The Nightingale Bones

by Ariel Swan

Someone has been waiting a long time for Alice Towne to arrive in Hawthorne.
Two hundred years, in fact.
Trying to accept her mother's belief that the women of the Towne family are blessed, not cursed, with supernatural abilities, twenty-seven-year old Alice leaves a disapproving Boston husband to housesit for the summer in tiny Hawthorne, a historic village famous in the 1800s for its peppermint farms and the large, herbal-essence distilleries that flourished around the Massachusetts township.
She settles into a beautiful old home with a tragic reputation. There are said to be sightings and sounds from the spirit of a young woman who hanged herself after all her children died there of illnesses in the 1900s.
But soon, Alice experiences firsthand encounters that convince her the spirit is not who people think. The truth is shocking, steeped in the town's distillery history and its legends of a local wizard and witchcraft. As she falls in love with a local farmer whose family legacy is as tangled in the magick and the mystery as her own, Alice's fear becomes not whether the past can be resolved . . . but whether it's waiting to claim new victims.

Genres: Horror, Mystery, Witches, Fiction, Audiobook, Historical Fiction, Romance

247 pages, Paperback

First published August 29, 2014

Reviews

[Mauoijenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

*NetGalley book review*

This book was an okay story but it just was slow through the whole book. I wish it would have been a tab bit faster but oh well. Slow long drawn out suspense but it never ended in the big bang that you would expect. Not really what I was looking for.

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Nightingale Bones by Ariel Swan.

Book Description:
Someone has been waiting a long time for Alice Towne to arrive in Hawthorne. Two hundred years, in fact. Trying to accept her mother’s belief that the women of the Towne family are blessed, not cursed, with supernatural abilities, twenty-seven-year old Alice leaves a disapproving Boston husband to house-sit for the summer in tiny Hawthorne, a historic village famous in the 1800s for its peppermint farms and the large, herbal-essence distilleries that flourished around the Massachusetts township.

Oh, doesn't that blurb sound interesting? I was sucked in by the idea of some waiting for two hundred years for Alice, and the beginning of the book seemed promising.

But for me, the novel quickly degenerated into an insta-love romance .

The paranormal element degenerated as the romance element increased.

NetGalley/Belle Books

Paranormal. Sept. 30, 2014. Print length: 258 pages.

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love old fashioned ghost stories, and always have. That’s kind of what I thought I was getting with this book, and in a way I did, but it ended up being a lot more than that. However, that’s not always a good thing.

Alice Towne is in the midst of a divorce, has no place to live, no job, and is pretty much a mess. Her mother finds her a place to live in a small town, as a house sitter in a really old house, one that is thought to be haunted. Her mother, Josephine, is sort of a witch, and should really have known better than to send her daughter to a haunted house. Why? Because her daughter can sense spirits through odors. She also has some other supernatural abilities as well. Turns out the house is haunted by at least two entities. The good news is the man that was hired to paint the barn out back of the house. Kyle is painting it as a favor to the owner, as he lives on his own farm. Alice and Kyle have an immediate connection.

There’s lots of things to like about this book. If you like ghosts, there are ghosts, if you like historical mysteries, that’s a big part of this book, and if you like witches, and seances, you would probably love this book.

Alice as a character was really different. Odor memories of ghosts, or events like fires, was a new one for me for sure. She has emotional problems, due to her abilities, and her divorce. Seems her husband was not a fan of her abilities. I liked Kyle as a flawed character, but essentially good person. Their relationship was pretty different due to supernatural circumstances, and at times, I just wasn’t sure how they fell in love so fast, with so little interaction in the beginning. I kept wondering, is it really love, or is it the supernatural history? Josephine, I just wanted to throttle at times. Talk about your overbearing, and interfering mothers! There’s also a couple of elderly witch sisters, and of course a villain, that rounds out this group of characters.

The pacing of this book at the beginning was pretty spot on. Slowly, the ghosts, and the house itself, makes itself known to Alice. The further the story goes however, the slower the story seemed to be. Don’t get me wrong, things happen, but I just think the story could have been paced better. The first half of the book, I was telling people, how good it was, but by the end I just wanted it to be done already. Personally, I think it got a bit bogged down in the mystery aspects, and think it could have been more tightly written. Just too many( or too few at times)details without enough substance, during the mystery part of the book, in my opinion. The ghost, and witch aspects, of the book were much more interesting to me. However, I do know the mystery was essential to this story.

Other then the pacing, I did enjoy the book. I liked the ghosts, the characters for the most part, and enjoyed the setting in a small town. The idea of the mystery was well thought out, and different , I just thought it could have moved faster. I would recommend this to adult ghost story/mystery fans.(PureTextuality.com)

[Nannika · Rating 2 out of 5]

Random, oddly placed romance in the midst of a very slow story.

[Emily Kestrel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I noticed this book had mixed reviews and a low aggregate rating, but the story sounded interesting, so I decided to try it anyway. I often enjoy things that no one else seems to like. In this case, though, I have to admit I should have paid attention to the lower ratings. The story concerns a young woman who senses ghosts, moving in to a haunted house, meeting her insta-love Kyle (who thinks that her "soul smells like apples"), doing some really stupid things like letting herself get possessed and running straight into danger (which she'd had a premonition about), and then...well. Honestly, it was OK. It wasn't the worst thing I've ever read. But I can't really recommend it, either.

[Nichole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from NetGalley and was blown away! This is a great story. I won't give anything away, but this book has magic, history, mystery, love. The main character Alice is just trying to get her life back together, and find herself in the process. The town of Hawthorne has other plans for her.In order to get on with her life, she must right the wrongs of a creepy past. I highly recommend this book!!

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

​The Nightingale Bones is a story that takes place in Massachusetts which is more then fitting for a tale of the supernatural. The story has multi layers to it. It is a fascinating tale that grabs your imagination. I was sorry to read that this was Ms Swan's first novel as I will have to wait to read more by her. I was given a copy to review.

[Sarah Collum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful

This book is an amazing read. It is a beautiful love story filled with the supernatural and faith. Coming into one's own and accepting yourself for what you were created for. This is a book that after you read it you just kind of sick back and sigh with a smile on your face.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok

I really liked the premise of the book and the general setup. Unfortunately I didn't like the protagonist very much, and I had trouble following the plot--the explanation of the back story that led to the events of the book felt a little confused and convoluted to me.

[Brittany · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It took me a long time to finally finish this book. I had originally picked it because of the description but I did not enjoy it at all. It was long and hard to get into. The main character came across as whiny in a lot of the book.

[Andi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book for it's mysterious ambiance, the intricate genealogies and histories woven into, and the ongoing romance.

If you enjoy stories with historical mysteries and the legacies of families and appreciate the magic of witches, definitely check this one out.

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun small town ghost story and solid writing that is let down by drawn-out, slow pacing and baffling, annoying protagonist.

By 50% I could not stand the protagonist. Her actions are baffling and her continual whining about herself and her circumstances are mind numbing. She complains about not being understood or accepted but literally pushes away every single person trying to get closer to her. She seems to put herself in perpetual danger and her longing for a child and general GMC seems flimsy and thin. She seems to waft through the story with no intention. She has little interest in her ‘abilities’ yet chooses to stay in a haunted house and constantly complains about it. She is set up by her flakey mother yet still stays in the house. She is honestly so whiny all the time and most of her misery is self inflicted. I wasn’t sure if she wanted to solve the mystery or not even 3/4 of the way through.

Then there is the love interest who literally makes her vomit on the first meeting. 🙃

Their supernatural insta love I can forgive actually but it’s the protagonist constant desire and pining for him to be around and then handwringing and pushing him away and then whinging about it.

[Jenevive Desroches · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Nightingale Bones is a story of hope that someday we will be able to embody our own most authentic truths. Read more thoughts here: http://winsomegates.jenevivedesroches...

[Vanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is well written, maybe a little bit slow, but I enjoyed it. Unfortunately, the little bit of romance present is not very well presented, and the ending of the ghost story is, for me, unsatisfactory.

[Naomi · Rating 1 out of 5]

While this book was not horrible, it was INCREDIBLY slow moving and simply could not keep my interest. I found myself having to force myself to read it because it is a Netgalley review book.

[Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

L sex scene

[Tas · Rating 1 out of 5]

absolutely terrible, why would you even create this. Matter of fact I had no idea whoville residents could even write. L sex scene.

[Stefanie Dettmers]

Unfassbar langweilig, DNF

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is very well written and I like how they bring the dead back and doing Se-ance. it has a good plot

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good classic ghost story, i think the romance ruin a bit this book, but the rest was nice

[Natasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little dragged out but still it was an interesting book. I wouldn't mind reading more from this author.

[antisocial butterfly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yawn

[Kaylee Crosby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this was a slower read, I liked how descriptive it was. I really felt like I was there. I have family members that are slightly clairvoyant, and I absolutely envy them!

[Ingrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow somber start but gets better in the second half.

[Brenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love anything that has to do with seances and witchy energy, any of the Clair-senses, and this was good. I liked it.

[Selena · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

[Jorja Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise and the way everything came together at the end was cool, but something about the writing made it feel slow and hard to get through.

[Donna Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

What could be more fun for October than a good old down-home ghost story? But this one has a contemporary twist that contrasts with the ancient spirits who have waited for their host. Alice is fleeing a husband who wants to keep her medicated so that she won't see things that aren't there. Doctors blame it on anxiety; in such a situation--hypothetically, meaning we buy the premise that the supernatural causes someone to channel and experience other, invisible beings--I would have thought they would be concerned about multiple personalities. But then, by the time she and the mister are quits, things haven't progressed that far.

I received this quick read free of charge from Net Galley; a big thank you goes to them and to the publisher, Belle Books. And up till the climax, this was going to be a four star review. I liked the way most of the characters--including Alice--were rendered. I liked the attitude Alice shows toward her Wiccan mother: when she finds herself house-sitting a home loaded with spirits, she asks her mother, "Have you been casting again?" The contemporary issues made it easier to buy the supernatural premise.

I also liked the Drake sisters, a pair of senior citizen witches who figure prominently in the plot. For those who remember the show The Waltons (or watch in syndication), I instantly pictured the Drake sisters as a slightly-more-serious version of The Baldwin sisters, minus the hootch.

There are some slight inconsistencies in the story, and I hope that if you read this story, your copy will be much better edited than mine. I have read over 100 galleys in the past year, and haven't seen but a couple that had so many punctuation errors and places where spell check had not done the job, slipping a correctly spelled wrong word into place. I only mention this because the book came out in August, and my ARC does not say it is an uncorrected proof. But I could look past all that if the story itself worked. Usually, when a writer has a high rate of conventional errors and some ragged transitions, of which there were a couple, they can't create a good story arc, either. Yet for the first 82 percent of the book, I really enjoyed the main characters and the tale Swan had concocted. I loved the font, something I seldom mention; it was full of appropriate character that reflected the story.

Engaging also was the romance with Kyle and his character. There were also a couple of well-played red herrings.

Foreshadowing was expertly rendered.

The whole alchemy thing that began each section seemed artificial and forced, and was unneeded. If the last twenty percent of the story had worked a little better, this could have been a four or five star review.

---SPOILERS BELOW THIS POINT---

Robin's father didn't work for me. He was kind of a cardboard bad guy, a Snidely Whiplash whom I could envision lurking, twirling a waxen mustache and saying, "Nyah ha-ha!"

Other things that didn't work: the climax (hence the missing fourth star) where suddenly my entire belief in the story fell apart. It ought to have worked if it hadn't been so overly complicated by ineffective means.

The relationship that Alice has with Johanna was suffused with good intent, a sisterly twist we rarely see in a ghost story, and this was one of my favorite elements of the story. But when Alice nearly drowns and then bounces out of the hospital instantly, yanking her tubes out right after her mother tells her she's been underwater far too long, it doesn't resonate; I didn't buy the supernatural answer. The supernatural intervention kept her alive, but she should not have bounded out of bed like Clark Kent leaping into a phone booth. She should have lingered and still been able to resolve the problems set forth.

The ending, including that last scene between Kyle and Alice, was sweet, the kind of light ending a story like this needs.

To sum up: not a bad library book or beach read if you can buy an inexpensive e-book or paperback. I would not purchase a hard copy of this book nor advise others to do so. I believe this is the writer's first book, and if so, likely the next release will have fewer issues holding it back from the stellar work this author is capable of creating.

[Carrie Mansfield · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This is one of those books. Well written, solid story and yet it left me cold and I found it a bit of a struggle to get through. This time though, I know why it didn't capture my attention: I felt at arms length with Alice.

When we first me Alice, she's at her lowest low. She's in a loveless relationship and trying to wean herself off the anti-anxiety meds that keep her visions (that her husband doesn't believe she has, likely because she herself is not a believer) at bay. Throughout this novel she never climbs much above this emotional low. There's always this air of melancholy about her. It may well be suited for the character and the plot, but it kept me away from growing to know her or like her. It doesn't help that almost through the bitter end she keeps saying that she's not a believer in the old ways. This is a woman who finds the titular bones based on impulses she's getting from the house. This is a woman who quite literally shimmers with her abilities. At one point does disbelief just seem kinda stupid? It's not like she wasn't brought up in the tradition either. She was, she just chose the deny the truth in front of her own eyes with medicine. Whatever the case, I just never cared about her.

The character I liked most was Teddy, a New Orleans transplant. He felt like a walking cliche of what those of us who don't live in New Orleans expect natives to sound like when we go to visit the city, but at least he had heart and warmth. Her mother, though definitely flighty, grew on me too for the same reasons. There is a love interest here named Kyle. We finally learn why he's so good for Alice at the very end, but during the story it's a wee bit insta-love for my taste. You know the two are meant to be together, but you can't figure out why. She's kind of cold towards him (and everyone else really), he's drawn to her because she smells like apples...and that's it? I never got a sense of chemistry between the pair, a sense that they'd have some to make a go of this beyond just a base physical attraction. I waited for their inevitable coupling, but I was hardly excited about it, the way a book that makes you like the characters can do.

All in all, this may work for you if you're strictly into the mystery of what's going on. That said, this book solidly rests within the tropes of its genre and doesn't reinvent the wheel. Books like that can be fun to read, but personally speaking, I need stronger characters if the plot isn't unique. Your mileage may vary.

At the end of the day It's a solid book, but it's unexceptional and if like me you need characters to keep you vested when the plot doesn't do anything new, you may want to keep looking.

[Rachelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a haunted house story that also involves witches, so it was a perfect choice for October. Alice has a strong sense of smell. The trouble is that when she smells something, it brings about the memories of whatever spirits are lingering wherever she happens to be. She sees this ability as a curse, despite her mother's insistence that it's a gift. After separating from her husband, Alice finds herself house sitting in a home that has a lot of horrific memories involving the deaths of a child and a woman. In an attempt to give the woman peace, Alice begins digging into the history of the house and the small town it's in to figure out exactly who the woman was, and what happened to her and her child.

The first half of this book scared the bejeezus out of me. I took a short break from reading because I was afraid to read it at night, and that was the only time I had the chance to sit down long enough to read anything last week. After I picked it back up, though, the story became a bit predictable, and no longer scary. Also, a slightly implausible romance was introduced, and I started to lose interest. What kept me reading was the wonderfully detailed descriptiveness of everything, the believable small town characters, and wanting to know, without a doubt, how the mystery was solved. The only thing I didn't like about the level of description was the brand name product mentions. They felt too much like the advertisements that are in the backgrounds of movies, and they didn't add anything that was necessary to the story. I didn't need to know the brand of stereo Alice was using to listen to Billie Holiday, or the brand of cigarettes Kyrie was smoking.

Also unnecessary was the scene in which Alice and her mother, Josephine, do a tarot card reading. It didn't carry the story forward, and it didn't have the spooky element of any cards having one meaning for the characters, but another meaning from the perspective of the reader. If that was the author's intention, it missed the mark.

Overall, I have to say that I would have enjoyed this book much more when I was in my 20's. It's not a bad book. I'm just no longer into stories in which the primary goal is to end with two characters falling into a "Happily Ever After" kind of love. At least it passes the Bechdal Test.