift for telling imaginative and shocking tales of mystery and suspense. His work has appeared in Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazines. For readers familiar with those publications, Whistling Past the Graveyard will be a perfect fit. Each story leads the reader down a tumultuous path where you know things are not as they seem. Though I continuously expected a surprise ending, I was often caught off guard by Sellers' final twist. In the title story, Mac finds himself whistling a tune he has not heard and cannot place. He begins an obsessive search for the source of this melody, only to be viewed with suspicion by those hearing him whistle. When he discovers that several victims have been stabbed to death while an off-key whistler was heard in the vicinity, Mac doubts himself and his sanity. And when he learns that all the victims look amazingly like his own fiancée, it pushes him to the brink. Though the reader is led to believe in Mac's innocence and look for guilt in any other party, I was still pleasantly surprised with the ending. Each story successfully sets itself apart from the others in setting and theme. From circus freaks with deadly cravings to creative professional killers to a murder on a Canadian oil rig, each tale stands alone happily. The darkness expressed is usually not of a sinister vein as is expected of most horror stories. Despite the often morose settings and characters, these are primarily short mysteries with quite a humorous slant. Now that takes talent. Sellers shows great talent for creating vibrant and imaginative settings. His story-telling prowess grows as the stories progress. Though I found the first few tales rich with colorful characters, I was less impressed by the predictable plots. However, I changed my mind gradually as each story improved upon the one preceding it. This had the effect of preparing my mind for his more advanced plots and writing style. Upon looking back at the collection as a whole, I enjoyed the layout and order of the stories. In Whistling Past the Graveyard, Sellers tells stories of twisted minds and tortured souls with flair and wit. His knack for the surprise ending will amuse and delight readers. |
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