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House of Echoes
The past isn't always dead or buried...
When Joss Grant, adopted at birth, inherits Belheddon Hall – a beautiful old house on the East Anglian coast – it is like a dream come true. Eager to begin a new life there with Luke, her husband, and Tom, her small son, she is also impatient to find out about her newly discovered family who lived there for generations.
But not long after they move in, Tom wakes screaming at night. Joss hears echoing voices and senses an invisible presence, watching her from the shadows. Are they spirits from the past? Or is she imagining them? As she learns, with mounting horror, of Belheddon's tragic and dramatic history, her fear grows very real, for she realises that both her family and her own sanity are at the mercy of a violent and powerful energy which seems beyond anyone's control.
When Joss Grant, adopted at birth, inherits Belheddon Hall – a beautiful old house on the East Anglian coast – it is like a dream come true. Eager to begin a new life there with Luke, her husband, and Tom, her small son, she is also impatient to find out about her newly discovered family who lived there for generations.
But not long after they move in, Tom wakes screaming at night. Joss hears echoing voices and senses an invisible presence, watching her from the shadows. Are they spirits from the past? Or is she imagining them? As she learns, with mounting horror, of Belheddon's tragic and dramatic history, her fear grows very real, for she realises that both her family and her own sanity are at the mercy of a violent and powerful energy which seems beyond anyone's control.
528 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
86 people are currently reading
2610 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Erskine
55 books1,286 followersAn historian by training, Barbara Erskine is the author of six bestselling novels that demonstrate her interest in both history and the supernatural, plus two collections of short stories. Her books have appeared in at least twenty different languages. She lives with her family in an ancient manor house near Colchester, and in a cottage near Hay-on-Wye.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews
June 15, 2009
I do admit that this book goes on for about 100 pages longer then it should. And the female protagonist, Joss, too often lets her husband and sister walk all over her. Lyn, the sister, is one of the most annoying secondary characters I've ever read. And there is a repetitivness that comes into play about 3/4 of the way through...
With that being said....
Still one of the creepiest books I've ever read. Erskine manages to create a subtle feeling of spooky, building tension that makes it very hard to read this book in a house alone. I've read this book at least 5 times, and while some parts irritate the heck out of me, I still get goose bumps over other parts, and that makes it worth my time.
I can only speak for myself, but I'm willing to forgive the flaws of this book since overall it makes me feel so deliciously creeped out time and time again!
With that being said....
Still one of the creepiest books I've ever read. Erskine manages to create a subtle feeling of spooky, building tension that makes it very hard to read this book in a house alone. I've read this book at least 5 times, and while some parts irritate the heck out of me, I still get goose bumps over other parts, and that makes it worth my time.
I can only speak for myself, but I'm willing to forgive the flaws of this book since overall it makes me feel so deliciously creeped out time and time again!
August 4, 2017
A satisfying haunted house mystery.
August 29, 2008
I've read two of this author's books, and, quite frankly, that was enough to make me avoid the rest of her work. It's not terrible...just...eh. Two different novels by the same author using the presumed-to-be-hysterical-woman-whom-the-men-don't-take-seriously-despite-clear-evidence premise may just be unfortunate sampling on my part, but, why take the risk?
Again, she started with a good idea, but the execution is lacking. I once saw a review for this where the person said it was just well-written enough to keep you reading, but just poorly-written enough to make you wish it was better (or something along those lines), and I agree. Potential unfulfilled.
Again, she started with a good idea, but the execution is lacking. I once saw a review for this where the person said it was just well-written enough to keep you reading, but just poorly-written enough to make you wish it was better (or something along those lines), and I agree. Potential unfulfilled.
October 30, 2013
I LOVED Midnight is a lonely place" as it was the first one i read but i think all the books by this author are the same and i have read 3 so far. here is the plot for all:
1) Old house
2) Middle Aged Heroine
3) Ghost trying to fuck her up
4) everyone thinks she is mental until there is a storm.
5) The storm reveals all.
yawwwnnn
1) Old house
2) Middle Aged Heroine
3) Ghost trying to fuck her up
4) everyone thinks she is mental until there is a storm.
5) The storm reveals all.
yawwwnnn
January 19, 2015
'House of Echoes' by Barbara Erskine for me was one of the best reads I have had in a long time.
If you love historical mysteries that surround an ancient house from a distant family full of sheer terror on every page this is the book for you.
I was given this book by my mother, who usually reads those supermarket sagas about girls who grow up poor in liverpool or some other shitty town in England in the 1800's who have been raped and left for dead then meet rich men blah blah more tragedy blah blah but this is nothing like that in the slightest.
Do not be put off by the sheer size of this novel as all of the chapters are small and it is not full of long winded descriptions.
I do not care for romance in novels and I was happy to find the protagonist was already married and I did not have to suffer from the start her falling in love.
Joss has a small boy and a husband named Luke and a step sister named Lynn, she inherits Bellheddon Hall from her estranged mother who gave her up for adoption but a clause in the will says she has to live there for a certain amount of time before she can sell, Joss dozen't want to sell anyway - trust me I have given nothing away.
Stange things start to happen that are not your usual haunted house gash but they make you wonder is it ghosts, is Joss going mad, is it Lynn or another family member or friend ?
Their is a mixing pot of all the supernatural under the sun and it written most beautifully and I must add Erskine herself is a historian so it is all accurate bar the plot.
I loved how Erskine when one character had something happen to them when it came to the character to explain to another it was just, 'joss explained to Lynn about the night befores' event' and the story continued, none of this basically re-reading what just happened crap.
It took me a while to get back into this due to ill health and other reasons but I read over 180 pages in just two days the story is that twisting and thick with enticement to keep you going.
This will not be my last Barbara Erskine novel let me tell you that !
9/10
If you love historical mysteries that surround an ancient house from a distant family full of sheer terror on every page this is the book for you.
I was given this book by my mother, who usually reads those supermarket sagas about girls who grow up poor in liverpool or some other shitty town in England in the 1800's who have been raped and left for dead then meet rich men blah blah more tragedy blah blah but this is nothing like that in the slightest.
Do not be put off by the sheer size of this novel as all of the chapters are small and it is not full of long winded descriptions.
I do not care for romance in novels and I was happy to find the protagonist was already married and I did not have to suffer from the start her falling in love.
Joss has a small boy and a husband named Luke and a step sister named Lynn, she inherits Bellheddon Hall from her estranged mother who gave her up for adoption but a clause in the will says she has to live there for a certain amount of time before she can sell, Joss dozen't want to sell anyway - trust me I have given nothing away.
Stange things start to happen that are not your usual haunted house gash but they make you wonder is it ghosts, is Joss going mad, is it Lynn or another family member or friend ?
Their is a mixing pot of all the supernatural under the sun and it written most beautifully and I must add Erskine herself is a historian so it is all accurate bar the plot.
I loved how Erskine when one character had something happen to them when it came to the character to explain to another it was just, 'joss explained to Lynn about the night befores' event' and the story continued, none of this basically re-reading what just happened crap.
It took me a while to get back into this due to ill health and other reasons but I read over 180 pages in just two days the story is that twisting and thick with enticement to keep you going.
This will not be my last Barbara Erskine novel let me tell you that !
9/10
April 6, 2015
Nothing like a good old ghost story...! Lots of tension here so don't read this if you're wanting a 'light read'; it's not and it may play on your mind once you turn out the lights! Chilling and atmospheric, this manages to get beneath your skin in the most subtle ways. Involving children in the tale is always going to add that unnerving edge to the story and that is certainly achieved here. I'm deducting a star from the ratings merely because of the ancestry; there's a lot to remember and it's only now upon completing the book that I have flicked back through and rediscovered the family tree at the beginning of the novel. Completely useless placement there as it was forgotten about within seconds as the reader has not yet received any other information to tie it to!
If this were placed within the context of the story as part of the research that is discovered, then it would be more suitably placed and likely to be used as the reference tool it is intended to be.
If this were placed within the context of the story as part of the research that is discovered, then it would be more suitably placed and likely to be used as the reference tool it is intended to be.
