Published in 2007 by Overlook Press,
The Man in the Picture : A Ghost Story centers on an eighteenth century painting of a Venice carnival scene. Some of the people in the painting look odd. Frightened, even. Gazing out of the painting at the viewer with a "Help me!" look on their faces. The narrator, Oliver, learns the truth of the painting from his old friend Theo, who bought it in younger days. Theo learned about it from Lady Hawdon. Lady Hawdon and her husband had received the painting from Lord Hawdon's former paramour (and expected fiancee, before he met Lady Hawdon) as a wedding gift. A gift that will avenge her broken heart! Although it is subtitled
A Ghost Story, there are no ghosts, and it's more of a creepy revenge story. Recommended for people who are still sad that
The Twilight Zone and
Night Gallery were cancelled. (Perhaps the "ghost" is that of Rod Serling.)
