What do you think?
Rate this book
The Brackenford Cycle #3
Spectre's Rest
It’s been a stressful few months for Trev Irwin, number one estate agent in the town of Brackenford. He’s had to contend with the discovery that he has latent psychic abilities, the revelation that Britain has a hidden community of supernatural creatures, and the inconvenience of repeated attempts on his life. Having survived – barely – the machinations of a megalomaniac Victorian scientist and his urbane assassin, Trev’s hoping for a quiet return to selling third-rate houses to first-time buyers. No such luck.
The Custodians, the clandestine supernatural police force of the United Kingdom, have been trying to recruit Trev into their ranks for some time. He’s reluctant, not least because he knows that there’s a mysterious traitor in the organisation who’s been trying to get him killed. But when a high-profile fugitive is captured and offers to trade some information for a lenient sentence, it looks as if there might be a chance for Trev to unmask the traitor and protect himself. All he has to do is go to the Custodians’ prison, Spectre’s Rest, and interview the prisoner.
It seems like a simple enough task. However Spectre’s Rest is dilapidated, on the verge of being closed down, and running on a skeleton staff. The remaining prisoners are the worst-of-the-worst, though they’re only half as frightening as the food in the staff canteen. Trev wants to get the job done and get out, but the death of an inmate leaves him trapped in a prison on lockdown with a killer on the loose. Worse still, the prison staff seem to think Trev is the number one suspect, and with a shortage of both time and allies he’s got a job on his hands to convince them not to lock him up. Wrongful imprisonment might be the least of his worries, though, because Spectre’s Rest has its own secrets. Secrets that stretch back through the prison’s dark and violent past. Secrets that can no longer remain hidden.
Secrets that might mean the death of everyone inside the prison’s walls…
The Custodians, the clandestine supernatural police force of the United Kingdom, have been trying to recruit Trev into their ranks for some time. He’s reluctant, not least because he knows that there’s a mysterious traitor in the organisation who’s been trying to get him killed. But when a high-profile fugitive is captured and offers to trade some information for a lenient sentence, it looks as if there might be a chance for Trev to unmask the traitor and protect himself. All he has to do is go to the Custodians’ prison, Spectre’s Rest, and interview the prisoner.
It seems like a simple enough task. However Spectre’s Rest is dilapidated, on the verge of being closed down, and running on a skeleton staff. The remaining prisoners are the worst-of-the-worst, though they’re only half as frightening as the food in the staff canteen. Trev wants to get the job done and get out, but the death of an inmate leaves him trapped in a prison on lockdown with a killer on the loose. Worse still, the prison staff seem to think Trev is the number one suspect, and with a shortage of both time and allies he’s got a job on his hands to convince them not to lock him up. Wrongful imprisonment might be the least of his worries, though, because Spectre’s Rest has its own secrets. Secrets that stretch back through the prison’s dark and violent past. Secrets that can no longer remain hidden.
Secrets that might mean the death of everyone inside the prison’s walls…
362 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 9, 2015
2 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Nick Moseley
12 books38 followersNick Moseley is the author of The Brackenford Cycle, a series of humorous urban fantasy novels centred around Trev Irwin, a misanthropic estate agent who discovers a) that he has latent psychic abilities, and b) that most of the supernatural beings in Britain want to kill him.
The first novel in the series, "Location, Location, Damnation", was released in May 2013 and was followed in October 2013 by "Deceased Estate", a standalone novella set between book one and the full-length sequel, "Hangman's Pond", which was released in January 2014.
Nick lives in Worcestershire, England (yes, where the sauce comes from). He has previously worked as a salesman, warehouseman, estate agent and forklift truck driver, and proven himself mildly incompetent at all of them. Writing has been an invaluable aid to preserving his sanity.
The first novel in the series, "Location, Location, Damnation", was released in May 2013 and was followed in October 2013 by "Deceased Estate", a standalone novella set between book one and the full-length sequel, "Hangman's Pond", which was released in January 2014.
Nick lives in Worcestershire, England (yes, where the sauce comes from). He has previously worked as a salesman, warehouseman, estate agent and forklift truck driver, and proven himself mildly incompetent at all of them. Writing has been an invaluable aid to preserving his sanity.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 23, 2023
Custodian Prison Scandal! Source of Creepy Presence Revealed! "They're ghosts, Trev! Just not as we know them!" - The Warden's Wheelhouse.
This series has me hooked.
It's the most fun I've had reading anything for a long time - years. Nick Moseley has delivered another ripper of a story filled with twists, turns, suspense, drama and wit.
