Alex Hamilton's new collection of short stories, *Beam of Malice*, are exercises in the macabre. They are conspicuous for their imaginative power and will provide deliciously unpleasant bedside reading. At least one, "The Attic Express", is a masterpiece of the genre. Already known as an exuberant and perceptive novelist, Alex Hamilton's new volume of short stories will further enhance the reputation gained by his first collection, *Wild Track*.