A House of Ghosts by W. C. Ryan @WilliamRyan_ @ZaffreBooks @Tr4cyF3nt0n #AHouseofGhosts

It’s an absolute honour today to be sharing my review for A House of Ghosts by W. C. Ryan as part of the blog tour. Many thanks to Tracy Fenton and Zaffre Books for the opportunity.

About the book

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 . . . 

A gripping and atmospheric mystery packed with twists and turns,

A House of Ghosts is the perfect chilling read.

A House of Ghosts is available to purchase now – Amazon

My thoughts

The first thing I have to note about this book is the absolutely stunning cover. When the book first arrived, instead of putting it on my bookshelf so all I could see was the spine, I put it on so the cover was facing out and I could show it off.

I love a book with a map and when I opened up A House of Ghosts I was very pleased to see a map of Blackwater Island. I’m not sure why I like them so much, probably because it gives a good idea of the setting and I can always go back and check where about places are. It’s the simple things that please me, and another is the stunning pictures at each chapter, for example Kate has a mirror and Donovan has a lantern. It’s little touches like these that really make a book special.

And obviously the story has to be good too and I can tell you that A House of Ghosts is very very good indeed.

Set in 1917 when the first world war is in full swing, Kate Cartwright and Donovan a mysterious man are sent to Blackwater Abbey on Blackwater Island where Lord Highmount has arranged a special spiritualist gathering to try and contact his two lost sons. It seems though that some of the guests that have been invited have something they want to keep hidden and then a storm hits and makes the Island impossible to leave.

I loved the way this story is written with alternating chapters where we hear from the different characters. We mostly get the view point of Kate and Donovan who I both really liked and really enjoyed how their stories intertwined and the relationship that developed as they worked together.

A House of Ghosts is one of those books that you just can’t put down and with a perfect eerie setting I found it the perfect read for October where the wind was howling and the rain was lashing against my window and I found I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough.

The title of the book will suggest this is a ghost story but it so much more, there’s a real mystery and it’s plotted so well it kept me guessing and second guessing and of course there are ghosts involved that may give you the chills and few spine tingles.

A House of Ghosts is seriously a blooming good read, it’s a haunting gothic tale with a real whodunnit mystery that will keep you turning the pages late into the evening (or early morning in my case). Definitely one I will be highly recommending for sure.

Follow the tour