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Magdalena's Ghost: The Haunting of the House in Gallows Lane
LIES, TREACHERY AND DECEIT
and something much, much darker...
A fictional ghost story of: The haunting of the house in Gallows Lane
A SUPERNATURAL MYSTERY SET IN THE NORTH OF ENGLAND dating back to the 1950's and to the present.
PRESENT: Whilst travelling in their camper van, a young couple come across a big, old, empty house hidden behind an overgrown and chaotic garden, unaware that it is haunted by one of its previous occupants.
BEFORE: Magdalena is a beautiful, cultured, and sophisticated woman who is an accomplished musician and a renowned sculptress living a privileged lifestyle with her debonair husband, ten-year-old daughter and six-year-old son, in Juniper House in Gallows Lane. When her husband and son disappear without trace in the 1950's it has a devastating effect on her from which she never recovers. Finally abandoned by her daughter and living a reclusive life alone in the house, she waits in vain for her son to come home. In her old age, her estranged daughter returns to have her sectioned and to claim her inheritance. Magdalena spends the remaining years of her life as an old woman in an asylum. But when she dies she returns to haunt the daughter, eventually driving her insane until she suffers the same fate.
PRESENT: When the young couple buy the house and begin to renovate it, unknown forces start to drive a wedge between them and soon they begin to drift apart. Sinister things start to happen and they unearth a secret which has remained a mystery for decades.
and something much, much darker...
A fictional ghost story of: The haunting of the house in Gallows Lane
A SUPERNATURAL MYSTERY SET IN THE NORTH OF ENGLAND dating back to the 1950's and to the present.
PRESENT: Whilst travelling in their camper van, a young couple come across a big, old, empty house hidden behind an overgrown and chaotic garden, unaware that it is haunted by one of its previous occupants.
BEFORE: Magdalena is a beautiful, cultured, and sophisticated woman who is an accomplished musician and a renowned sculptress living a privileged lifestyle with her debonair husband, ten-year-old daughter and six-year-old son, in Juniper House in Gallows Lane. When her husband and son disappear without trace in the 1950's it has a devastating effect on her from which she never recovers. Finally abandoned by her daughter and living a reclusive life alone in the house, she waits in vain for her son to come home. In her old age, her estranged daughter returns to have her sectioned and to claim her inheritance. Magdalena spends the remaining years of her life as an old woman in an asylum. But when she dies she returns to haunt the daughter, eventually driving her insane until she suffers the same fate.
PRESENT: When the young couple buy the house and begin to renovate it, unknown forces start to drive a wedge between them and soon they begin to drift apart. Sinister things start to happen and they unearth a secret which has remained a mystery for decades.
201 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 22, 2015
39 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 20, 2017
This storyline follows Anton and Lucy as they discover an abandoned house, they buy it, move into it and fix it up. But they find out that it's haunted by the previous owners and they unravel the story of the family which explains how the house got in the condition it was in.
I really enjoyed reading this story and unraveling the twists and turns that the author takes the reader on.
I really enjoyed reading this story and unraveling the twists and turns that the author takes the reader on.
February 10, 2019
Young couple Lucy and Anton are headed out for a weekend of camping in their van when Anton decides to take a new road to the campground. They find themselves in a run-down village, and he is taken with an old, abandoned house. Lucy finds the house horribly creepy and unwelcoming, but Anton develops an immediate obsession with it. Suddenly he’s got their lives mapped out as B&B owners in the middle of nowhere. Despite Lucy’s objections, Anton pushes it and they are owners of the decrepit building in no time. He’s a carpenter, and so able to do the repairs and restorations himself- no one else is coming and going into the house. Lucy hates the house despite its beauty, and finds creepy things happening. When Anton leaves for two weeks to work on a customer’s house, things really break loose. The grand piano plays, doors open and close, and there are, quite literally, skeletons in the closet. The past is coming alive, with a vengeance. The story plays out in both the present and the 1950s.
While the haunting was interesting and pretty well done- some of it was very creepy!, I wasn’t crazy about aspects of the story. Anton came across as not caring a bit about what Lucy thought, and just did as he pleased. Lucy was a very weak character, going along with the flow, being unwilling to cross Anton. There was also a good deal of repetition. I’d say four stars.
While the haunting was interesting and pretty well done- some of it was very creepy!, I wasn’t crazy about aspects of the story. Anton came across as not caring a bit about what Lucy thought, and just did as he pleased. Lucy was a very weak character, going along with the flow, being unwilling to cross Anton. There was also a good deal of repetition. I’d say four stars.
April 8, 2021
What's with all the misogyny?
Women living alone in old houses imagine they're being haunted? And this opinion is stated as fact. By a female character no less. And the sainted husband is in no way held accountable for his dumb decisions which actively endanger his wife. She's 'emotional,' 'not supportive,' 'pouty'
Just because she's scared after being left alone in a crumbling house in the middle of nowhere with a malevolent spirit.
Ugh.
Women living alone in old houses imagine they're being haunted? And this opinion is stated as fact. By a female character no less. And the sainted husband is in no way held accountable for his dumb decisions which actively endanger his wife. She's 'emotional,' 'not supportive,' 'pouty'
Just because she's scared after being left alone in a crumbling house in the middle of nowhere with a malevolent spirit.
Ugh.
March 6, 2020
Magdalena's Ghost
This is a book I'd highly recommend t anyone searching for a book with well fleshed out multifaceted characters! What a story! It takes you on a rollercoaster emotional ride! From love to terror to tugging at the old heartstrings. A memorable book I truly enjoyed! Well done Pippi Hilton!
This is a book I'd highly recommend t anyone searching for a book with well fleshed out multifaceted characters! What a story! It takes you on a rollercoaster emotional ride! From love to terror to tugging at the old heartstrings. A memorable book I truly enjoyed! Well done Pippi Hilton!
October 29, 2016
Good haunted yarn.
I chose this book on it's review ( as I always do ) & again it paid off. A good haunted house / mystery. Certainly
not quite as predictable as I at first thought. A recommend good read & surprise ending.
I chose this book on it's review ( as I always do ) & again it paid off. A good haunted house / mystery. Certainly
not quite as predictable as I at first thought. A recommend good read & surprise ending.
February 7, 2020
Review
Excellent read. Good characters and very descriptive scenery. It's a super ghost story with wistful undercurrents. It stays in the mind long after the last word. I will be looking for more from this author.
Excellent read. Good characters and very descriptive scenery. It's a super ghost story with wistful undercurrents. It stays in the mind long after the last word. I will be looking for more from this author.
November 21, 2020
Enjoyable read
Well written descriptions, and enough mystery to keep thing interesting. I appreciated reading a story about haunting that wasn't about evil, brutality, or gore. Nice ending.
Well written descriptions, and enough mystery to keep thing interesting. I appreciated reading a story about haunting that wasn't about evil, brutality, or gore. Nice ending.
May 29, 2017
Very intriguing. I did not want to put it down, every page kept you wondering about what was going to happen next.
September 13, 2017
It was kind of a slow read but I'm glad I stuck it out. It all came together.
March 11, 2019
A good haunted house/suspense-mystery story. Very much enjoyed this story and the outcome. Will read more by this author.
March 28, 2019
I enjoyed this
This was a pretty good book. Not usually my style of book but an interesting premise for sure. I do think another book would be awesome.
This was a pretty good book. Not usually my style of book but an interesting premise for sure. I do think another book would be awesome.
February 6, 2020
Great book
I started reading this book 2 days ago. I couldn't put it down for a long period of time. I really enjoyed this book
I started reading this book 2 days ago. I couldn't put it down for a long period of time. I really enjoyed this book
December 9, 2020
Very well written.
Very good, couldn’t put this book down until read. Highly recommend this story. Time has away of correcting itself, no matter how long it takes.
Very good, couldn’t put this book down until read. Highly recommend this story. Time has away of correcting itself, no matter how long it takes.
November 16, 2017
Anton and Lucy have a happy - if male-dominated by my standards - relationship which sees most of their weekends taken up by touring in their camper van. On one of their trips to the North West of England they stop at a rather curious pub for lunch after having seen an old house that Anton has all but made up his mind they will buy and renovate, turning it into a guesthouse.
Anton annoyed me. Lucy doesn't like the house at first and he tells her "That's because you're a woman. You women are all the same." That infuriated me, but not so much as Lucy "pouting" at his remarks. I felt he treated Lucy like a plaything "he pinched her cute nose", and she enabled him; this was her first relationship and she seemed in awe of him. Not having a full time job, she was happy to take a back seat and this didn't feel like a relationship of equals. He thought he was firmly in charge. Which he appears to be, as the house sale goes ahead.
When viewing, Lucy was sure she had seen someone moving around inside the property - a ragged old lady - but Anton dismisses this as Lucy's fluffy imaginings. She's proved right, and she is the one who has to show backbone, not him, when things go bump in the night. The true story of the haunted house is gradually revealed and as always, there is tragedy and pain behind it all. It was a creepy read and even featured a ghostly ginger and white cat! I have one myself but he is very real. Enjoyed this a lot and finished it in a couple of days, but the ghost constantly asking "Are we having a cup of tea?" made me laugh every time I read it rather than scared me. I am sure my fellow train passengers wondered what I was laughing at.
The ending was wonderful and I would give a big hurrah to Peppi Hilton for resolving this story without any need for malevolence or hatred spinning down the years to enmesh innocent individuals that is so common in ghost stories. Almost worth 5 stars for that alone. 4.5.
Anton annoyed me. Lucy doesn't like the house at first and he tells her "That's because you're a woman. You women are all the same." That infuriated me, but not so much as Lucy "pouting" at his remarks. I felt he treated Lucy like a plaything "he pinched her cute nose", and she enabled him; this was her first relationship and she seemed in awe of him. Not having a full time job, she was happy to take a back seat and this didn't feel like a relationship of equals. He thought he was firmly in charge. Which he appears to be, as the house sale goes ahead.
