The author was promoting this book on a FB page-- I was drawn to the moody atmospheric cover and the premise of a TV show ghost hunter getting called to investigate a very haunted house. I liked everything about this novel-- the pace, the writing, the plotting, the tension that keeps you going. It's not super scary but it is spooky. [Spoiler alert!!! Stop here if you haven't read it] I suspect that Mr. Bowen must be a fan of the film Skeleton Key with Kate Hudson-- had to wonder if the character Kate was named in homage to Hudson... and the core of the plot is similar, and that's okay. Bowen makes it his own and I enjoyed the description of the out-of-body experiences...recalling an old book I read 40 years ago, Keeper of the Children by William Hallahan in that regard-- it was my first intro to the notion of spirits and out-of-body sensations.

Five stars for sucking me in and keeping me going... this was the kind of book I carried with me room to room as I was reluctant to put it down. I write short ghost stories and am a big fan of the classic English ghost story, the kind that gives you a shiver, but isn't tremendously gory, twisted or uncomfortable. This is that. ( )

Where the Dead Walk
(Where the Dead Walk #1)
by John Bowen
This was not so much a ghost book but more of a different kind of paranormal story. A curse, a sorceress, a spell was involved plus visions and seances, ouija boards, and mediums. Good story but not really scary. Some suspense but more a great mystery and how the clues are tracked down and figured out! ( )

This was a good old-fashioned suspense tale in what I would call "vintage Mary Higgins Clark" mold, only set in the UK: posh people get involved in a somewhat absurd and dangerous mystery, but there is no graphic violence and everything works out in the end.

The story drew me in right away. As a young child, Kate Bennett escaped from a fire that killed almost everyone in the strange communal home she lived in, including her mother. Kate is adopted by a loving family and soon forgets all the details of her sad former life. Sebastian Dahl, the other child who survived the fire, resurfaces in her life many years later. Kate is now the host of a television show that investigates paranormal activity. Sebastian claims to own a home that is haunted and asks for her help. Upon investigation, Kate's team starts to realize that this time, the haunting is real and seems to involve Kate's mother.

I wondered if the author was going to pull off a satisfactory ending to all this. I have to say, he did.

( )

Things that go bump in the night.
I have just finished listening to this and my first thought was 'wow, that narrator did an amazing job!' I have no idea how she read at that speed without slipping up, especially in the last few action-packed chapters. I shall certainly look out for other books read by Helen Clapp.

I enjoyed this book, although it rather stretched my imagination towards the end. That was a shame really, as it looked like it was heading for the full five stars earlier on.

The narrative is based around a TV show about haunted houses - 'Where the Dead Walk'. The main characters are two of the show's presenters, Kate Bennett and Harry White. Kate has been through a tough time, as we learn through her backstory, and Harry is becoming more fond of her as the show progresses, so there's a bit of a romance element too. When Sebastian Dahl offers to allow them to film in his pseudo-Victorian house, things start to unravel.

There's some excellent haunted atmosphere, especially earlier on. The members of the TV crew gel well together and seemed totally fearless as they stalked through spooky houses in the dark. I could never have done that. I enjoyed trying to piece together Sebastian Dahl's motivations, though, of course, I didn't manage.

Dark, brooding and atmospheric, but not so scary that I couldn't sleep at night. ( )

A creepy story about a supernatural TV show and the strange house the presenters are asked to investigate which appears to have a spirit contained within its walls.

When I first started this book I thought it was going to be just a haunted house story. It ended up being a tale of the unexpected and entering into the realms of a Dennis Wheatley novel. Not that I didn’t enjoy it, I did! It’s imaginatively written and quite the page turner in its way. It’s mostly fast paced although some of it seemed a little repetitive. I liked the characters of the TV presenters, Kate and Henry - I thought they were well drawn and realistic. The house’s enigmatic owner, Sebastian Dahl, was suitably menacing and charming all at the same time. All in all I found it a compelling, atmospheric and unearthly, if a little fantastical, tale. It is sure to appeal to those who enjoy a little black magic mixed in with the odd ghostly element in their reading material.

Beware! Some people are not always who they seem. 😱 ( )