This is essentially a collection of quirky tales, steeped in the humor of the late nineteenth century. It was first published in 1898. The main characters are types quite amusing to turn-of-the-century readers: old bachelors who collect curios with fanatical enthusiasm.The cynical Mr. Tress and the flighty Mr. Pugh will not hesitate to hoodwink a shopkeeper or a poor widow to get a treasure for a song. And they'll cheat each other just as brashly, to get possession of a rare cabinet or a curiously carved pipe, even though they've been close friends since boyhood. Their searches for curios lead them into strange adventures, which they narrate by turns in this book.The tales concern rivalries between collectors, ghosts both fake and real and startling discoveries of various sorts. I was distressed by the anti-Semitic stereotypes in one tale, but readers venturing into vintage literary waters are likely to encounter the prejudices of the times.Leaving aside this tale, Richard Marsh is a gifted observer of human foibles. He's also a fine prose stylist. One of the stories, "The Adventure of Lady Wishaw's Hand," is entirely delightful and alone worth the price of the book.Curios is not to be compared with The Beetle, Marsh's famous supernatural thriller. But the author's skill at building suspense in bizarre situations is present even in this light work.I'm just beginning to explore Richard Marsh myself, having very much enjoyed his whimsical mystery, Philip Bennion's Death.