A Note Below

Lansin Island Short Stories

by Andrew Butcher

Could you live in a haunted lighthouse?

Gavin Locke's reluctance to accept there are strange things happening in his home drives away his wife and daughter. As he grows lonelier and the 'hauntings' increase, he realises something has to be done... before it becomes dangerous.

But what is causing the odd events? And what could it want from Gavin?

Set on Lansin Island, an Island with a dark history of witch burnings, Gavin must find a way to stop the hauntings and bring his family back home.

*** A Note Below is a short story in the Lansin Island Series, featuring a few select characters from A Death Displaced (Book one in the Lansin Island Series) ***

Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Mystery, Fiction, Ebooks, Urban Fantasy, Short Stories

50 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 23, 2012

About the author

Andrew Butcher writes supernatural suspense and dark fantasy tales brimming with fascinating characters, tantalizing mysteries, and jaw-dropping plot twists. After releasing his first novel, A Death Displaced, Andrew Butcher focused on continuing the Lansin Island series while helping thousands of fellow writers to realize their dreams through his online creative writing course, Write a Novel Outline from Scratch.

More interested in telling a good story than following the 'rules' of genre, Andrew takes an eclectic approach to his fiction. His paranormal suspense novels are sprinkled with elements of fantasy, mystery, and family drama. His dark fantasy tale, Fear the Wolf, is full of action, suspense, and enough mystery to keep readers guessing until the very end. Fantasy Book Critic described Fear the Wolf as "an intriguing new angle on the formula" and "a solid, well-structured book that should appeal to readers enjoying dark and intimate stories."

When Andrew isn't reading, writing, or binge-watching TV shows, he enjoys hand-feeding his pet tortoise and daydreaming about imaginary worlds filled with unforgettable characters.

Reviews

[Thom Swennes · Rating 4 out of 5]

People often don’t know how truly blessed they are until they lose, or almost lose, those things and people that mean the most. Candlemark Lighthouse is situated on Lansin Island, overlooking the Celtic Sea toward the Cornish coast, that can be seen as a gray blur on a bright, clear day. The lighthouse once played a vital role in protecting shipping at night and on fog-filled and stormy days, but has now, with the introduction of radar and GPS systems, become obsolete. The lighthouse has been long converted into a home, both picturesque and dauntingly grand with its size and location. As it is with all buildings of age, it has a long and varied history. Some past events should be forgotten but the interests and odd curiosities of man, seem to ever lurk in memories.
Gavin and Angela Locke bought the lighthouse ten years earlier after a freak and fatal accident cost the life of one of the owners. The widow, Karen Taut, couldn’t bear to live there anymore with all the memories of a life that no longer existed. She left much behind after the sale for the same reasons. Gavin Locke is a jack of all trades, a carpenter, and a builder, hailing originally from a poorer part of London, but now is very successful at what he does.
After ten years of happy, blissful peace, things suddenly change, making life a hell for unexplainable reasons. A point is soon reached when Angela takes their daughter, Claudia, away to stay with her mother. She demands that Gavin fixes the problem, whatever it is before they will return home. Gavin is a pragmatic man, believing more in a coincidence that paranormal. When time doesn’t right the problem, he is left just one more choice; Tamara Trewin.

I’m not really a big paranormal fan but since this story was relatively short, I thought I would give it a try. I was almost instantly captivated by the story and as I read, the names of the shops and establishments in the nearby village screamed to my imagination. Names such as The Old Hag’s Nose (local pub), and Pagan’s Wonder and Creaky Crystals (two shops) caught my imagination and took off. I am living proof that you don’t have to be a paranormal buff to thoroughly enjoy this story.

[TONIA DELLINGER · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Note Below is a short story about a loving family, a lighthouse, and a ghost. Gavin is a hard working ardman who is tough on the outside but gentle on the inside. Even though he isnt mushy all the time he loves his wife and daughter immensley. There are a few strange occurences happening in the lighthouse that Gavin believes is just coincidence. He doesnt believe really in the paranormal, however, his wife the strange occrences to be a haunting. She packs a bag for herself and the daughter and leaves to go to her mothers. She wont come back til Gavin has fixed this. Is there a something living in the lighthouse other than the family and their dog? Check out this quick read to find out.

