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A Chill in the Lane
While vacationing in Cornwall with her family, a sixteen-year-old adopted girl finds herself strangely and frighteningly involved with the past.
157 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1969
1 person is currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
Mabel Esther Allan
230 books33 followersA prolific British children's author, who also wrote under the pen-names Jean Estoril, Priscilla Hagon, Anne Pilgrim, and Kathleen M. Pearcey, Mabel Esther Allan is particularly known for her school and ballet stories.
Born in 1915 at Wallasey on the Wirral Peninsula, Allan knew from an early age that she wanted to be an author, and published her first short stories in the 1930s. Her writing career was interrupted by World War II, during which time she served in the Women's Land Army and taught school in Liverpool, but the 1948 publication of The Glen Castle Mystery saw it begin to take off in earnest. Influenced by Scottish educator A.S. Neill, Allan held progressive views about education, views that often found their way into her books, particularly her school stories. She was interested in folk dance and ballet - another common subject in her work - and was a frequent traveler. She died in 1998.
Born in 1915 at Wallasey on the Wirral Peninsula, Allan knew from an early age that she wanted to be an author, and published her first short stories in the 1930s. Her writing career was interrupted by World War II, during which time she served in the Women's Land Army and taught school in Liverpool, but the 1948 publication of The Glen Castle Mystery saw it begin to take off in earnest. Influenced by Scottish educator A.S. Neill, Allan held progressive views about education, views that often found their way into her books, particularly her school stories. She was interested in folk dance and ballet - another common subject in her work - and was a frequent traveler. She died in 1998.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 11, 2025
3.5🌟 This is another book that I wanted to love more, but didn't. I usually adore Mabel Esther Allan's books and, though this was well-written, I felt like it was missing something.
Up until the middle of the book, I was on the edge of my seat waiting to discover what was going to unfold for young Lydia (aka Lyd). Her chilling experience driving through a dark lane in Cornwall to their summer rental house in Trelonyan almost gave ME the chills!
There was a lot of suspense and leading up to the reveal at the end, but it was almost like a let down. The mystery kind of went the way I was thinking it would, but it was almost as if the author took a break from writing the story about 2/3 in and then went back to it with less enthusiasm and wanted to just finish it up quickly.
There was a good ending and closure of some sort and the very last part with Lyd and her adopted family was satisfying. But, overall, I was disappointed. I felt like A Chill in the Lane had such potential for the best book ever and it kind of lost its "fizz".
The cover art in this edition is fantastic and, since I generally love MEA's books, I'll keep this in my collection. But, keep in mind that this is not a Halloween-themed book and it takes place in summer in Cornwall. If I had read this book not during the spooky season and during the summer, it might have been a 4 star read instead. I think my expectations were in the wrong place.
Still, a solidly good read.
Up until the middle of the book, I was on the edge of my seat waiting to discover what was going to unfold for young Lydia (aka Lyd). Her chilling experience driving through a dark lane in Cornwall to their summer rental house in Trelonyan almost gave ME the chills!
There was a lot of suspense and leading up to the reveal at the end, but it was almost like a let down. The mystery kind of went the way I was thinking it would, but it was almost as if the author took a break from writing the story about 2/3 in and then went back to it with less enthusiasm and wanted to just finish it up quickly.
There was a good ending and closure of some sort and the very last part with Lyd and her adopted family was satisfying. But, overall, I was disappointed. I felt like A Chill in the Lane had such potential for the best book ever and it kind of lost its "fizz".
The cover art in this edition is fantastic and, since I generally love MEA's books, I'll keep this in my collection. But, keep in mind that this is not a Halloween-themed book and it takes place in summer in Cornwall. If I had read this book not during the spooky season and during the summer, it might have been a 4 star read instead. I think my expectations were in the wrong place.
Still, a solidly good read.
February 24, 2022
I loved it, hence the 5 stars. It's not perfect (it's probably a 3 or 4 star book, tbh), but it was neat, tidy, and all the loose ends were satisfactorily tied up. Predictable, but not any worse (and possibly even less so) than Penelope Lively's books, 4 of which I had just read immediately prior to this. Lively is a far more imaginative and captivating author, but Allan didn't leave any trivial (or glaring) plot holes, and for this sort of mystery, that's rather important. Points to Allan for excellent execution, but lower artistic merit.
I'm guessing that there are already enough reviews and synopses for this one, so I'll keep it brief. I liked the main character, I liked the love interest, I liked the descriptions of Cornwall (Penzance, Marazion, Saint Michael's Mount, the Isles of Scilly, and fictional Trelonyan Cove on the Land's End Peninsula). I didn't like the father, but I felt he was written well enough to be interesting and true-to-type. There were many moments in this story that made me wonder about latent autobiographical content of the author (who was not adopted, as protagonist Lyd was, but who also wished to be an author, and had a fraught relationship with a father who really wasn't able to understand her, assuming that an earnest effort had been made by the stubborn old goat).
