The Phantom 'Rickshaw, and Other Ghost Stories

In this atmospheric collection, the narrator takes us deep into the heat‑laden world of colonial India, where the ordinary mingles with the uncanny. The opening tale of a phantom rickshaw sets a tone of quiet dread, as a weary officer’s feverish imagination summons a procession that haunts his bedside. With a wry, observant voice, the story hints at how the jungle’s silence can amplify the mind’s own whispers.

The surrounding sketches continue the theme, introducing characters such as the kindly Dr. Heatherlegh, whose simple prescription—“lie low, go slow, keep cool”—contrasts with the relentless pressures that drive men toward madness. Through sketches of overworked officials, lingering superstitions, and the ever‑present hum of distant gunfire, the book paints a vivid portrait of a world where duty, disease, and ghostly rumors intersect. Listeners will find a blend of subtle humor, rich description, and a lingering sense that something unseen rides beside the living, waiting to be noticed.