Face at the Window: Three Stories

The three stories in this short collection from acclaimed author Louise Welsh all confront fear. In ''The Face at the Window'' Fiona is convinced someone is breaking into her house, but the only evidence for the break-in is a face at the window that no one else can see. In ''Realm of the Census'' Maryanne travels from house to house, collecting census information from strangers, and encounters a woman who lives with ghosts. In ''The Queen of Craigielee'' Ailsa is photographing the interior of an abandoned high-rise which is about to be demolished when she sees the faint figure of a girl in a doorway of one of the condemned flats. These three dark stories are tales to savour; they will linger in the mind long after you''ve finished reading them.