Dimensions
131 x 198 x 19mm
In 'The Body Snatcher', Fettes and Macfarlane are presented as respectable doctors intent on furthering their medical knowledge, but they also deal with criminals in obtaining corpses for research. Conveniently, they manage to square these activities with their consciences until murder is committed.
Similarly, Murdoch Soulis, in 'Thrawn Janet' is forced to confront pure evil and in so doing has his life transformed. This story is told in Scots, as is 'The Tale of Tod Lapraik' but neither is difficult to understand. 'Markheim,' too, deals with the mystery of evil , in this case the figure of the devil incarnate who is "not of the earth and not of God".
Stevenson's delight in natural description shines through all these stories, and the darkness of the night and the strength of the storm are almost characters in their own right. Within this collection can be seen Stevenson's mastery of the form of story-telling, his ability to produce vividly realised characters who are caught in human predicaments, and above all his delight in creating richly atmospheric environments.
