Books
Published books, in chronological order of publication
Rope Trick: Thirteen Strange Tales
Published in 2008 by Ash Tree Press, the thirteen “supernatural” tales in this collection range widely in length, setting, character and theme. Each story involves one or more events that resist easy explanation, and some raise the hairs on the back of the neck, but it’s doubtful whether any actual ghosts appear.
“An excellent collection which I would recommend to anyone who enjoys weird tales.
Well written and nicely creepy.”
Review by “Fatbat”
Fenella and the Magic Mirror
This, Mark Henderson’s only story for (older) children, was published as an e-book by Gypsy Shadow Publishing in 2010 and is available through Kindle. Unlike her well-behaved younger sister, Fenella is not the sort of retiring damsel her family expects her to be. Armed with the magic mirror and an axe, she sets out to fight a dragon who is terrorising the countryside. Fenella and the Magic Mirror is perhaps the only known story in which a damsel rescues a knight in distress.
“ What a delightful story this was to read! The way Fenella is treated at the beginning made me almost despair, but I love how she uses such qualities as bravery, quick thinking, fighting skills and her manly strength to her advantage … This story was funny, delightful and captivating as Fenella and friends go on an adventure to save the kingdom. I loved this story! ”
Review by Dawn Colclasure, author of “Follow That Dream”)
Murders in the Winnats Pass
Published by Amberley Publishing in 2010 and later nominated for a Kathleen Briggs Award, this is an exhaustively-researched analysis of how one of the best-known Peak District legends evolved from its first recorded version (1785). Its historical roots are examined, and the final chapter of the book examines the more general question of the evolution and social significance of folktales.
Folktales of the Peak District
Mark Henderson began to collect and tell traditional Peak District folktales in 2003, and eight years later his anthology of 62 of these stories was released by Amberley Publishing. Notes at the end of the book examine the provenance of each tale, and there is a comprehensive bibliography of sources. The book remains highly regarded and continues to sell.
“ Having enjoyed hearing the author, a natural and gifted storyteller, recount a number of these tales at literary events, I bought the paperback version. While the written word loses some of the immediacy and engagement of the oral tradition, this is so beautifully put together, I have to give it full marks for its genre. ”
Review by “Cosmicpmt”
Cruel and Unusual Punnishments
This little collection of performance pieces in prose and verse is delightfully illustrated by David Moss’s line drawings. It was the illustrations that particularly engaged the publisher, Fantastic Books Publishing. Each poem or story involves one or more groan-inducing puns, hence the title of the book. Some of them, such as “The Death of Icarus”, are regularly requested at open mic and spoken word evenings.
“ Mark Henderson has written a small book laden with puns. Actually, puns isn’t good description. Groaner is a better description. There are poems and short stories in the book and every one of them ends in a groaner.
Guaranteed to make you smile.”
Review by Hank Quense, author of “Falstaff’s Big Gamble”
National Cake Day in Ruritania
This, the first of Mark Henderson’s three satirical novels, was released by Fantastic Books Publishing in 2017. The protagonist, a brilliant logician, marathon runner, Morris dancer and kleptomaniac, finds himself embroiled in a Communist revolution in a country that is not supposed to exist. Both sides want him dead.
The story satirises politics, economics, science, medicine, religion, philosophy and even folklore, and some readers report having laughed out loud at it. It was nominated for an award, but didn’t win.
The Engklimastat
The second of the trio of satirical novels from Fantastic Books Publishing (2018) asks the question: what would happen to society if crime became impossible, and indeed unthinkable? An ambitious junior demon in the University of Pandaemonium (a.k.a. Hell) thinks it would be a good idea to try it. Chaos ensues, and the catastrophe has to be averted by the most surprising means. (The title has Greek roots: “that which stops crime”.)
The Cat of Doom
The third in the series (2019) is a novella, subtitled “A Surreal Apocalyptic Fantasy with Poetical and Musical Interludes”, involving a host of improbable characters and a good deal of the sort of humour that reveals the author’s medical school background.
