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Sweetheart, Sweetheart
David had been living in America eight years when his twin brother, Colin, married and moved to a lovely cottage in the English countryside. Ever since that marriage David had had nagging, nervous feelings about his brother, an eerie, grasping sensation that couldn’t be explained away. Until he was able to shake this obsession he would get no rest. There was only one solution. Leaving an irate and confused lover behind, David set off for his homeland. He would go to Colin, see him face to face, and find peace…
But peace was the last thing he would find. Nothing in David’s experience could ever have prepared him for the events to come. When he saw his twin brother’s cottage, its beauty and serenity, there was no suggestion of the shock that awaited him within, no preparation for the unimaginable horror inside the house. Gradually David was drawn into an unholy nightmare of ghostly mystery, murder and sexual possession.
Sweetheart, Sweetheart is an exploration into the unspeakable; it is a haunting glimpse into human relationships and not-so-human hungers, with a climax as unexpected as it is terrifying.
But peace was the last thing he would find. Nothing in David’s experience could ever have prepared him for the events to come. When he saw his twin brother’s cottage, its beauty and serenity, there was no suggestion of the shock that awaited him within, no preparation for the unimaginable horror inside the house. Gradually David was drawn into an unholy nightmare of ghostly mystery, murder and sexual possession.
Sweetheart, Sweetheart is an exploration into the unspeakable; it is a haunting glimpse into human relationships and not-so-human hungers, with a climax as unexpected as it is terrifying.
251 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1977
42 people are currently reading
2959 people want to read
About the author
Bernard Taylor
103 books93 followersBernard Taylor was born in Swindon, Wiltshire, and now lives in London. Following active service in Egypt in the Royal Air Force, he studied Fine Arts in Swindon, then at Chelsea School of Art and Birmingham University. On graduation he worked as a teacher, painter and book illustrator before going as a teacher to the United States. While there, he took up acting and writing and continued with both after his return to England. He has published ten novels under his own name, including The Godsend (1976), which was adapted for a major film, and Sweetheart, Sweetheart (1977), which Charles L. Grant has hailed as one of the finest ghost stories ever written. He has also written novels under the pseudonym Jess Foley, as well as several works of nonfiction. He has won awards for his true crime writing and also for his work as a playwright. It was during his year as resident playwright at the Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch that he wrote The Godsend. There Must Be Evil, his latest true crime study, is to be published in England in September.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
October 16, 2019
”They say the dead die not, but remain
Near to the rich heirs of their grief and mirth.
‘Clouds”---Rupert Brooke.
David Warwick starts to feel strange. His twin, Colin, has recently written to inform him that he is blissfully married and in the process of moving to a beautiful cottage in the English countryside.
Why does David feel so strange?
Something tells him that he has to go home. The pain in his head and the rising anxiety levels are driving him back to England. His girlfriend, Shelagh, is not happy with him and certainly doesn’t buy the idea that his homeland is calling him back.
This is not going to prove to be a rainbows and unicorns visit. His sister-in-law, Helen, is dead from a misadventure. His brother has passed away from a horrendous car accident. Now David has inherited the cottage in the country.
This is a lot for him to wrap his head around, and fortunately he doesn’t know it, but he has only landed in the middle of crazy. There was plenty of crazy before, and there is plenty of crazy yet to come.
A white rose appears on his pillow each night.
As he starts to look into the circumstances surrounding the deaths, he begins to understand that the cottage has had a fair number of strange occurrences. ”My house, before me, stood drenched in sunlight. Looking as it did it was difficult to associate it with the tragedies that had occurred there. Margaret Lane had died horribly in the burning summerhouse; Bronwen had been struck down and left dying from a broken skull--dying deserted and alone. And then Helen..and then Colin...Was it possible, I wondered, for a house’s past history to influence the lives of its inhabitants?”
He starts getting threatening phone calls from someone who mistakes him for Colin.
To complicate things, Shelagh surprises him by arriving on his doorstep. He is happy to see her, of course, but the escalation of strangeness has left him pensive and wondering about his own sanity.
