Haunt Me Still: A Novel

Kate Stanley #2

by Jennifer Lee Carrell

Click here for a Letter from Jennifer Lee Carrell.

Kate Stanley returns in this thrilling follow-up to the New York Times bestselling Interred with Their Bones.

Jennifer Lee Carrell's fiction debut, Interred with Their Bones, was greeted by both fantastic reviews and stellar sales. Already a bestseller in the U.K., Haunt Me Still marks the much-anticipated return of Kate Stanley, Shakespearean scholar and theater director. This time, Kate becomes embroiled in a murder surrounding Macbeth, the Bard's famously cursed play. As Kate and company begin rehearsals at the foot of Scotland's Dunsinnan Hill, she discovers a local woman dead in circumstances that suggest ancient pagan sacrifice. Marked as both suspect and future victim, Kate undertakes a desperate race to find a dangerous, alternate version of Macbeth-reputed to be Shakespeare's darkest secret.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Thriller, Shakespeare, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

418 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

I've always wanted to write books; early on, my fallback career choices were ballerina and astronaut. It has something of a surprise, though, to find myself writing thrillers. I am now working on a novel of historical fiction about one of my favorite paintings, Jan Van Eyck's Arnolfini Wedding.

Learn more at my web site: www.jenniferleecarrell.com , or visit me on Facebook . I welcome interaction with readers!

A NOTE ABOUT MY REVIEWS: I include the following:

Five Stars: books of many genres that hang incandescently in my imagination

Everything else - unstarred: books that I admire in the genres of historical fiction, mystery & thriller, fantasy & fairy tales, Shakespeare, and History. For the sake of time and my sanity, I include here only those books that are in some way relevant to what I write. The exception is my Children's Book list, which lists the books I loved most as a child.

If a book is listed here, I have either read and admired it, or it's in my "must read" pile. I'll be gradually trying to say why for many of them...

Reviews

[Tiffany PSquared · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not the book for me. I picked it as one of my October Spooky Reads titles, but the scariest thing about it ended up being actually trying to finish it. Maybe it's because I'm not a big history buff, and if I thought I liked Shakespeare before, I kinda can't stand him now.

If you are crazy about the bard though and you don't mind what seemed like 1000 characters flying at you right and left, combined with an extremely complicated backstory about witches and dark magic (NOT ghosts or haunting), then this may be the book for you. However, I should have passed.

[Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede · Rating 3 out of 5]

Haunt Me Still is a sequel to Interred with Their Bones in which Kate Stanley was on the hunt for a missing Shakespeare play. In this book, she is hired to stage a new production of Macbeth. Macbeth is a play so famously cursed that actors even refuse to name the play or quote from the play aloud. And it won’t take long before it seems like the play really is cursed…

Interred with Their Bones was such a good book that I for a long time have wanted to read Haunt Me Still, unfortunately, this book wasn’t nearly enough good. It’s was entertaining, it was interesting; I love the idea of a lost Macbeth that is said to contain ritual of real witchcraft. But it wasn’t a page-turner for me, I read part of it now and then and I enjoyed it but it never became a book that I couldn’t put down. It was just…a good for the moment book, but not an OMG book. I liked the first book much more, it was more intense, more action and more adventures. Will I read the third book if it comes out? Yes, I would, I just hope that the mystery will be more interesting than this book.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. But honestly, it ran about 8000 words too long and by the end I didn't care what happened to any of the characters. I also didn't care what had happened alternately two hundred and four hundred years in the past, although presumably most of those characters have the decency to be dead now.
if someone can tell me what that stupid chapter about flying to New York and back was about, I'd be glad to hear it.
I'm only going to recommend this book if you just have a real Jones for books that are more or less about Shakespeare's plays. But I'm still totally in the dark on this one.
the dark is, in my opinion, where this book belongs, and where it almost certainly should have stayed.

[Joie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow. What a convoluted mess. As a lifelong fan of Shakespeare, I really wanted to enjoy this literary mystery, but, while the author has a clear affection for and impressive knowledge of all things Shakespeare, the plot lacks anything of real interest. Characters who were intelligent, exciting, and enjoyable in Carrell's previous novel, Interred with Their Bones, come across as flat and almost nondescript in this second outing; and, the plot is, at times, painstakingly slow. Without anyone to root for or any real stakes at hand, the story never becomes more than an academic bore. For a much more enjoyable read check out Interred with Their Bones, or, better yet, spend some time with Shakespeare.

[Kurt Young · Rating 1 out of 5]

I DO NOT quit reading books after I've started them. God, I wish I could quit reading this book, after I started.