I absolutely loved this short story. First of all i was already in love with Lansin Island from "A Death Displaced". The characters in this tale were just as engaging and entertaining. My heart went out to Gavin as he misses his family and just wanted them to come home. I was with him when he first starts to realize that maybe something is happening here that is just not "normal".

I highly recommend this to fans of the author and the paranormal. Mr Butcher does not dissapoint but leaves you wanting more!

***DISCLOSURE***
I received a copy of this book free from the author with no stips of writing a review.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading A Death Displaced, I was happy when the author contacted me and asked me to read his short story, A Note Below. I really enjoy reading short stories since you can enjoy a quick interesting tale with little time investment, and this one was no exception. It begins on Lansin Island like A Death Displaced, but it is a completely separate story with new faces, and only minor characters from the first novel making an appearance in this one. You don't need to read the original novel to understand what is happening because it is a stand alone story.

It begins shortly before Halloween, which is a popular holiday on the Island of Lansin since the mass killings of witches hundreds of years earlier. Basically, it is a story of love, misunderstandings, second chances, and being grateful for what is in your life and not taking your blessings for granted. All this is delivered with a paranormal twist that makes for very compelling reading. Once I started I couldn't stop.

The ending was very touching, and I found myself tearing up, which I consider a success in any book. I would highly recommend this short novel and if you haven't read a Death Displaced go and read it you won't be disappointed.

[Marvin Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

A haunting halloween.

A Note Below features a lighthouse, a spooked family, a dog and a supernaturally inclined town, at halloween - i hoped it would be good and i wasn't disappointed.

I enjoyed that this story - like A Death Displaced - was also set in Lansin and though not as menacing as its predecessor, it still held intrigue and was unsettling as i was not sure if the 'happenings' might escalate.
The ending is uplifting as the living and the dead started out in apparent conflict and through the resolution of this; end up helping each other find peace and communicate with loved ones better than before.

On a lighter note; i also loved Gavins' angry, old(er) man rant about touch screen phones.... where's book two?

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little skeptical when I thought to read this short story. Usually I find myself rather disappointed because they don't tie in very well to the main series. I was quite happy to be wrong in this instance since Mr. Butcher managed to tie the main characters to the larger story quite well by introducing

Could you live in a supposedly haunted light house?

Gavin Lock and his wife and daughter give it a try but odd occurrences chase the women out, leaving Gavin to give in and hire an exorcist to get rid of the ghost, move or live separate from his wife.

You'll be quite surprised, and happy, at what's causing the disturbances and how easy the solution is.

All in all this was a quick, easy read which I thoroughly enjoyed.

[PepperP0t · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5stars really
This short was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Gavin Locke had a wife, daughter and dog to share his lighthouse, but now he doesn't. Odd things keep happening. Gavin's situation and moody outlook spirals like the stairs in the lighthouse as the mystery unfolds.
I enjoyed the pacing, storyline and characters here. The beautifully descriptive writing style pulls you into this short immediately and follows the logical pathways of the mind (mine at least) as it asks and then answers the need to know what happened here. This short is part of the Lansin Island series but is self contained and does not need to be read as part of the series.

[Annmarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading A Note Below by Andrew Butcher. Having read his first two Lansin Island books, I looked forward to it. As always, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read. These books are listed as Fantasy/Contemporary Romance. There are some 'otherwordly' touches (which I love) but what I enjoy most is Mr. Butcher's ability to allow me to relate to the characters. They are everyday people stumbling through life as I do but after an extra-ordinary occurence in their lives, they come out better for it afterwards. Like Gavin and Angela, I thought about the most important people I love and the need to let them know. I look forward eagerly to the next book in the Lansin Island series.

[Ken B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very well written short-story that has several appealing horror elements: there's a haunted lighthouse, a ghost, a medium, a mystery and its Halloween. But, I don't think I would classify this as a horror short. Its more of a happy ending, paranormal romance.

Still, very well written and a nice story overall.

4 STARS

[Atalia López · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read a book written by Andrew Butcher, but I was looking for something short, sort of spooky but not really scary to read. And this short story didn't disappoint me at all.
I loved all of the paranormal elements, as well as the personal ones.
The ending might seem a little cheesy to some, but even while I found myself rolling my eyes at it, I truly enjoyed it for the message it sends.
Now I'm definitely curious about the rest of the series, will surely check those books sooner rather than later.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of spooky! Last night when I got ready to write a review on my Kindle it wouldn't let me write short it wouldn't let me use the t. I tried several times. Then this morning when I tried it acted like there had never been a problem. The story hit me kind of like the letter t and my Kindle. What was wrong with them? Maybe the story possessed it?

[Sadie Forsythe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fine short story. But there were no surprises here, nothing unexpected or exceptional.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Note Below: A Short Spooky Ghost Story (A Lansin Island Short Story) by Andrew Butcher is unlike the other two (soon to be three) books in the Lansin Island Series because this is a short story but like the other two, it is a great read. I believe it was meant to be read between A Death Displaced and A Body Displaced (Books 1 & 2 in the Lansin Island Series). I just found out about it and read it even though I read book 2 already but in no way feel it took anything away or that I missed anything by reading this out of order. I do suggest you read book one first though simply because you'll understand the setting and some of the same characters are in it giving you more depth and understanding or the area and history.

The story takes place on Lansin Island at the lighthouse that is haunted. Being a fan of all the ghost and paranormal stuff I was glad to see that the details the author made don't contradict what is known to be real (or at least supposed real) hauntings. For example, it is said that pets are more affected than people and in the story Lady (the dog) hides out in the lantern room and won't come down. Another thing is that the main character, Gavin, who doesn't believe in ghosts or at least that the lighthouse is haunted 'feels' a heaviness and other unexplained feelings. It also follows suit that ghosts are 'tied' in some way to the building, surroundings/land, or people. To me, it is little things like this that make the story all the more creditable no matter if you believe in ghosts or not.

Speaking of the main character, Gavin is such a hoot! He totally adds comedy into the story which makes him all the more real. Just his accent and how simple and practical he is about some things. I especially related to him (with a laugh) when his friend Jamie was looking for a name/number on his touchscreen phone with all the fancy features. Gavin seemed a bit torn between being impatient with his friend searching his phone and amused by all he has to go through just to find a number and thinks: "My phone has this crazy feature ... yer tap in the numbers ... yer hit dial ... an' it calls the person on the other end ... an' yer can talk to each other! But why would anyone want a phone with such a ridiculous feature, eh? They'd much rather have a phone that's actually a camera, or an MP3 player, or a phone that ties your shoelaces, prepares your lunch, feeds your dog."

I won't recap the whole story as the author did a wonderful description that you can read for yourself but what I will say is sometimes it takes the dead to appreciate, love, and understand all that you have in life. With this being said, I don't want you to think it has no creep factor to it. It isn't a hard core horror type, more of a cozy paranormal but it does have a creep factor to it. Even the font used by the author has a creep factor but it is especially creepy at the beginning of the story. Even before the beginning, just look at the cover. Is that the cliff of the island? That black and white photo even makes the water look cold and creepy. Is that ray of light pointing the way to go below? Where the note is? Or is that a ray of sunshine in a cold, harsh reality?

I recommend this story (the whole series) to anyone who enjoys paranormal stories.

[Carlos · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot is simple to follow and is very intriguing from start to finish. The writing and pacing are well-done, making this short work a great read. There are not many characters, but their relationships develop quickly and the story takes off.

While reading this, I felt like I was in a sort of Paranormal Activity film; the dog won't come down from the lighthouse and objects move around the room. Not something I would usually read, but the plot and events make it feel like a soft Paranormal Activity, with an actual story. But it's just not the ghost events that makes this story so compelling; it's the plot. Gavin, the main character, doesn't believe in such events. He's in denial. His wife and daughter leave him, and he has to figure out a way to bring them back. This short work shoes the emotions of an isolated person (though sometimes it seemed that those real-life emotions were absent).

As for the ending, it was done rather quickly and was a little anti-climatic. Though in all, this was a great story to read (very descriptive), and I hope to read another book by this author soon.

[Joelle Byrne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this very much. Thank you Andrew for sending me the copy by email.

I have not read anything by the author to date and I will be seeking out other books by Andrew as I enjoyed his writing style and the general idea of the story. I imagine the other stories based on the island will be as entertaining.

The main character was solid and relatable. Once I began, I finished the entire book but obviously it was a short story so I wouldn't have expected to spend a long time on it.

My only minor critique would be some use of language. I'm English, therefore some americanisms seemed to clash with the "Britishness" of the story in my opinion. Also, sometimes words used seemed a little out of context; almost giving the impression of the over-use of the thesaurus. It didn't quite seem natural sometimes, but did not have a negative impact on the narration of the story.

Excellent book and thanks again. I look forward to the next.

[Lariza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short read that I very much enjoyed. I liked Gavin and his skepticism, he wasn't ready to believe his home was haunted. The setting- the lighthouse gave the story an eery feel along with the history of Lansin Island; it being Halloween also added to the overall eery effect The strange occurrences and the dog's reluctance to come down had me wanting to know what was happening! Gavin wanted his family back and that meant he had to be open minded and bring a medium to his house. Through her, he was able to feel David's regret and bring Karen piece of mind. I did have to read some of Gavin's lines twice other than that I enjoyed this short story. I loved how the title is referenced in the story. Thanks Andrew for giving me the opportunity to read your story. I look forward to reading more of your work.

[Georgeanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Andrew Butcher follows up 'A Death Displaced' with another story set on Lansin Island. In 'A Note Below', the Locke family start noticing odd occurrances and the dog won't  come down out of the lantern room at the very top of the decommissioned lighthouse they call home. Angela is so spooked after a sleepwalking incident that she takes their daughter, Claudia, and heads for her mother's house. She's adamant about not returning home until Gavin gets rid of the spirits. No easy task since Gavin doesn't think he even believes in spirits.  A friend sends him to Tamara, the witch we met in the first book, and it's up to the two of them to get to the bottom of this mystery. I enjoyed Gavin's journey and look forward to reading more about this quirky place called Lansin Island.

[MaryAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed this short story. I thought the flow of the story was engaging and that the pages went by quickly. I thought the authorfif a good job of emphasizing that we remember all the good things in our lives, particularly the people we love, and remember to tell them how much we love them every day. It shouldn't take something extraordinary to prod us to share our lives completely with those we love.

I really enjoyed it and give is a 4.5 out of 5 stars!

I was provided this story by the author for a unbiased review...Thank you!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good old fashioned ghost story set in the Lansin Island 'verse, about a family man whose life takes a strange turn when his dog starts hiding at the top of their lighthouse home. Readers of the series will get to visit with an 'old' friend, who may or not be able to help skeptic Gavin Locke.

The ending was sweet and sad and I can't tell you more than that - you'll have to get your own copy! =D

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an easy read, and I loved the ending. This was a great book, with a good moral to the story. I enjoyed the story very much, especially since I started reading it thinking that it was a scary ghost story. I'm not a big fan of really scary stories, and this one had just the right amount of suspense and intrigue to make it a very easy read.

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somewhere between a long short story and a short novella in length, this is a sort of urban ghost story where things move and the dog won't come down from the haunted lighthouse's lantern room. The Halloween atmosphere adds to the story and the length is perfect, short enough for the tension to be maintained but long enough to hold me in place for a while. Oh, and it's a nice love story, too.

[Brenda Seaberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was well-written, a very nice story. If you want a story that makes you feel good, this would be the story for you.

I did enjoy the way Gavin spoke throughout the story. I could easily hear his accent every time he talked.

I would read more from this author.

[Rachel (Sfogs) · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Read on the plane to Canada)

I really like the author's style.
Was my sort of topic, I have always liked a ghost story!!

[Rachel Parmentier Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the short story. Very descriptive and characters are easy to picture and like. Wish there had been more than one short story and can't wait for book 2 of the Lansin Island series.

[Justus · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's "only" a ghost story. I was hoping for something more like urban fantasy.
But still I like Andrew Butchers writing.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent short!!!

[Enid · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a touching short story which is a fast read and makes you think about things that go bump in the night...and day too.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick but good read

[Mya · Rating 4 out of 5]

very cute short read

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light, short ghost story set in Andrew Butcher's Lansin Island series.