This was a short and spooky read. I had actually heard of these auctions before. I think I saw it on some reality show my husband may have been watching. People bid on abandoned or unclaimed property, forgotten or left behind by their owners or sometimes just lost by baggage handlers. You never know what is inside or what you've won until you open it later. Charlie and Joey are pals who live in the same run down apartment building and attend these auctions together. Occasionally they make some money off their finds, but more often than not the suitcases and their contents just pile up in their messy apartments. After one such auction, they open an antique gramophone and some strange looking homemade records. The music is horrible and the chanting is quite unnerving, but the more they listen, the more they feel compelled to keep listening. Charlie takes a record to someone who may be able to decipher what the chanting is saying, but Joey stays holed up in his apartment with the gramophone and other records, and the more he listens the more he begins to change. Even though Charlie is a good person with a big heart, he does have a habit of being late and a bit absent minded so I'm not sure I would want to count on him in a situation where time is of the essence. Just ask his girlfriend who has often been left waiting for him, or the neighbors in his building who can hear the chanting coming from Joey's apartment and are now compelled to keep listening.
As a reader who loves both horror and historical fiction I found this ominous tale to be right up my alley.
4 out of 5 stars
I received a complimentary copy for review. ( )

I received a copy of this from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review posted on several media outlets. This is that review.

For those of us whose grand-parents had attics or basements we probably rummaged through an old case among the deflated basketballs, old baseball bats, and hat boxes. Inside were clothes, an army uniform, maybe letters, old cameras or other memorabilia from decades ago. A time capsule of family history. But those old cases were from our family and we pretty much knew what was in there before we opened them.

Now let’s say you bought or rented an old house and find an old case in the attic. This case contains items from people strange to you. You have no idea what is in there. Maybe an old wedding dress, or maybe a bunch of yellowed newspaper clippings of serial murders and a long, rusty knife underneath. Or dolls that look wrong somehow that you wished you did not know were up there. True, some boxes just contain memories. But Henry James, in “The Romance of Certain Old Clothes” tells us that some cases are time bombs and are left to do harm, to curse those that open them. The Last Case at a Baggage Auction is one of those cases.

This story is told in a classic style. The action takes place many decades ago. Even though I was alive when the story is set (1963) I have to acknowledge that it was so long ago as to be a completely different world than the one we live in today. This setting and characters from that time make this story work so much better. The story line is also classic. As with the Henry James story written over 130 years ago, or even the myth of Pandora, the finding of an old box that contains cursed items is a very old horror motif. It has been used over and over by many horror writers. Because it works.

I don’t like to give away plot when I write reviews so that is all I am going to say about this story other than you should get this novella. Run your hands over this very old box. Does it feel cold? Do you think you hear voices inside? Pick the old ornate locks and lift the lid.

5 stars. I love stories like this.
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LAST CASE AT A BAGGAGE AUCTION is a killer novella of quiet horror and it's a blast!

Set in Detroit in the sixties, Charlie and his buddy Ray make a living scrounging about, making bets, and by buying baggage at auctions. Apparently this was a thing back then. Similar to the storage lockers of today, they bid on each bag-but they aren't allowed to look inside them. After getting home with their booty, they have fun discovering what's inside. Ray goes last and opens his big case, and discovers a gramophone with some old records. Charlie and Ray listen, struggling to understand what is being said. They became uneasy with it and so did I! What were the people on the wax disc saying? Why does it make both men uncomfortable? You'll have to read this to find out!

I'm not going to get too far into the plot, but I thought these characters were deftly drawn and I could easily relate to all of them, most especially Charlie. He's not a bad guy and is struggling a little bit to find his place in life. A better friend would be hard to find.

As the tale progresses, things change drastically and in the second half we learn more about the gramophone and its owner. Towards the end, I felt a distinct cosmic horror vibe, even though this really wasn't a novella of cosmic horror. That might've just been me, but I'd be happy to discuss with you after you're done reading!

Highly recommended!

Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/34EL83b

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC of this novella in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!* ( )

This was so enjoyable, creepy, scary, thrilling and intriguing at each step. Written so beautifully with period correct verbage. There is an Asian character, the author stayed true to the time with his words. This was just one of the little details that made it such a fascinating read. The details, the history, the ambiance, all excellent. How have I never heard of this exceptional author before ?
Two gentlemen both attend an unclaimed luggage auction. One buys a case that will forever change their lives. The case contains a gramophone that has a history from Russia. Things aren't as simple as a song, and somethings just don't quit.
Omg read this novella ! ( )

Interesting horror novella set in 1960s Detroit - the author does a great job of creating time and place, without falling too heavily into description. It's a well paced story, with mounting dread and a creative approach to the haunted item trope. Overall, I really enjoyed this story, but did struggle with the use of slurs/terms that were commonly used in that era - casual racism and homophobia would have been common then, but are jarring to me as a reader. ( )