A sound premise: Shakespeare changed MacBeth after the witch scene in his first production actually cast a working spell; it cursed the play for the rest of time.

Unfortunately, this premise is quickly lost in a sea of graduate-level English Lit trivia. Pointless chases; random characters appear and are killed off; villains wander in and out, changing names.

Awful dreck.

[GG Stewart’s Bookhouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book it had historical events that I had not heard about and the research for the book was great. I love the idea of a lost alternative version of Macbeth and that Shakespeare may have been involved with witchcraft. The author was good at mixing facts with fiction together and creating an entertaining book. Not a turn pager but a good read.

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Sentence: Wrapped in a gown of blue-green velvet trimmed with gold, a queen’s crown on his head, the boy sat drowsing on the throne near the center of the Great Hall, just at the edge of the light.

Shakespeare scholar turned stage director Kate Stanley has been asked to meet Lady Nairn, formerly actress Janet Douglas. Lady Nairn wants Kate to direct a new production of the Scottish play incorporating the collection of valuable artifacts linked to the play collected by her late husband. The play, and Shakespeare’s talent, has always been linked to the occult, including rumors of a still-existing first version of the play which includes actual magical spells. Theater, the occult, kidnapping and murder have Kate on the run to save another’s life as well as her own.

Ms. Carrell’s very compelling opening is set in 1606 and creates an immediate atmosphere of suspense. While most of the story takes place in the present, the scenes in the past provide historic detail important to the story. Ms. Carrell’s level of knowledge and research done on all the subjects is clear and appreciated.

If anything, other than the protagonist, the details are inclined to overwhelm the characters. This would normally be a very big deal but here, I didn’t actually mind. Her protagonist, Kate, is both someone you’d like to be, but not. She’s smart, tough and independent, but vulnerable and does have her own TSTL (too stupid to live) moment. Each of the other characters was distinct enough never to be confusing. A couple of the secondary characters were ones to whom I felt particularly attached. For me, having that empathy is critical.

Ms. Carrell has a wonderful narrative voice with evocative descriptions--“…her face lined with the fine-china crackling of very fair skin in old age.”--which captivates and carries you off into the story. Whether in the past or present, the scenes were wonderfully, sometimes gruesomely, visual. Carrell expertly walked that fine line between making the reader want to be there, and happy they were not.

There is a Dan Brown-ish aspect to the plot in that the last part of the book is a race against time, looking for a secret item, but this felt more possible to me. Yes, there was one rather large hole in the plot and rather too many coincidences, but it was also suspenseful; exciting and fascinating with a huge edge-of-the-seat grip to it.

I’m not certain this book would appeal to everyone. Because it is so information focused, some might find the historical and non-character background slows the pace of the story. However, for those with some knowledge and love of English history, occult, mythology, Shakespeare, this is a very good, very exciting read.

HAUNT ME STILL (Amateur Sleuth-Kate Stanley-Scotland-Cont) – VG+
Carrell, Jennifer Lee – 2nd in series
Dutton, ©2010, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780525950776

[Annalisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really want to like Carrell's books. I'm a Shakespearean and so they should be great fun. But having read two (this and Interred with Their Bones) I find I can't get past the insanely convoluted plots (really, when you need an author's note and a character recapping events to understand what's happening, things have spun out of control) and, honestly the treatment of Shakespeare.

I love Shakespeare, obviously. I think he was a genius. But I don't think he was unique. And Carrell's books fall into that category of Bardolotry that rubs me the wrong way because underlining her plots are the assumption that Shakespeare was wildly different than any other writers, gifted in a way that can only be explained through unique circumstances or (in this case) magic.

At one point, for example, the heroine Kate is musing about Shakespeare's "generosity" and how it sets him apart from other writers "Unlike Shaw or O'Neill, who'd left stage directions that ran to pages...Shakespeare did not specify much about interpretation or action or setting" (220). While true, this is a feature of early modern stage directions and the early printing of plays, not Shakespeare. None of the early modern playwrights, not even the notoriously fussy Jonson, left much in the way of stage directions. Yet Carrell makes it an argument in favor of Shakespeare's unique genius. And there are moments like that throughout the book--Macbeth is a great play all by itself. We don't need a backstory about Shakespeare stealing magic from Scottish witches to explain that.

Also, I spent the entire second half of the book wondering how someone with a concussion (even a mild one) manages to rush about not only Britain but also America for 48 hours straight (and actually longer than that) without needing more than an hour nap, or food, or a shower. I don't expect realism in magical mystery thrillers, but when the author sets a clock on the proceedings and keeps reminding the reader there are 24, 12, 2! hours left, the natural result is to really think about the time passing and how that's going to affect people.

[Lorraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jennifer Lee Carrell’s Haunt Me Still (Kate Stanley #2) centers on Shakespeare and his play, Macbeth.
Once again former Shakespearean scholar, Kate Stanley, is directing Macbeth in Scotland - very near where Macbeth’s castle actually stood - and who appears but Ben Pearl, but not in the capacity the reader thinks. At least, I thought it, but it seems Kate and Ben let their careers get in the way of their relationship. Darn! As you may know, Macbeth is referred to as The Scottish Play by actors everywhere, and this time there is no difference! Many feel that Macbeth, the play, is cursed. Well, it does seem to be in this case. Kate is again front and center. I did not feel that Haunt Me Still is in the same caliber as Interred with Their Bones (Kate Stanley #1). This mystery seemed muddled to me. Too many characters-too much happening simultaneously of which the reader must keep track. I liked the setting, Kate, of course, the use of the play, Macbeth, and I love Shakespeare (I taught Macbeth also as I had Hamlet.), but this book left me frustrated. Darn! 3.25 stars

[Bettie · Rating 2 out of 5]

workaday mp3

The Trailer

Read by Katherine Kellgren

blurb - A legendary theatrical curse...
A rune-engraved blade, a mysterious mirror, and an ancient cauldron...
And a ritually murdered body laid out in the manner of ancient pagan burials.

Kate Stanley, Jennifer Lee Carrell's dauntless Shakespearean scholar- turned-director, made a memorable-and New York Times bestselling-debut in Interred with Their Bones. Having chased down her mother's killer (and recovering one of Shakespeare's lost plays in the process), Kate's fame as a director with an expertise in "occult Shakespeare" catapults her-and Ben Pearl, her partner in crime- solving-into a new production of Macbeth, showcasing a fabled collection of objects relating both to the play and the historical Scottish king for whom it is named.

The Bard's darkest play is famously cursed, its reputation for malevolence so strong that many actors refuse to quote or even name the play aloud. And as rehearsals begin at the foot of Scotland's Dunsinnan Hill, it doesn't take long for the curse to stir. Strange references to the boy actor who first played Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare's day-and died in the role-pop up. A trench atop Dunsinnan Hill is found filled with blood, and a severed human thumb turns up among the props. And Kate begins sleepwalking, waking early one morning alone atop the hill, her hands smeared in blood.

Kate has no memory of how she got there, but later that day a local woman is found dead on the hill in circumstances that suggest not just ritual murder but ancient pagan sacrifice. With the police more focused on Kate as a suspect than as a possible future victim, she and Ben find themselves in a desperate race to discover a lost version of Macbeth, said to contain rituals of witchcraft aimed at conjuring demonic forces to gain forbidden knowledge. However much Kate would like to dismiss such rituals as superstition, someone else appears willing to kill for them-and for the manuscript said to spell them out.

Entirely unbelievable.

[Steve Walker · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a disappointment. Jennifer Carrell's first book was worth reading for the prose alone, even if it had not been a good story. But it was a great story and very fun; I couldn't put it down. This book continues with the same characters and involves another Shakespeare mystery so I anticipated a very good read. Kate is portrayed as she was in the last book and it's a year later in her life and picks right up where she left off. Ben on the other hand has his character changed. In the last book he was a loyal, trustworthy guy; a real boy scout that was there for her any time. He has been sleazed up a bit in this novel and I hated to see that. He also breaks Kate's heart. Strong characters like Ben are too few. Why the author felt compelled to do this is beyond me because it did not affect the story line. She could have kept him as he was and not missed anything in the story line. It starts well enough, but the story is not nearly engaging and somewhat formulaic. The writing gets tired within about 40 pages and becomes second rate. I ended up skimming the last 50 pages just to tie up the loose ends.

Shame on you Ms. Carrell. You're much better than this.

[Frida Demant · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
En god mysteriethriller om Shakespeare (hvilket jo er lige mig) og så endda med focus på mit yndlingsstykke 'Macbeth'! Den er ikke lige så fantastisk som 1'eren men stadig en dejlig nørdet og spændende bog

[Selina Griffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This didn't really do it for me. Was going to be 2, but as the ending got nearer I raised to 3. I think my main issue was it felt silly, people being ritualistically murdered within minutes/metres of other people. And the main character was odd...wondering if she'd committed the murder (???) and being obsessed with saving Lily in a way that Lily's own grandmother wasn't and seemed more interested in the reputation of paganism. All just very odd TBH.

