For it's time, I can see how Carnacki can be very enjoyable that enjoy mysteries with a bit of an occulty flair. A friend described him to me as a Sherlock Holmes type that has a bit more Watson to him, and I say that is accurate. Carnacki is rational, modest, and, well, I think lacks a bit of an engaging personality, especially for one that interacts with the supernatural. On paper, I think these mysteries do keep people guessing, especially since not every adventure turns out to have a supernatural end, but it felt like there was a lot of wading around before we finally got to anything interesting.

Hodgson does so much to set the tone and feel of a scene that it's easy to get bogged down by description. The vernacular is somewhat archaic to modern ears, so it's definitely a book you have to pay attention to to get used to it. Others have mentioned the somewhat formulaic nature of the stories, but that didn't much bother me in my reading.

I think "The House Among the Laurels" is the standout tale here as I think it's the most well paced and focused piece in the collection.