Houdini relates the first mystery, the story of the Bell “witch.” In early 19th century Tennessee, the Bell family was tormented by a campaign of harassment apparently mounted by a spirit. This invisible being, which identified itself as “Kate,” troubled the Bells for four years, its malice apparently directed towards Betsy Bell and her father John Bell.

When Houdini finishes his tale, his companions present their theories as to what really happened all those years ago in Tennessee. Each speaks in turn, with comments from the others; each offers a complete explanation. In the end, no consensus is reached, and the reader, like the members of the club, is forced to his or her own conclusions.

The second tale is told by a mysterious, unidentified woman. She relates the haunting of the Phelps family in Stratford, Connecticut, by an apparent poltergeist. Doors and windows are knocked on, objects are moved, a tableau is set up, all without apparent human agency -- and with as little human intervention, the torment ends.

The ending of the second story seemed rushed, thrown together; less time is spent discussing possible explanations than was the case with the first story. Finishing it, I felt as if an entertaining speaker had been forced to hurry away in the middle of an intriguing conversation.

Both stories are apparently based on true events in 19th century America. They are well-written and intriguing; I finished the book the night it arrived. While I was reading it, I enjoyed myself enormously, yet when I was done, I felt faintly cheated, a little starved. I wanted at least another story; I wanted the discussion at the end of the Phelps story to unfold in a less hurried, “I’m late for an appointment” fashion. A reader who prefers his mysteries neatly wrapped up might also want something more: definite solutions to the mysteries presented. It is that overall sense of dissatisfaction that keeps me from recommending Other Worlds.

--Katy Cooper