What do you think?
Rate this book
Elsham's End
Something is living in 'Elsham’s End'. Something dark and unearthly. And it’s all John Silverwood’s fault.
How has he brought this malevolent entity into his beloved family house? Simply by falling for Rhian. She is not what she seems; she is at the centre of a horrific episode in her family’s past, an episode they have told her nothing about.
Is she somehow connected with the fire that wipes out an entire family, just a hundred yards from ‘Elsham’s End’? Why does John keep hearing someone knocking on his door when he is alone in the house? And who goes into his 5 year old brother’s room to play with his toys in the dead of night?
Innocent of the danger they are in, John and Rhian follow their hearts into darkness, bringing about the repercussions of events from 17 years before.
Elsham’s End is a compelling story of the paranormal, of possession and secret lives.
How has he brought this malevolent entity into his beloved family house? Simply by falling for Rhian. She is not what she seems; she is at the centre of a horrific episode in her family’s past, an episode they have told her nothing about.
Is she somehow connected with the fire that wipes out an entire family, just a hundred yards from ‘Elsham’s End’? Why does John keep hearing someone knocking on his door when he is alone in the house? And who goes into his 5 year old brother’s room to play with his toys in the dead of night?
Innocent of the danger they are in, John and Rhian follow their hearts into darkness, bringing about the repercussions of events from 17 years before.
Elsham’s End is a compelling story of the paranormal, of possession and secret lives.
- GenresHorror
450 pages, Paperback
First published June 26, 2012
6 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
H.J. Williams
3 books9 followersI’ve been telling stories for as long as I can remember and writing has been an important part of my life for over 30 years. I’ve tried my hand at pretty much everything and now factual writing about wildlife pays the bills (well, sometimes).
I have so far published three novels that I suppose are best described as supernatural mysteries.
I live in England, on the Kent coast, in a small town called Folkestone. I’ve known it all my life, having grown up in the countryside near here. It now has a thriving creative community which I value a great deal. Kent is known as the Garden of England and I gain tremendous inspiration from its varied landscapes, but often from the less garden-like parts!
I have so far published three novels that I suppose are best described as supernatural mysteries.
I live in England, on the Kent coast, in a small town called Folkestone. I’ve known it all my life, having grown up in the countryside near here. It now has a thriving creative community which I value a great deal. Kent is known as the Garden of England and I gain tremendous inspiration from its varied landscapes, but often from the less garden-like parts!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 7, 2014
A happy family living in a dream home are dragged into a nightmare by a series of mysterious incidents occurring at the house next door. The eldest son falls for his first love, and her strange family are the answer to his families supernatural problems.
As a debut novel this really is very, very good. More than worth a read. The book moves slowly I parts, and this is the only point that stops this book from being a 5 star read. Brilliant story, extremely well written characters and just a greatly enjoyable read. Highly recommended.
Ps I bought this myself.
As a debut novel this really is very, very good. More than worth a read. The book moves slowly I parts, and this is the only point that stops this book from being a 5 star read. Brilliant story, extremely well written characters and just a greatly enjoyable read. Highly recommended.
Ps I bought this myself.
January 10, 2018
Review: ELSHAM' S END by HJ Williams
This debut supernatural mystery was also my introduction to a vastly talented author who capably weaves multiple layers of theme, plotting, character, and time frames to keep the reader wildly engrossed and eager for the protagonists to succeed, if at all possible. (With an antagonist of this strength and might, success is never assured.)
A family living outside a small English village lives a content life, for the most part, somewhat insular, but rather well off economically. Life is comfortably routine, until suddenly, it is anything but. A neighboring home burns and the family dies; eighteen-year-old son John meets his true love, opening a Pandora' s web of supernatural horror; lives are fraught, gained, and lost. The suspense is constant and total, maintaining edge-of-the-seat breathlessness throughout. I so much enjoyed it I went straight on to purchase Mr. Williams' equally engrossing second novel, THE SHADE CLAN.
This debut supernatural mystery was also my introduction to a vastly talented author who capably weaves multiple layers of theme, plotting, character, and time frames to keep the reader wildly engrossed and eager for the protagonists to succeed, if at all possible. (With an antagonist of this strength and might, success is never assured.)