[Jeane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate is a Shakespeare lover/specialist which is being called to Scotland to help directing a play based on a Shakespeare story. That is the reason she is being asked to come from London to Scotland but as she will soon find out it isn't that easy and might not even be te main thing she will be doing there. From the castle she will be staying there is 'the hill' where nobody should go alone. Everywhere there is 'Shakespeare's curse'. For Kate to find what she needs to be able to help Lady Nairn with her play, she has to let into her life the experience of a mysterious knife, a mirror, a play. But soon after it means also accepting into her life a woman brutally being murdered, amnesia, blooded hands ... and always there is Shakespeare's presence.

All of this happening in the Scottish Highlands with stops in London and New York, mixed with the secrecy around Shakespeare and a curse created a story that grabbed me from the start and made me fly through it. I so enjoyed this book.

[Zephfire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the sequel to "The Shakespeare secret" but you needn't have read the first to appreciate this book, it is a sequel in the sense that it is the continuing story of events that centre around the character of Kate Stanley who was introduced in the first book. This book follows the events that unfurl as Kate is asked to direct a 400th anniversary production of the famously cursed Shakespeare play Macbeth in Scotland. There's a kidnapping, murder, mystery, ghosts, secrets, lies, and long lost Shakespeare writings to be found along the way as the plot progresses at a break neck pace. It's an exciting read that i'd recommend to fans of the murder/mystery, conspiracy theory, historical mystery and Shakespearian fans. If you haven't picked up the first yet, then i'd recommend you do as both of her Shakespeare themed books are fabulous and engrossing.

[Lyla Ibrahim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the Shakespearean elements in this story but I have to say, the plot is a little insane and convoluted most of the time. The thing that I don't understand most is that the character Kate has a mild concussion before setting off to Britain and America to find the lost manuscript without enough food or sleep or even a shower. I wanted to believe that it's her perseverance and will power that kept her going but still, you'll need at least a little sleep after a concussion. At least that's the way I understand it.

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great idea for a story, but not very well executed. There was enough going on for three books. It jumps around, is overly dramatic in parts and is hard to follow, or maybe you just need to be a Shakespeare scholar to keep up. I like to read about historical people and events in fiction and generally feel as though I have learned more about them. Not in this case.

[Erica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Horribly disappointing follow up to Interred with Their Bones. Carrell's second novel is much too long and failed to capture my imagination the way her previous book did with its plot twists and snippets of Shakespeare lore.

[Juniper Teshwanzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

the lady Macbeth curse is so real

[Pam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes that this would be entertaining. The premise sounded good. Unfortunately it drug on and on and around and around.

[Eugene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mildly entertaining. Kate Stanley has been brought to Dunsinnan Castle, Scotland, to direct a new production of MacBeth. But soon after her arrival, strange things happen.
Much consternation over "the Scottish Play" and the ancient artifacts to be used in this production, which seem to be considered mighty important to someone, then one person disappears and another dies. Kate and her ex-paramour Ben race to discover the truth behind the artifacts' lure, before others meet a bad end as well.
Unfortunately, the story suffers from a clutter of action, time frames, and events now and in Shakespeare's day; ultimately becoming merely one long chase scene, with the bad guys always one step ahead of Kate. If you love Shakespeare plays and legends, you may find it of interest, and the Author's Note at the back offers much interesting explication of the history behind the story, possibly the best part of the novel.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

So gothic....castles in the highlands of Scotland, ancient rites, and mysterious murders. Kate and her love interest from the past, Ben, are at it again. Kate brings the intellectual side as a Shakespeare scholar turned play director who is enticed to direct a version of Macbeth. Ben has a murky past that is perhaps in special forces, so he has certain skills. The story has adventure, chases, mist, and enough historical basis to make it really interesting. The curse upon the actors in Macbeth appears to be true in this case, as Kate and Ben try to piece together history and myth and find the missing Shakespeare original version....if it even exists.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Kate is asked by Lady Nairn to assist with a new production of Macbeth, she finds herself caught in the middle of a struggle between the old and the new and someone who is willing to kill to find out the truth. This was a good adventure story with plenty of high adrenaline moments. I'm sure there are faults to be found but I enjoyed it for the simple excitement and pure escapism.

[Plum-crazy]

Tried this in October 2011 but didn't really get into it I'm afraid. I knew early on I wasn't concentrating on it properly & should have put it down. Instead I plodded on & found myself continually flicking back over previous pages as every so often I realised I didn't know what was going on!