August 3, 2018
The angry, horny ghost of Edward IV haunts a specific family in a specific house & boffs the female descendants through hundreds of years because some avaricious witchcraft-practicing mama bound her daughter to become his lover via the black arts. And all the boy children die young because he kills them. I think. Hell, I'm not sure. SOMEBODY keeps killing the boys, anyway.
...Yup. That's the backstory.
The contemp characters are an assortment of mind-numbingly drab people with no page presence, as is usually the case with these timeslip/bookclub gothics. Yawn. Eventually some New Age wiccan arrives to undo the evul through the perpetuation of lurve & breaking the black magic spell & pushing ghosts along to the hereafter. I dunno. I don't GAF because it's beyond dumb. The end.
This was my third attempt to read Erskine, & it's clear we don't jive. Never again will I bother. -____-
...Yup. That's the backstory.
The contemp characters are an assortment of mind-numbingly drab people with no page presence, as is usually the case with these timeslip/bookclub gothics. Yawn. Eventually some New Age wiccan arrives to undo the evul through the perpetuation of lurve & breaking the black magic spell & pushing ghosts along to the hereafter. I dunno. I don't GAF because it's beyond dumb. The end.
This was my third attempt to read Erskine, & it's clear we don't jive. Never again will I bother. -____-
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2013
My first novel by her and after this I have read every book of hers. Her storytelling has you gripped with every sentence, this was no different. This will hold a special place in my heart and would recommend this book to everyone I know!
July 17, 2010
In the mood for a ghost story? Put your overworked sense of reality into a state of suspended animation, and read about a haunted house in Essex, England. Jocelyn Grant's husband has lost his business due to his underhanded partner, when, serendipitously, Joss goes on a search for her birth mother, finding not only her roots but an inheritance in the shape of her ancestral home. Of course it's haunted - there'd be no story otherwise - and some of this novel is rather overdone. As other reviews have already noted, it's also long, dragging in some places. But other parts are well done, and it's unclear until the end exactly what is going on, so House of Echoes makes for a fun summer read, spectral roses, lovesick kings, and all.
April 22, 2019
Crazy yet somehow predictable Gothic story. I sort of knew what was going to happen but that does not mean I did not enjoy it.
I do like books about creepy houses and this was moody and atmospheric. It fit the bill at the time.
3.5 stars.
I do like books about creepy houses and this was moody and atmospheric. It fit the bill at the time.
3.5 stars.
May 4, 2014
Spooky, but a very good read.
September 30, 2015
This would be an excellent ghost story to read at Halloween! I got a little confused at the end but overall enjoyed it immensely. It reminded me of The Haunting of Gad's Hall.
August 22, 2020
This is the second book I have read of Barbara Erskine. The other sleepers castle which I read at library book club. Her books have so much history and are really haunting. Truly well written books.
March 5, 2014
I read this as a small child (despite being told it's too grown up for me) but I remembered it vaguely since then and wanted to read it again!
I think a lot went over my head as a kid!
My now impressions:
I still enjoyed it, the suspense and spookiness builds nicely, but not in a lose-sleep kind of way. The characters were diverse (hated Lyn, liked Jimbo).
The style of writing is a little dated now, but still holds up.
Ending felt a little rushed, and one really odd random thing that happened midway kind of didn't need to, but aside from that, I liked it.
I think a lot went over my head as a kid!
My now impressions:
I still enjoyed it, the suspense and spookiness builds nicely, but not in a lose-sleep kind of way. The characters were diverse (hated Lyn, liked Jimbo).
The style of writing is a little dated now, but still holds up.
Ending felt a little rushed, and one really odd random thing that happened midway kind of didn't need to, but aside from that, I liked it.
January 24, 2021
I just literally finished this book about 30mins ago and although I was very entertained throughout, I found the ending quite lacking. Therefore I gave it only 4 stars. I find that Erskine quite often falls short at the finale of her books, almost as if she is desperate to finish. All in all I loved this book and found it very entertaining and scary!!! Really setting the mood for Halloween. However, I was disappointed by the lack of finality in the ending.
November 8, 2012
It'S been a while since read one of her books but I was pleasantly surprised. Inheriting Belheddon couldn't have come at a better time for Joss. Her husband's business partner has embezzled all the company's assets and they have to give up their home. Of course she didn't count on the house's many ghosts keeping them company.