A family living outside a small English village lives a content life, for the most part, somewhat insular, but rather well off economically. Life is comfortably routine, until suddenly, it is anything but. A neighboring home burns and the family dies; eighteen-year-old son John meets his true love, opening a Pandora' s web of supernatural horror; lives are fraught, gained, and lost. The suspense is constant and total, maintaining edge-of-the-seat breathlessness throughout. I so much enjoyed it I went straight on to purchase Mr. Williams' equally engrossing second novel, THE SHADE CLAN.
June 4, 2014
Took a little while to get going, but once it did, absolutely brilliant! I stayed up half the night to finish it. Set in 1985, the story starts with a bizarre accident, when a car crashes into the house next door to Elsham's End, home of the Silverwoods, in the middle of the night, and sets off a chain of terrifying events. Williams skillfully ratchets up the suspense and tension as events build, and I found the novel genuinely scary as well as clever, a story of possession that felt fresh and original. And the ending, wow. Loved it.
April 14, 2016
I loved it from start to finish
September 17, 2019
This was a cumbersome read at best. I frankly did not like the writing style, for me the pace was odd, and it dragged a lot especially towards the middle. The premise for this story was a good one, and it kept me curious as to what it was the characters were actually dealing with, but the characters came off so one-dimensional, they were like cardboard cutouts, exaggerated caricatures. Some parts I could have done without as they added nothing to the rest of the story and felt like filling fodder, and the countless POV's could have been better handled because some of the characters simply drifted off into nothingness when they'd been made such a fuss of for a couple of chapters. All in all, this book was not for me, I failed to experience the dread and horror other readers mention, and the only thing I did really really really like was that ending. That was right up my alley, I just wish the rest of the book had gone the same way.
November 13, 2013
A darkly sinister tale of family secrets, deception and haunting nightmares that lingers on after the last page
This phenomenal paranormal story is simply stunning, as it cleverly ensnares you into its tangled web. Wherein sinister secrets are shrouded in mystery, all wrapped up in a compelling saga that is totally unputdownable. Unable to physically tear my gaze from the pages I fell under the spell, loosing myself completely in the characters lives and those events both past and present.
Something dark and unearthly, like the shadow at the corner of your eye, hovers in the background…it is a malevolent entity that overshadows happily married couple John and Rhian. Creepy, unexplained goings on like the knocking on the door or the toys that are played with in the child’s bedroom all lead to unanswered questions. The past and present collide in a colourful explosion of shocking revelations and mesmerizing truths, with the hero and heroine following their hearts into darkness.
With the repercussions of 17 years ago bringing the family’s horrific past into the present light, one wonders if this tale will end with them finding peace?
This chilling, disturbingly delicious debut crawled under my skin and really blew me away. H J Williams deftly interweaves varying time frames and significant, unforgettable episodes around a spine-chilling plot that’s simply spellbinding. John and Rhian are characters that I ended up caring about a lot, hence I was most intrigued to unlock those secrets from the past and find out more about what was hidden beneath.
If you love paranormal and mystery with a touch of horror (that brought to mind television drama Marchlands and in places the darkly macabre elements of old classics like the woman in black), you will love this. Elsham’s End is a great read that would keep you entertained for hours, as it builds in tension throughout whilst incorporating some genuinely scary moments. It is a riveting read that blends fantasy and horror for a brilliantly spooky story. I loved how the author highlighted the chilling atmosphere by evoking all senses; through sounds like creaking doors and feeling of unwelcome presences etc. so as to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up! The cliffhangers additionally added that extra touch to the suspense that was maintained throughout.
*I won a physical copy of HJ Williams debut novel ‘Elsham’s End’ through a Goodreads, first-read giveaway*
This phenomenal paranormal story is simply stunning, as it cleverly ensnares you into its tangled web. Wherein sinister secrets are shrouded in mystery, all wrapped up in a compelling saga that is totally unputdownable. Unable to physically tear my gaze from the pages I fell under the spell, loosing myself completely in the characters lives and those events both past and present.