There's not too much to say, other than there is some nice coming-of-age content that wasn't overblown or overly cliched. And it had some memorable lines about society and civilizations in general, like these:
(An almost perfect summary of the recent American uprising, when you look at it! Or of anti-vaxxers protesting health care meant to help them personally and others indirectly! Fear. A lack of understanding at a critical level. Hatred and baseless but popular superstitious beliefs abound!). I found this sort of social commentary atypical of other works by this author, and I really relished it.
I'm guessing that there are already enough reviews and synopses for this one, so I'll keep it brief. I liked the main character, I liked the love interest, I liked the descriptions of Cornwall (Penzance, Marazion, Saint Michael's Mount, the Isles of Scilly, and fictional Trelonyan Cove on the Land's End Peninsula). I didn't like the father, but I felt he was written well enough to be interesting and true-to-type. There were many moments in this story that made me wonder about latent autobiographical content of the author (who was not adopted, as protagonist Lyd was, but who also wished to be an author, and had a fraught relationship with a father who really wasn't able to understand her, assuming that an earnest effort had been made by the stubborn old goat).
There's not too much to say, other than there is some nice coming-of-age content that wasn't overblown or overly cliched. And it had some memorable lines about society and civilizations in general, like these:
Once upon a time people were ignorant and superstitious, and sometimes they were wicked, without really knowing that they were wicked. They reacted to something they did not understand with violence, feeling that the only way to get around their fear was to eliminate the person they blamed. And there was no one to stop them.
Most of them have never been more than a few miles from the village in their lives, and their lives are hard and narrow. They exist in poverty and misery and often in ill health... They are inbred, ignorant, and subject to much ill fortune.
He is a hard, bad man and will do nothing for the people who are his tenants... the people in the Cove live like pigs and suffer. In consequence, they are filled with fear and hate, and such emotions breed trouble.
(An almost perfect summary of the recent American uprising, when you look at it! Or of anti-vaxxers protesting health care meant to help them personally and others indirectly! Fear. A lack of understanding at a critical level. Hatred and baseless but popular superstitious beliefs abound!). I found this sort of social commentary atypical of other works by this author, and I really relished it.
June 4, 2009
I first read this in junior high or high school, and have reread it periodically since. It's a ghost story crossed with a coming of age story, set in Cornwall in the 1970s. Well-written, sympathetic and interesting characters, and a decent ending.
July 25, 2015
I started reading this back in Jr. High, but never really got through it. I recently purchased it second-hand off of Amazon, it was okay... not my favorite. I loved that it took place in Cornwall (where my ancestors come from) and some of the paranormal elements. Those were the only real keepers for me.
August 5, 2016
I read this for the first time back in 8th grade (spring of 1977) after getting it from the TAB Book Club - loved it!!!
October 19, 2021
Lyd Allbright's family are given a nice cottage to spend two weeks in for holiday. The cottage is in Cornwall, a place where adopted Lyd was born.
As soon as the family arrives, Lyd begins seeing and feeling strange things. She sees a cottage in the woods that doesn't exist. She also sees an older woman and the woman's cat. No one else can see or feel the things Lyd does.
As she tries to make sense of what is happening, her family, and her new found friend, Saul, don't understand.
While this book was an interesting read, I really disliked the way Mabel Esther Allan handled Lyd's adoptive situation. The father was defensive and acted too possessive of Lyd, and I felt that because Lyd kept feeling so insecure about her family's love for her, and whether or not she fit in, it didn't speak highly of them as parents. I also had a strong dislike of how Lyd felt as if she had to pick one set of parents over the other, and the use of the word 'real' parents. No kid should be made to feel that way. It was disconcerting and a bit heartbreaking.
As soon as the family arrives, Lyd begins seeing and feeling strange things. She sees a cottage in the woods that doesn't exist. She also sees an older woman and the woman's cat. No one else can see or feel the things Lyd does.
As she tries to make sense of what is happening, her family, and her new found friend, Saul, don't understand.
While this book was an interesting read, I really disliked the way Mabel Esther Allan handled Lyd's adoptive situation. The father was defensive and acted too possessive of Lyd, and I felt that because Lyd kept feeling so insecure about her family's love for her, and whether or not she fit in, it didn't speak highly of them as parents. I also had a strong dislike of how Lyd felt as if she had to pick one set of parents over the other, and the use of the word 'real' parents. No kid should be made to feel that way. It was disconcerting and a bit heartbreaking.
May 6, 2022
Quite a good little book. The writing is straightforward and skillful, and the story just the right amount of chilling. I couldn't identify with her family being so *very* uninterested in stuff. How could her brothers not want to explore an abandoned building! Come on, surely even rugby lads enjoy a good ruin, no?
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews