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The Silence of Ghosts by Jonathan Aycliffe
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The Silence of Ghosts (edition 2013)

by Jonathan Aycliffe (Author)

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939292,758 (3.48)9
Those who live in silence hear them best . . . Dominic Lancaster hoped to prove himself to his family by excelling in the Navy during World War II. Instead he is wounded while serving as a gunner, and loses his leg. Still recovering from his wounds and the trauma of his amputation when the Blitz begins, Dominic finds himself shuffled off to the countryside by his family, along with his partially deaf sister, Octavia. The crumbling family estate on the shores of Ullswater is an old, much-neglected place that doesn't seem to promise much in the way of happiness or recovery. Something more than a friendship begins to flourish between Dominic and his nurse Rose in the late autumn of that English countryside, as he struggles to come to terms with his new life as an amputee. Another thing that seems to be flourishing is Octavia's hearing. As winter descends, sinister forces seem to be materializing around Octavia, who is hearing voices of children. After seeing things that no one else can see and hearing things that no one else can hear, Octavia is afflicted with a sickness that cannot be explained. With Octavia's help, Dominic sets out to find the truth behind the voices that have haunted his sister. In doing so, he uncovers an even older, darker evil that threatens not only Octavia, but Rose and himself. Jonathan Aycliffe delivers a disturbingly tense ghost story set in the middle of World War II during England's darkest hour, demonstrating that some fears are timeless . . . Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.… (more)
Member:kitchenwitch04
Title:The Silence of Ghosts
Authors:Jonathan Aycliffe (Author)
Info:Corsair (2013)
Collections:READ, Kindle - Owned, Your library, Books I've Read, Currently reading, To read, Read but unowned, Favorites, Wishlist
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Tags:to-read, my-kindle-books

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The Silence of Ghosts by Jonathan Aycliffe

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» See also 9 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 10 (next | show all)
The story in itself is interesting and I love that the book is written in a diary form. But it's never scary, never even chilly to read or not even a tiny bit suspenseful. It's just a ghost story that lacks the horror, which is unfortunate since I really hoped to read something that would chill my blood. But alas, perhaps next horror book will do that. Also, I was a bit disappointed with the ending; "that's it? Is this how it going to end?" Perhaps I just wanted a more horrific ending...lol

Thank you Edelweiss for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!
( )
  MaraBlaise | Jul 23, 2022 |
I need to make a few things clear at the start. I really like ghosts. Vampires are good too. Zombies, werewolves, shape-shifters don't turn my crank, but I really like ghosts. Ghost stories. So there's a bias already built in here. Second, the ghosts are real. Get used to it. You don't have any trouble with demon cars, giant worms, monsters of other various sorts, space aliens, etc. Ghosts are real. At least here they are, so no whining about your difficulty with suspending disbelief; ghosts are real. Nobody in this story is the slightest bit skeptical. Otherwise quit reading now.

This is a pretty good modern ghost story and ghosts are always bad news. There are no good ghosts. Ghosts are not here to help you. You may use them but be careful what you call, that you can control it, and put it down, otherwise...

Aycliffe is one of the few modern writers that can pull off a long form [a:Stephen King|3389|Stephen King|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1362814142p2/3389.jpg]/[a:Peter Straub|6941|Peter Straub|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1200468903p2/6941.jpg] style ghost story, and he does so here. Sure there's an awkward romance involved, but we can pass that by as period window dressing. Just buy it and move on. Some of the characters are two dimensional, but that's not the point. There are ghosts and they are bad news when they show up and nobody is skeptical and they are gonna eat your soul.

When all is said and done Aycliffe says something rather profound about how we are all crippled by our ghosts but that only comes if you're paying attention. ( )
  Gumbywan | Jun 24, 2022 |
Synopsis: Dominic was a soldier during WWII and is now an amputee. He and his sister are sent to the country for him to recover and for both of them to be safe from the London bombings. When they arrive at the country house strange things begin to happen. Dominic's little sister, who is deaf, suddenly is hearing things.
Also, there is a nurse, named Rose, caring for Dominic. It doesn't take long for Rose and Dominic to realize they are interested in each other.

My Rating:

2/5

Most of this story is told from Dominic's journals which made it a struggle for me to connect with the writing. The story is told in a very literary tone and I did not enjoy it.

The book begins in the future and I felt like the first scene gave away a bit to much of what was going to happen in the remainder of the book.

I hated the way the book ended. There were still many unanswered questions and I didn't like the answers we were given. To be fair, I don't read many books in the horror genre so it is possible that these tropes are common. I just was left feeling like the story didn't satisfy me.

I wasn't invested in the characters. I didn't like the romance and thought it sometimes felt creepy (not in a good horror way). I was curious about the ghost happenings but didn't enjoy the reveals about what was going on. Just overall this book was a letdown for me.

It is quite short. My copy was 189 pages. It also has disability representation. I think those things may be the primary things in this book's favor.

I can't recommend this book. I didn't enjoy it and I think it could have been so much better. ( )
  authorjanebnight | Jan 9, 2020 |
I found the ghosts were nearly "too silent". Those of us that want a ghost story that is filled with spine-chilling tension may be disappointed. In spite of that it is a beautiful, well written story told from the diaries of the present day character's descendant. You can’t help but like the character of Dominic...injured early in World War II...sent to Hallinhag by his rather overbearing father to recuperate with only the company of his young, deaf sister and Rose, his nurse. The author expresses in graphic terms the toll of war, not only upon the characters but the villages as well as all of London. It is a tale of malevolence that outlasts death...but also tells a story of a wealthy man’s love for an "unsuitable" woman in a time of horror and incredible change. ( )
  Carol420 | Jun 5, 2019 |
The story in itself is interesting and I love that the book is written in a diary form. But it's never scary, never even chilly to read or not even a tiny bit suspenseful. It's just a ghost story that lacks the horror, which is unfortunate since I really hoped to read something that would chill my blood. But alas, perhaps next horror book will do that. Also, I was a bit disappointed with the ending; "that's it? Is this how it going to end?" Perhaps I just wanted a more horrific ending...lol


Thank you Edelweiss for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!
( )
  | Feb 9, 2016 |
Showing 1-5 of 10 (next | show all)
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For Beth, my blithe spirit, yet never silent, with love
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I hope you have a strong stomach, at least a stronger one than mine.
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Those who live in silence hear them best . . . Dominic Lancaster hoped to prove himself to his family by excelling in the Navy during World War II. Instead he is wounded while serving as a gunner, and loses his leg. Still recovering from his wounds and the trauma of his amputation when the Blitz begins, Dominic finds himself shuffled off to the countryside by his family, along with his partially deaf sister, Octavia. The crumbling family estate on the shores of Ullswater is an old, much-neglected place that doesn't seem to promise much in the way of happiness or recovery. Something more than a friendship begins to flourish between Dominic and his nurse Rose in the late autumn of that English countryside, as he struggles to come to terms with his new life as an amputee. Another thing that seems to be flourishing is Octavia's hearing. As winter descends, sinister forces seem to be materializing around Octavia, who is hearing voices of children. After seeing things that no one else can see and hearing things that no one else can hear, Octavia is afflicted with a sickness that cannot be explained. With Octavia's help, Dominic sets out to find the truth behind the voices that have haunted his sister. In doing so, he uncovers an even older, darker evil that threatens not only Octavia, but Rose and himself. Jonathan Aycliffe delivers a disturbingly tense ghost story set in the middle of World War II during England's darkest hour, demonstrating that some fears are timeless . . . Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.

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