She wrote her first novel, The Viper of Milan, in her teens, and the need to earn money for her impoverished family caused her to become exceptionally productive. Eventually, she became so prolific that she found it necessary to adopt a string of (predominantly male) pseudonyms, including George R. Preedy, John Winch and Robert Paye. Bowen’s output was varied, both in content and quality, but much of the best work published under her own name touched on the supernatural. She had the knack of creating an atmosphere of gothic horror, and Graham Greene cited her as an influence. “Cambric Tea” is a well-known story, and one of her finest. *** The situation was bizarre; the accurately trained mind of Bevis Holroyd was impressed foremost by this; that the opening of a door would turn it into tragedy. “I am afraid I can’t stay,” he had said pleasantly, humouring a sick man; he was too young and had not been long enough completely successful to have a professional manner but a certain balanced tolerance just showed in his attitute to this prostrate creature.