In this story, our reluctant hero Trev finds himself on a mission to Spectre's Rest - A prison for the worst of the worst supernaturals with more secrets than inmates. He walks into a minefield of trouble and sure enough - the proverbial is soon hitting the fan.
I've been reading Dresden Files recently and these books are better, more fun, better characters, better writing, more fun, yeah - that's right - more fun.
Recommend to anyone who actually want's to be entertained.
Read this for the 3rd time with the fine folk over at Fantasy Buddy Reads at [2nd] https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
[3rd] https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Going straight on to Killing Lazarus by the same author, also at FBR at https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
(Next thread pending...)
Strongly Recommended: 5 'Death Amongst the Shadows,' stars.
Read this series three times now.
This series has me hooked.
It's the most fun I've had reading anything for a long time - years. Nick Moseley has delivered another ripper of a story filled with twists, turns, suspense, drama and wit.
In this story, our reluctant hero Trev finds himself on a mission to Spectre's Rest - A prison for the worst of the worst supernaturals with more secrets than inmates. He walks into a minefield of trouble and sure enough - the proverbial is soon hitting the fan.
I've been reading Dresden Files recently and these books are better, more fun, better characters, better writing, more fun, yeah - that's right - more fun.
Recommend to anyone who actually want's to be entertained.
Read this for the 3rd time with the fine folk over at Fantasy Buddy Reads at [2nd] https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
[3rd] https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Going straight on to Killing Lazarus by the same author, also at FBR at https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
(Next thread pending...)
Strongly Recommended: 5 'Death Amongst the Shadows,' stars.
Read this series three times now.
February 12, 2019
Spectre's Rest takes us outside of Brackenford, to the titular facility that houses prisoners of the Custodians, and straight into a nightmare situation that quickly threatens not just our hero, but potentially the world.
Trevor Irwin has finally accepted that he's going to have to work with the Custodians, and the book opens with the capture of Corbyn, a vampire with whom Trevor has quite the history. It's in transporting him to Spectre's Rest that the story kicks in - Corbyn has information that he wants to use to get himself out of this pickle, but then he turns up dead...
This book was my favourite yet. The Victorian-built prison was a fantastically creepy setting, and the main enemy this time around easily match that creep factor. The fighting was just excellent - usually fight scenes are so hard to follow, but these are not just easy to read but almost cinematic, and definitely epic.
So glad this series was recommended to me and cannot wait to move on to the next.
And I forgot to mention that ending! One of my favourite book moments.
Trevor Irwin has finally accepted that he's going to have to work with the Custodians, and the book opens with the capture of Corbyn, a vampire with whom Trevor has quite the history. It's in transporting him to Spectre's Rest that the story kicks in - Corbyn has information that he wants to use to get himself out of this pickle, but then he turns up dead...
This book was my favourite yet. The Victorian-built prison was a fantastically creepy setting, and the main enemy this time around easily match that creep factor. The fighting was just excellent - usually fight scenes are so hard to follow, but these are not just easy to read but almost cinematic, and definitely epic.
So glad this series was recommended to me and cannot wait to move on to the next.
And I forgot to mention that ending! One of my favourite book moments.
September 2, 2017
I’ve called in a Code Black with the Custodians...'
‘What sort of response time can we expect?’
'They’re guaranteed to arrive two minutes after we’re all dead,’ said Oscar.
This was my favorite Brackenford yet! The author steps up the action, danger, and humor with Spectre's Rest. Seriously the action was non stop!
Boss: Trev, I know you're burned out from catching the vampire but I need you to go to the infamously creepy gothic supernatural prison and interview that vampire - without your weapons. Sorry, policy.
Trev:
Yeah, my response would have more explicit but Trev really wanted that information.
Unfortunately, his first day there something kills that vampire.
Too bad, because now the prison is in lockdown trapping dark forces, Custodians, and guards of ill repute with the most dangerous criminals in the supernatural world. Worse, the dark energy is responding to the darkness in Trev.
For the first half of the book it was only Trev that saw them...
...but then SHIT. GOT. REAL.
There is no gif I have that can accurately portray the kind of futuristic losing melee trench warfare that has not been seen since Aliens. It was desperate, and brutal, and I loved it.
And Oscar.
And the end.
November 11, 2020
Spectre's Rest, the third book in The Brackenford Cycle, takes a grim turn as Trev sets off with Desai, a Custodian, to the supernatural prison Spectre's Rest to interview a high-profile fugitive that has recently been captured. The fugitive swears he has information of vital importance to the Custodians and will only speak with Trev about it. Once they arrive it's obvious there is something wrong with the prison. Long kept secrets are about to impact everyone - prison staff, inmates and visitors - in unexpected ways.
