Firstly I wish to thank William Ryan and Bonnier Zaffre for inviting me to read A HOUSE OF GHOSTS.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

A gripping mystery with a classic feel: And Then There Were None meets The Silent Companions.

Winter 1917. As the First World War enters its most brutal phase, back home in England, everyone is seeking answers to the darkness that has seeped into their lives.

At Blackwater Abbey, on an island off the Devon coast, Lord Highmount has arranged a spiritualist gathering to contact his two sons who were lost in the conflict. But as his guests begin to arrive, it gradually becomes clear that each has something they would rather keep hidden. Then, when a storm descends on the island, the guests will find themselves trapped. Soon one of their number will die.

For Blackwater Abbey is haunted in more ways than one…

An unrelentingly gripping mystery packed with twists and turns, A House of Ghosts is the perfect chilling read this winter.

BUY LINK:

A House of Ghosts: A gripping murder mystery set in a haunted house

HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS AND REVIEW

How I loved the style of writing for this story. Set in 1917 William Ryan is no novice to this era with each character quickly etched into my memory. A small group of guests had been invited to Blackwater Abbey, just off the coast of Devon for a weekend to delve into the spiritual world and find out what had happened to the two missing sons Lord Highmount. Both who were missing in action during the continued war that raged in Europe. The storm, which was quickly approaching the Island, would of course ensure that no-one would be leaving soon and for some not at all.

Each of the guests have their own hidden agenda, which makes some rather disturbing bumps in the night along side the ghostly goings on. It is a real web of mystery each with their secrets and scandal they want to keep quiet. I loved the appearance of the ghosts, who were as fascinated with the living, as much as the living were with the dead.

This isn’t an action book but one more of suspense, tension, things that went bump in the night and bits that simply tickled me. The Abbey I found fascinating, a place that reflected the people in it perfectly, holding it own secrets that it was reluctant to share too. It was like everything was alive with all of the elements working together until the answers were given up.

The stars of the book for me were Kate and Donovan who were heard from the most. A very intriguing story but I feel that the way to get the most out it is to read it in the right setting too. It needs the quiet and dark evenings to give it that edge and create the right atmosphere. Loved the cover too.

I wish to thank Bonnier Zaffre for a copy of this book which I reviewed honestly.

 

HERE IS A LITTLE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

William Ryan’s first novel, The Holy Thief, was shortlisted for a Crime Writer’s Association New Blood Dagger, a Barry Award, The Kerry Group Irish Fiction Award and The Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. His second novel, The Bloody Meadow was shortlisted for the Ireland AM Crime Novel of the Year and his third, The Twelfth Department, was also shortlisted for the Ireland AM Crime Novel of the Year as well as the CWA’s Historical Fiction Dagger. His latest novel, The Constant Soldier, was described as “a modern classic by a master storyteller” in The Lancashire Evening Post and has been shortlisted for the HWA Gold Crown and the CWA’s Steel Dagger. He lectures on creative writing at the University of East Anglia. Visit http://www.william-ryan.com for more information.

AUTHOR LINKS:

Visit http://www.william-ryan.com for more information.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/William-Ryan/e/B003P9JW7U/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Twitter: @WilliamRyan_