Dead House
8.7
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This best-selling debut by an award-winning writer is both an eerie contemporary ghost story and a...
The Secret of Drulea Cottage (Betwixt the Sea and Shore #1)
8.0
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Briony Fairborn, a midwife in eighteenth-century Scotland, comes from a family shrouded in scandal....
Historical Fantasy
Shadows of the Workhouse
6.0
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A fascinating slice of East End life, from the No.1 bestsellilng author of CALL THE MIDWIFE, soon to...
Incredulous Moshoeshoe and the Lightning Bird
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Nelson Mandela is about to die. Again. Leftist militants and white nationalists prepare for war...
horror urban fantasy thriller bookbuzz gothic
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2579 KP) rated Shock and Paw in Books
Dec 13, 2024 (Updated Dec 13, 2024)
I’m glad we got a second Christmas entry in this series. As always, it was fun to visit the characters again, although I do feel like some of the minor characters are hard to keep track of. The pacing in this book was off. Yes, everything came into play once the murdered happened, as I figured it would, but it wandered around quite a bit on its way there. Still, I was really caught up in the second half, and the suspects kept me guessing on the way to the logical climax. I also enjoyed the Christmas spirit we got in addition to the murder and mayhem. Fans of the series will find this puts them in the holiday mood.
Red Kingdom (Fairy Tale Retellings #2)
Book
Little Red Riding Hood reimagined with a dark and realistic twist. Princess Blanchette’s world...
Historical Fantasy Romance Fairytale Retelling Medieval
ClareR (6238 KP) rated Restless Dolly Maunder in Books
Jul 20, 2024
Dolly Maunder is most definitely restless. She wants more than the hand that life has dealt her - and as a female whose parents work on a farm, she is expected to get married and have children who will work on a farm.
Dolly is determined, and that’s what shows throughout this book. When her parents take away the chance for her to become a teacher, she finds other ways to change her life. She’s a force of nature! I loved Dolly’s spirit. She did come across as obstinate and single minded, neither of which is a terrible thing for someone with ambition. But it’s not easy for those who have to live with her!
This is a pretty wide-sweeping novel, from Dolly’s childhood until her old age, and it still seemed to be over too soon. It was so interesting to learn about the Australian way of life from just before WWI to after WWII, and Dolly moves around enough for the reader to see different areas of Australia.
There’s a lot of emotion in this book, and when you read the authors note at the end, you’ll see why. Recommended.
A History of Britain in 10 enemies
5.0
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Ah, Britain. So special. The greatest nation on earth, some say. And we did it all on our own....
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated A House of Bells in Books
Jan 9, 2024
Kindle
A House of Bells
By J.T. Croft
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A woman haunted by fate, a child silenced by fear, and a house full of secrets and bells.
1918. Stripped of her reputation and haunted by a spirit she failed to protect, the young governess Grace Meadows finds herself out of time and growing more and more desperate. But when she’s offered a strange job from an eccentric medium, she never could have imagined what she was signing up for.
Tasked with caring for a troubled young girl who has lost the ability to speak, Grace must unravel the dangerous secrets at the heart of a run-down country mansion and find the source of the horrors which now threaten both of their lives.
As she’s forced to confront her own demons and reconcile the ghosts of past and present, can Grace protect the child from the living and dead? And what is waiting for her beyond the mysterious silk and bells which protect them from forces unseen?
This was a haughtily beautiful gothic horror. It was so well written. The characters were endearing and dislikeable when needed. I’m glad to have found this author and looking forward to reading more.