Something dark and unearthly, like the shadow at the corner of your eye, hovers in the background…it is a malevolent entity that overshadows happily married couple John and Rhian. Creepy, unexplained goings on like the knocking on the door or the toys that are played with in the child’s bedroom all lead to unanswered questions. The past and present collide in a colourful explosion of shocking revelations and mesmerizing truths, with the hero and heroine following their hearts into darkness.
With the repercussions of 17 years ago bringing the family’s horrific past into the present light, one wonders if this tale will end with them finding peace?
This chilling, disturbingly delicious debut crawled under my skin and really blew me away. H J Williams deftly interweaves varying time frames and significant, unforgettable episodes around a spine-chilling plot that’s simply spellbinding. John and Rhian are characters that I ended up caring about a lot, hence I was most intrigued to unlock those secrets from the past and find out more about what was hidden beneath.
If you love paranormal and mystery with a touch of horror (that brought to mind television drama Marchlands and in places the darkly macabre elements of old classics like the woman in black), you will love this. Elsham’s End is a great read that would keep you entertained for hours, as it builds in tension throughout whilst incorporating some genuinely scary moments. It is a riveting read that blends fantasy and horror for a brilliantly spooky story. I loved how the author highlighted the chilling atmosphere by evoking all senses; through sounds like creaking doors and feeling of unwelcome presences etc. so as to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up! The cliffhangers additionally added that extra touch to the suspense that was maintained throughout.
*I won a physical copy of HJ Williams debut novel ‘Elsham’s End’ through a Goodreads, first-read giveaway*
March 10, 2015
This is a super creepy story about a haunting/demon, with great back story and rich characters.
I really enjoyed reading it, as it is quite a slow burner (which I like). You get to know the characters and I particularly liked the young romance between John and Rhian- very nostalgic! The actual haunting, and the death and the fire was quite disturbing. I found myself a bit spooked at night because of this book, which is a good thing!
My only reservations were that there were lots of POV head-hops, in the middle of chapters. This isn't always a bad thing if done properly (despite what the 'rules' of writing may say), but it should be consistent. I found it off-putting when half way through the book we suddenly jumped into Rhian's head for the first time.
Also, while I understand that 'phone' is a contraction of 'telephone', I found it oddly off-putting to see the word written as 'phone. It's not common usage as far as I'm aware.
Overall, very good, very spooky, highly recommend. Also loved that they were goths, brilliant!
I really enjoyed reading it, as it is quite a slow burner (which I like). You get to know the characters and I particularly liked the young romance between John and Rhian- very nostalgic! The actual haunting, and the death and the fire was quite disturbing. I found myself a bit spooked at night because of this book, which is a good thing!
My only reservations were that there were lots of POV head-hops, in the middle of chapters. This isn't always a bad thing if done properly (despite what the 'rules' of writing may say), but it should be consistent. I found it off-putting when half way through the book we suddenly jumped into Rhian's head for the first time.
Also, while I understand that 'phone' is a contraction of 'telephone', I found it oddly off-putting to see the word written as 'phone. It's not common usage as far as I'm aware.
Overall, very good, very spooky, highly recommend. Also loved that they were goths, brilliant!
December 8, 2013
An excellent read. Reminded me of Dennis Wheatley The Devil Rides Out which I have just bought on Amazon for 99p. I first read it when I was 13 and it scared the bejesus out of me then. Anyway I digress. Am I reading too much in to the ending.......is it beginning again?
The only downside was that it really did need some proof reading/editing. There were loads of errors including dieing not dying and vain not vein. Shame really but it was still a bloody good read.
The only downside was that it really did need some proof reading/editing. There were loads of errors including dieing not dying and vain not vein. Shame really but it was still a bloody good read.
June 25, 2014
I think I gave this one a pretty fair shot, but I'm just so sick of knowing that I've read half the book, the characters are really hard to relate to and not very likable, and there's nothing happening. If it moved any slower, it would simply stop, or maybe that is the problem. I feel a bit bad that I'm not able to finish it, but I would prefer not to be bored stupid.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews