Episode 116 – House on the Marsh

Each year around this time, we share a fictional Christmas-themed ghost story. The kind of which used to be more commonly shared between friends and family while huddling around a fire on a blustery December night. This year’s story “The Crown Derby Plate” was written by Marjorie Bowen and was first published in 1931. What we really like about The Crown Derby Plate, besides it being set during the Holidays, is that it beautifully captures the sense of an isolated and eerie house in the country, where clearly something is wrong. It’s creepy, atmospheric, and gets under your skin. While the story revolves around the search for a missing china plate, the real mystery that captures our attention is the uncanny and threatening nature of the secluded home and its awful garden. So, get the kettle going, stoke the fire, and tuck yourself under a warm blanket…things are about to get chilling!