Bauer Books & William Hope Hodgson 
Carnacki, The Ghost Finder 

Thomas Carnacki is an Edwardian ghost hunter. Each time he goes on an adventure, when he returns he calls his 4 close friends Dodgson, Arkright, Jessop and Taylor to his house for dinner and a story. Carnacki is a very forthright chap. He is very set in his ways and can come across as curt in many instances but his friends keep coming back for more. The evenings follow the same pattern. Carnacki lets his guests in but doesn't speak to them initially. They settle down to dinner for about an hour then follow Carnacki to the fireside where he tells them about his latest "case". The minute his story ends he exclaims "Out you go" and they leave.