This feels like a turning point in the series. This story is much darker than we've seen previously. What's different this time is Spectre's Rest is essentially a closed room mystery where the tension of figuring out "who dunnit" relentlessly builds until it becomes apparent that the likelihood of a solution that doesn't kill a lot of people seems remote. Trev is also separated from his normal companions for most of the book so while he is as snarky as ever, the witty banter between Trev and the rest of the cast isn't there. I missed it tremendously.
Moseley weaves an intriguing tale, adding more layers to the world he's created and provides us with more clues as to what's really happening in Brackenford. I think we might finally have a lead on who the ultimate bad guy is. We also gain a better understanding of where Sarah fits in the bigger picture. I feel bad for Trev! Speaking of, Trev continues to grow as he continues to become little more heroic. I really hope based on experiences in this book that people start to trust him more. It was very frustrating that . My fingers are crossed.
The author sure knows how to write exciting endings. This one was an emotional roller coaster on top of all the action. I think it's going to be a bumpy ride to the end of the series.
This feels like a turning point in the series. This story is much darker than we've seen previously. What's different this time is Spectre's Rest is essentially a closed room mystery where the tension of figuring out "who dunnit" relentlessly builds until it becomes apparent that the likelihood of a solution that doesn't kill a lot of people seems remote. Trev is also separated from his normal companions for most of the book so while he is as snarky as ever, the witty banter between Trev and the rest of the cast isn't there. I missed it tremendously.
Moseley weaves an intriguing tale, adding more layers to the world he's created and provides us with more clues as to what's really happening in Brackenford. I think we might finally have a lead on who the ultimate bad guy is. We also gain a better understanding of where Sarah fits in the bigger picture. I feel bad for Trev! Speaking of, Trev continues to grow as he continues to become little more heroic. I really hope based on experiences in this book that people start to trust him more. It was very frustrating that . My fingers are crossed.
The author sure knows how to write exciting endings. This one was an emotional roller coaster on top of all the action. I think it's going to be a bumpy ride to the end of the series.
July 12, 2015
As a first review of a new book, I feel that there should be some deep, thought provoking commentary on theme and style and prose... Guess we'll have to wait for the next review, huh??
This was another fun, eerie adventure with Trev, the Slightly More Heroic. He's learning to step up and do what's needed, but at the same time, hasn't lost his quirky humour or sense of self-preservation (mostly). Being a Group of Unlikely Companions Trapped in an Isolated Locale story, Trev's separated from most of his usual support group and I did feel the loss of Granddad and Agatha, but thankfully Oscar appears to snark his way through the troubles. I'll also confess to a little tear in my eye at the bit. (you'll know which bit when you get to the bit) A tear and a laugh.
Really enjoyed this, two enthusiastic thumbs-up!
This was another fun, eerie adventure with Trev, the Slightly More Heroic. He's learning to step up and do what's needed, but at the same time, hasn't lost his quirky humour or sense of self-preservation (mostly). Being a Group of Unlikely Companions Trapped in an Isolated Locale story, Trev's separated from most of his usual support group and I did feel the loss of Granddad and Agatha, but thankfully Oscar appears to snark his way through the troubles. I'll also confess to a little tear in my eye at the bit. (you'll know which bit when you get to the bit) A tear and a laugh.
Really enjoyed this, two enthusiastic thumbs-up!
November 12, 2020
(4.75)
Starting in The Ghost's Story and continuing into Spectre's Rest, Moseley has added a sense of heaviness to the Brakenford Cycle. The general levity of the writing, combined with the nature of our main character helps to create a misleading expectation. Moseley seems committed to furthering the sense of realism in his BC, by showcasing a fuller spectrum of humanity.
While they initially appeared surface level, I've become very invested in the relationships formed between our main and supporting characters. Trevor and his Grandad Bernard in particular stood out to me here, while things are far from harmonious between them, due in large part to obvious personality differences, they both seem committed to trying to understand and support each other.
I loved the mystery here. I was constantly on the look out for clues, and was able to get close to figuring things out. I enjoyed the storyline in SR's more so than the previous full length novels in the series. The overall quality has continued to improve with each book and I expect that trend to continue.
(I'm going to be placing a spoiler tag here, the following should not be read unless you've finished the book.)
Starting in The Ghost's Story and continuing into Spectre's Rest, Moseley has added a sense of heaviness to the Brakenford Cycle. The general levity of the writing, combined with the nature of our main character helps to create a misleading expectation. Moseley seems committed to furthering the sense of realism in his BC, by showcasing a fuller spectrum of humanity.
While they initially appeared surface level, I've become very invested in the relationships formed between our main and supporting characters. Trevor and his Grandad Bernard in particular stood out to me here, while things are far from harmonious between them, due in large part to obvious personality differences, they both seem committed to trying to understand and support each other.
I loved the mystery here. I was constantly on the look out for clues, and was able to get close to figuring things out. I enjoyed the storyline in SR's more so than the previous full length novels in the series. The overall quality has continued to improve with each book and I expect that trend to continue.
(I'm going to be placing a spoiler tag here, the following should not be read unless you've finished the book.)
February 25, 2019
Take one creepy prison, a vampire with a vendetta and a weeks work experience with an ultra secret supernatrural organisation and you have this book in a nutshell. But there's so much more than this too.
Trev's following through with his idea of finding the traitor in the custodians by joining them in their fight against the darker side of supernatural life and as i'd forseen (no Sight needed) things don't go too well. Plenty of action, intrigue and the usual array of witty retorts and one liners plus Trev pissing off anyone in a one mile radius.
Its nice to see the small threads from previous stories all being brought together in this to round off the story nicely, Oscar is great as usual and the story is a real grower that starts off just creepy and soon develops into true brown trousers moments. The whole thing with Sarah is also very interesting and can't wait to see where this goes hopefully in the next book.
Great characters, great story and so far a very enjoyable series.
Trev's following through with his idea of finding the traitor in the custodians by joining them in their fight against the darker side of supernatural life and as i'd forseen (no Sight needed) things don't go too well. Plenty of action, intrigue and the usual array of witty retorts and one liners plus Trev pissing off anyone in a one mile radius.
Its nice to see the small threads from previous stories all being brought together in this to round off the story nicely, Oscar is great as usual and the story is a real grower that starts off just creepy and soon develops into true brown trousers moments. The whole thing with Sarah is also very interesting and can't wait to see where this goes hopefully in the next book.
Great characters, great story and so far a very enjoyable series.
October 12, 2021
I enjoyed reading this book, not quite as much as the previous one though. I think the negatives for me were that the fight scenes were a little too drawn out for me, and I found it hard to believe that people who deal with supernatural beings would have had such a hard time believing Trev when he told them he saw some of the weird things he was seeing. But those are small things and they didn't overshadow the things I liked.
The positives were that the setting was really creepy. How could an old, practically abandoned mental hospital not be? And like the previous books, this one made me laugh quite a bit. I also liked the role Oscar played in the book, but that ending! It almost broke my heart.
I do have just one question though. Do all British people eat pizza with a fork?
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
The positives were that the setting was really creepy. How could an old, practically abandoned mental hospital not be? And like the previous books, this one made me laugh quite a bit. I also liked the role Oscar played in the book, but that ending! It almost broke my heart.
I do have just one question though. Do all British people eat pizza with a fork?
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
May 20, 2017
Funny and drole.
Easy reading with a light touch of humour. Have purchased the whole set now as I enjoyed them so much.
Easy reading with a light touch of humour. Have purchased the whole set now as I enjoyed them so much.
January 24, 2016
Book 3 in a series - so don't start here, start with Location, Location, Damnation. And if you like that, then this is more of the same sort of thing - a witty, fast paced, sarcastic estate agent does battle with supernatural horrors.
This one is set in the Spectre's rest - a sort of prison for the supernatural bad guys. But there's something nasty going on, and of course... our man Trev ends up stuck in the middle of it.
This one doesn't disappoint - I nearly couldn't put it down, but sort of had to when I fell asleep in the middle... this lead to some slightly odd dreams.
It also has more sarcastic-cat-Oscar which is marvelous.
This series is something of a hidden gem - I stumbled upon it rather by accident. But would urge that if you liked Dresden files, then this is well worth picking up for ... pretty similar reasons.
This one is set in the Spectre's rest - a sort of prison for the supernatural bad guys. But there's something nasty going on, and of course... our man Trev ends up stuck in the middle of it.
This one doesn't disappoint - I nearly couldn't put it down, but sort of had to when I fell asleep in the middle... this lead to some slightly odd dreams.
It also has more sarcastic-cat-Oscar which is marvelous.
This series is something of a hidden gem - I stumbled upon it rather by accident. But would urge that if you liked Dresden files, then this is well worth picking up for ... pretty similar reasons.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews