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Nell West/Michael Flint #1
Property of a Lady
A house with a sinister past – and a grisly power - When Michael Flint is asked by American friends to look over an old Shropshire house they have unexpectedly inherited, he is reluctant to leave the quiet of his Oxford study. But when he sees Charect House, its uncanny echoes from the past fascinate him – even though it has such a sinister reputation that no one has lived there for almost a century. But it’s not until Michael meets the young widow, Nell West, that the menace within the house wakes . . .
252 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2011
77 people are currently reading
1468 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Rayne
46 books307 followersAka Frances Gordon, Bridget Wood
After a convent education, which included writing plays for the Lower Third to perform, Sarah Rayne embarked on a variety of jobs, but - probably inevitably - returned again and again to writing. Her first novel appeared in 1982, and since then her books have also been published in America, Holland and Germany.
The daughter of an Irish comedy actor, she was for many years active in amateur theatre, and lists among her hobbies, theatre, history, music, and old houses - much of her inspiration comes from old buildings and their histories and atmospheres. To these interests, she adds ghosts and ghost stories, and - having grown up in the Sixties - good conversation around a well-stocked dinner table.
After a convent education, which included writing plays for the Lower Third to perform, Sarah Rayne embarked on a variety of jobs, but - probably inevitably - returned again and again to writing. Her first novel appeared in 1982, and since then her books have also been published in America, Holland and Germany.
The daughter of an Irish comedy actor, she was for many years active in amateur theatre, and lists among her hobbies, theatre, history, music, and old houses - much of her inspiration comes from old buildings and their histories and atmospheres. To these interests, she adds ghosts and ghost stories, and - having grown up in the Sixties - good conversation around a well-stocked dinner table.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
December 3, 2019
Sarah Rayne's first in the series featuring Dr Michael Flint, an Oriel College, Oxford don, and antiques dealer, Nell West is a creepy and spooky story, primarily located in a Shropshire village, Marston Lacy. On the outskirts of the village down Blackberry Lane, is the dilapidated, gloomy gothic manor, Charect House, built in the eighteenth century by John Lee, rumoured to be haunted by William Lee, although barely anyone has lived in for almost a century. Michael's American friends, Jack and Liz from Maryland have unexpected inherited Charect House, and ask him to go and see it, and report back on what it looks like and in what state it is in. Michael agrees, and finds it an uneasy and unsettling experience. He takes photographs to send to Jack and reports back. He meets recently widowed Nell West, and her daughter, 7 year old Beth, and together they look into the history of the house.
In a disturbing narrative of a haunted house, strange and odd, but similar behaviour is emanating from the young Beth, and in 7 year old, Ellie, Jack and Liz's daughter back in the US. It culminates in the disappearance of Beth, not the first time a 7 year old girl has gone missing in the village and been found in the church grounds. Old journals are discovered, of a psychic investigator in the 1960s, Alice Wilson, and the owner of the house in 1939, Harriet Anstey, both women who had lost their men in the wars. Both journals hint at the supernatural, a worrisome old clock, ghosts with missing eyes, and terrifying rhymes. There are references to a asylum, Victorian myths and legends such as The Ingoldsby legends, ancient dark magic, spells, and the hand of glory that can open any door.
Rayne gives us an old fashioned eerie classic ghost story, with a haunted house that has a troubling and gory past history. It is a story of a raging jealousy, obsession, betrayal and murder in the past and the beginnings of a tentative romance in the present with Michael and Nell. It is a book that I enjoyed reading, and which I recommend to those who like dark and spooky tales. Many thanks to Severn House for a copy of the book.
In a disturbing narrative of a haunted house, strange and odd, but similar behaviour is emanating from the young Beth, and in 7 year old, Ellie, Jack and Liz's daughter back in the US. It culminates in the disappearance of Beth, not the first time a 7 year old girl has gone missing in the village and been found in the church grounds. Old journals are discovered, of a psychic investigator in the 1960s, Alice Wilson, and the owner of the house in 1939, Harriet Anstey, both women who had lost their men in the wars. Both journals hint at the supernatural, a worrisome old clock, ghosts with missing eyes, and terrifying rhymes. There are references to a asylum, Victorian myths and legends such as The Ingoldsby legends, ancient dark magic, spells, and the hand of glory that can open any door.
Rayne gives us an old fashioned eerie classic ghost story, with a haunted house that has a troubling and gory past history. It is a story of a raging jealousy, obsession, betrayal and murder in the past and the beginnings of a tentative romance in the present with Michael and Nell. It is a book that I enjoyed reading, and which I recommend to those who like dark and spooky tales. Many thanks to Severn House for a copy of the book.
November 10, 2013
This is the third book by Sarah Rayne that I have read, and I am not quite sure why. Her plot line relies heavily on the modern-day characters stumbling across old letters and diaries stashed away in antique clocks, book bindings, sealed-off rooms, etcetera, which is interesting but far-fetched ("I shan't destroy these incriminating papers, I shall hide them where they may never be found"--um, OK...), the romance angle feels forced, and there's a cutesy little girl for that extra added spark of adorable whimsy and mispronounced words, not to mention a curmudgeonly, mischievous cat. All very darling and sweet (and convenient!) but not so ghostly and creepy, KWIM? In two of the novels I've read thus far--A Dark Dividing and The Silence--there's even the classic damsel-in-distress who must be rescued, and who is, within hours, no harm done. These are not Big Brain books, they are quite relaxing because you know nothing bad is really going to happen, so they are perfect for those read-a-bit-before-falling-asleep moments. I have one more on my Kindle--I bought four, in a weird frenzy after having read and really, really liked John Harwood's The Ghost Writer, because my Kindle told me I would like them. And I do, I do like them. See the three stars? I just don't really, really like them, and would be surprised at myself if I bought any more.
October 12, 2018
This is the first in a series of books featuring Oxford don, Michael Flint, and Nell West, an antiques dealer.
Michael is contacted by some friends in America, who have inherited a house in Shropshire. They ask Michael to go and look at it, but when he arrives at the house, he is unnerved by strange noises and then by spotting a figure, who he believes is an intruder. Despite his misgivings, Michael reports on the condition of the house and later makes touch with Nell West, who has been asked to try to locate any original furniture from the house.
Nell is recently widowed and has a young daughter, virtually the same age as the daughter of Michael’s friends. As building work begins on the house, not only do both Nell, and Michael, have strange experiences, but both her daughter and Michael’s god-daughter, begin to have similar nightmares.
Some readers have suggested this is ‘cosy horror,’ if such a genre exists. Certainly, it is an old-fashioned ghost story, rather than a horror novel, with hints of a mystery and even a touch of romance. I really enjoyed this, as Michael and Nell join forces to try to discover what is wrong at the house and why the girls – so far apart – are suffering such similar experiences. I liked the characters of both Michael and Nell and look forward to reading on in the series.
Michael is contacted by some friends in America, who have inherited a house in Shropshire. They ask Michael to go and look at it, but when he arrives at the house, he is unnerved by strange noises and then by spotting a figure, who he believes is an intruder. Despite his misgivings, Michael reports on the condition of the house and later makes touch with Nell West, who has been asked to try to locate any original furniture from the house.
Nell is recently widowed and has a young daughter, virtually the same age as the daughter of Michael’s friends. As building work begins on the house, not only do both Nell, and Michael, have strange experiences, but both her daughter and Michael’s god-daughter, begin to have similar nightmares.
Some readers have suggested this is ‘cosy horror,’ if such a genre exists. Certainly, it is an old-fashioned ghost story, rather than a horror novel, with hints of a mystery and even a touch of romance. I really enjoyed this, as Michael and Nell join forces to try to discover what is wrong at the house and why the girls – so far apart – are suffering such similar experiences. I liked the characters of both Michael and Nell and look forward to reading on in the series.
February 27, 2022
3.5 stars. This was a genuinely creepy ghost story. This author is new to me and this is the first of a series which takes place primarily in the British countryside. These are all pluses. However there was a scene in here toward the end involving the two main characters which was so unbelievable that I still can’t believe it wasn’t edited out. So I had to downgrade the story.
That all being said, I’ll try the second book in the series and hope that was just a blip, because I’d like to read more from this author.
That all being said, I’ll try the second book in the series and hope that was just a blip, because I’d like to read more from this author.
July 7, 2016
"Property Of A Lady" and Sarah Rayne are meaningful discoveries for me. My first literary choice is serious ghost fiction with adult adventurers. There was none. 'Cozy' paranormal mysteries are parodies. It took thirty years, nearly all my life, to obtain solid recommendations. I loved this book beyond belief! I read until I had to sleep! I felt the euphoria of a book being as superb as I hoped. I did not want the floating journey to end! The ultimate books comprise a moving spirit encounter, finding secret places, and mementoes. We got only a whiff of the first but the atmosphere furnished a good dose of suspense.
Secret places and writings, Sarah indulged in abundance! It is a reader's treat to gobble-up a novel that unabashedly weaves fiction and gratifyingly doles out the good stuff! We never awaited "the best part": the whole novel was an unceasing good part! The documents and rooms weren't served on a platter either. Nell & Michael, for the sake of her daughter and his Goddaughter, investigated things vigorously. After talking with people, newspaper offices, and libraries; their fortuitous discoveries merely confirmed each conclusion they reached and filled gaps.
I appreciate characters we respect, great writing, and invigorating plots tied-off with skill. The 1930s spirit was not acknowledged clearly as the ticking sound across the ages and we got no story about why she was not found. My sole other critique is an appealing character passing away. Why not allow Nell to meet the riveting woman, or have Michael describe the times he had? Every other plot, Sarah swooped astonishingly into a circle. Such thorough sewing of all of the threads was exciting and we acquainted every character compassionately. When we were not caught up in suspense, the dialogue and correspondence was uproariously funny.
Secret places and writings, Sarah indulged in abundance! It is a reader's treat to gobble-up a novel that unabashedly weaves fiction and gratifyingly doles out the good stuff! We never awaited "the best part": the whole novel was an unceasing good part! The documents and rooms weren't served on a platter either. Nell & Michael, for the sake of her daughter and his Goddaughter, investigated things vigorously. After talking with people, newspaper offices, and libraries; their fortuitous discoveries merely confirmed each conclusion they reached and filled gaps.
I appreciate characters we respect, great writing, and invigorating plots tied-off with skill. The 1930s spirit was not acknowledged clearly as the ticking sound across the ages and we got no story about why she was not found. My sole other critique is an appealing character passing away. Why not allow Nell to meet the riveting woman, or have Michael describe the times he had? Every other plot, Sarah swooped astonishingly into a circle. Such thorough sewing of all of the threads was exciting and we acquainted every character compassionately. When we were not caught up in suspense, the dialogue and correspondence was uproariously funny.
August 7, 2012
Meh.
Thought the writing was sophmoric and simplistic and there were far too many coincidences and "conveniently discovered" clues to drive the plot along at the right time. Shallow horror/ghost story/mystery at best. However, I will give kudos to the twist at the end - that was clever. Otherwise, I prefer the "house of horror" spin as written by James Herbert in Magic Cottage or Barbara Erskine's House of Echoes.
Thought the writing was sophmoric and simplistic and there were far too many coincidences and "conveniently discovered" clues to drive the plot along at the right time. Shallow horror/ghost story/mystery at best. However, I will give kudos to the twist at the end - that was clever. Otherwise, I prefer the "house of horror" spin as written by James Herbert in Magic Cottage or Barbara Erskine's House of Echoes.
November 6, 2016
A reviewer on Goodreads wondered if there is a cozy horror genre because that's what he/she thought that this book was. And, the funny thing is that was my actual thought about it too before I saw the review. And, no I don't think there is a cozy horror genre, however, cozy paranormal feel more appropriate. This is not horror, if you are frighted about this book, then well, you should not read real horror books. It's an interesting paranormal book that turns into a romantic paranormal novel, which didn't surprise me a bit when that happened. Luckily, the main characters, Michael Flint and Nell West did not spend too much time lusting after each other, and their "courtship" was not annoying.
However, the story feels a bit lackluster. It's alright to read, but it never gets terribly exciting or engrossing. Part of me is sometimes amazed how "suddenly" diaries and secret papers just happen to be found by the right people so fast when no one else has discovered them. Yes, I'm a born cynical. Sometimes it's believable, and sometimes, not so. In Property of a Lady, well I can take it because the place has been uninhabited so long, and the clock, well it's been away from the house as well for a long time. So that at least did not annoy me. Thankfully.
The story about the "ghost" is actually quite tragic, more tragical than horrifying. I was a bit surprised by the turn towards the end of the book, it was a nice twist. It's an OK book, not especially memorable, but if you like a cozy paranormal book is it not so bad.
Would I read more books in the series? Yes I would, it was not a bad book, I was not bored. However, I hope the stories get better, and perhaps even a bit more horrifying?
However, the story feels a bit lackluster. It's alright to read, but it never gets terribly exciting or engrossing. Part of me is sometimes amazed how "suddenly" diaries and secret papers just happen to be found by the right people so fast when no one else has discovered them. Yes, I'm a born cynical. Sometimes it's believable, and sometimes, not so. In Property of a Lady, well I can take it because the place has been uninhabited so long, and the clock, well it's been away from the house as well for a long time. So that at least did not annoy me. Thankfully.
The story about the "ghost" is actually quite tragic, more tragical than horrifying. I was a bit surprised by the turn towards the end of the book, it was a nice twist. It's an OK book, not especially memorable, but if you like a cozy paranormal book is it not so bad.
Would I read more books in the series? Yes I would, it was not a bad book, I was not bored. However, I hope the stories get better, and perhaps even a bit more horrifying?