A thiroughtly entertaining read.
A thiroughtly entertaining read.
December 25, 2015
A very nice ghost story with a sublime build up unraveling just a bit more of the mystery every now and then. From halfway on I was completely lost in the story and could feel all the tension present in the book itself.
I think you must have at least some connection or fancy with ghosts or supernatural things in order to fully enjoy the story.
I think you must have at least some connection or fancy with ghosts or supernatural things in order to fully enjoy the story.
July 21, 2014
Joss inherits a house - Belheddon - completely out of the blue. The inheritance comes just at the right time when Luke, her husband, has lost his job and they need to find somewhere cheaper to live and where he can set up a new business. The house is very old and seems to have a bad reputation in the village but Luke and Joss and their small son Tom are determined t0 make the best of things and turn it into a family home.
What follows is a nightmare with Joss being aware of voices and what her son calls 'The Tin Man'. Things move of their own volition. Tom's cot is found on the opposite side of the room and family history shows that male children seem to meet untimely ends. Luke suspects Joss may be going mad but Joss knows she isn't.
With plenty of ghostly happenings and lots of misunderstandings between Joss and her sister Lynn who is living with them and looking after Tom and new baby, Ned this is a fast paced and spooky story. The tension mounts until the final spine chilling ending. Not a good idea to read it at night on your own especially if you live in an old house.
What follows is a nightmare with Joss being aware of voices and what her son calls 'The Tin Man'. Things move of their own volition. Tom's cot is found on the opposite side of the room and family history shows that male children seem to meet untimely ends. Luke suspects Joss may be going mad but Joss knows she isn't.
With plenty of ghostly happenings and lots of misunderstandings between Joss and her sister Lynn who is living with them and looking after Tom and new baby, Ned this is a fast paced and spooky story. The tension mounts until the final spine chilling ending. Not a good idea to read it at night on your own especially if you live in an old house.
August 27, 2016
Barbara Erskine creates an eerie atmosphere in House of Echoes. It's like watching a scary movie and screaming at the girl, "Don't go into the basement!". Joss Grant was adopted as a baby, but now married with a young son, she learns she has inherited a family mansion, Belheddon. She also learns that her mother fled from the home many years ago amid unexplainable circumstances. Joss and her husband and child move in and she soon is haunted by the voices of young children. As the story unfolds, there are attempts at exorcisms by various parties under the skeptical eye of her husband. The story delves into the past centered around King Edward IV and evil doings that occurred during this time. Fun reading!
February 3, 2017
This was definitely one of the better stories from Erskine.
Joss is a gutsy heroine, who is discovering the family and the house she never knew. This is a magical and extremely sinister tale and may have trigger moments for those who have been adopted or abused.
Joss is surrounded by a cast of characters I found rather hit and miss. She also seems to have quick pregnancies. Her family are the least supportive strangely, and it is ex work colleagues and new friends that make the attempt to really aid her in an extremely dangerous situation.
I was confused by the French part and 'modern' Katherine sighting but overall it was a story that kept me turning the pages and ended on a positive note.
It was just a shame that Joss was fully in denial at that end.
Joss is a gutsy heroine, who is discovering the family and the house she never knew. This is a magical and extremely sinister tale and may have trigger moments for those who have been adopted or abused.
Joss is surrounded by a cast of characters I found rather hit and miss. She also seems to have quick pregnancies. Her family are the least supportive strangely, and it is ex work colleagues and new friends that make the attempt to really aid her in an extremely dangerous situation.
I was confused by the French part and 'modern' Katherine sighting but overall it was a story that kept me turning the pages and ended on a positive note.
It was just a shame that Joss was fully in denial at that end.
December 20, 2017
****3.5/5****
This was definitely one of the creepiest books i've read this year and i would recommend it to anyone who needs a spooky on the edge type of a book.
This is the first book am reading by Erskine and i have to say i enjoyed her writing. I liked most the characters but i most definitely did not like Lyn and how she just wanted to stir up trouble when it came to Joss. It was so annoying how no one believed Joss and how she let her husband and sister walk all over her.
This book had its ups and downs, some parts just dragged on but other than that i found it really interesting.
This was definitely one of the creepiest books i've read this year and i would recommend it to anyone who needs a spooky on the edge type of a book.
This is the first book am reading by Erskine and i have to say i enjoyed her writing. I liked most the characters but i most definitely did not like Lyn and how she just wanted to stir up trouble when it came to Joss. It was so annoying how no one believed Joss and how she let her husband and sister walk all over her.
This book had its ups and downs, some parts just dragged on but other than that i found it really interesting.
March 20, 2012
Good story, but a couple of the characters were starting to really annoy me by the end of the book, including the heroine. I was a little bemused by one aspect of the ending - why did they leave the wax dummies tied together? Surely if they'd been joined using witchcraft the King's love for Katherine was false and it would have made sense to separate them to release him from the spell. Or did I miss something?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2017
As so often with Barbara Erskine's books there is a hint of an Aga saga to this one, but the paranormal element is deeply disturbing. The heroine and even more so her husband needed a good shake, but because they were well written, not because they were badly portrayed, and as usual the rest of the characters were real and rounded. The plot has its twists and turns, and ends mostly satisfactorily.
February 12, 2009
Okay, this is the absolute last Erskine book I will read! If I hadn't been stuck at home recovering from strep throat, I could have found something better...like a dictionary. This is a really l o n g story that after 2/3 of the book, I skipped 100 pages and picked right back up on the storyline! Good grief!
November 9, 2016
"Joss flinched. 'I'm sorry. Am I being boring?'" This is a description of the whole book for me. I disenjoyed it so much. Just the untrust of David and Joss' sister really pissed me off. The children being children also didn't make it a more pleasant read.
Wouldn't recommend especially if you want to read an actual horror story.
This was a truly horrible read.
Wouldn't recommend especially if you want to read an actual horror story.
This was a truly horrible read.
February 21, 2018
Bookclub read choice. Very well written, quite creepy. The tension was there the whole time especially when either the children or the adults couldn't find each other.
4.5 stars
4.5 stars
September 30, 2025
AUTHOR 'BARBARA ERSKINE
CHARACTERS:
JOSS JOCELYN AGRANT, LUKE GRANT, TOM, JANET GOODYEAR, DAVID TREGARRON, JAMES WOOD, EDGAR GOWER and JIMBO
from the past:
KING EDWARD IV, KATHERINE DE VERE, MARGARET DE VERE.
LOCATION :
BELHEDDON HALL. -EAST ANGLIAN COAST ...ENGLAND.
GENRE:
MYSTERY -HORROR.
_____________
PLOT:
JOSS GRANT ,was adopted at birth. Her adoptive parents were Alice and Joe. From the agency which track down families for adopted children, she discovers that her biological parents were Laura Catherine Duncan and her father Philip George Duncan both were deceased.
Joss was directed to meet John Cornish a solicitor in London. She was informed by Edgar Gower former priest of Belheddon Parish Church, that her mother Laura left something in her will and it was with the solicitor's firm in London .The will was written on the day, Joss was given adoption by her mother.
After Joss met the solicitors, she was surprised to learn that she had inherited a beautiful old house at Belheddon Hall from her mother, located on the East Anglian coast. It was sort of a dream coming true.
Joss's husband Luke, lost everything to his partner Barry, who absconded by swindling every penny in the bank. They were partners in Henderson & Grant, their own Engineering firm located at London. Their business collapsed, because of this betrayal , making Luke, nearly bankrupt and jobless. Luke had to clear all the debts and liabilities by selling their only house in London. Joss's inheritance came at the right time, when she and Luke were badly in need of an accomodation . Together they needed a fresh start somewhere away from London.
Joss was informed by the solicitors, that her parents and little brothers Sammy and George died long ago. Her father and her brothers died young, in terrible and fatal accidents in the years 1963, 1953 and in 1962 respectively. Her mother was unable to tolerate her husband and son's loss, moved to France and died in 1989 due to illness. Since than the house had remained empty and abandoned.
Joss also learns that her mother's will has some strange conditions. The inherited house would be given to her, only if she appeared herself within seven years of her mother's death. She had to look for her roots on her own without being sought by anybody else.If not, the house would be sold at auction with its contents and the proceeds would go to charity. If Joss prefers to live in the house, she qmust not sell the property for a period of seven years starting from the first day she set foot inside the house.
Joss, began a new life at BELHEDDON HALL, with her husband Luke and son Tom, after clearing everything from London. She was also eager to find out about her newly discovered family who lived there for generations. Assisted by her History Professor David Tregarron, she learns the shocking fact that, generations after generations only female heirs had inherited the house, and the house was way more hostile toward men and boys. So hostile that no boy had ever lived to grow up in the house.
Looking at the family bible, from the family tree mentioned there, Joss finds that her brothers, Samuel ((Sammy)) died by accidental drowning when he was just seven years old. The other brother George also died another accidental death, at the age of eight . Even her mother's , grandmother's , great grandmother's children especially boys died at a very young age.
From the diaries and letters of her mother and grandmother, it seemed they had been haunted by something. They were afraid. There had been exorcisms performed at the house. The house had a history of reports of ghosts and even devils that went back many centuries.
While she was alone in the house, Joss begins to hear echoing voices, whispers and senses an invisible presence watching her from shadows.She often hears a whisper "Katherine ", as if somebody//something was standing nearby her. Her little. toddler son Tom, was sometimes found in the attic , playing with the toys, given by her dead brothers Sammy and George nowhere to be found . During rainy nights, Tom's screaming with mounting horror, made her realize that her son was afraid of a man wearing a medieval armour in the form of a shadow approaching him from the dark corner of the nursery room.
The house being hostile to men and boys, and the undeniable fact, that the boys of Joss's ancestors died an untimely death either by accident or due to illness, terrifies her, and she definitely believes, that the house will be a threat to the lives of her own sons Tom and newborn Ned. Her husband Luke, dismisses all these as Joss's imagination, caused by stress and strain of her pregnancy and the exhaustion caused by the birth of her second child Ned.
The sudden transforming of the upstairs bedrooms, the great hall and kitchen into freezing cold rooms even during the broad daylight ; the mysterious white roses and petals appearing under her bed covers ; and the laughing sounds and footsteps of little boys. often heard in the attic rooms , make her fears intensify, terrifying her and her family are at the mercy of a violent and powerful energy which seems beyond anyone's control.
Joss, her husband Luke, professor David Tregarron, neighbour Janet Goodyear accompanied by Natalie, a young medium, ghost buster and an expert psychic, together search for clues about the happenings of the house.
Natalie, from the negative vibrations, she experienced from the basement cellar, discovered that the house was cursed by one Katherine de Vere long back in the 14 th century when England was ruled by King Edward Iv. Katherine's mother Margaret was arrested by King Edward for practicing witchcraft and black magic and was interrogated at London Tower .Later she was released without any charges ,after the king paid a surprise visit to the Belheddon Hall where he met Katherine and fell in love.Afterward, the king came many times to the Hall. Katherine was pregnant with king's child. Margaret inorder to gain power and king's influence, made two wax images of her daughter and king Edward, performed blackmagic and buried them in the cellar wall of the house. This was done to make the King and her daughter inseparable from any hindrances happening to them.
But Margaret's malicious plan was shattered when Katherine died after giving birth to a male child. In her death bed , she cursed all the boys and men belonging to her. family tree. She died at the age of seventeen, and was buried under the cellar flagfloour. Her mother Margaret, even though considered a witch was buried in the Parish Church because of King's influence. King Edward IV died at the age of 40 longing for her lover Katherine. All the three souls haunted Belheddon hall from that time.Katherine's restless soul srarted killing the boys of Belheddon hall, right from 14th century.
After describing all these historical facts, Katherine's skeletal remains were taken from the cellar and buried at the garden, as per the guidance of Natalie and she was laid to rest, by giving proper funeral to her by Luke and Joss. Finally Joss and Luke's family was saved from the long family curse, generated century after century.
MY COMMENT:
STATUTORY WARNING TO ALL GOODREADERS:
*Please stay away from the book at any cost.
*If u still wanna read this book, please remove your sixth sense from your brain and start to read.
*This book contains illogical nonsense from para to para, page to page, and continues till the end. All the illogical nonsenses form the twist,turns. and hairpin points of this book. So please be careful.
Wanna quote the author's exemplary thinking from the finishing stages of the book:
"Edward of England, the king, the sun of york, who, had he been a man, would have fathered Joss's unborn child, and who might have been her father, and her mothers father, and her grandmother's father, before that, and who was with Katherine de vere, her ancestor by blood and true descent"
Can u believe this "sky is the limit" kinda thought from the author. The author believes that this is the one of the center plot of the novel. Kudos ...Barbara! !!
MY RATING 0.5//10
CHARACTERS:
JOSS JOCELYN AGRANT, LUKE GRANT, TOM, JANET GOODYEAR, DAVID TREGARRON, JAMES WOOD, EDGAR GOWER and JIMBO
from the past:
KING EDWARD IV, KATHERINE DE VERE, MARGARET DE VERE.
LOCATION :
BELHEDDON HALL. -EAST ANGLIAN COAST ...ENGLAND.
GENRE:
MYSTERY -HORROR.
_____________
PLOT:
JOSS GRANT ,was adopted at birth. Her adoptive parents were Alice and Joe. From the agency which track down families for adopted children, she discovers that her biological parents were Laura Catherine Duncan and her father Philip George Duncan both were deceased.
Joss was directed to meet John Cornish a solicitor in London. She was informed by Edgar Gower former priest of Belheddon Parish Church, that her mother Laura left something in her will and it was with the solicitor's firm in London .The will was written on the day, Joss was given adoption by her mother.
After Joss met the solicitors, she was surprised to learn that she had inherited a beautiful old house at Belheddon Hall from her mother, located on the East Anglian coast. It was sort of a dream coming true.
Joss's husband Luke, lost everything to his partner Barry, who absconded by swindling every penny in the bank. They were partners in Henderson & Grant, their own Engineering firm located at London. Their business collapsed, because of this betrayal , making Luke, nearly bankrupt and jobless. Luke had to clear all the debts and liabilities by selling their only house in London. Joss's inheritance came at the right time, when she and Luke were badly in need of an accomodation . Together they needed a fresh start somewhere away from London.
Joss was informed by the solicitors, that her parents and little brothers Sammy and George died long ago. Her father and her brothers died young, in terrible and fatal accidents in the years 1963, 1953 and in 1962 respectively. Her mother was unable to tolerate her husband and son's loss, moved to France and died in 1989 due to illness. Since than the house had remained empty and abandoned.
Joss also learns that her mother's will has some strange conditions. The inherited house would be given to her, only if she appeared herself within seven years of her mother's death. She had to look for her roots on her own without being sought by anybody else.If not, the house would be sold at auction with its contents and the proceeds would go to charity. If Joss prefers to live in the house, she qmust not sell the property for a period of seven years starting from the first day she set foot inside the house.
Joss, began a new life at BELHEDDON HALL, with her husband Luke and son Tom, after clearing everything from London. She was also eager to find out about her newly discovered family who lived there for generations. Assisted by her History Professor David Tregarron, she learns the shocking fact that, generations after generations only female heirs had inherited the house, and the house was way more hostile toward men and boys. So hostile that no boy had ever lived to grow up in the house.
Looking at the family bible, from the family tree mentioned there, Joss finds that her brothers, Samuel ((Sammy)) died by accidental drowning when he was just seven years old. The other brother George also died another accidental death, at the age of eight . Even her mother's , grandmother's , great grandmother's children especially boys died at a very young age.
From the diaries and letters of her mother and grandmother, it seemed they had been haunted by something. They were afraid. There had been exorcisms performed at the house. The house had a history of reports of ghosts and even devils that went back many centuries.
While she was alone in the house, Joss begins to hear echoing voices, whispers and senses an invisible presence watching her from shadows.She often hears a whisper "Katherine ", as if somebody//something was standing nearby her. Her little. toddler son Tom, was sometimes found in the attic , playing with the toys, given by her dead brothers Sammy and George nowhere to be found . During rainy nights, Tom's screaming with mounting horror, made her realize that her son was afraid of a man wearing a medieval armour in the form of a shadow approaching him from the dark corner of the nursery room.