“ I love this book. It’s intriguing, whimsical, funny and chock full of delightful characters. I keep thinking that’s my favourite one and then I turn the page and find another. You’ve got to marvel at the world that the author has created. The poems are full of surprises, (you don’t get to say that every day) and the songs almost tempt me to give them a go. The Cat of Doom will have pride of place on my bookshelf for a long time to come. ”
Review by “Nickll”
Perilaus II
In 2020, Fantastic Books released a different sort of novel by Mark Henderson. It’s classed as a crime story, but it’s more accurate to describe it as “a novel about a crime novelist writing a crime story and getting caught up in it”. Why does Douglas Carmichael disappear into his own fictional world, and how can he get out of it again?
“ This is a book that will especially appeal to readers who enjoy crime fiction, those who revel in the puzzles devised by the authors of such works, those who find delight in well-written deviations into classical history, and those who love a damned good story. Read it and enjoy! The brilliant denouement is the only way this extraordinary tour de force could possibly end. ”
Review by Stuart Aken, author of “Ten Tales for Tomorrow”
The Definitive Biography of St Arborius of Glossopdale and his Thin Dog
Set in an imagined (though hardly imaginable) early mediaeval monastery, an unlikely saint contrives apparent miracles through the agency of a foul-mouthed and cynical thin dog, possibly a whippet. Mark Henderson’s love of satire and puns is evident once again in this novella (2020), an e-book from Gypsy Shadow Publishing.
Con
The sequel to Perilaus II, this novel – published by Fantastic Books in 2022 – is set in a (fictitious) Scottish men’s prison. Due for a parole hearing after serving sixteen years of a life sentence, Doug is intensively interviewed by a forensic psychologist, Fiona. Their dialogues are interspersed with scenes of prison life seen through Doug’s eyes. The twist is that Doug believes he’s guilty of the crime for which he was convicted, but Fiona isn’t so sure. What is her hidden agenda?
“ This book blew me away. Not only could I not put it down, but as soon as I’d finished it, I had to go back and reread the prequel … The picture of prison life that plays out behind the plot is minutely drawn, showing vividly the minutiae of life behind bars; the tensions, the petty fights, the triumph of small victories, the despair over tiny defeats – if you want to experience life in a Scottish jail without the bother of travelling to Scotland to commit a crime, then this is the book for you.”
Review by Penny Grubb, author of “Falling into Crime”
Black Harry
In 2023, Stairwell Books published Mark Henderson’s only historical novel to date. It’s fiction, but it’s based on an intensive study of the Glossopdale Rising of 1578-82, an event that rocked England, unsettling Queen Elizabeth and her Privy Council, but is strangely little known except to a few specialist historians.
“ A fascinating fictional account of a Derbyshire hero, brimming with vitality and wit. Mark Henderson’s prodigious knowledge of the period shines through, and his careful use of the local dialect adds to the authentic feel of the prose. Recommended. ”
Review by Sophie Snell, author of “Cuckoo”
Elusive Folktales of the Lake District
Mark’s newest book Elusive Folktales of the Peak District now on sale
Mark P. Henderson’s Elusive Folktales of the Peak District is a captivating volume of traditional folktales that are both tragic and humorous, fantastical and historical.
With three dozen stories and accompanying photographs and a sketch map, this collection will be enjoyed by visitors to the National Park and storytellers alike.
Following the success of his previous anthology, Folktales of the Peak District, Henderson’s latest work offers a glimpse into the region’s rich folklore heritage
“ Join a knowledgeable and witty guide to the story-landscape of the Peak District: murders, ghosts (of course), faerie folk, crags and pools full of mystery and best avoided, and my own favourite, The Dying Mill Worker. The tales are told with style and the occasional knowing wink, and as with its predecessor ‘Folk Tales of the Peak District’, I found this book entertaining and informative and….can we have more, please?
If you get the chance, see Mark telling his folk tales in person – they sit very well in a book, and even better from an experienced teller. ”
Review by Walt Pilcher, North Carolina, author of “The Accidental Sprrt”
Tales from the Medicine Cabinet
Mark Henderson edited this collection of anecdotes by ten people, health care practitioners of various disciplines from hospital doctors, GPs and nurses to podiatrists, care practice managers and – of course – a patient. All the stories are true. Most but not all of them are funny. The book was published by Stairwell Books in 2024.