Medearis (Treemonisha, 1995, etc.) makes careful additions to five goosebump-raising tales, which are all either set in rural Texas or have a Southern flavor: A widow's moldering husband rises again for one "Last Dance at the Dew Drop Inn"; with the help of a mysterious dog, Lilly rescues her brother Freeson from the weirdly compelling "Fiddler Man"; an encounter with a headless horseman leaves two sisters "Scared Silly"; and a drought-stricken small town gets more water than it bargains for from "The Rainmaker." In the final story a skeptical clergyman spends a terrifying night with a roomful of talking cats while "Waiting for Mr. Chester" to come down the chimney- -piecemeal. Hyman departs from her exacting style to illustrate each tale with a sweeping, less-controlled black-and-white scene; shadows look muddy, but the pop-eyed faces and theatrical gestures are suitably dramatic. Warn all but intrepid readers not to start on this collection after sundown. (Short stories. 10-12)
