The Mistress in Black: A Ghost Story for Christmas
World-renowned cartoonist Seth returns with three new ghost stories for 2025.
Reading a ghost story on Christmas Eve was once as much a part of traditional Christmas celebrations as turkey, eggnog, and Santa Claus. World-famous cartoonist Seth selects and beautifully illustrates each book for this beloved series in his own inimitable way, bringing back these classic Christmas ghost stories for readers across North America.
From the moment Miss Anderson begins her new teaching job, she encounters ghostly figures and a strange scent of smoke. Whispers of arson and murder circulate among the staff, but Miss Anderson soon discovers there might be more to the tragic story of the woman in black.
Ā
Praise for Christmas Ghost Stories
ā[The Mistress in Blackās] foreboding and quick resolution are accentuated by Sethās equally skillful work.ā
āLiterary Review of Canada
ā[This] series of Christmas ghost stories, miniature books chosen and illustrated by the cartoonist Seth ā¦ [offers] chillsāand charm.ā
āJohn Williams,Ā New York Times Book Review
āCaldecottāsĀ AĀ Room in a RectoryĀ ā¦ may well spook those who gather on Christmas Eve ā¦ Ultimately, the authorās and the illustratorās treatments of āthe obscene and macabreā make for a lot of fun.ā
āLiterary Review of Canada
āInternationally celebrated Guelph cartoonist Seth dug deep into his archive of ghost stories to resurrect a Victorian tradition of reading one on Christmas Eve.ā
āDeb Dundas,Ā Toronto Star
āI just bought my set of these and they ā¦ are ā¦ PERFECT. I hope they do these every year.ā
āPatton Oswalt
āPerfect books for holiday giving.ā
āToronto Star
āDid you know there is an old tradition of telling ghost stories on Christmas Eve? For the past several years Canadian publisher Biblioasis has revived the tradition, one thin, tiny book at a time (illustrated by minimalistic, idiosyncratic cartoonist Seth). Theyāve revived ghosts by Edith Wharton, Charles Dickens and others. The newest installment ā¦ includes āThe Captain of the Polestar,ā a polar fright by Arthur Conan Doyle. What is, after all, āA Christmas Carolā but a ghost story, handed down, every holiday?ā
āChristopher Borrelli,Ā Chicago Tribune
āAs good as the story selection is, the design of each book is the star ā¦ In [Sethās] work I see the brilliant use of shadow a laā Mike Mignola, combined with the dark whimsey of Tim Burton ā¦ Highly recommended for the horror lovers looking for something special in this post-Halloween season.ā
āCemetery Dance
ā[If] you are looking to add a little old world charm to your winter celebrations, this book series just may be for you. This yearās batch in particular offers up some fantastic reads, accompanied once again by stark and unsettling (in the best way) illustrations by accomplished illustrator Seth.ā
āLindsey Childs,Ā Prairie Fire
āSethās booksāpetite and illustrated with gorgeous minimalist designsāfeel somehow like a more mature version of my childhood traditions. In reality, SethāsĀ Christmas Ghost StoriesĀ are a tradition everyone, young and old, can make a part of their holidays. With these beautifully illustrated books, it seems in this case one really can judge a book by its cover.ā
āThe Charlatan
āReally beautiful art, and great stories.ā
āSo Many Damn Books
āSethāillustrator, graphic novelist, and decorator (his term)āreturns for another season of ghost stories for Christmas, single-handedly reviving an otherwise defunct holiday tradition among Northern Hemisphere English-speaking countries of combining eerie tales with the Yuletide (even though the tales have nothing to do with Christmas)ānow with Sethās moody black and white decorations to help the uncanny mood along.ā
āTom Bowden,Ā Book Beat
Ā
Praise for Christmas Ghost Stories
ā[This] series of Christmas ghost stories, miniature books chosen and illustrated by the cartoonist Seth ā¦ [offers] chillsāand charm.ā
āJohn Williams,Ā New York Times Book Review
āCaldecottāsĀ AĀ Room in a RectoryĀ ā¦ may well spook those who gather on Christmas Eve ā¦ Ultimately, the authorās and the illustratorās treatments of āthe obscene and macabreā make for a lot of fun.ā
āLiterary Review of Canada
āInternationally celebrated Guelph cartoonist Seth dug deep into his archive of ghost stories to resurrect a Victorian tradition of reading one on Christmas Eve.ā
āDeb Dundas,Ā Toronto Star
āI just bought my set of these and they ā¦ are ā¦ PERFECT. I hope they do these every year.ā
āPatton Oswalt
āPerfect books for holiday giving.ā
āToronto Star
āDid you know there is an old tradition of telling ghost stories on Christmas Eve? For the past several years Canadian publisher Biblioasis has revived the tradition, one thin, tiny book at a time (illustrated by minimalistic, idiosyncratic cartoonist Seth). Theyāve revived ghosts by Edith Wharton, Charles Dickens and others. The newest installment ā¦ includes āThe Captain of the Polestar,ā a polar fright by Arthur Conan Doyle. What is, after all, āA Christmas Carolā but a ghost story, handed down, every holiday?ā
āChristopher Borrelli,Ā Chicago Tribune
āAs good as the story selection is, the design of each book is the star ā¦ In [Sethās] work I see the brilliant use of shadow a laā Mike Mignola, combined with the dark whimsey of Tim Burton ā¦ Highly recommended for the horror lovers looking for something special in this post-Halloween season.ā
āCemetery Dance
ā[If] you are looking to add a little old world charm to your winter celebrations, this book series just may be for you. This yearās batch in particular offers up some fantastic reads, accompanied once again by stark and unsettling (in the best way) illustrations by accomplished illustrator Seth.ā
āLindsey Childs,Ā Prairie Fire
āSethās booksāpetite and illustrated with gorgeous minimalist designsāfeel somehow like a more mature version of my childhood traditions. In reality, SethāsĀ Christmas Ghost StoriesĀ are a tradition everyone, young and old, can make a part of their holidays. With these beautifully illustrated books, it seems in this case one really can judge a book by its cover.ā
āThe Charlatan
āReally beautiful art, and great stories.ā
āSo Many Damn Books
āSethāillustrator, graphic novelist, and decorator (his term)āreturns for another season of ghost stories for Christmas, single-handedly reviving an otherwise defunct holiday tradition among Northern Hemisphere English-speaking countries of combining eerie tales with the Yuletide (even though the tales have nothing to do with Christmas)ānow with Sethās moody black and white decorations to help the uncanny mood along.ā
āTom Bowden,Ā Book Beat
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