The house being hostile to men and boys, and the undeniable fact, that the boys of Joss's ancestors died an untimely death either by accident or due to illness, terrifies her, and she definitely believes, that the house will be a threat to the lives of her own sons Tom and newborn Ned. Her husband Luke, dismisses all these as Joss's imagination, caused by stress and strain of her pregnancy and the exhaustion caused by the birth of her second child Ned.
The sudden transforming of the upstairs bedrooms, the great hall and kitchen into freezing cold rooms even during the broad daylight ; the mysterious white roses and petals appearing under her bed covers ; and the laughing sounds and footsteps of little boys. often heard in the attic rooms , make her fears intensify, terrifying her and her family are at the mercy of a violent and powerful energy which seems beyond anyone's control.
Joss, her husband Luke, professor David Tregarron, neighbour Janet Goodyear accompanied by Natalie, a young medium, ghost buster and an expert psychic, together search for clues about the happenings of the house.
Natalie, from the negative vibrations, she experienced from the basement cellar, discovered that the house was cursed by one Katherine de Vere long back in the 14 th century when England was ruled by King Edward Iv. Katherine's mother Margaret was arrested by King Edward for practicing witchcraft and black magic and was interrogated at London Tower .Later she was released without any charges ,after the king paid a surprise visit to the Belheddon Hall where he met Katherine and fell in love.Afterward, the king came many times to the Hall. Katherine was pregnant with king's child. Margaret inorder to gain power and king's influence, made two wax images of her daughter and king Edward, performed blackmagic and buried them in the cellar wall of the house. This was done to make the King and her daughter inseparable from any hindrances happening to them.
But Margaret's malicious plan was shattered when Katherine died after giving birth to a male child. In her death bed , she cursed all the boys and men belonging to her. family tree. She died at the age of seventeen, and was buried under the cellar flagfloour. Her mother Margaret, even though considered a witch was buried in the Parish Church because of King's influence. King Edward IV died at the age of 40 longing for her lover Katherine. All the three souls haunted Belheddon hall from that time.Katherine's restless soul srarted killing the boys of Belheddon hall, right from 14th century.
After describing all these historical facts, Katherine's skeletal remains were taken from the cellar and buried at the garden, as per the guidance of Natalie and she was laid to rest, by giving proper funeral to her by Luke and Joss. Finally Joss and Luke's family was saved from the long family curse, generated century after century.
MY COMMENT:
STATUTORY WARNING TO ALL GOODREADERS:
*Please stay away from the book at any cost.
*If u still wanna read this book, please remove your sixth sense from your brain and start to read.
*This book contains illogical nonsense from para to para, page to page, and continues till the end. All the illogical nonsenses form the twist,turns. and hairpin points of this book. So please be careful.
Wanna quote the author's exemplary thinking from the finishing stages of the book:
"Edward of England, the king, the sun of york, who, had he been a man, would have fathered Joss's unborn child, and who might have been her father, and her mothers father, and her grandmother's father, before that, and who was with Katherine de vere, her ancestor by blood and true descent"
Can u believe this "sky is the limit" kinda thought from the author. The author believes that this is the one of the center plot of the novel. Kudos ...Barbara! !!
MY RATING 0.5//10
October 12, 2023
A book of two halves. The first 50 or so pages were promising, but then the pace slowed down considerably and the book became a bit dull and repetitive. However, it picked up again around the 200 page mark, and I found myself increasingly drawn into the story. By the time I reached the final few chapters, I literally could not put it down. I found the overall mystery to be quite satisfying and well explained, and there were plenty of genuinely creepy moments peppered throughout. Some of the characters were a little annoying, Luke and Lyn being the main offenders, and one or two things within the story did stretch credibility somewhat, but on the whole, it was an enjoyable enough read.
June 27, 2022
As usual, I love books by Barbara Erskine and this is no exception - I read this before I even put it in my "being read" section of Goodreads. If you like a mixture of historical, suspense, ghosts, witches, a roller coaster of events and characters you care about - try any Barbara Erskine book.
September 17, 2024
Amazing! I loved it and it was sufficiently creepy.
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