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Sparrowhawk: A Victorian Ghost Story
In the year 1843, embittered Afghan War veteran John Sparrowhawk is released from the debtors’ prison by the beautiful and enigmatic Miss Evangeline.
Penniless and alone in the world, he takes employment with his mysterious benefactor, agreeing to stand guard over a house in Bloomsbury for the duration of that December.
The task sounds simple, but in fact is anything but.
While London is gripped by the coldest winter in living memory, a supernatural entity emerges from the frozen shadows, challenging Sparrowhawk at every turn, cloaked by the mist and snow, yet tormenting him relentlessly, not just with his own demons, but by drawing on the darkest, most sinister myths of the Yuletide season....
A Victorian ghost story from the pen of best-selling thriller and horror writer and multiple British Fantasy Award winner, Paul Finch.
Sparrowhawk was a finalist in the British Fantasy Awards 2011 in the capacity of Best Novella.
Penniless and alone in the world, he takes employment with his mysterious benefactor, agreeing to stand guard over a house in Bloomsbury for the duration of that December.
The task sounds simple, but in fact is anything but.
While London is gripped by the coldest winter in living memory, a supernatural entity emerges from the frozen shadows, challenging Sparrowhawk at every turn, cloaked by the mist and snow, yet tormenting him relentlessly, not just with his own demons, but by drawing on the darkest, most sinister myths of the Yuletide season....
A Victorian ghost story from the pen of best-selling thriller and horror writer and multiple British Fantasy Award winner, Paul Finch.
Sparrowhawk was a finalist in the British Fantasy Awards 2011 in the capacity of Best Novella.
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First published December 1, 2010
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About the author
Paul Finch
206 books464 followersPaul Finch is a former cop and journalist, now full-time writer. Having originally written for the television series THE BILL plus children's animation and DOCTOR WHO audio dramas, he went on to write horror, but is now best known for his crime / thriller fiction.
He won the British Fantasy Award twice and the International Horror Guild Award, but since then has written two parallel series of hard-hitting crime novels, the Heck and the Lucy Clayburn novels, of which three titles have become best-sellers.
Paul lives in Wigan, Lancashire, UK with his wife and children.
He won the British Fantasy Award twice and the International Horror Guild Award, but since then has written two parallel series of hard-hitting crime novels, the Heck and the Lucy Clayburn novels, of which three titles have become best-sellers.
Paul lives in Wigan, Lancashire, UK with his wife and children.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 31, 2011
This book deals with the experience of Captain John Sparrowhawk, ex personnel of Light Dragoon Regiment, Indian Army, and veteran of the 1st Afghan war. His personal losses (his wife is dead, and so are his newborn children), his spiritual losses (scars from the battle, in which only he had survived and countless others had died), and finally his financial losses, had landed him in hell (literally, because that is what the debtors' prison resembles). A mysterious lady clears her debt and frees her for a commission: to protect a man residing at a particular address for 3 weeks, without him being aware of his status (i.e. he is under mortal threat and is being protected). What happens thereafter is the subject of the major portion of the book, and it is quite a ride! It has its share of mystery, horror, action, character-development, and darkness (esp. in the grim portrayal of an imperial London with all its depravity, crime and poverty). But the ending (well-versed enthusiasts would be able to predict it much earlier) is a pleasant shock, nevertheless, the way this kind of book should end.
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
December 19, 2011
A Christmas Carol is a perennial favorite of mine this time of year. The movie that is, and has been since I was a little kid. Everyone has their favorite Christmas movie; that one's mine, namely the Alistair Sims adaptation. That's how I came to know the story, and always will, even after reading Dickens' own words. As for a Christmas read, I don't really have one. It's Halloween that gets my attention when it comes to seasonal books. For Sparrowhawk, however, I may make an exception.
Paul Finch's darkly-tinged novella is set against the sooty backdrop of 1840s London. Captain John Sparrowhawk is rotting away in a debtors prison (onga familiar setting in more than one Dickens story) until a mysterious and alluring woman, Miss Evangeline, visits him and offers him a job and a new start. His debts are paid in full and all he has to do is protect an anonymous man from three nefarious persons out to do him harm. Given Sparrowhawk's harrowing experiences in Afghanistan, he's well suited to do some muscle work, though he carries a good deal of emotional baggage given his fall from grace when he returned from the war, and that threatens to undermine his second chance at life.
