Weaving elements of horror, weird fiction and sci-fi, "The Phantom Power of Purgatory" collects Paul Roberts' short fiction. A prostitute awaits the rebirth of her murdered lover in Amsterdam's red-light district. Two brothers travel north to their Grandfather's winter cabin, only to discover a world threatened by an insidious invader. A bounty hunter explores Bangkok snake cults and underground fight clubs as he searches for his missing wife in tsunami-ravaged Thailand. A sound recordist experiences strange happenings while on a horror film shoot. Inside a black-ops detention centre, a mysterious captive claims to be the hooded figure in the Abu Ghraib photos.