When viewing, Lucy was sure she had seen someone moving around inside the property - a ragged old lady - but Anton dismisses this as Lucy's fluffy imaginings. She's proved right, and she is the one who has to show backbone, not him, when things go bump in the night. The true story of the haunted house is gradually revealed and as always, there is tragedy and pain behind it all. It was a creepy read and even featured a ghostly ginger and white cat! I have one myself but he is very real. Enjoyed this a lot and finished it in a couple of days, but the ghost constantly asking "Are we having a cup of tea?" made me laugh every time I read it rather than scared me. I am sure my fellow train passengers wondered what I was laughing at.
The ending was wonderful and I would give a big hurrah to Peppi Hilton for resolving this story without any need for malevolence or hatred spinning down the years to enmesh innocent individuals that is so common in ghost stories. Almost worth 5 stars for that alone. 4.5.
October 2, 2016
This is a departure from the books I usually read . I thought though since it is October a spooky haunted house tale would be perfect. I really wanted to give this book a 4 but I just can't. Here are both the bad and the good parts about it.
BAD
1. There is entirely too much self dialogue in this book and the main reason I am giving this a 3.
(pages and pages are not necessary or contributes any to the story)
2. unfamiliar terms are used such as tyre (tire in the US), flat(apartment in the US), grotty, range (stove is a more familiar term), scullery, to make a brew ,charwoman(a maid is the more commonly used term) pot sink, the skip( I thought I knew what this was but looked it up to make sure(More commonly used words are garbage container, garbage bin, maybe even a debris box ), potholing(exploring caves is simpler) Not everyone is familiar with these terms that might be quite common in England but people in the US/or elsewhere might not understand what these words mean and no one except probably me wants to look them up in a dictionary to find out what they mean.
3. There are entire sentences and paragraphs that are repeated throughout the story (example she saw the old woman through the window) yes I know I read it and you don't have to keep telling me about it over and over again.
4. I thought the characters Anton and Lucy were very selfish. I thought Lucy was a weak character that would not stick up for herself and what she had saw. She would doubt herself because Anton would not believe her . I really didn't like the character of Anton at all.
Good
1. This book is worth a read just for the Magdalena story. It is a haunting, tragic story
2. It is suspenseful and exactly what I was looking 4.
Final verdict: It is a good book just for the Magdalena story..Was it a page turner yes. Is it a good book to get you in the Halloween spirit yes. Am I glad I read it yes. So if U want to read a mild but suspenseful ghost/haunted house story this will fit the bill :)
BAD
1. There is entirely too much self dialogue in this book and the main reason I am giving this a 3.
(pages and pages are not necessary or contributes any to the story)
2. unfamiliar terms are used such as tyre (tire in the US), flat(apartment in the US), grotty, range (stove is a more familiar term), scullery, to make a brew ,charwoman(a maid is the more commonly used term) pot sink, the skip( I thought I knew what this was but looked it up to make sure(More commonly used words are garbage container, garbage bin, maybe even a debris box ), potholing(exploring caves is simpler) Not everyone is familiar with these terms that might be quite common in England but people in the US/or elsewhere might not understand what these words mean and no one except probably me wants to look them up in a dictionary to find out what they mean.
3. There are entire sentences and paragraphs that are repeated throughout the story (example she saw the old woman through the window) yes I know I read it and you don't have to keep telling me about it over and over again.
4. I thought the characters Anton and Lucy were very selfish. I thought Lucy was a weak character that would not stick up for herself and what she had saw. She would doubt herself because Anton would not believe her . I really didn't like the character of Anton at all.
Good
1. This book is worth a read just for the Magdalena story. It is a haunting, tragic story
2. It is suspenseful and exactly what I was looking 4.
Final verdict: It is a good book just for the Magdalena story..Was it a page turner yes. Is it a good book to get you in the Halloween spirit yes. Am I glad I read it yes. So if U want to read a mild but suspenseful ghost/haunted house story this will fit the bill :)
November 3, 2016
It was a pretty good book. There was some typos here and there but I was able to read through them pretty easily. I think the book would have been more stars if it had been different after the 80% mark. (I think that is when it went a different turn) I won't ruin it with spoilers. It is still a really good ghost story just wasn't one of my favorites.
March 29, 2016
Enjoyable book
Really enjoyed this book I did think it would be more Scary but it was more sad than scary it was well written and had a good ending , I will be looking out for more from this author
Really enjoyed this book I did think it would be more Scary but it was more sad than scary it was well written and had a good ending , I will be looking out for more from this author
December 9, 2015
Enjoyed
I enjoyed this book very much. Would recommend you give it ago. The creepy stuff was good but I wished there was more of it
I enjoyed this book very much. Would recommend you give it ago. The creepy stuff was good but I wished there was more of it
May 16, 2016
Really enjoyed this book well worth the read .
If you like ghost stories I found it quite gripping and the more you read the more I wanted to know enjoyed
If you like ghost stories I found it quite gripping and the more you read the more I wanted to know enjoyed
October 9, 2016
Good read
Brilliant story, not boring ,downloaded for free and I will certainly keep the author in mind the next lol ime I purchase a book
Brilliant story, not boring ,downloaded for free and I will certainly keep the author in mind the next lol ime I purchase a book
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews