Wish You Weren't Here

The Rooks #1

by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch, Fran Burgoyne (Reader)

The Rook family run a little ghost hunting. And things have picked up recently. Something's wrong. It's been getting noticeably worse since, ooh, 2016? Bad spirits are abroad, and right now they're particularly common around Coldbay Island, which isn't even abroad, it's only 20 miles from Skegness. The Rooks' 'quick call out' to the island picks loose a thread that begins to unravel the whole place, and the world beyond. Is this the apocalypse? This might be the apocalypse. Who knew it would kick off in an off-season seaside resort off the Lincolnshire coast? I'll tell you who knew - Brenda. She's been feeling increasingly uneasy about the whole of the East Midlands since the 90s.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Ghosts, Audiobook, LGBT, Comedy

Audio CD

First published October 7, 2021

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

Entertaining urban fantasy with a family of ghostbusters tackling a peculiarly bleak British seaside resort. The writing style is light and fun--more the wry smile variety of funny than laugh out loud, though I did enjoy the premise that 2016 was some sort of magical turning point after which everything is going to hell. A bit like the lighter end of Kate Griffin, which is no bad thing, and the family relationships between demon-possessed dad, dad's demon, alcoholic mum, adopted exorcist daughter, put upon son, and son's Polish accountant husband are very likeable.

[S. ≽^•⩊•^≼ I'm not here yet · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Think about life. Think about a family –spouses, parents, children…a new friend.
This story ends with life –ugly, painful life, full of secrets and loss and regrets, full of questions left unanswered and unreliable memories. Full of growth, and change, and new chances.
This story ends with the family knowing that it is not the end".

In Coldbay strange things happen, people dying in weird circumstances, pile up cars, freak waves, and Seagulls attack! Nobody comes to church, so the priest decides to call the expert!
Richard and Brenda Rook, their son Darryle, their daughter Charity, and their son-in-law Janusz, Darryle's husband, not Charity run a ghost hunting family business. A specialist cleaning service for ghosts had gone quickly, mostly young.
Father has a demon inside him (Murzzz), mother and son are clairvoyants, daughter is a Ghostbuster. She likes to mention "adopted" every time, secret tragic backstory, probably Harry Potter with a nicer room!

Rook family expected an angry ghost in church. One of the family members is trapped in the color picture window (some people get ghosted into a picture for decades, even forever), they understand the problem is bigger than only one ghost! The first mission, the urgency of trying to rescue over the window. Second, do something for the town, all those funerals and lots of ghosts on a bridge!

Seems Charity's imagination to be like Harry Potter and a ghost inside from age seventeen make some sort of difficulties. Now, when there is a town full of ghosts, demons, and a Hell Hole, they also should deal with Charity's unknown past and their son with no tail and all (Murzzz was always in Richard, didn't he?).

Supernatural activity who believe in such bonkers?? As a Winchesters fan, this is a 5-star book. I enjoyed this hunter family, loved family members, and very like to read more on this series!

Many thanks to Duckworth Books and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read Wish You Weren't Here (The Rooks Series #1) by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch, I have given my honest review.

[Schizanthus Nerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘A lot of really bad things have happened in Coldbay. A lot-lot.’

Brenda, a clairvoyant, is married to Richard, who has his own stuff going on. They have two adult children. Darryl, also clairvoyant, loves his husband, Janusz. Charity, the human Ghostbuster trap, loves carbs. Janusz, who was once upon a time a client of the Rooks, loves spreadsheets as much as he loves his husband. Together the Rooks run a ghost hunting business.

Clients contacted the Rooks because their kids were talking backwards or their cutlery kept flying at them or their walls were bleeding and they really quite wanted it to stop.

The Rooks’ newest client is Coldbay Island’s local priest. They might have to do a little overtime on this job and that’s going to seriously mess with Janusz’s spreadsheet.

‘Here we are, and it’s positively crawling with ghosts.’

I enjoyed this book and will be continuing the series. However, fair or not, I couldn’t help comparing it to the Darkwood series, which I absolutely adored.

I loved all of the characters in Darkwood but I mostly just loved Janusz in this book. There was some humour in this book but, unlike Darkwood, my face doesn’t hurt from smiling almost the entire time I was reading. There was no Bin Night equivalent on Coldbay Island.

I would happily pass the Darkwood series along to a child. I wouldn’t do that with this book, if only because of the swearing.

I originally hoped for a sneaky Darkwood crossover, maybe with Trevor or perhaps a character more appropriate for this story like Patience. Until I saw Charity in action. Then I was glad Patience stayed in Myrsina.

Maybe it’s because I’m almost two months into lockdown here in Australia but a lot of what I’m reading at the moment reminds me of other things I’ve read or movies I’ve seen.

Something that happened to Janusz reminded me of one of my favourite scenes in Roald Dahl’s The Witches. The Rooks’ website’s “No spectral problem too big or too small” brought to mind Venkman’s “No job is too big, no fee is too big”. When the Rooks faced up against this book’s Big Bad, I couldn’t help thinking they could potentially solve all of their problems if they sourced some of the pink slime from Ghostbusters II, smeared it all over whatever the English equivalent of the Statue of Liberty is and sing happy songs to it.

There’s plenty of action in this book. The Rook family quickly became real to me and I’m keen to find out how individual family members are going to deal with the information that came to light while they were at Coldbay Island. This story doesn’t officially end on a cliffhanger but there are plenty of threads to tie together during the rest of the series.

Content warnings include alcoholism and mention of death by suicide, immolation and miscarriage.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Farrago, an imprint of Duckworth Books, for the opportunity to read this book.

Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fantastically fun start to a new fantasy series. In this book, a quirky family of ghosthunters faces a much bigger supernatural challenge than they'd expected - along with some very dangerous and long-buried family secrets coming to light - in a dingy East Midlands seaside town. If you like any of Douglas Adams's Dirk Gently books, you'll probably like this book, too, because it's definitely working in the same subgenre/tradition - and I love Gabby Hutchinson Crouch's particular brand humor and compassion.

WYWH is filled with characters I really love (even including one particular demon) and great banter along with exciting ghost- and demon-fighting action. I'm REALLY looking forward to Book 2! (No spoilers, but - although this one has a very good ending without any cliffhangers - I really NEED to know ASAP what will come of one of the end results of this story!)

[Vigasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't like it as much as the author's Darkwood series, but I am always more of fairytale girl. But it wasn't a bad book, it was a pure action, with a lot of fun. So if you are looking for something for a lazy evening, this is definitely your thing. Also, it shiows a great promise for next installments. I will continue with the series.

4 stars

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rooks travel the country, eliminating ghosts. They are a family, and their latest contract is at the church at Coldbay Island in England. Spending even a little time with family makes it obvious that their dynamic isn't the healthiest, with mother Brenda always looking for her next drink, father Richard pacifying any arguments, son Darryl never being taken seriously, and adopted daughter Charity often saying things just to be contrary or get a rise out of Darryl. Rounding out their family is the utterly sweet and kind Janusz, Darryl's loving husband.
The family arrives at the church to find Reverend Grace Barry hiding outside, while something takes the inside apart. Working quickly, the Rooks each play a part in figuring out what's going on, and dealing with it.
Unfortunately, instead of the nice and easy single ghost/poltergeist they expected, it turns out it's multiple ghosts and demons. (Did I forget to mention Richard has a rather intimate understanding of demons?)
Things go from bad to worse, to even worse, to really terrible pretty quickly, with the Rooks finding the island deserted, and oh, a little something with truly dire implications for the island. And for the Rooks.
Once I got accustomed to the family dynamic, I could see that though there were some amusing things going on (Charity's constant need for her Chosen One moment and hope for a superhero origin story), there were some real problems with Brenda's need to overindulge in alcohol and consequent behaviour, and no one taking Darryl's sensible suggestions seriously.
I did enjoy this fairly short book; the action is frequent, and I kind of loved Janusz, and how much he and Darryl were in love with each other, even after being together for years. Charity becomes more interesting as the story evolves, and learning how she was adopted was pretty tragic. And Murzzzz! Yeah, he's a demon, but something about his and Richard's relationship just made me smile, and then hurt a lot for Richard. Though I didn't really like Brenda at the outset, I was able to understand her a little better as the book progressed, and it became clearer what she had been living with all her life – I'd probably have taken to drink myself if I had had to deal with the same!
I also liked the narrator who injects their view on the proceedings periodically – I loved the mystery of this person and why they had the perspective they did on the family.
I liked Grace a lot, and her strange, growing understanding of the evolving dangerous situation on the island was curious, evoking questions in me and the Rooks, hopefully to be answered in the next book. Which I want to read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Farrago Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

[Lacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy things are unfolding on Coldbay Island. Good thing the comical and merry Rooks family are ready for the challenge when the priest summons them for help. Humor, excellent banter, and lots of entertaining action keeps this story interesting. Serious Ghost Buster vibes, a touch of slapstick comedy, and a family willing to stick it out together whatever comes their way. A fun book that doesn’t take itself too serious is perfect to usher in the new fall creepy reads.

Thank you NetGalley and Farrago for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolute belter of a book! It's under 300 pages, so all too short and leaves me wanting book 2, but every page counts. It's funny, dark and full of great characters and cameos, whether living, dead or undead. The setting on a creepy island off Lincolnshire seems entirely fitting for a potential apocalypse. This is fabulous writing and it's quite incredible how much depth, how many full relationships, the author packs into such a short novel. I can't wait for book 2. Review to follow shortly on For Winter Nights.

[Ta || bookishbluehead · Rating 2 out of 5]

„Saving people, hunting things – the family business”. Most people probably know this line from one of the most famous ghost and demon-hunter family, the Winchesters. In this book we follow another family of ghosthunters with a set of special skills to banish ghosts from this world.

This was an okay read for me. It had some things I enjoyed, Darryl and Janusz and their relationship especially, but there were also a lot of things I didn’t enjoy, like the whole character of Brenda for that matter. She reminds me of a woman I know in real life, who I really dislike, and it reminded me so much of her, that I couldn’t get the connection out of my head. I know this is a me-problem, but it made it hard for me to enjoy this book.

The mystery and story behind it were okay, in the end it got a little too much for me, but it wasn’t too bad. I didn’t really care for the other characters; they were just there.

I felt a lot of things were quite repetitive. Spreadsheets were mentioned a lot, also food and carbs. I think it was meant to be funny but for me that felt flat and in the end when one of those things was mentioned, I really had to roll my eyes.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, although I think the ending let it down a little. It was a very British book, set in a seaside town, and it felt like it had just the right amount of padding thrown in to make it feel like it was a genuine display of life in England - some books set here are written by people who haven't grown up or lived here, and it comes through in the writing, but this one had enough to tell me that yes the author is British, and had spent enough of their life here to make me genuinely believe the world she was writing about.

The main characters - the Rook family - were a squabbling, loving, bossy, chaotic, messy family consisting of the two parents, Richard and Brenda, plus their two adult children, David and Charity, and Janusz, who is David's husband. The family clearly loves and cares for each other, but also has the banter that comes from a lifetime of being in close proximity to people and sharing experiences together. The fact that they are ghost hunters is actually fairly low down on the reasons why I liked them.
The family very obviously cares for and loves each other, but they also have flaws. The most prominent one is Brenda's alcoholism, but also Charity pushing herself further than she should, David getting easily distracted, and Brenda's abrasiveness. Brenda is not a likeable character, and it was only really her love for her husband and Murzzzz that endeared her to me even slightly. She's a know it all, and only when pushed will she accept that she might have been wrong or that there's a better way of doing something. Very selfish, but that is what humanises her and makes her a compelling character.
Charity was my favourite, if only because she kept upbeat the whole time, and was prepared to join her brother to make a united front against her parents when needed. Also, she was a badass, which I enjoyed, her powers were different to the rest of the family even though her being adopted wasn't anything to make a big deal of.

I loved David and Janusz's relationship, they were so sweet together and despite not having any of the powers the rest of the family has, Janusz had embraced his partner's lifestyle and was fully in on the family business - and he's a whizz with admin and accountancy, which automatically makes him a wizard in my eyes.

Richard didn't really come to the forefront of the story until towards the end, but the last fight on the island, when he lost Murzzzz really had me feeling for him - the author gave them both a depth that I wasn't expecting, and a sense of grief that was very tangible and recognisable.

The overall story I enjoyed - it was revealed slowly, and the more we got to see of the island - and the more we learn about Reverend Grace - the more horrifying it becomes. Grace starts off normal, but the more the story goes on, the more it becomes clear that something is affecting her and happening to her, and the more I desperately wanted to help her, to save her.
I did feel like the ending let it down a little - I think it was the fact that they couldn't save Murzzzz that annoyed me, maybe because I was expecting them to lose Grace instead, and it certainly left it open for the next novel, but it just didn't sit with me as the best decision. Also, the whole story felt like it was building up to such a huge climax, and it felt like we didn't get one. The island vanishing, and the reveal of what is to come, and then the ending of the book felt like a novel finishing halfway through. I was expecting more, it left me feeling just a little unsatisfied with how things cut off. I'm hoping that the next book will pick up where we left off and will give me the fulfilment I want from the story.

All in all, a good read, and I'm definitely going to get the sequel and the other books this author has published because it's such a perfect mix of metaphor and simile and stupid family banter. It reminded me a lot of reading Terry Pratchett novels, or a bit of Douglas Adams, and I'm looking forward to seeing if the rest of her work is the same. 4 out of 5 stars.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a unique and funny read . It's very different from my normal reads in the way the author has portrayed ghost hunting and demons . I liked how she made it amusing , dark and chaotic read .
The characters I liked a lot , the family of 5 were surprising and their ghost-busting style is different and fresh .
The setting of Coldbay Island had the perfect feeling of isolation that made it more dramatic , especially at the end when it was rather apocalyptic as they tried to escape from the demons that were running amok.
The only reason it's a four star is that I found the ending to be very quick and left too open ended with charity's story , like the author is taunting your curiosity .
I will be checking out the two books that are in The Rooks series as I need to know what happens.
All in all this has been an unexpected entertaining read. It's not a book I would have chosen , but thanks to it being a book club pick I got to read it and enjoy it .

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this one, considering Sarah Millican sings the author’s praises on the front cover…but it just fell flat. The story was unnecessarily long, and for a book that barely scrapes past 200 pages, that’s not a good thing. The first 80 pages or so is literally one scene.

None of the characters bar Janusz are likeable, especially the mother, and the dialogue is cringe at worst, somewhat humorous at best. I could never tell how old the adult children were supposed to be…in their 30s, I think, but they spoke like “quirky” teenagers.

I really want to read the author’s other series, Darkwood. If anyone could tell me that those books are an improvement please do. I feel like she has a great imagination, but is too preoccupied with making everything funny that the story suffers. If the world was ending, would you honestly say “we’re going to get trapped in an island calzone?”

[Jenny (Bookbookowl) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Farrago Books for providing me with a copy of this book, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review!

I’m just going to say right here and now, I am going to love everything Gabby ever writes. I can tell. She was well on the way to New Favourite Author status with the Darkwood series and now she has cemented it with Wish You Weren’t Here! I am SO glad there are going to be more books in this series! I am SO far from done with the Rooks!

In the Darkwood series, Gabby had me fall in love with a spider. Yes, arachnophobic me. This time she had me shedding tears over a demon. I mean, if that doesn’t show some damn fine writing, I don’t know what does.

The Rook family have varying degrees of psychic abilities, except Darryl’s husband Janusz. He’s the accounting whizz. Mum Brenda and son Darryl can see the ghosts, daughter Charity can send them on their way, and dad Richard, well, he’s host to a terrifying demon, who is part of the family. When a routine ‘cleansing’ for a client, of a church that’s being trashed by ghosts an alarming amount of times, goes wrong, the family need to pitch in together to try and save the town.

I absolutely loved every one of the members of this family and Darryl and Janusz are couple goals. Brilliant banter, ghostbusting and family secrets that can make even the most serious situation rather awkward, Wish You Weren’t Here was an action packed, super fun ride from beginning to end! I am dying for book 2 already!

[Johanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

They're creepy and they're kooky
Mysterious and spooky
They're all together ooky
The Rooks family...

[AD] Thanks to instabooktours for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

SYNOPSIS:
"The Rook family runs a little business: ghost hunting. And things have picked up recently. Something’s wrong. It’s been getting noticeably worse since, ooh, 2016?

Bad spirits are abroad, and right now they're particularly around Coldbay Island, which isn’t even abroad, it’s only 20 miles from Skegness. The Rooks’ ‘quick call-out’ to the island picks loose a thread that begins to unravel the whole place, and the world beyond..."

WHAT I LOVED

👻 This is such a fun read, a cosy mystery meets British ghostbusters.

👻 Set in a British seaside resort, where the shenanigans of a 'standard' ghost bust gets outta control in a local church.

👻 The writing style - it's quick paces with a thread of dry humour. That isn't surprising since Crouch is the writer in Horrible Histories, The News Quiz, and The Now Show - satire is her forte.

👻 The ghostbusting family (the Rooks) in this story, not only face more than expected (including demons) but a lot of their own "issues" come to fruition. Let's just say they have a complicated dynamic.

👻 I loved the paranormal ghostbusting set against the quirks of the family who have a lot of differences but are in it together.

👻 It's fun, spooky, ooky filled with action, smirky comedy with very quirky characters.

👻 A must-read for ghostbuster fans or anyone who loves creepy vibes in autumn.

Roll on book 2!

[Aly Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐
This isn't the sort of book I'd usually read. But I like to try different types, and I'm pleased I gave this one a shot. Loved the characters personalities how they were just out with it. Was really refreshing and also pretty comical! The story itself was also brill. Very intriguing for the start with narrator. Well worth a read

[Anjana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read a whole other series by the author and loved the approach to describing characters and relationships, and with that background, I must say that this is another intriguing start.
I did not look at the blurb just before I started reading and first encountered a family cooped up in a car, the physical proximity getting on their nerves as they travel to a new location for work; I did not know what I was getting into. I think this is the best way to meet the Rooks. Of course, the mention of paranormal activity being at the centre of all the events probably needs to be mentioned for the more discerning readers, but for me, it came up unexpectedly (and I felt this was also fun), and I took it in my stride just like the characters tend to do with any weird thing that their day literally throws at them.
There are tales of dysfunctional families quarrelling and snapping at one another, but it is more fun to watch a functional family that works well as a unit snap at each other. It provides a running gag behind the actual events, and that was my favourite part about the book. The family unit, their day jobs and the strange pieces of things that lead them to a remote location and the chaos that follows should be first introduced to a reader as they progress through the narrative and not before. If any information is provided in a different sequence, the book will lose its charm. And charm is what made me like it in the first place. The plot itself is nothing brilliant, although it might progress into a more convoluted exciting thing in later stages/sequels, it is the way it unfolds and the seriousness of the situations bundled up in trademark nonchalant delivery. My rating reflects how much more I expect from the sequel(s).
I would recommend it as a quick read for someone on the lookout for something different and for whom casual inclusion of otherworldly beings as a standard in regular life is not a hurdle.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review si entirely based on my own reading experience of this and other books by the author.

[Oldbookishwoman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A spooky but humourous book about a family of ghost hunters. The Rook family are on their way to Coldbay Island to a quick and easy call out to the church. It turns out to be anything but quick or easy. Things are definitely going on around here and not just the church.
The characters felt real and believable despite the more unusual elements to this paranormal story.
I loved that it was set in the East Midlands it just added an extra layer to it.
This is book one of a series. I look forward to book two

[Lottie Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Other than the time line is a little squiffy (Which I think is by design) and the fact that it gets dark (as in oh wow you went there, now I can't unthink death), this was fantastic!! Not sure its one I will reread but its one that I am going to finish the series of!!!

[AMY (cosycornishchapters) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found it entertaining at times, and light hearted but it just felt like a chore to plough through for me. I enjoyed the family aspect but if I'm honest I found the plot just a little bizarre and personally uninteresting.

⭐️⭐️

[Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many families run a business together, it’s just that the Rook’s business is a little more unusual than most. Still, the family that hunts ghosts together stays together, which is why they’re on Coldbay Island – to deal with a troublesome ghost before they move on to the next job on their busy schedule. Unfortunately, the ghost has other ideas, and the island is looking increasingly deserted. And Brenda’s had a bad feeling about the East Midlands since the nineties, and that feeling is getting worse, and worse…

Having not come across Gabby Hutchinson Crouch before, I wasn’t too sure what to expect, but I quite liked what I found. The closest I can come to a comparison is to imagine what Ghostbusters would have been like had it been written by Christopher Moore around the time of Practical Demonkeeping.

Wish You Weren’t Here is entertaining and comes with just the right amount of humour and snark. The family business set-up is novel and quirky enough to set it apart from similar novels by other authors, but two of the characters – mother and daughter – came across as so self-centred and unpleasant that they detracted too much to be evened out by the father and his ‘friend’, or even the Polish son-in-law. It has left me with a burning need to search out ‘Delicje Szampańskie’, though; a cherry version of Jaffa Cakes sounds absolutely divine!

The novel still makes an interesting start to a series and is probably enough to make the reader want to read the next instalment. In the meantime, I think I’ll give the author’s Darkwood series a go.

I received an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Natalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very entertaining in the beginning, but for all the jokes and comical characters it’s a surprisingly bleak urban fantasy book that ends on an annoying cliffhanger. A group of ghosthunters (their accountant included) goes to an island to exterminate a ghost that haunts a church. Only it’s not just one ghost, and later the heroes find that the whole island is some sort of a trap set by eldritch entities which have been exterminating anyone who tries to have some fun on this island.

From time to time there are whole sections in italics which are comments from a ghost that’s accompanying the ghosthunters (you’ll find out who by the end of the book). Honestly I’d trade these comments for some sound worldbuilding because the ghost is annoying and the book delights in not explaining anything. The client who summoned the ghost hunters has convenient amnesia. Nobody explains what the point of the island is. On the surface it’s easy - the eldritch entities are a bureaucracy yeah yeah, people are making the world worse blah blah, but the unhappiness on the island is not the result of people doing something wrong, it’s repeatedly stated that it’s an artificial eldritch trap that was built long ago. It’s never clear how the island got absolutely deserted and if the ghost channeling efforts of our heroes ever helped in the end.

It’s obvious that it’s a series and some overarching story plots will be resolved later, but I expect that at least the immediate plot of the book will get a proper resolution? But it doesn’t, it’s like watching 4 episodes (good 4 episodes but still) out of a 12-episode Season 1.

P.S. It also didn't help that I actually liked Murzzzz best of all :(((

[Steph Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Gabby Hutchinson Crouch’s Darkwood series, but I love this new Rooks series even more!

The action and humour are more aimed at adults here – think Douglas Adams, Tom Holt, Robert Asprin – as the Rook family visit a haunted seaside island to find and ‘deliver’ the spirits there, and instead find themselves faced with ghosts, demons and an impending apocalypse. Good job they brought their accountant with them!

All of the characters here are brilliant and the interplay between them is witty and touching, as the family secrets gradually start to spill out. Add in plenty of action and some lovely worldbuilding details about how the family’s skills work, and these literary Ghostbusters shot straight onto my favourites list – I already have my eye on the upcoming sequel, Out of Service!

This is a perfect light-hearted romp of an urban fantasy read and I have to warn you, it ends on more than one cliffhanger, so you’ll end up as desperate as I am for more… 25th September, so not long now!

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Cute family but the plot was confusing

[Ali Bunke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish You Weren’t Here is a funny, irreverent, and utterly enjoyable story about the Rook’s, a family of ghost hunters. I would describe it as a ghost buster vibe, but set in the seaside island of Coldbay. Also, the family use only their own natural abilities to see and move the ghosts along. No fancy equipment here. I enjoyed the family dynamics, especially with the addition of Murzzz and Janusz.. No matter how grim things seemed to get, the banter between this group kept the story humorous. The book is a quick read. The author has made this a group of quite flawed family and the individual issues and sibling jabs felt quite real.

This a fun book and I don’t think it takes itself too seriously. For me it was tone perfect. I hope this becomes a series because I would love to read more.

Thank you Netgalley and Farrago for the eArc

[Paterson Loarn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been given a copy of ‘Wish You Weren’t Here’ in exchange for an honest review. In my opinion the first book in Gabby Hutchinson Crouch’s new series is expertly written and full of dark humour. When a frightened and exhausted priest calls in a family firm of ‘special cleaners’ to expel a nest of ghosts, apocalyptic supernatural powers are released. There is also an entertaining streak of urban fantasy. Demons bond with humans; ghosts request to speak to the manager. Although this is adult fiction - some of the content is unsuitable for children - the vibe is ‘Terry Pratchett meets Ghostbusters’. I found the contemporary references very amusing, especially one character’s theory that the year 2016 unleashed all manner of horrors upon the earth. The plot is complete in itself, but there are plenty of loose threads to be woven together as the series proceeds. I recommend this book to fans of modern ghost stories and fantasy adventure fiction.

‘The bickering but loving Rook family run a little family business. They claim that there’s no supernatural problem too small or too big for them, and business has picked up recently. A call takes them to an out-of-season seaside resort, Coldbay Island, just off the Lincolnshire coast, where bad spirits plague the local church and a hellhole has opened over the pier. As the Rooks’ powers – and family relationship – are severely tested, they begin to wonder if this really could be the end of the world.’

There is plenty of slapstick fun in Wish You Weren’t Here. The Rooks battle their spooky enemies the length and breadth of the holiday island, having everything from toilets to Bolognese sauce thrown at them. Somehow their close and affectionate family relationships survive, in spite of dramatic revelations at the climax of the plot.

My favourite character is Charity, the adopted adult daughter of Richard and Brenda Rook. She is a Dispatcher of lost souls, which she pops like pimples, and a lover of carbs. She knows she could play her part in the family business more effectively, if only people would remember that a girl likes to eat between exorcisms.

‘Charity broke the spell a little by noisily crunching her way through several Pringles, but you could tell from the way she did it that she was still upset by the whole Hell Hole thing.’

Darryl, a Finder of ghosts, believes his talents are unappreciated. He is consoled by the support of his husband Janusz, who has tolerates restless spirits so long as they leave his spreadsheets alone.

Richard Rook looks like an inoffensive pensioner, but he struggles to conceal a dark secret that is crucial to the outcome of the book’s twisty plot. His wife Brenda, who has a natural ability to see dead people, is the most complex character and the hardest to like. She lives with an even darker secret than Richard’s. It is not until these secrets are finally exposed that the reader can understand her situation.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Wish You Weren't Here is the first book in an urban fantasy mash-up series by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch. Released 7th Oct 2021 by Farrago, it's 240 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a completely bonkers full-bore action UF comedy which reminds me of the comedy/horror aspects of Buffy and Supernatural, but not derivative at all and with its own British self-deprecating humour. The ensemble crew of ghost hunters are fundamentally a family with the rich comedic possibilities that entails, alongside each having their own particular talents (clairvoyant, telekinetic, possessed by ancient mostly benignly cooperative demon, accountant, etc). The world building is by turns complex and comedic including an apocalyptic fight in an abandoned Tesco store on a possessed island.

The humour relies heavily on sight gags and slapstick, but happily, the author's up to the task of writing quite cinematically, so it never drags or bogs down. The entire book is a potty, very trippy, out of control end-of-the-world extravaganza. The author even manages some sly foreshadowed twists which she ties up into a satisfying denouement and resolution.

I've been a fast fan of her Darkwood series, and this is both a departure with different settings and themes, but also resonant with the same bouncy repartee and humour as her other series (but alas, no Trevor the spider to liven things up here).

This book includes positive representation of LGBTQIA+ relationships, family/sibling relationships, British (and Polish) pluck and esprit de corps and I frankly loved it to bits. I'm waiting on tenterhooks for more. It's weird and funny and wonderful. It might require readers to be in a particular mood for fantasy humour, but otherwise is very well written, immersive, and engaging.

Four and a half stars. More, please.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[The Cookster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.1/5

This won't appeal to everyone. In fact, I strongly suspect that this could divide readers into two distinct camps of those who like it, and those who really, really dislike it. I doubt there will be too many occupying the middle ground.

I was attracted to this after reading the synopsis. It put me in mind of the way I felt when I read the sleeve notes for Jasper Fforde's "The Big Over Easy", which was so wonderfully silly that I found myself audibly chuckling in the book shop. I simply had to buy it. I took it home - loved it - and since then I have read and enjoyed everything by Jasper Fforde. Would "Wish You Weren't Here" mark the beginning of a similar relationship with Gabby Hutchinson Crouch?

Well, for the first quarter of the book I was convinced that it wouldn't: It was all a bit bizarre - but then I had expected it to be from reading the synopsis. It was also intelligently written with humorous touches that were sometimes twisted, sometimes clever and sometimes just plain silly, but in an endearing fashion. However, in spite of all that, I was struggling to feel fully engaged with it.

I don't think it helped that, although this is the first book in a planned trilogy, the early sections are written in a way that feels as though you are joining part way through an existing series. It is only as you progress further into the book that author begins to slide information into the narrative that allows the reader to piece the backstory together. Providing you haven't already given up the ghost (pun fully intended!) by this stage, the reading process does begin to become much more satisfying.

Wish you weren't here? Not at all. By the time I had finished the book I can happily report that, on the whole, I enjoyed the experience - though I am still in two minds as to whether I engaged with the Rook family sufficiently to compel me to join them again on their other forthcoming adventures. Time will tell.

[travelsalongmybookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wish You Weren’t Here - Gabby Hutchinson Crouch

‘𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑. 𝙷𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚒𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗𝚎𝚛 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚒𝚜 𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚕 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚎. 𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜.’

The Rook family business of ghost hunting is doing well, they claim that no supernatural problem is too big or too small. Business has been picking up and then they get a call to Coldbay Island off the Lincolnshire coast to a local church where they discover more than just the odd malevolent spirit.
We are talking demons, a LOT of ghosts and a hellhole over the pier.
Darryl Rook has been having a bad feeling about everything since 2016, when everything started falling apart and it looks like he could be right!

‘𝙽𝚘𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸’𝚖 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚊𝚢 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝟸𝟶𝟷𝟼 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚠𝚏𝚞𝚕 - 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚊𝚍 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝙰𝚕𝚊𝚗 𝚁𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚝𝚘𝚘.’

I mean wow! This book was fantastic, it’s brilliantly written, funny and exciting.The Rook family have a very particular set of skills to vanquish ghosts and we are talking some very malevolent ghosts here. Darryl and Brenda are the finders - they see the ghosts, Charity ‘pops’ them, Richard worries about the car and is a bit of a dark horse, I won’t tell you why and Janusz is the accountant.

‘𝙰 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚖,’ 𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚍 𝙱𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚊,’ 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚏𝚊𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚌 𝚘𝚏 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚍.’

This is quirky, fast moving, twisting and full of action. There is absolute mayhem - the thought of a hell hole, an actual link to the other side - a supernaturals arrivals terminal - was brilliant. This is like MIB but in a crappy British seaside town - genius!
I loved the ending, the mysterious unreliable narrator, the bombshells - Do they save the world? You are going to have to read this one to find out! there is just so much more to come for this series!

‘𝙵𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚙𝚜.’

✩✩✩✩✰

[AD PR PRODUCT]

Thanks to Random Things Tours and Farrago Books for my copy of this book and spot on the tour

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paw marks: 4

Keywords: Ghosts, apocalypse, sarcastic humor, family drama, swearing, alcoholism, suicide, miscarrying mentioned

In short: A ghost story full of sarcastic humor, this tale starts with a bang and end with bang with no time in-between to catch your breath, a whirlwind of a ride, it something you should try once at least.

Full review:

Gabby Hutchinson Crouch is a new author for me and for me that always a little nerve raking on whether I will like the writing style but I am so glad I picked up her wish you weren’t here book for my birthday as it was so worth it.

Gabby creates a cast of very life like characters with an action filled plot that is all written in a humor that is very dry and sarcastic, although I didn’t find this completely laugh out funny it did make me chuckle on a few occasions and I did enjoy this style of writing, it reminded very much of Douglas Adams style of book.

The idea of the book based on ghost-busting is one the audience will be familiar with but gabby presents this whole world in a completely new light and although action packed does bring real emotions and hard issues in a way that will make the reader feel despite the humor presented in the writing. This book might be about more then a few ghost-busters thought they were letting themselves in for but as action filled as this first book is there is definitely more ribbons to tie up that lead perfectly into book two, out of service, and defiantly more ghostly action to be had.

You’ll definitely get your ghost fill with this family as they try and help one lonely priest in a deary part of the midland where death is more present then it should be, it might have looked a simple job on paper for the Rook family but they'll find this could actually be their last ever job!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gabby Hutchinson Crouch’s Wish You Weren’t Here is a quirky, kooky and absolutely hilarious tale that will make you scream with laughter.

The Rook family are in business – the ghost hunting business, to be precise. They don’t keep regular hours, their clients are unreasonably demanding and their skills are not exactly transferable. However, little do the Rook family realise that they are about to be called out on a job that will end up turning their whole world upside down – and other people’s, if their initial suspicions that an apocalypse might be on the way prove to be correct!

Bad spirits have started to congregate around Coldbay Island and the Rooks’ arrival on the island certainly ends up putting the cat among the pigeons! Their mere presence puts in motion plenty of otherworldly mischief and paranormal shenanigans that might just cause the whole fabric of Coldbay Island – and the world – to unravel!

The Rooks have never been on a job quite like this and their trip to the island is going to be one they won’t forget in a hurry – providing they manage to live long enough to tell the tale!

I don’t usually read books that deal with the supernatural, so I didn’t quite know what to expect when I picked up Gabby Hutchinson Crouch’s Wish You Weren’t Here, but I was hooked from page one! Side-splittingly hilarious, Wish You Weren’t Here will make you chortle on almost every page and keep you entertained and engaged from start to finish.

Full of eccentric characters, supernatural hi-jinks and naughty spirits who love getting up to no good, Gabby Hutchinson Crouch’s Wish You Weren’t Here is one of the funniest books of the year.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.