The Last Testament of Thomas Griffith by Martin Adil-Smith

There are no cheap jump scares in this short story nor are there untold amounts of gore trying to shock the reader into believing there’s a semblance of plot. It harkens back to a period when authors didn’t rush, building horror one brick at a time from a sense of suspense and dark atmosphere. It is also reminiscent of Clark Ashton Smith’s earlier works. In many ways the style of “The Last Testament of Thomas Griffith” reminds me of HP Lovecraft’s writing. One of my favorite visuals is that of a smiling corpse, detailed enough to create a striking image, but not overwritten. Adil-Smith is a master at atmosphere, painting a picture so dark and vivid it is hard to look away. Soon, Howell, also Griffith’s love rival, meets an untimely death and from there things spiral downhill.Īlthough the plot is not wholly original (if I have any complaints, that would be it), the story is well written enough to keep me interested. They are cut off from civilization by virtue of their location and a hellish storm that bears down on them.

Written in the first person as a letter to Griffith’s loving wife, this short story is the accounting of the final days of two lighthouse keepers, Griffith and his co-worker, Howell. It’s a bold promise to the reader that all may not be as it seems, and Adil-Smith did not disappoint. There is only one thing a proclamation like that can mean in a story like this: The character might have done it.

From the very first line, “My Darling Wife - I did not do it,” I was intrigued. The Last Testament of Thomas Griffith” by Martin Adil-Smith is a brilliant little story set within the confines of a lighthouse.

The Last Testament of Thomas Griffith by Martin Adil-Smith