In a modest 130-or-so pages, Paul builds a rich and memorable story of a tormented man whose torment has not nearly reached its end. London is captured expertly, warts and all, in this story, and the dialogue between John Sparrowhawk and Miss Evangeline is magnetic. The back-and-forth between them initially feels a bit familiar with the dashing rogue and femme fatale vibe, but it quickly develops into something all its own, with just enough sinisterness to make you wonder just which side she's on. The struggle doesn't come from Miss Evangeline, but from the powers that be out to harm the man Sparrowhawk is sworn to protect--and do so without the man ever knowing he exists.
The ending packs a punch and the allusions to Dickens' A Christmas Carol are a treat as the story progresses. It is 19th-century London, after all. I'm a guy who continues to struggle with appreciating historical fiction, at least the kind that steeps itself in the language of the time. As much as I'm a fan of Dickens for A Christmas Carol and Great Expectations, his prose is a chore to get through more often than not. Paul Finch, on the other hand, offers a style of writing that harkens to that time but offers enough of a contemporary feel to make a schlub like me get immersed in the story with little effort.
Paul Finch's darkly-tinged novella is set against the sooty backdrop of 1840s London. Captain John Sparrowhawk is rotting away in a debtors prison (onga familiar setting in more than one Dickens story) until a mysterious and alluring woman, Miss Evangeline, visits him and offers him a job and a new start. His debts are paid in full and all he has to do is protect an anonymous man from three nefarious persons out to do him harm. Given Sparrowhawk's harrowing experiences in Afghanistan, he's well suited to do some muscle work, though he carries a good deal of emotional baggage given his fall from grace when he returned from the war, and that threatens to undermine his second chance at life.
In a modest 130-or-so pages, Paul builds a rich and memorable story of a tormented man whose torment has not nearly reached its end. London is captured expertly, warts and all, in this story, and the dialogue between John Sparrowhawk and Miss Evangeline is magnetic. The back-and-forth between them initially feels a bit familiar with the dashing rogue and femme fatale vibe, but it quickly develops into something all its own, with just enough sinisterness to make you wonder just which side she's on. The struggle doesn't come from Miss Evangeline, but from the powers that be out to harm the man Sparrowhawk is sworn to protect--and do so without the man ever knowing he exists.
The ending packs a punch and the allusions to Dickens' A Christmas Carol are a treat as the story progresses. It is 19th-century London, after all. I'm a guy who continues to struggle with appreciating historical fiction, at least the kind that steeps itself in the language of the time. As much as I'm a fan of Dickens for A Christmas Carol and Great Expectations, his prose is a chore to get through more often than not. Paul Finch, on the other hand, offers a style of writing that harkens to that time but offers enough of a contemporary feel to make a schlub like me get immersed in the story with little effort.
December 21, 2011
If you like your noir fantasy stories set in authentic Victorian London - and yet NOT Jack the Ripper - yeay! - then the Kindle or novella tale, Sparrowhawk by Paul Finch is for you. I read it one go, ignoring family pleas to go for lunch, attend to arse-wiping duties for baby, and putting the bins out. Brilliant plot and sub-threads with many resonances for me. The latter because Captain Sparrowhawk was fighting one of Englands futile escapades in Afghanistan and so was my grandfather - though in a later one, the third Anglo-Afghan war of the 1920s. Wonderfull writing style too. Your kindle will thank you.
My full review is at
http://geoffnelder.wordpress.com/2011...
My full review is at
http://geoffnelder.wordpress.com/2011...
June 14, 2021
An enjoyable Victorian ghost story. I took me far too long to work out the twist at the end I was so engrossed in the story. Captain Sparrowhawk is freed from debtors prison by a young woman and employed to guard a man from mysterious enemies. Then things really get spooky. Sparrowhawk is a tortured, selfish, angry character who has lost everything, is capable of great violence but also acts of compassion. An intelligent, inventive story that captures the atmosphere and the realities of Victorian life in London of the 1840's very well . Narration is perfect, Greg Patmore is one of my favourite narrators and always brings the characters to wonderful life. I Received a complimentary copy from the narrator and am leaving a honest voluntary review
December 23, 2013
Another great story told by the master of ghost and mystery stories. Captain Sparrowhawk has never been one for love, more inclined to retreat to the battlefields, however this christmas will prove to be more than just a battle for him. A very well written twist on a clssic. A ghostly christmas spirit to be had!
