Ray Russell, Unholy Trinity

Ray Russell, Unholy Trinity - First published back in 1964, Ray Russell's 'Unholy Trinity' brings you three short stories of a reasonable length that hark back to the dark years of the gothic and exist somewhere between homage and pastiche.

The first short story is 'Sanguinarius', a reworking of the tale of Countess Elizabeth Bathory who was the 16th century Hungarian aristocrat who became one of history's most notorious mass murderers. The tale is told from her perspective, taking on a breath of defense for her bloody actions. Russell attempts to write the story in a 16th century style, giving an historical and credible atmosphere to the story. The writing is still easy to follow with its contemporary twist added to the text.

The next story of the trio is 'Sardonicus', in which a wealthy Polish man's face is frozen into a horrifying grin akin to that of the 'risus sardonicus' found in extreme cases of lockjaw. The tale is told by the English doctor who is summoned to try some rather radical treatments to cure the chronic affliction. The story twists and turns to a creepy conclusion, as the darkly atmospheric location takes its toll on our poor hero. This short was later to be filmed in 1961 by William Castle as 'Mr. Sardonicus', in which Russell himself adapted the story for the screenplay.

The final tale to the trilogy is 'Sagittarius', which weaves a traditional style horror story taking on the tale of Gilles de Rais as a creepy psychopath. The story weaves in plots from Jekyll and Hyde, Jack The Ripper and the Theatre du Grand Guignol, to form an involved and spectacular story. This one is by far my favorite, as it offers up some unpredictable twists throughout the short, delivering an enjoyable and entertaining horror fan's dream.

The book is a mere 144 pages, but is an absolute pleasure to read. Well worth picking up, it is a book you'll think back to for years to come.