[Malin Eckerman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tog mig igenom den här på ren envishet. Missar antagligen allt det gottiga som finns pga engelska och för små kunskaper om Macbeth... Men jäklarns vad segt.

[Genia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
It just wasn't as good as the first book. At times I felt confused if in the book's world we believe dark magic exists or not. The last 30 pages or do were good, but the rest was mediocre.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it enough but there were a lot of dull points. The story was interesting but there were a few areas where it either seemed repetitive or the story could have survived without a particular section. The story gets an "Eh" from me.

[Stacie (MagicOfBooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I'm not quite sure how to feel about this book. Half of me liked it. Half of me didn't. I felt the exact same way with Carrell's first book with Kate Stanley, "Interred with Their Bones." In both books, the plot seems kind of overly comlicated and is often times a tad difficult to follow, even when paying absolute attention.

So what exactly did I like about this book: as with "Interred with Their Bones," the first half of "Haunt Me Still" was what caught me. I loved the idea of Kate directing MacBeth out in the middle of Scotland. I loved the setup with all the characters and the idea of witchcraft. The plot still captured me even after the first two murders. But it's somewhere after the murders that I seem to kind of take a step back: Carrell did such a fantastic job setting up the first half of the novel, but then once Kate in on the run with Eircheard, that seems to be when the novel suddenly gets a bit too confusing as lots of elements of the past are brought up. Sometimes it felt like Carrell was just trying to throw as many facts as she could into the reader's face. I mean, some interesting facts are great (some things I didn't know about), but sometimes enough is enough.

I do think the idea of Shakespeare having wrote an alternate version of MacBeth where the witches played a bigger role and where the spells and rituals were actually considered real, was interesting.

The ending of the book felt somewhat anticlimatic. I wasn't expecing the Joanna character shift (I actually suspected Lady Nairn). But the Ian character seemed vastly underused. And the whole plot seemed to be nicely wrapped up.

The book still has some great moments, despite some of my confusion and somewhat boredom near the end. Kate's an interesting intelligent woman who loves Shakespeare. She's not the damsel in distress (though Ben does seem to come out of nowhere in both books and rescue her conveniently). And overall the premise of the book was fascinating. I just think some of the plot was heavy handed and didn't contribute much.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have said it before, and I will say it again. Jennifer Lee Carrell is a literary version of Dan Brown; she is just a better writer. Although, like him, she too is also terrible at writing endings for her books.
This text weaves together some decent historical scholarship, with an intriguing fictional premise, sets up a bunch of movie oriented action and dialogue...and ta da! You have a novel. I love Shakespeare, and that is what intrigued me enough to pick up the first book in this series, and it is enough to get me to pick up the next one, when and if Ms. Carrell writes it. However, great works, they ain't, and there is a part of me that thinks some folks might believe that they are.
Like its predecessor "Haunt me Still" follows the adventures of theater director and scholar Kate Stanley. I enjoyed the rip roaring yarn and action, but I had to continually fight the urge to allow reality to creep into my reading of this text. The implausible plot gaps (that never get explained or closed) the over reliance on mystical solutions to real word problems, and the ridiculous human interaction in this text strain the suspension of disbelief for even the most ardent reader of these tales.
However, I read it, so the laugh is on me. This book is perfect reading for the slow doldrums of winter, and it is fun. So, if you like history, Shakespeare, and can control the rolling of your eyes, you will enjoy. Don't take the text for any more than that, and you will be satisfied.

[Kate (VerbVixen) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haunt Me Still- Jennifer Lee Carrell

OK let me preface this review by saying if you haven't read her first book, Interred with their Bones you need to go read it. Like right now. No, seriously, go get it. It's about the search for Shakespeare's lost Cardenio.

Jennifer Lee Carrell is utterly brilliant as a writer with plot twists you never see coming. I mean, we're talking way better than Dan Brown since the subject of her books is occult Shakespeare not conspiracy theorist religion. Additionally, Kate Stanley could take Robert Langdon any day of the week. Carrell is capable of some stunning prose to boot.

Haunt Me Still is the second installment with our leading lady Kate Stanley. This novel centers around the Scottish Play, Macbeth, its curse, murders and ritual magic. LOVES IT.

You should read this book if:

1. You like Shakespeare.

2. You like mysteries, thrillers, suspense, historical fiction or action adventures.

3. You like anything Scottish.

4. You have even a budding interest in language or linguistics--particularly Anglo- Saxon, Welsh, Gaelic. (I'm looking at you Leslie!)

5. You enjoy well written books with fantastic plot arcs and beautiful prose (that's you Hal!).

6. Cause I said so. Clearly the most compelling of the reasons!