From The Ghoul to Gothic… 72 British mystery and suspense films which collectively made a lasting impression on the psyche of a nation. Author Keith Topping examines more of the films which shaped his childhood, taking a wry and often irreverent look at their triumphs and failings, their stars, their continuity blunders and impact on the genre as a whole. Illustrated with many rare black and white photographs, this is one film guide guaranteed to raise a smile as we take you back to more memories of yesteryear.
Includes … The Ghoul; Maria Marten, or The Murder in the Red Barn; Dead of Night; Ghost Ship; Les Diaboliques; The Abominable Snowman; Cat Girl; Grip of the Strangler; Fiend Without a Face; Corridors of Blood; Model for Murder; Life in Danger; Cover Girl Killer; Hell is a City; Circus of Horrors; The Flesh and the Fiends; La Maschera del Demonio; Doctor Blood’s Coffin; Taste of Fear; The Impersonator; House of Mystery; The Innocents; Solo for Sparrow; The Old Dark House; Don’t Talk to Strange Men; Danger By My Side; Death Trap; Night of the Prowler; The Evil of Frankenstein; Where Has Poor Mickey Gone …?; Hysteria; The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb; The Collector; Devils of Darkness; Act of Murder; The Tomb of Ligeia; Face of a Stranger; The Skull; The Face of Fu Manchu; A Study in Terror; Strangler’s Web; Cul-de-Sac; The Psychopath; Theatre of Death; The Shuttered Room; It!; The Penthouse; La Residencia; The Ballad of Tam Lin; L’uccello dalle Piume di Cristallo; La Vampire Nue; Deep End; I, Monster; Blind Terror/See No Evil; The Tragedy of Macbeth; Burke & Hare; The Nightcomers; Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?; The Flesh and Blood Show; Disciple of Death; Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell; Dark Places; Craze; Scream … And Die!; I Don’t Want to Be Born; Exposé; Satan’s Slave; Schizo; Suspiria; The Comeback; Give Us Tomorrow; The Godsend; Venom; An American Werewolf in London; House of Long Shadows; Don’t Open Till Christmas; The Company of Wolves; and Gothic
613pp. 6×9 paperback
ISBN: 978-1-84583-270-4
Published 31 October 2026
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Keith Topping is an author, novelist and broadcaster with a growing Blu-ray collection and a salt and chilli pepper king prawn with boiled rice addiction to support. His previous works include, for Telos, A Vault of Horror, Return to the Vault of Horror and Island of Terror; co-editing two editions of The Guinness Book of Classic British TV and books on series as diverse as The X-Files, The Sweeney and Doctor Who. He has also written four novels (including the award-winning The Hollow Men) and a novella (Ghost Ship). His other books include A Day in the Life, Slayer, Hollywood Vampire, Do You Want To Know A Secret? and Inside Bartlet’s White House. He wrote for TV Zone and Shivers magazines and was a contributing editor on DreamWatch.
Born, long ago and far away, Keith has contributed to the BBC television series’ I ♥ the 70s, The Perfect TV Detective and Call The Cops. His favourite movies are A Matter of Life and Death, The Godfather Part 2, Almost Famous, Hot Fuzz, The Death of Stalin and Hell is a City. Probably. Keith’s hobbies include socialising with fiends; loud guitar-based popular music; social, military, political and media history and irking the purists till they beg him to stop. Bride of a Vault of Horror is his 43rd book. Honest.
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