June 9, 2013
A riveting read. Should be one of those tales that forms a part of everyone's Christmas season reading.
January 7, 2014
interesting read, not what I thought with a good twist at the end. I thought it could have been a bit scarier.
October 1, 2021
An enjoyable Victorian ghost story with a twist at the end.
December 29, 2022
“Sparrowhawk had never really known Christmas, but this was a carol that he particularly liked, with its message of hope and courage in the face of extreme peril.”
That carol? Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. Zing! This line comes very near the last page of the book and essentially it’s the story in a nutshell. Sparrowhawk, this little novella, is a perfect Christmastime (Certified Fresh, sans any payola) Good Read. Perfect for, well, anybody in the mood for a good story. A good wintry, fantastic story.
Crisply evocative of the season, Sparrowhawk is a haunting tale about a broken war hero at home, at rock bottom, charged with one last campaign that could re-make or re-break him, well-written and well-told both, all snugly bundled in early Victoriana, but tinseled with enough gritty Action Hero-ics to get your blood pumping. Highly recommended.
Paul Finch, according to myself, is criminally underrated. Maybe I like him so much because Finch’s writing is always so sharp and clear, and he knows how to set a scene, and he kills at creating atmosphere and imagery; and maybe I like him so much because he’s earnest. His stories are stories. Storytelling is not as complicated an art as it’s made out to be these days—so many people are too up their own cabooses trying to be clever, or “clever.” At this point if they genuinely wanted to subvert my expectations they would tell a straightforward story with a plot and characters and all that old-fashioned stuff. Finch does this and I love it.
Take this very book, for instance. Like my intro says, this is a story of “hope and courage in the face of extreme peril.” Both for the protagonist and for the majority of men and women and children of his time. Our hero’s mission, you might say, is to protect hope itself. To protect the life of a certain someone who crusaded to improve the lives of the impoverished, who put Christmas charity on the map, and probably forever changed for the better the entire month of December in the Western World (and ever spreading beyond.) It’s sugary and heartwarming, okay, but when better than the Yuletide for such things? Point being, Finch is one of those writers who can take you for a ride, rest assured that the ride will be a good one and with a destination, to boot.
(And I heap all this admittedly effusive praise, I’d like to add, without owing thanks to anybody but Finch for writing the book and Amazon for selling me the dang thing!)
PS I prefer the cover on my edition. It’s snowy white and better sets the tone, I think. White better than black suits the whole hope vibe.
That carol? Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. Zing! This line comes very near the last page of the book and essentially it’s the story in a nutshell. Sparrowhawk, this little novella, is a perfect Christmastime (Certified Fresh, sans any payola) Good Read. Perfect for, well, anybody in the mood for a good story. A good wintry, fantastic story.
Crisply evocative of the season, Sparrowhawk is a haunting tale about a broken war hero at home, at rock bottom, charged with one last campaign that could re-make or re-break him, well-written and well-told both, all snugly bundled in early Victoriana, but tinseled with enough gritty Action Hero-ics to get your blood pumping. Highly recommended.
Paul Finch, according to myself, is criminally underrated. Maybe I like him so much because Finch’s writing is always so sharp and clear, and he knows how to set a scene, and he kills at creating atmosphere and imagery; and maybe I like him so much because he’s earnest. His stories are stories. Storytelling is not as complicated an art as it’s made out to be these days—so many people are too up their own cabooses trying to be clever, or “clever.” At this point if they genuinely wanted to subvert my expectations they would tell a straightforward story with a plot and characters and all that old-fashioned stuff. Finch does this and I love it.
Take this very book, for instance. Like my intro says, this is a story of “hope and courage in the face of extreme peril.” Both for the protagonist and for the majority of men and women and children of his time. Our hero’s mission, you might say, is to protect hope itself. To protect the life of a certain someone who crusaded to improve the lives of the impoverished, who put Christmas charity on the map, and probably forever changed for the better the entire month of December in the Western World (and ever spreading beyond.) It’s sugary and heartwarming, okay, but when better than the Yuletide for such things? Point being, Finch is one of those writers who can take you for a ride, rest assured that the ride will be a good one and with a destination, to boot.
(And I heap all this admittedly effusive praise, I’d like to add, without owing thanks to anybody but Finch for writing the book and Amazon for selling me the dang thing!)
PS I prefer the cover on my edition. It’s snowy white and better sets the tone, I think. White better than black suits the whole hope vibe.
December 27, 2020
Sparrowhawk (2010) is a novella by Paul Finch set during the Christmas season of 1843 England. It follows John Sparrowhawk, a veteran who served with the British Empire during the Afghan War. Despite his military heroics, Sparrowhawk’s life spiraled into turmoil afterwards. His wife died while he was away, and his subsequent gambling landed him in debtor’s prison with little chance of buying his way free. This situation changes with the unexpected appearance of an attractive, wealthy woman named Miss Evangeline at the prison. She’s sought him out to offer him a job that will pay all his debts and more. This job requires him to guard a man against three assailants who will separately arrive during the month of December. The identity of this man he’s charged to protect is not revealed to Sparrowhawk, and he’s under strict orders to keep his vigil a secret. With little other options available to him, he accepts the strange assignment despite his trepidations.
From that point on, Sparrowhawk keeps a nightly vigil outside the house of this man about which he knows nothing. He likewise has no information regarding the trio of threats he’s supposed to be guarding against. When they do begin to show up one-by-one, they are supernatural in nature and force him to confront the tumultuous life he’s led and the struggles he’s had to endure. If you’re thinking, as I initially did, that these would be the three Christmas ghosts from Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, you’d be wrong, although some analogies with them can be drawn. They are each unique, unsettling entities with their own set of powers and peculiarities.
The action scenes here are top-notch as Sparrowhawk’s combat experience is brought bare, often by way of the Greener rifle he keeps concealed under his long overcoat. The weight of all the loss he’s endured hangs heavy on Sparrowhawk as he struggles to accomplish his task which proves far more taxing than he could have expected. Miss Evangeline proves an important character as well. She’s strong, independent, knowledgeable and insightful. The back-and-forth conversations between her and the embittered Sparrowhawk are nuanced as he strives to gain additional information from her regarding his assignment and she works to keep him focused on completing it.
Paul Finch is a fantastic writer, so anytime his name is attached to a story or a novel, it’s sure to be a treat, and this book is no exception. It’s a great, pulpy read that’s perfect for the Christmas season and which pairs well with A Christmas Carol.
From that point on, Sparrowhawk keeps a nightly vigil outside the house of this man about which he knows nothing. He likewise has no information regarding the trio of threats he’s supposed to be guarding against. When they do begin to show up one-by-one, they are supernatural in nature and force him to confront the tumultuous life he’s led and the struggles he’s had to endure. If you’re thinking, as I initially did, that these would be the three Christmas ghosts from Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, you’d be wrong, although some analogies with them can be drawn. They are each unique, unsettling entities with their own set of powers and peculiarities.
The action scenes here are top-notch as Sparrowhawk’s combat experience is brought bare, often by way of the Greener rifle he keeps concealed under his long overcoat. The weight of all the loss he’s endured hangs heavy on Sparrowhawk as he struggles to accomplish his task which proves far more taxing than he could have expected. Miss Evangeline proves an important character as well. She’s strong, independent, knowledgeable and insightful. The back-and-forth conversations between her and the embittered Sparrowhawk are nuanced as he strives to gain additional information from her regarding his assignment and she works to keep him focused on completing it.
Paul Finch is a fantastic writer, so anytime his name is attached to a story or a novel, it’s sure to be a treat, and this book is no exception. It’s a great, pulpy read that’s perfect for the Christmas season and which pairs well with A Christmas Carol.
February 15, 2013
This certainly is not a Victorian ghost story in the mould of Gaskell, Dickens or Collins. The genre more correctly is fantasy or horror, and in that respect, much less appealing to me at least. Any atmosphere that Finch builds up is spoilt by graphical descriptions of monsters and the like. I found it also quite predictable, nd that the story didn't really go anywhere. Most of these sorts of book build to a climax, whereas any interest gained, lessens in the last 30 pages.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews