What do you think?
Rate this book
Fine in fine dust jacket. Hardcover first edition - New Harper & Row,, (1976). Hardcover first edition -. Fine in fine dust jacket.. First printing. Suspense novel which combines the occult and the mysterious - the second one featuring London policeman Harry Beaumont who has inherited his aunt's house in the remote English village of Marchstearn, named for the ancient monlithic stones which dominate the landscape. Samain is another name for Halloween - the night the dead return. 213 pp.
- GenresHorror
213 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1977
34 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 5, 2021
Samain is the second book in the Inspector Henry Beaumont series. Although this is listed as a detective story I did not feel that it was actually in that category fully.
When Henry Beaumont is left a cottage by his aunt Bertha in her will he is surprised, he had never met the lady but loved the cottage and it was ideal for him to get away to at the weekends and relax after a long week in the city. When he moves in he is made welcome by his neighbour Lydia and her little dog Wanda. The villagers are in general, friendly but no one is willing to discuss the big house on the hill, not even Lydia. People avoid the area and there are whispers of bad things happening there.
Right next to the big house are a set of standing stones that loom grey and foreboding on the hillside.
Henry is settling in nicely when he discovers that someone has been in his house during his absence and then he is visited by two very strange women who also wish to gain access to the house. The next thing he hears is that some of the villagers believed his aunts was a witch. Lydia confirms that Bertha did have certain abilities to see things and that she was very wise and also that she was afraid of the people at the big house.
The main theme of this story is the supernatural and it is only towards the end that there is any hint of it be a crime novel. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it and it came to an interesting conclusion with a good twist in the tale.
When Henry Beaumont is left a cottage by his aunt Bertha in her will he is surprised, he had never met the lady but loved the cottage and it was ideal for him to get away to at the weekends and relax after a long week in the city. When he moves in he is made welcome by his neighbour Lydia and her little dog Wanda. The villagers are in general, friendly but no one is willing to discuss the big house on the hill, not even Lydia. People avoid the area and there are whispers of bad things happening there.
Right next to the big house are a set of standing stones that loom grey and foreboding on the hillside.
Henry is settling in nicely when he discovers that someone has been in his house during his absence and then he is visited by two very strange women who also wish to gain access to the house. The next thing he hears is that some of the villagers believed his aunts was a witch. Lydia confirms that Bertha did have certain abilities to see things and that she was very wise and also that she was afraid of the people at the big house.
The main theme of this story is the supernatural and it is only towards the end that there is any hint of it be a crime novel. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it and it came to an interesting conclusion with a good twist in the tale.
February 5, 2018
Nice use of Tarot
March 9, 2018
This book didn't grab me at all unfortunately although I had hoped it would. The title Samhain (pronounced "Sowen") was what hooked me but the vague references to Paganism, Tarot cards and a Book of Shadows were just that - vague. The characters were pretty one dimensional too and I found I wasn't really bothered what happened to them.
Apologies for being so negative but I really couldn't recommend this book.
Apologies for being so negative but I really couldn't recommend this book.
March 12, 2018
Another good story
Another good read by a very good author. The story never lags ,it has comical moments but never loses its slight menace.
Another good read by a very good author. The story never lags ,it has comical moments but never loses its slight menace.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews