Alex Hamilton's new collection of short stories, Beam of Malice, are exercises in the macabre. They are conspicuous for their imaginative power and will provide deliciously unpleasant bedside reading. At least one, "The Attic Express", is a masterpiece of the genre. Already known as an exuberant and perceptive novelist, Alex Hamilton's new volume of short stories will further enhance the reputation gained by his first collection, Wild Track.