September 3, 2015
First Sentence: Michael, Is there any possible change you could sneak a day or two away from Oxford and take a look at a house for me?
Oxford Professor Michael Flint receives a letter from his American friends asking him to check out an old house in Shropshire that has been empty and derelict for years, but has been found to now belong to his friend’s wife. Charect House is in decidedly poor condition, but it’s more than that which causes Michael to be uncomfortable during his visit. Who is watching him? Why does he hear a clock ticking where there is none, and who is the woman captured at an attic window by his photograph? Things become even more puzzling when Michael meets antique dealer Nell West, a young widow with a daughter the same age as his friends’, and both girls are having the same nightmare, and ocean apart.
Do you like “Ghost Hunters,” a show which tried first to debunk claims, or find a rational explanation for them and if they can’t, then it “might” be paranormal. That is the type of paranormal mystery you’ll find here? There is plenty to raise the hair on your arms, but it is not bloody, gory, and creepy. From the very beginning, and the definition of the house’s name, you know there will be suspense and things that go bump and in the night…and in the day.
Rayne has such a natural voice. By opening with the exchange of letters, we learn quite a bit about Dr. Michael Flint. He is well educated, something of a luddite, and has a cat, Wilberforce, about whom he creates wonderful adventures. It is that sort of detail with does add humor and light to an otherwise eerie situation. Also, with Nell West and her daughter, we are provided their history, the tragedy that befell them, and how Nell rebuilt her life for the two of them.
It is wonderful that the two characters are normal people; neither overly brave, but neither is foolhardy. It is curiosity—a desire for answers—that drives them on and wanting to ensure there will be safety. That there is a bit of a romance doesn’t hurt at all. But Rayne is also a very literary writer occasionally driving one to a dictionary…”welter of jingoism…” or the internet to do research of one’s own.
There is a very strong sense of place and atmosphere…”The scent of age met Michael at once, and it was so strong that for a moment he felt his senses blur. But this was not the musty dankness of damp or rot; this was age at its best and most evocative; a potpourri of old seasons timbers and long-ago fires, and a lingering scent of dried lavender.”
This is a first book and it is not perfect. Although always interesting, there is too much “telling” through letters and diaries, than showing the reader the events. Even so, without the book being set in multiple time periods, I’m not certain that could have been avoided.
“Property of a Lady” is a wonderful paranormal mystery with just the right balance of light and dark that leaves you with a “bump in the night” moment at the very end.
PROPERTY OF A LADY (Par Mys-Michael Flint/Nell West-England-Contemp) – VG
Rayne, Sarah – 1st in series
Severn House, 2011
Oxford Professor Michael Flint receives a letter from his American friends asking him to check out an old house in Shropshire that has been empty and derelict for years, but has been found to now belong to his friend’s wife. Charect House is in decidedly poor condition, but it’s more than that which causes Michael to be uncomfortable during his visit. Who is watching him? Why does he hear a clock ticking where there is none, and who is the woman captured at an attic window by his photograph? Things become even more puzzling when Michael meets antique dealer Nell West, a young widow with a daughter the same age as his friends’, and both girls are having the same nightmare, and ocean apart.
Do you like “Ghost Hunters,” a show which tried first to debunk claims, or find a rational explanation for them and if they can’t, then it “might” be paranormal. That is the type of paranormal mystery you’ll find here? There is plenty to raise the hair on your arms, but it is not bloody, gory, and creepy. From the very beginning, and the definition of the house’s name, you know there will be suspense and things that go bump and in the night…and in the day.
Rayne has such a natural voice. By opening with the exchange of letters, we learn quite a bit about Dr. Michael Flint. He is well educated, something of a luddite, and has a cat, Wilberforce, about whom he creates wonderful adventures. It is that sort of detail with does add humor and light to an otherwise eerie situation. Also, with Nell West and her daughter, we are provided their history, the tragedy that befell them, and how Nell rebuilt her life for the two of them.
It is wonderful that the two characters are normal people; neither overly brave, but neither is foolhardy. It is curiosity—a desire for answers—that drives them on and wanting to ensure there will be safety. That there is a bit of a romance doesn’t hurt at all. But Rayne is also a very literary writer occasionally driving one to a dictionary…”welter of jingoism…” or the internet to do research of one’s own.
There is a very strong sense of place and atmosphere…”The scent of age met Michael at once, and it was so strong that for a moment he felt his senses blur. But this was not the musty dankness of damp or rot; this was age at its best and most evocative; a potpourri of old seasons timbers and long-ago fires, and a lingering scent of dried lavender.”
This is a first book and it is not perfect. Although always interesting, there is too much “telling” through letters and diaries, than showing the reader the events. Even so, without the book being set in multiple time periods, I’m not certain that could have been avoided.
“Property of a Lady” is a wonderful paranormal mystery with just the right balance of light and dark that leaves you with a “bump in the night” moment at the very end.
PROPERTY OF A LADY (Par Mys-Michael Flint/Nell West-England-Contemp) – VG
Rayne, Sarah – 1st in series
Severn House, 2011
September 11, 2021
Charect: “ an obsolete word for a charm: a spell set down in writing - literally in characters - to ward off evil.” Early on in the first chapter, you read this description and you are feeling the shivers of fear. The creepy atmosphere is set as the mystery of the old house is unraveled. There’s a rhyme about bringing the dead who can then make their enemy helpless.
‘Open lock to the dead man’s knock,
Fly bolt, and bar, and band.
Sleep all who sleep - wake all who wake.
But be as the dead for the dead man’s sake.’
“… here in England is the belief in the Hand of Glory - the light fashioned from the fist of a hanged murderer and lit by graveyard fat and dead man’s hair. The burning hand whose light bursts locks and lulls a house’s occupants into sorceress sleep.” Of course I had to look this up to see if it’s at all real, and behold! It really is! Very spooky.
This is such a good ghost tale. There is also a twist I didn’t see coming at all. The only slight criticism I have is the romance between Nell and Michael. I don’t think some of the actions between them were necessary. It also brought me out of the creepy mysterious ambience. But this is a good read especially this time of year.
‘Open lock to the dead man’s knock,
Fly bolt, and bar, and band.
Sleep all who sleep - wake all who wake.
But be as the dead for the dead man’s sake.’
“… here in England is the belief in the Hand of Glory - the light fashioned from the fist of a hanged murderer and lit by graveyard fat and dead man’s hair. The burning hand whose light bursts locks and lulls a house’s occupants into sorceress sleep.” Of course I had to look this up to see if it’s at all real, and behold! It really is! Very spooky.
This is such a good ghost tale. There is also a twist I didn’t see coming at all. The only slight criticism I have is the romance between Nell and Michael. I don’t think some of the actions between them were necessary. It also brought me out of the creepy mysterious ambience. But this is a good read especially this time of year.
March 31, 2011
I've thoroughly enjoyed many of Sarah Rayne's previous books, psychological thrillers with a touch of the supernatural and a smidgen of gothic which always hits the spot with me! Property of A Lady appears to be the first in new series of "ghost books" featuring Nell West and Michael Flint. The second in the series, The Sin Eater, is due for release in 2012.
Michael Flint, an Oxford Don, is asked to keep an eye on renovations of an old Shropshire house inherited by his American friends. He soon realises that Charect House is not quite the rural idyll his friends are expecting; from the moment he crosses the threshold, the aura of evil is palpable and Rayne cranks up the tension beautifully, drawing in the reader. Nell West, a local antique dealer, soon finds herself joining forces with Michael to discover the truth about Charect House. Why are Nell's daughter and Michael's American god-daughter having the same nightmares about the Dead Man's Knock and a man with pits for eyes? What happened to the previous occupants of the house? What happened to the psychic investigator who visited the house? All these questions are answered in the end but not before the author has stepped up the fear factor, leaving you (well, me in this case..) too scared to turn off the bedside lamp.
Once again Sarah Rayne has succeeded in weaving a complex, compelling story with lots of twists and turns. She's also excellent at creating atmospheric locations and Charect House is a truly eerie setting. It's a very readable, riveting book which I read in one sitting, into the wee small hours, as I just had to find out what happened next. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series which deals with the ancient practice of sin-eating, a topic which intrigues me, and there may be a rural Irish setting too - roll on publication date in 2012!
Michael Flint, an Oxford Don, is asked to keep an eye on renovations of an old Shropshire house inherited by his American friends. He soon realises that Charect House is not quite the rural idyll his friends are expecting; from the moment he crosses the threshold, the aura of evil is palpable and Rayne cranks up the tension beautifully, drawing in the reader. Nell West, a local antique dealer, soon finds herself joining forces with Michael to discover the truth about Charect House. Why are Nell's daughter and Michael's American god-daughter having the same nightmares about the Dead Man's Knock and a man with pits for eyes? What happened to the previous occupants of the house? What happened to the psychic investigator who visited the house? All these questions are answered in the end but not before the author has stepped up the fear factor, leaving you (well, me in this case..) too scared to turn off the bedside lamp.
Once again Sarah Rayne has succeeded in weaving a complex, compelling story with lots of twists and turns. She's also excellent at creating atmospheric locations and Charect House is a truly eerie setting. It's a very readable, riveting book which I read in one sitting, into the wee small hours, as I just had to find out what happened next. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series which deals with the ancient practice of sin-eating, a topic which intrigues me, and there may be a rural Irish setting too - roll on publication date in 2012!
August 18, 2011
This story relies on an awful lot of coincidences...to the point that I found myself thinking "they're not going to find yet *another* diary are they--oh look, they just did." I'm more willing than most to suspend disbelief for a good story, but this book asked for an awful lot. That being said, this is a truly *wonderful* ghost story, the kind I'm always looking for but never find. So many start out strong and creepy and then lose steam and have weak, terrible endings. This novel starts out strong and just gets stronger. The last third of the book is quite possibly the best, which is rare for any novel, especially a ghost story. There are so many twists and turns towards the end that it's just delicious. And the final page, while similar to many horror stories and movies, is just so well done, a perfect-pitch cherry on the sundae. I've actually read a couple of other novels by this author and haven't really enjoyed them, but this book was everything I've ever wanted in a ghost story. Excellent!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2016
I really liked the main characters, Michael Flint and Nell West, but this seemed a little jumpy. The way it was told - including journal/diary entries and letters, meant to summon and evoke the past, made it feel disjointed. The supernatural, ghostly aspect of the story was much more present (and frightening) near the beginning than at the denouement. I have read a lot of Phil Rickman's paranomal mysteries and they are so good that they leave me a little bit biased. Taking into account that this is the first in the series, I am looking forward to seeing if the next one is stronger.
November 21, 2019
I’ve noticed before, perusing Ms. Rayne’s “psychological mysteries,” especially those which border on the actually ghostly (which is many of her novels), that Ms. Rayne exhibits the ability Henry James demonstrated in “Turn of the Screw” a full century or more earlier. “Real life,” in whichever era Ms. Rayne is weaving, is delineated with clarity, conciseness, and focus; and in places, reading a Rayne story is akin in some ways to reading in the sub-genre known as “British cosy mysteries.” So did “Turn of the Screw” appear, at the beginning, and for some time afterwards.
But horror and the Supernatural are not always best exposed by “splatterpunk.” Sometimes it is the very subtleties, the quiet approach, the soft creak of old lumber, the wind’s whistling in the attic eaves, that inspires the churning of our stomachs and the anxiety in our emotions. Sarah Rayne is utterly skilled at the subtle underpinnings, the spider’s silk that entraps the unwary venture, She is as accomplished a storyteller as Henry James in “The Turn of the Screw” and as H. H. Munro (Saki) in the inimitable classic “The Open Window.”
But horror and the Supernatural are not always best exposed by “splatterpunk.” Sometimes it is the very subtleties, the quiet approach, the soft creak of old lumber, the wind’s whistling in the attic eaves, that inspires the churning of our stomachs and the anxiety in our emotions. Sarah Rayne is utterly skilled at the subtle underpinnings, the spider’s silk that entraps the unwary venture, She is as accomplished a storyteller as Henry James in “The Turn of the Screw” and as H. H. Munro (Saki) in the inimitable classic “The Open Window.”
May 26, 2012
A traditional haunted house gothic style ghost story. Very readable and spooky with quite a few twists and enough scary bits to keep you on the edge of your seat and almost too many coincidences - most of which tie up nicely into the story as it draws to a close.
Great if you like spooky tales and strong characterisation, and can suspend disbelief enough to allow yourself to be scared by things that go bump in the night.
Great if you like spooky tales and strong characterisation, and can suspend disbelief enough to allow yourself to be scared by things that go bump in the night.
December 31, 2013
I love Sarah Rayne's use of traditional British ghost traditions. And I like the two "ghost hunter" characters she introduces here. A promising series beginning!
February 28, 2018
I wasn’t even done the first chapter and I knew for sure I was going to really enjoy “Property of a Lady.”
Michael Flint, a professor at Oxford is asked by his friends, Jack and Liz (from Maryland) if he would mind driving out to a small English village of Marston Lacey to take a look at an abandoned mansion named Charect House, that Liz just inherited. Flint arrives in the village, obtains the keys from the lawyer’s office and visits the home. Before even viewing the property, he’s already heard more than one of the local’s stories about the house and its eerie history. Within a few minutes of entering, he’s already putting some credence to what he’d recently heard about Charect House…
Nell West is an antique dealer, with a shop of her own in Marston Lacey. She’s been located by Liz and is entrusted with sourcing the furniture and accessories from the period the home was constructed (somewhere between 1780 and 1800). Nell attends and auction and bids on a grandfather clock that was apparently once a fixture in Charect House. The clock behaves a bit strangely at auction which seems to confirm the foreboding tales that Nell has heard about the house, and any item associated with it. At one point, she visits the house and has an experience no dissimilar to that of Michael…
Alice Wilson is a character that is placed in an earlier time period (the main timeline is in the 2000’s), her entry point in the store is the early 1960’s. Alice works for a “paranormal society” and is hired by the town council in Marston Lacey to investigate the claims of strange sightings at Charect House. Even by the early 1960’s, the house has been abandoned for over a decade, and the town council has been forced to take responsibility for it. In order to generate much needed revenue, they hatch up a plan to attract renters to the house. But potential tenants are warded off by the rumors that the mansion is haunted. Alice begins to research the property from a distance, but is increasingly coming under pressure from the local council to declare the house “ghost free.” She finally decided that the best idea is to set up listening devices in the house and spend the night observing what may be happening there (courageous lady). But before the night is out, she abandons the job she’s assigned, but not before stashing her notes in a compartment in the grandfather clock…
There were so many elements of the story that just worked…especially because it featured an antique, long abandoned mansion abounding in local ghost folklore, mysterious sightings and an erratic record of ownership. It was with this in mind that one certain feature of Sarah Rayne’s storytelling really stood out for me…that was how she “captured” the atmosphere surrounding the very instant that each of the main characters first laid eyes on Charect House.
All of them were in a heightened state of anticipation just as the notorious mansion first comes into view. Each time this happened, I thought of the following quote:
“The more earnest our affections, desires, emotions, the more vivid are our perceptions; and, on the other hand, the clearer our perception, the more intense are our feelings.” – Hubbard Winslow
Without giving too much away, here was the reaction of each of these three characters:
Michael Flint:
“Blackberry Lane was a winding bouncing lane with bushes and thrusting thorn hedges that pushed against the side of the car, and whippy branches that painted sappy green smears on the windscreen. A thin rain was starting to fall, making everything look mysterious and remote…
The lane wound round to the left, and quite suddenly the house was there, set a little way back from the track, standing behind a tangle of briar and blackberry. There were no shades or wraiths, but seen through the rain the house was misty and eerie.
Michael regarded it for a moment, then got out of the car…”
Nell West:
“Probably, Charect House would look very pleasant and welcoming in the sunshine, Nell thought when she arrived, but seen through a curtain of rain, with moisture dripping from the branches, it was depressing in the extreme. The garden was a tangled mass – nodding seed heads of rosebay willow-herb, rosehips from ragged-headed wild roses and immense bushes of lilac and lavender…”
Alice Wilson:
“Then I drove out to inspect Charect House. I’ll admit to feeling nervous. I must have seen more sinister houses than most people do in a lifetime, but this one is special.
It’s a remarkable old place. Romantically-inclined folk would sigh poetically, and think it beautiful and sad, but I didn’t think it was either of these things. I thought it was in a shocking state of dereliction and that it was a crying shame nobody had found money from somewhere to mend the gutters or shore up the sagging roof.”
I can’t say for sure if Sarah Rayne intended this, but I was intrigued by these “first sighting” accounts, and how they matched the perspective of each character in relation to Charect House. The account of Michael Flint, a methodical, academic man who preferred putting things into context, noted the lane that took him to Charact House, as if experiencing the road to the place was necessary to understanding the property itself. Nell West was given the job of beautifying the home, so I thought it was fitting that Rayne had her taking an initially optimistic attitude to what the house might look like, “Probably Charect House would look very pleasant and welcoming in the sunshine.” Finally, Alice Wilson, tasked with debunking the “ghost story” legends of the house, shows her cynicism by adding the disclaimer of “I’ll admit” to feeling nervous, when the other characters would have freely said they were nervous without the extra clause.
These “first sightings” were just a few of the many aspects that I enjoyed about “Property of a Lady.” This is the first of Sarah Rayne’s books I’ve read, but based on this first-rate experience, I’ll look forward to enjoying her other titles.
Michael Flint, a professor at Oxford is asked by his friends, Jack and Liz (from Maryland) if he would mind driving out to a small English village of Marston Lacey to take a look at an abandoned mansion named Charect House, that Liz just inherited. Flint arrives in the village, obtains the keys from the lawyer’s office and visits the home. Before even viewing the property, he’s already heard more than one of the local’s stories about the house and its eerie history. Within a few minutes of entering, he’s already putting some credence to what he’d recently heard about Charect House…
Nell West is an antique dealer, with a shop of her own in Marston Lacey. She’s been located by Liz and is entrusted with sourcing the furniture and accessories from the period the home was constructed (somewhere between 1780 and 1800). Nell attends and auction and bids on a grandfather clock that was apparently once a fixture in Charect House. The clock behaves a bit strangely at auction which seems to confirm the foreboding tales that Nell has heard about the house, and any item associated with it. At one point, she visits the house and has an experience no dissimilar to that of Michael…
Alice Wilson is a character that is placed in an earlier time period (the main timeline is in the 2000’s), her entry point in the store is the early 1960’s. Alice works for a “paranormal society” and is hired by the town council in Marston Lacey to investigate the claims of strange sightings at Charect House. Even by the early 1960’s, the house has been abandoned for over a decade, and the town council has been forced to take responsibility for it. In order to generate much needed revenue, they hatch up a plan to attract renters to the house. But potential tenants are warded off by the rumors that the mansion is haunted. Alice begins to research the property from a distance, but is increasingly coming under pressure from the local council to declare the house “ghost free.” She finally decided that the best idea is to set up listening devices in the house and spend the night observing what may be happening there (courageous lady). But before the night is out, she abandons the job she’s assigned, but not before stashing her notes in a compartment in the grandfather clock…
There were so many elements of the story that just worked…especially because it featured an antique, long abandoned mansion abounding in local ghost folklore, mysterious sightings and an erratic record of ownership. It was with this in mind that one certain feature of Sarah Rayne’s storytelling really stood out for me…that was how she “captured” the atmosphere surrounding the very instant that each of the main characters first laid eyes on Charect House.
All of them were in a heightened state of anticipation just as the notorious mansion first comes into view. Each time this happened, I thought of the following quote:
“The more earnest our affections, desires, emotions, the more vivid are our perceptions; and, on the other hand, the clearer our perception, the more intense are our feelings.” – Hubbard Winslow
Without giving too much away, here was the reaction of each of these three characters:
Michael Flint:
“Blackberry Lane was a winding bouncing lane with bushes and thrusting thorn hedges that pushed against the side of the car, and whippy branches that painted sappy green smears on the windscreen. A thin rain was starting to fall, making everything look mysterious and remote…
The lane wound round to the left, and quite suddenly the house was there, set a little way back from the track, standing behind a tangle of briar and blackberry. There were no shades or wraiths, but seen through the rain the house was misty and eerie.
Michael regarded it for a moment, then got out of the car…”
Nell West:
“Probably, Charect House would look very pleasant and welcoming in the sunshine, Nell thought when she arrived, but seen through a curtain of rain, with moisture dripping from the branches, it was depressing in the extreme. The garden was a tangled mass – nodding seed heads of rosebay willow-herb, rosehips from ragged-headed wild roses and immense bushes of lilac and lavender…”
Alice Wilson:
“Then I drove out to inspect Charect House. I’ll admit to feeling nervous. I must have seen more sinister houses than most people do in a lifetime, but this one is special.
It’s a remarkable old place. Romantically-inclined folk would sigh poetically, and think it beautiful and sad, but I didn’t think it was either of these things. I thought it was in a shocking state of dereliction and that it was a crying shame nobody had found money from somewhere to mend the gutters or shore up the sagging roof.”
I can’t say for sure if Sarah Rayne intended this, but I was intrigued by these “first sighting” accounts, and how they matched the perspective of each character in relation to Charect House. The account of Michael Flint, a methodical, academic man who preferred putting things into context, noted the lane that took him to Charact House, as if experiencing the road to the place was necessary to understanding the property itself. Nell West was given the job of beautifying the home, so I thought it was fitting that Rayne had her taking an initially optimistic attitude to what the house might look like, “Probably Charect House would look very pleasant and welcoming in the sunshine.” Finally, Alice Wilson, tasked with debunking the “ghost story” legends of the house, shows her cynicism by adding the disclaimer of “I’ll admit” to feeling nervous, when the other characters would have freely said they were nervous without the extra clause.
These “first sightings” were just a few of the many aspects that I enjoyed about “Property of a Lady.” This is the first of Sarah Rayne’s books I’ve read, but based on this first-rate experience, I’ll look forward to enjoying her other titles.
October 5, 2024
OMGosh, what an ending. It was such a good book. Scary but sad in the end. I must read The Death Chamber again. I think it was the same, scary but sad.
July 6, 2016
Property of a Lady is the first in a series of ghost stories written by one of my favourite authors Sarah Rayne, featuring characters Nell West and Michael Flint.
Michael Flint is an academic living in Oxford and is asked by friends based in the USA to look at an old house they've just inherited. When Michael sees Charect House, he becomes interested in its history and stumbles across a mystery that goes back generations.
Michael enlists the help of local antiques dealer Nell West who is buying back the original furniture belonging to the once grand house, and the two begin to dig into the past together. Nell's daughter is having terrible nightmares about a man with no eyes, the same dream that is terrorising the daughter of his American friends.
Property of a Lady is a modern day ghost story with characters employing straight forward sleuthing techniques to get to the bottom of the tragedies that occurred inside Charect House several generations ago.
Together they discover letters, diaries and other source material that is expertly drip fed into the story in a believable fashion and at just the right time. The connections and mysteries take Michael and Nell to a prison, and to an asylum both of which give the novel a creepy ghostly feel, but mostly it's about unravelling sad tragedies of the past.
I read Property of a Lady at lightning pace, and from a reader's perspective felt it was perfect in every way.
Visit my original review for a link to download the first chapter for free: http://www.carpelibrum.net/2013/07/re...
Michael Flint is an academic living in Oxford and is asked by friends based in the USA to look at an old house they've just inherited. When Michael sees Charect House, he becomes interested in its history and stumbles across a mystery that goes back generations.
Michael enlists the help of local antiques dealer Nell West who is buying back the original furniture belonging to the once grand house, and the two begin to dig into the past together. Nell's daughter is having terrible nightmares about a man with no eyes, the same dream that is terrorising the daughter of his American friends.
Property of a Lady is a modern day ghost story with characters employing straight forward sleuthing techniques to get to the bottom of the tragedies that occurred inside Charect House several generations ago.
Together they discover letters, diaries and other source material that is expertly drip fed into the story in a believable fashion and at just the right time. The connections and mysteries take Michael and Nell to a prison, and to an asylum both of which give the novel a creepy ghostly feel, but mostly it's about unravelling sad tragedies of the past.
I read Property of a Lady at lightning pace, and from a reader's perspective felt it was perfect in every way.
Visit my original review for a link to download the first chapter for free: http://www.carpelibrum.net/2013/07/re...
January 30, 2020
Changing my original 3 star overall to a 2 star. I really enjoyed the first third or so, found it creepy, with an interesting storyline that pulled me in. Middle third started became pretty contrived, to many coincidences and stubmling upon information at just the right moment. The final third just made me angry.
May 23, 2014
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
Is there such a genre as cozy horror? Because this is it.
It has its creepy moments, but it's mostly slow and romantically tinged and not at all scary. I picked this up because one of the later books in this series peaked my interest and I wanted to start at the beginning, but if the rest of the series is as tame and typical as this one, I don't know if I want to put in the time to get through them all. Lovers of old-fashioned classic ghost stories may get into this series starter, provided they have a patience for the main characters spending 80% of their time reading historical diary entries and/or letters to investigate the haunted house. I really dislike epistolary novels, so that might have colored my view a little more than the average reader.
Is there such a genre as cozy horror? Because this is it.
It has its creepy moments, but it's mostly slow and romantically tinged and not at all scary. I picked this up because one of the later books in this series peaked my interest and I wanted to start at the beginning, but if the rest of the series is as tame and typical as this one, I don't know if I want to put in the time to get through them all. Lovers of old-fashioned classic ghost stories may get into this series starter, provided they have a patience for the main characters spending 80% of their time reading historical diary entries and/or letters to investigate the haunted house. I really dislike epistolary novels, so that might have colored my view a little more than the average reader.
May 3, 2020
Good ghost story.
January 14, 2024
This book is Gothic and paranormal mystery, and the elements are written so well. It felt like a classic haunted house tale, relying on atmosphere, those corner of the eye shadows you doubt were there, suggestive dialogue, and suspense, to drive this story. I really enjoyed the read, and look forward to reading more in this series and more by the author in general.
The two protagonists, Nell and Michael, come from different worlds and meet by chance. You can tell there's a connection between them early on. It's very obvious. The good thing is that element in the story takes second fiddle to the mystery and the haunting, which readers want from this book.
So many moments in this story are gripping and creepy, and the house in question has so much atmosphere, it's like it's own ecosystem. I want to mention more about the haunting in this review, but fear it would be a spoiler. I'll just say the haunting is well written and creepy.
The one flaw in this book is the overuse of coincidence. Much of the discovery is from hidden diaries, probably all the discovery, and it felt a bit much that answers were found in so many hidden diaries. I don't mind that used in books, but maybe not three or four times. I found the diaries interesting, which surprised me since I'm usually not a huge fan of overuse of diary entries in books, so they can't have been all bad.
In summary, I liked this haunted house story, especially that it felt classic in style.
The two protagonists, Nell and Michael, come from different worlds and meet by chance. You can tell there's a connection between them early on. It's very obvious. The good thing is that element in the story takes second fiddle to the mystery and the haunting, which readers want from this book.
So many moments in this story are gripping and creepy, and the house in question has so much atmosphere, it's like it's own ecosystem. I want to mention more about the haunting in this review, but fear it would be a spoiler. I'll just say the haunting is well written and creepy.
The one flaw in this book is the overuse of coincidence. Much of the discovery is from hidden diaries, probably all the discovery, and it felt a bit much that answers were found in so many hidden diaries. I don't mind that used in books, but maybe not three or four times. I found the diaries interesting, which surprised me since I'm usually not a huge fan of overuse of diary entries in books, so they can't have been all bad.
In summary, I liked this haunted house story, especially that it felt classic in style.
August 17, 2021
I love when I pick up a book by an author I’ve never heard of, only to be delighted by the adventure I find between the pages.
A gothic ghost story centered around a crumbling mansion, this book feels reminiscent of classic Gothic literature. You have the family unexpectedly inheriting a mansion from distant family they never knew they had, the handsome and lonely family friend tasked with reviewing the new property for the family, the beautiful young widow whose daughter has suddenly begun to have terrifying nightmares, and the whispers of ghost plaguing them all. When it becomes clear that children have gone missing from this remote village (where the house is located) in the past, it becomes an urgent race against time to uncover the mystery of the vanishings before it happens again.
Atmospheric, interesting, and entertaining - this was a great mystery with spooky elements.
A gothic ghost story centered around a crumbling mansion, this book feels reminiscent of classic Gothic literature. You have the family unexpectedly inheriting a mansion from distant family they never knew they had, the handsome and lonely family friend tasked with reviewing the new property for the family, the beautiful young widow whose daughter has suddenly begun to have terrifying nightmares, and the whispers of ghost plaguing them all. When it becomes clear that children have gone missing from this remote village (where the house is located) in the past, it becomes an urgent race against time to uncover the mystery of the vanishings before it happens again.
Atmospheric, interesting, and entertaining - this was a great mystery with spooky elements.
July 29, 2018
This was a gothic suspense very reminiscent of books I read as a teenager. An old but haunted house is inherited. A couple come together because of the paranormal mystery. A portion of the backstory is discovered through diary entries, which I didn’t mind. What detracted from the book for me was the ending. I didn’t quite get how things were suddenly resolved, especially the storyline involving Harriet, a character from the past. However, I think this was the author’s first book. I will probably try another.
May 14, 2018
Cozy horror. With a few good bumps in the attic, and some fun with English folk tradition, this one really should be read in midwinter.
October 19, 2025
Good classic ghost story with nice twist and high tempo.
December 8, 2025
A wonderfully spooky story with one of the creepiest ghosts yet.
"At the midnight hour, beneath the gallows tree...
Hand in hand the Murderers stand...
By one, by two, by three...
Open lock to the dead man's knock...
Fly bolt, and bar, and band.
Sleep all who sleep - wake all who wake
But as the dead for the dead man's sake..."
An American couple, Jack and Liz Harper, inherited a derelict home, Charect House, in the English town of Marston Lacy. They contact their friend, Michael Flint, a professor at Oriel College, Oxford, to check the house out for them. He finds the house to be strangely unsettling, especially after a mysterious figure appears in a window of a photo he takes of the place. He also keeps having impressions of someone walled up alive, and there are strange knocking sounds, apparently coming from the bedrooms.
At the same time, the Harpers' young daughter Ellie begins to have terrifying nightmares regarding her imaginary friend Elvira - or is Elvira really imaginary?
"Two nights ago Ellie told Liz someone was trying to find Elvira, and when Liz asked to know a bit more - sort of going along with the fantasy in case she could find a way to dispel it - Ellie said it was the man with holes where his eyes should be."
Meanwhile, Nell West, the antiques dealer hired by the Harpers to furnish the house, goes to stay in the house with her daughter Beth, who is Ellie's age. It is not long before Beth begins to have the same nightmares as Ellie - someone named Elvira is in great danger and a mysterious man is searching for her. Then the strange man shows up in Beth's bedroom:
"He had no eyes," said Beth, thrusting a clenched fist into her mouth. "That man who got into my room. He was trying to find me, but he couldn't because he had no eyes."
Sound familiar?
Nell finds the journal of a ghost hunter, Dr Alice Wilson, who was hired to investigate Charect House in the mid- to late-60s. Dr Wilson found a lot more than she expected - and a lot more than she could deal with.
"A soft hoarse voice was weaving itself in and out of the greasy shadows. It was slightly blurred, but the words were beautifully clear: I heard them as clearly as if they were being burned through my eyes straight into my brain.
"Open lock to the dead man's knock...
Fly bolt, and bar, and band...
Nor move, nor swerve, joint, muscle, or nerve,
At the spell of the dead man's hand."
Of course, Dr Wilson knows the dead man's hand is:
"And here in England is the belief in the Hand of Glory - the light fashioned from the fist of a hanged murderer and lit by graveyard fat and dead men's hair. The burning hand whose lights bursts locks and lulls a house's occupants into sorcerous sleep."
Dr Wilson's journal ends abruptly and no one is sure what happened. Did the eyeless man find her? Then there's the disappearance of the previous owner in 1939. No trace has ever been found of her. When Nell buys a 19th century long-case clock that originally went in Charect House, the catalog states, "In view of the manner of William Lee's death, this item is expected to realize a high figure." William Lee was yet another previous owner who obviously came to sad end, but what happened to him? It is becoming increasingly apparent that the Harpers, Michael, Nell, and Beth would have been a lot safer if the Harpers had never inherited Charect House.
I really think it is a tie between this book and The Silence (also by Sarah Rayne) over which had the best ghost. Personally, I think "Property of a Lady" wins out. The blind man stumbling through the house chanting that chilling rhyme and using a dead man's hand as a light/lockpick is just incredibly creepy. The story is well written and the plot is surprisingly complex. There's also a surprising twist at the end (make sure you read Jack Harper's last letter).
Very recommended. Now I just have to wait for The Sin Eater to arrive in the mail. Warning: Sarah Rayne's ghost stories are addictive!
"At the midnight hour, beneath the gallows tree...
Hand in hand the Murderers stand...
By one, by two, by three...
Open lock to the dead man's knock...
Fly bolt, and bar, and band.
Sleep all who sleep - wake all who wake
But as the dead for the dead man's sake..."
An American couple, Jack and Liz Harper, inherited a derelict home, Charect House, in the English town of Marston Lacy. They contact their friend, Michael Flint, a professor at Oriel College, Oxford, to check the house out for them. He finds the house to be strangely unsettling, especially after a mysterious figure appears in a window of a photo he takes of the place. He also keeps having impressions of someone walled up alive, and there are strange knocking sounds, apparently coming from the bedrooms.
At the same time, the Harpers' young daughter Ellie begins to have terrifying nightmares regarding her imaginary friend Elvira - or is Elvira really imaginary?
"Two nights ago Ellie told Liz someone was trying to find Elvira, and when Liz asked to know a bit more - sort of going along with the fantasy in case she could find a way to dispel it - Ellie said it was the man with holes where his eyes should be."
Meanwhile, Nell West, the antiques dealer hired by the Harpers to furnish the house, goes to stay in the house with her daughter Beth, who is Ellie's age. It is not long before Beth begins to have the same nightmares as Ellie - someone named Elvira is in great danger and a mysterious man is searching for her. Then the strange man shows up in Beth's bedroom:
"He had no eyes," said Beth, thrusting a clenched fist into her mouth. "That man who got into my room. He was trying to find me, but he couldn't because he had no eyes."
Sound familiar?
Nell finds the journal of a ghost hunter, Dr Alice Wilson, who was hired to investigate Charect House in the mid- to late-60s. Dr Wilson found a lot more than she expected - and a lot more than she could deal with.
"A soft hoarse voice was weaving itself in and out of the greasy shadows. It was slightly blurred, but the words were beautifully clear: I heard them as clearly as if they were being burned through my eyes straight into my brain.
"Open lock to the dead man's knock...
Fly bolt, and bar, and band...
Nor move, nor swerve, joint, muscle, or nerve,
At the spell of the dead man's hand."
Of course, Dr Wilson knows the dead man's hand is:
"And here in England is the belief in the Hand of Glory - the light fashioned from the fist of a hanged murderer and lit by graveyard fat and dead men's hair. The burning hand whose lights bursts locks and lulls a house's occupants into sorcerous sleep."
Dr Wilson's journal ends abruptly and no one is sure what happened. Did the eyeless man find her? Then there's the disappearance of the previous owner in 1939. No trace has ever been found of her. When Nell buys a 19th century long-case clock that originally went in Charect House, the catalog states, "In view of the manner of William Lee's death, this item is expected to realize a high figure." William Lee was yet another previous owner who obviously came to sad end, but what happened to him? It is becoming increasingly apparent that the Harpers, Michael, Nell, and Beth would have been a lot safer if the Harpers had never inherited Charect House.
I really think it is a tie between this book and The Silence (also by Sarah Rayne) over which had the best ghost. Personally, I think "Property of a Lady" wins out. The blind man stumbling through the house chanting that chilling rhyme and using a dead man's hand as a light/lockpick is just incredibly creepy. The story is well written and the plot is surprisingly complex. There's also a surprising twist at the end (make sure you read Jack Harper's last letter).
Very recommended. Now I just have to wait for The Sin Eater to arrive in the mail. Warning: Sarah Rayne's ghost stories are addictive!
September 8, 2014
I was looking forward to reading this book. I love haunted house stories but the writing style in this book is horrible. It seems self-published without any editing - both grammatical editing and story flow editing.
I was pulled right out of the story on page two... the book starts with an "e-mail" which after reading it the main character puts the folded letter in his wallet. Really? At least tell me he printed it out or read it from a piece of paper or something. I don't think many people put e-mails in their pockets.
By page 14, the long convoluted sentences kept telling me to close the book. Poorly worded sentence structure with A TON of "telling me what the character thinks" and little to no showing or dialogue. Lots of info dumping via "old letters" and e-mails.
Sentences like
"Probably, Charect House would look very pleasant and welcoming in sunshine, Nell thought when she arrived, but seen through a curtain of rain, with moisture dripping from the branches, it was depressing in the extreme."
I just find that sentence horribly constructed. 5 commas? Come on. You can't come up with a better sentence? Once or twice I could move on but this "writing style" is all over. It made the story very difficult to get into. By page 30, when the author wrote actual "he said" conversation dialogue in a diary entry I gave up.
I was pulled right out of the story on page two... the book starts with an "e-mail" which after reading it the main character puts the folded letter in his wallet. Really? At least tell me he printed it out or read it from a piece of paper or something. I don't think many people put e-mails in their pockets.
By page 14, the long convoluted sentences kept telling me to close the book. Poorly worded sentence structure with A TON of "telling me what the character thinks" and little to no showing or dialogue. Lots of info dumping via "old letters" and e-mails.
Sentences like
"Probably, Charect House would look very pleasant and welcoming in sunshine, Nell thought when she arrived, but seen through a curtain of rain, with moisture dripping from the branches, it was depressing in the extreme."
I just find that sentence horribly constructed. 5 commas? Come on. You can't come up with a better sentence? Once or twice I could move on but this "writing style" is all over. It made the story very difficult to get into. By page 30, when the author wrote actual "he said" conversation dialogue in a diary entry I gave up.
January 9, 2015
In this first book in the Michael Flint/Nell West series, Michael and Nell are thrown together while investigating Charect House, a property that has been inherited by the wife of Michael's former roommate. He asks Michael to check in on the renovations of the derelict mansion and it becomes clear that something isn't right. He meets Nell West, a local antiques dealer, who has been hired to find the house's original furnishings. A creepy clock and nightmares experienced Nell's young daughter hold the keys to the mystery.
I recently stumbled upon Sarah Rayne's series of haunted house mysteries by reading the latest in the series "Deadlight Hall". I was so enthralled that I immediately found the first book, "Property of a Lady" soon after. While not as compelling as "Deadlight Hall", I thoroughly enjoyed this book. In my opinion, it's a testament to the author's skill that later novels in the series are even better than the first. Typically it seems to me that an author runs out of steam the further into the series they go.
In any case, I can definitely recommend "Property of a Lady". The wonderful thing about this series is that each book can standalone and that the author has a great way of catching up the reader without inundating them with excessive details from previous books. So don't feel bad if you read out of order...just read this series!
I recently stumbled upon Sarah Rayne's series of haunted house mysteries by reading the latest in the series "Deadlight Hall". I was so enthralled that I immediately found the first book, "Property of a Lady" soon after. While not as compelling as "Deadlight Hall", I thoroughly enjoyed this book. In my opinion, it's a testament to the author's skill that later novels in the series are even better than the first. Typically it seems to me that an author runs out of steam the further into the series they go.
In any case, I can definitely recommend "Property of a Lady". The wonderful thing about this series is that each book can standalone and that the author has a great way of catching up the reader without inundating them with excessive details from previous books. So don't feel bad if you read out of order...just read this series!
August 31, 2012
Switching the light out and going to bed was rather an uncomfortable experience after a session reading this novel! I couldn't stop imagining that the eyeless spectre was creeping up my stairs. However in spite of this, I loved this novel! I can't resist a haunted house tale and this was a brilliant example. Charect House is a gloomy and desolate old place with a sinister reputation. An American couple inherit it out of the blue and ask their friend, Michael Flint, an Oxford don, to check it out. He's soon affected by the chilling atmosphere and unexplained happenings and along with antiques dealer, Nell West (whose daughter is experiencing awful nightmares) endeavours to investigate the history of the house. With the help of old diaries, casenotes, letters and newspaper archives, they uncover a horrifying tale. This is a very creepy read!
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