”The thought came to me through the fog of my ecstasy that perhaps I was going mad; what was happening to me couldn’t be happening. None of it, nothing, not one thing could possibly be anything but the product of my mind!---and still touching, the caressing continued. The thought wavered through my brain that if I was not mad that I was being driven to that state, and I made a last desperate clutch for rationality, a final desperate attempt to hang on to reality, and flung out my arms, wide, and shouted with all my force into the sweet-fogged-rose-scented room:
‘NO…!’”
Crikey!
That isn’t Shelagh, by the way, that is a bloody spectre.
It is scary enough with the thought of phantom fingers giving one the odd reach around, but the real cause for fretfulness is that David kissed a ghost, and he liked it.
This is a classic ghost story with some really well written scenes of menacing, scary uneasiness. With the arrival of Shelagh, there are more avenues opened for many more unexplainable, dire occurances to add to the already confusing muddle of David’s investigation into the deaths of his brother and his wife. The townspeople are reticent about what they know, and what they do choose to share is ambiguous and frustratingly sparse on detail. Who is the ghost? Who killed who?
A twisted gothic romance with a healthy dose of erotic obsession.
Bernard Taylor has written twelve horror/suspense novels, and given my vast enjoyment of this little gem, I will be working my way through the rest of his oeuvre. Somehow this writer has been working quietly along without fanfare. I plan to do my best to bring him out of the shadows and into the light of day.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
February 8, 2017
I loved this book so freaking much! So. Freaking. Much.
Sweetheart, Sweetheart was originally published back in the late 70's. It was brought back by Leisure Books in the 90's and has now been brought back again by Valancourt Books. (Perhaps you've heard me talk about them in the past?) This edition has a new, kickass cover and an even more kickass introduction from the lovely Michael Rowe. (A fantastic author of the macabre in his own right.)
The intro was more of a love letter to the story and to the author. It's not spoiler-y so you can read it before reading the story, if you like.
Here's a brief excerpt of the intro:
So, instead of writing a cool, detached introduction, I feel like a child holding out a Christmas gift, bursting to tell you what's inside so you can be as excited to receive it as I am to give it, impatient for you to open it. This particular present however, is wrapped in rose petals, not paper, and the ribbon is made of sharp wire and broken glass, not grosgrain, so please be careful not to cut yourself while unwrapping it.
After finishing the book, I could not possibly agree more.
So, on to the story! Dave has a bad feeling about his twin brother who still lives back home in the U.K. Enough so that he leaves his fiancee in America to make the trek to check on his family. All is not well with them and David's quick trip turns into an extended stay. That's all I can say about the plot.
This story is beautifully, I say beautifully written. Mr. Taylor's ability to create a creepy atmosphere is nearly unmatched. (Though Mr. Rowe does it wonderfully in his book Wild Fell.) For instance this brief little clip:
"There I sat in the living-room, the scotch bottle at my side, I felt only that accustomed welcome and comfort surrounding me. The coldness, the chill, was inside me."
This book quietly builds the atmosphere and horror of discovering that all is NOT what it seems to be. It nearly drips with suspense as the final chapters are doled out and just when you think you can't take it anymore, POW! It punches you in the face and then it stomps on you some more when you go down. The reader is left sitting there alone, stunned, saddened and delighted all at once. This is one you can't miss.
In the end, this is a ghost story. Charles L. Grant named it his favorite ghost story of all time, and Mr. Grant knew quiet horror better than almost anyone. If you're looking for a lot of gore and a lightning fast pace, look elsewhere. However, if you're looking for a classic, slow building, atmospheric, beautifully written ghost story you, my friend, have just found it.
My highest recommendation!
November 7, 2018
"I was aware only of malevolence and menace—in every pale-grey shadow; heard whispered voices in the rustling leaves, and when the breeze was stilled even the silence turned to shriek."
This was a chilling, classic ghost story just perfect for this time of year! I don’t know why this book is not more widely read – I think most fans of old style gothic-type horror would delight in Bernard Taylor’s eerie little tale. What begins as a bit of a puzzling mystery at an idyllic cottage set in the midst of the beautiful English countryside slowly but surely ramps up the tension to fever pitch. Everything about Sweetheart, Sweetheart is oozing with atmosphere and rouses all your senses. Much like our narrator, David Warwick, I was very nearly intoxicated by the overwhelming scent of roses.
"I saw the rose in my hand; it was giving up that scent that I had come to know so well. I held it to my cheek, happily, feeling the softness of the petals like a caress, while all the while the warmth drew closer, came closer, embracing me, and it seemed for a moment as if the whole room spun—a whirl of roses, so that I drifted in rose-petals, wallowed in the scent of them."
I’m always drawn to a story about a house, in particular one that has a very long and juicy history; one that depicts the house much as a character itself. This is done quite skillfully. What begins with a very welcoming feeling upon first crossing the threshold, eventually turns quite ominous and downright terrifying! Why is it that the main characters in these novels always tend to stay way past their welcome? Get out already!! I guess there wouldn’t be much of a book if they didn’t reliably make foolish choices!
"Please—Mr. David . . . don’t go in there."
"I must."
"Don’t. She’s in there."
Chock-full of cloying roses, freak accidents, threatening phone calls, evasive neighbors, obsessive love, and other bizarre happenings, this ghost story is sure to send a tingle down your spine. I know it sounds a bit clichéd, but I was literally on the edge of my cushy red couch, mindlessly eating one Cheezit after another, by the very end. I can’t say it finished the way I would have liked, but then again, I don’t think it could have ended any other way! Bravo! It all played out right in front of me. This would make a dreadfully, entertaining movie. Not quite up to the level of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, which remains a favorite, but pretty damn good!
"They say the dead die not, but remain
Near to the rich heirs of their grief and mirth." - ‘Clouds’ by Rupert Brooke
This was a chilling, classic ghost story just perfect for this time of year! I don’t know why this book is not more widely read – I think most fans of old style gothic-type horror would delight in Bernard Taylor’s eerie little tale. What begins as a bit of a puzzling mystery at an idyllic cottage set in the midst of the beautiful English countryside slowly but surely ramps up the tension to fever pitch. Everything about Sweetheart, Sweetheart is oozing with atmosphere and rouses all your senses. Much like our narrator, David Warwick, I was very nearly intoxicated by the overwhelming scent of roses.
"I saw the rose in my hand; it was giving up that scent that I had come to know so well. I held it to my cheek, happily, feeling the softness of the petals like a caress, while all the while the warmth drew closer, came closer, embracing me, and it seemed for a moment as if the whole room spun—a whirl of roses, so that I drifted in rose-petals, wallowed in the scent of them."
I’m always drawn to a story about a house, in particular one that has a very long and juicy history; one that depicts the house much as a character itself. This is done quite skillfully. What begins with a very welcoming feeling upon first crossing the threshold, eventually turns quite ominous and downright terrifying! Why is it that the main characters in these novels always tend to stay way past their welcome? Get out already!! I guess there wouldn’t be much of a book if they didn’t reliably make foolish choices!
"Please—Mr. David . . . don’t go in there."
"I must."
"Don’t. She’s in there."
Chock-full of cloying roses, freak accidents, threatening phone calls, evasive neighbors, obsessive love, and other bizarre happenings, this ghost story is sure to send a tingle down your spine. I know it sounds a bit clichéd, but I was literally on the edge of my cushy red couch, mindlessly eating one Cheezit after another, by the very end. I can’t say it finished the way I would have liked, but then again, I don’t think it could have ended any other way! Bravo! It all played out right in front of me. This would make a dreadfully, entertaining movie. Not quite up to the level of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, which remains a favorite, but pretty damn good!
"They say the dead die not, but remain
Near to the rich heirs of their grief and mirth." - ‘Clouds’ by Rupert Brooke
August 18, 2018
By the pricking of my thumbs,
something wicked this way comes.
Sweetheart, Sweetheart is a classy ghost story about a haunted cottage in the rural english countryside. new tenants, a history of violence and death, you know the drill. it features restrained and elegant writing, some wonderfully atmospheric descriptive passages, an assortment of clever hints and clues, and a perfectly accomplished first person narrative from a very intriguingly developed protagonist. there is an eerie, almost free-floating feeling of longing, melancholy, and frustration that suffuses the tale from beginning to end. the slowly building tension is very well-done. and there is the pricking of thumbs, and words written with dirt, roses left on pillows, glass shards found in ice cream, razor blades placed in cold cream jars.
the novel is swooningly romantic. there is a strongly depicted romance between the two leads, and an even more palpable sense of romance between the narrator and the cottage itself - and the spirit that haunts it. our hero spends most of his time languorously contemplating the warm comfort of his surroundings, almost always in various states of undress, in a state of sleepy rapture. roses, roses, everywhere: a sinister leitmotif, their presence is described on nearly every other page, functioning quite literally as tools of the dead. and inevitably there is some very creepy sensuality; in many ways this is a haunting centered around erotic obsession. all of this romance is completely foreboding, full of dread.
there is an another obsession in this novel that further widens the mystery: who killed whom and who exactly is the spirit in question? the narrator's obsession with his twin's death and the question of what being haunts this cottage make Sweetheart a kind of cold case murder mystery, one with a nicely ambiguous set of long- and recently-dead characters who may be the evil spirit in question. or perhaps it is simply the cottage itself?
so anyway, another question: who is this Bernard Taylor? apparently a prolific writer of many horror novels, for some reason Taylor has been completely off of my radar. i would like to read more of his works.
__________
musical accompaniment
Miranda Sex Garden: Gush Forth My Tears, Iris, Suspiria
something wicked this way comes.
Sweetheart, Sweetheart is a classy ghost story about a haunted cottage in the rural english countryside. new tenants, a history of violence and death, you know the drill. it features restrained and elegant writing, some wonderfully atmospheric descriptive passages, an assortment of clever hints and clues, and a perfectly accomplished first person narrative from a very intriguingly developed protagonist. there is an eerie, almost free-floating feeling of longing, melancholy, and frustration that suffuses the tale from beginning to end. the slowly building tension is very well-done. and there is the pricking of thumbs, and words written with dirt, roses left on pillows, glass shards found in ice cream, razor blades placed in cold cream jars.
the novel is swooningly romantic. there is a strongly depicted romance between the two leads, and an even more palpable sense of romance between the narrator and the cottage itself - and the spirit that haunts it. our hero spends most of his time languorously contemplating the warm comfort of his surroundings, almost always in various states of undress, in a state of sleepy rapture. roses, roses, everywhere: a sinister leitmotif, their presence is described on nearly every other page, functioning quite literally as tools of the dead. and inevitably there is some very creepy sensuality; in many ways this is a haunting centered around erotic obsession. all of this romance is completely foreboding, full of dread.
there is an another obsession in this novel that further widens the mystery: who killed whom and who exactly is the spirit in question? the narrator's obsession with his twin's death and the question of what being haunts this cottage make Sweetheart a kind of cold case murder mystery, one with a nicely ambiguous set of long- and recently-dead characters who may be the evil spirit in question. or perhaps it is simply the cottage itself?
so anyway, another question: who is this Bernard Taylor? apparently a prolific writer of many horror novels, for some reason Taylor has been completely off of my radar. i would like to read more of his works.
__________
musical accompaniment
Miranda Sex Garden: Gush Forth My Tears, Iris, Suspiria
May 11, 2025
Soap Opera, Soap Opera...
SWEETHEART, SWEETHEART
by Bernard Taylor
2 1/2 stars, and really, that's being very generous. This is one of those novels that may have been good in its day but doesn't stand up to today's writing...
The story is about an Englishman living in America who has an ESP moment and suddenly feels he needs to return immediately to England because he senses that his twin brother is in some kind of danger...
When the man, David Warwick, arrives in London, he learns that his brother and his young wife are both dead and already buried in the churchyard...
David inherits their cottage and money and begins to dream of staying on and living there. He sends for his live-in girlfriend Shelagh (Shiela), they get married and begin making plans to remain in England...
The story is riddled with so many unnecessary conflicts, which didn't add anything to the story at all and caused me to wonder, when I reached the end, what they were in the story for. It reminded me of a daytime soap opera only not as interesting...
As with most old English mysteries, things are not as ideal as they seem at the cottage. There are ghostly visitations and people around the estate dying off. There is a mystery to solve, but I must say that when I got to the end of the book, my reaction to the solution was what the... Is that it?!
Unless you like self-inflicted torture, I would suggest passing this one by. There are so many good books written in the 70s that have stood the test of time. I really dislike when reviewers refer to all old novels as classics because some clearly are not.
SWEETHEART, SWEETHEART
by Bernard Taylor
2 1/2 stars, and really, that's being very generous. This is one of those novels that may have been good in its day but doesn't stand up to today's writing...
The story is about an Englishman living in America who has an ESP moment and suddenly feels he needs to return immediately to England because he senses that his twin brother is in some kind of danger...
When the man, David Warwick, arrives in London, he learns that his brother and his young wife are both dead and already buried in the churchyard...
David inherits their cottage and money and begins to dream of staying on and living there. He sends for his live-in girlfriend Shelagh (Shiela), they get married and begin making plans to remain in England...
The story is riddled with so many unnecessary conflicts, which didn't add anything to the story at all and caused me to wonder, when I reached the end, what they were in the story for. It reminded me of a daytime soap opera only not as interesting...
As with most old English mysteries, things are not as ideal as they seem at the cottage. There are ghostly visitations and people around the estate dying off. There is a mystery to solve, but I must say that when I got to the end of the book, my reaction to the solution was what the... Is that it?!
Unless you like self-inflicted torture, I would suggest passing this one by. There are so many good books written in the 70s that have stood the test of time. I really dislike when reviewers refer to all old novels as classics because some clearly are not.
May 14, 2019
Glorious Gothic, 1970s-style
This ticks off all the boxes for gothic-must-haves:
* haunted house
* mysterious deaths
* deformity
* Mrs. Danvers-esque housekeeper
* roses
* ghost performing fellatio on a living person
* family secrets
... w-w-wait, back up, ghost doing WHAT? Yeah, you read right. You did. I was surprised to discover that this 1977 gothic novel has its share of erotic preoccupation. Those scenes were written pretty well actually, aside from the fact that I kept getting flashes of Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze on the pottery wheel.
Full of atmosphere, this book boasts a rather over the top plot that you'll forgive becausethere's a ghost who performs fellatio on a living person of the intriguing mystery. It's creepy. Not Shirley Jackson's calibre, but still, Bernard Taylor should be on more people's shelves.
3.5 stars
This ticks off all the boxes for gothic-must-haves:
* haunted house
* mysterious deaths
* deformity
* Mrs. Danvers-esque housekeeper
* roses
* ghost performing fellatio on a living person
* family secrets
... w-w-wait, back up, ghost doing WHAT? Yeah, you read right. You did. I was surprised to discover that this 1977 gothic novel has its share of erotic preoccupation. Those scenes were written pretty well actually, aside from the fact that I kept getting flashes of Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze on the pottery wheel.
Full of atmosphere, this book boasts a rather over the top plot that you'll forgive because
3.5 stars
February 22, 2017
4 1/2 Stars
David has an ominous feeling that his twin brother Colin is in serious danger so he leaves the US and heads off to England to see what’s what. He discovers terrible things have indeed occurred. As he attempts to figure out exactly what has happened, he finds himself residing temporarily in Colin’s gorgeous cabin and meeting some interesting characters along the way who clue him in on Colin, Colin’s wife and the home’s ominous past. He is left to ferret out the rest of the secrets on his own. He is tenacious. I would've been scurrying back home after a few events but that's just me.
This book was a beautiful example of the atmospheric, slow burn ghost story. Why it isn’t better known is beyond me. It was leagues better than most of the recent novels I’ve read. It actually gave me the creeps a time or two and that almost never happens.
It is a product of its time though (the 70’s). David is one of those stubborn guys who keeps everything to himself (oooh, how that makes me crazy!) and tells the love of his life next to nothing. I’d strangle a guy like that in real life or at the very least drive him crazy with my questions but here it works well enough. I suppose if he shared everything things would’ve ended very differently and I thought the ending was dark perfection.
The characters are engaging and some of the dialogue between David and his love just hit me in all the right ways.
"You could bring me a good book.
Right, I'll bring you a good book. Your usual taste and nothing to get you too excited. Just sex, lust, rape, mayhem . . .
And murder, she finished for me."
I listened to this book as an unabridged audio and you will feel that ominous feeling of dread that accompanies David wherever he goes as soon as the narrator begins to speak. His voice seems made for this kind of story.
I can’t tell you any more without spoiling everything for you. I hate when that happens so I am stopping here. Just know that the buildup is slow and worth the wait. You are left, just as David is, to attempt to make sense of the strange goings-on occurring at the beautiful cabin. I didn’t figure it out before the reveal but I’m not very good at these things. If you like an old-fashioned, get under your skin ghost story listen to the audio or read the book. I don’t think you’ll be sorry.
Audiobook Challenge: Book #5
HA Mount TBR Challenge: Book #8
HA Pages Read Challenge
2017 Horror Reading Challenge Book #5
See this and the rest of the crap I write at my blog.
David has an ominous feeling that his twin brother Colin is in serious danger so he leaves the US and heads off to England to see what’s what. He discovers terrible things have indeed occurred. As he attempts to figure out exactly what has happened, he finds himself residing temporarily in Colin’s gorgeous cabin and meeting some interesting characters along the way who clue him in on Colin, Colin’s wife and the home’s ominous past. He is left to ferret out the rest of the secrets on his own. He is tenacious. I would've been scurrying back home after a few events but that's just me.
This book was a beautiful example of the atmospheric, slow burn ghost story. Why it isn’t better known is beyond me. It was leagues better than most of the recent novels I’ve read. It actually gave me the creeps a time or two and that almost never happens.
It is a product of its time though (the 70’s). David is one of those stubborn guys who keeps everything to himself (oooh, how that makes me crazy!) and tells the love of his life next to nothing. I’d strangle a guy like that in real life or at the very least drive him crazy with my questions but here it works well enough. I suppose if he shared everything things would’ve ended very differently and I thought the ending was dark perfection.
The characters are engaging and some of the dialogue between David and his love just hit me in all the right ways.
"You could bring me a good book.
Right, I'll bring you a good book. Your usual taste and nothing to get you too excited. Just sex, lust, rape, mayhem . . .
And murder, she finished for me."
I listened to this book as an unabridged audio and you will feel that ominous feeling of dread that accompanies David wherever he goes as soon as the narrator begins to speak. His voice seems made for this kind of story.
I can’t tell you any more without spoiling everything for you. I hate when that happens so I am stopping here. Just know that the buildup is slow and worth the wait. You are left, just as David is, to attempt to make sense of the strange goings-on occurring at the beautiful cabin. I didn’t figure it out before the reveal but I’m not very good at these things. If you like an old-fashioned, get under your skin ghost story listen to the audio or read the book. I don’t think you’ll be sorry.
Audiobook Challenge: Book #5
HA Mount TBR Challenge: Book #8
HA Pages Read Challenge
2017 Horror Reading Challenge Book #5
See this and the rest of the crap I write at my blog.
July 1, 2018
4.5 Stars!
"Take a candle with you - - - you'll need the light, because what's waiting for you in the darkness doesn't want to leave. Ever." (Michael Rowe)
Sweetheart, Sweetheart begins as an innocent, but engrossing "who dun-nit" mystery that slowly turns threatening....and deadly with an evil apparition exhibiting loads of guile.
This classic-style ghost story, first published in 1977, appears to be a "sleeper" on GR so DO NOT miss out! While not super scary (for me) or filled with blood and gore, it is one fine read with one hell of a ghastly end!
(checkout GR friend Charlene's review and you'll be sold too!)
May 23, 2019
This is the third book I've read by Bernard Taylor, and he continues to impress me.
Taylor's writing is full of suspense and an "unspecified" terror that just continues to build relentlessly throughout the entire novel. I can honestly say that I felt the tension never let up! This was one of those stories that you simply CAN'T stop yourself from reading, once it hooks you.
His words are beautifully chilling--an "old-style" ghost story that keeps you guessing until the final, jaw-dropping chapters. This is definitely a novel that I can see myself re-reading!
*I originally rated this book 4 stars, but after thinking about parts of it that simply wouldn't leave my mind for the last week or so, I'm changing my rating to 5 stars. A book that has that kind of "staying power" is rare enough to find, and I feel that SWEETHEART, SWEETHEART deserves that extra star.
Highly recommended!
*First read in July 2015. Re-read February 2017* Re-read May 2019*
*re-read: Even having read it once before, the language and atmosphere in this book just took me away. A haunting that leaves you begging for more at the end of each and every chapter!*
*re-read May 2019*
Taylor's writing is full of suspense and an "unspecified" terror that just continues to build relentlessly throughout the entire novel. I can honestly say that I felt the tension never let up! This was one of those stories that you simply CAN'T stop yourself from reading, once it hooks you.
His words are beautifully chilling--an "old-style" ghost story that keeps you guessing until the final, jaw-dropping chapters. This is definitely a novel that I can see myself re-reading!
*I originally rated this book 4 stars, but after thinking about parts of it that simply wouldn't leave my mind for the last week or so, I'm changing my rating to 5 stars. A book that has that kind of "staying power" is rare enough to find, and I feel that SWEETHEART, SWEETHEART deserves that extra star.
Highly recommended!
*First read in July 2015. Re-read February 2017* Re-read May 2019*
*re-read: Even having read it once before, the language and atmosphere in this book just took me away. A haunting that leaves you begging for more at the end of each and every chapter!*
*re-read May 2019*
January 2, 2016
For the love of all that's holy, why have I never read this book before, and why is Bernard Taylor not a household name? I'm absurdly wary when trying out a new author--ironic for a fairly new author himself, I know--and without several trusted recommendations, I won't take the plunge. Life is too short to read bad books.
But SWEETHEART, SWEETHEART is a *glorious* book. A nasty, spine-tingling, elegant, insomnia-inducing, beautiful, ghastly book. If you appreciate great writing and intricate plotting, you need to read it.
I'm no longer surprised when I read an outstanding novel published by Valancourt Books. They're the reason I got to experience Michael McDowell's sublime THE ELEMENTALS a few months ago, and I find myself loving SWEETHEART, SWEETHEART just as much. Perhaps even a hair more.
Or a rose more.
By the end of SWEETHEART, SWEETHEART, I was leaving bed, pacing, and uttering frantic wishes that a character to whom I'd grown very attached would be allowed to live. Only a masterful storyteller can do that to you, and friends, Bernard Taylor is a master.
Check it out. You won't regret it.
You won't sleep much either.
But SWEETHEART, SWEETHEART is a *glorious* book. A nasty, spine-tingling, elegant, insomnia-inducing, beautiful, ghastly book. If you appreciate great writing and intricate plotting, you need to read it.
I'm no longer surprised when I read an outstanding novel published by Valancourt Books. They're the reason I got to experience Michael McDowell's sublime THE ELEMENTALS a few months ago, and I find myself loving SWEETHEART, SWEETHEART just as much. Perhaps even a hair more.
Or a rose more.
By the end of SWEETHEART, SWEETHEART, I was leaving bed, pacing, and uttering frantic wishes that a character to whom I'd grown very attached would be allowed to live. Only a masterful storyteller can do that to you, and friends, Bernard Taylor is a master.
Check it out. You won't regret it.
You won't sleep much either.
March 1, 2020
This is a compelling ghost story enveloped in layers of mystery and small-town conjecture. The heart of the story is revealed in a twist that comes as a sidewinder, sweeping all in its path off their feet and engulfing all senses. Despite a plethora of names and details, the spell is strong enough to carry the reader all the way through to the unsettling conclusion.
March 21, 2020
4.5*
This book was an expensive read for me because it is not widely in print and to get a copy you need to spend some money. But it was worth it!
"I can't see the sun right now; there's an angel in the way"
This is the opening line of this beautiful horror romance. I'm deeply fascinated by the writing style. It's so alive, you can definitely feel what the characters emotions. That's what is so captivating about this book. The writing is so deep, sometimes poetic. The characters are well developed. I could feel an overpowering feeling of loss and sadness and inevitable doom following the main characters.
David has settled in America and is in love with Shelagh. But now he has a foreboding that his twin brother Colin is in trouble. When the feeling increses, he goes to England, to Hillingham, a village where Colin has been staying with his new wife Helen. What greets him there is the news of Colin's and Helen's sad demise. An accident, they say, but they don't explain it further. David now owns the cottage that was Helen's. He stays there inorder to solve the mysterious circumstances under which his brother and his wife died. The village and all its inhabitants felt gloomy. The cottage though beautiful was burdened with the lurid history of its past inhabitants. The atmosphere is eerie and creepy, dismal yet beautiful and there is a calmness in the cottage that is almost seductive.
"Was it possible, I wondered, for a home's past history to influence the lives of its inhabitants?"
This is something like a novel written by Agatha Christie with a ghost in it. I'm not talking about the writing style, but the plot. The book is mostly melancholic and sad, occasionally chilling, at times even hilarious, (but I don't think the author meant it that way! )
I loved this book. Meet a ghost who leaves a beautiful flower on the bed for her lover, who sleeps with her lover, and who would go to great lenghts to keep him her's forever. The perfect horror story of the old times... this book leaves you with so many "if only"s.
This is not a fast paced read, because we will pause to admire the beauty of the words, to take in the surroundings, to empathise with the chatacters when they reveal their bleak stories. The horror element is not that chilling either. But we will be caught in the mystery and it's mildly unsettling.
I would definitely read it again.
This book was an expensive read for me because it is not widely in print and to get a copy you need to spend some money. But it was worth it!
"I can't see the sun right now; there's an angel in the way"
This is the opening line of this beautiful horror romance. I'm deeply fascinated by the writing style. It's so alive, you can definitely feel what the characters emotions. That's what is so captivating about this book. The writing is so deep, sometimes poetic. The characters are well developed. I could feel an overpowering feeling of loss and sadness and inevitable doom following the main characters.
David has settled in America and is in love with Shelagh. But now he has a foreboding that his twin brother Colin is in trouble. When the feeling increses, he goes to England, to Hillingham, a village where Colin has been staying with his new wife Helen. What greets him there is the news of Colin's and Helen's sad demise. An accident, they say, but they don't explain it further. David now owns the cottage that was Helen's. He stays there inorder to solve the mysterious circumstances under which his brother and his wife died. The village and all its inhabitants felt gloomy. The cottage though beautiful was burdened with the lurid history of its past inhabitants. The atmosphere is eerie and creepy, dismal yet beautiful and there is a calmness in the cottage that is almost seductive.
"Was it possible, I wondered, for a home's past history to influence the lives of its inhabitants?"
This is something like a novel written by Agatha Christie with a ghost in it. I'm not talking about the writing style, but the plot. The book is mostly melancholic and sad, occasionally chilling, at times even hilarious, (but I don't think the author meant it that way! )
I loved this book. Meet a ghost who leaves a beautiful flower on the bed for her lover, who sleeps with her lover, and who would go to great lenghts to keep him her's forever. The perfect horror story of the old times... this book leaves you with so many "if only"s.
This is not a fast paced read, because we will pause to admire the beauty of the words, to take in the surroundings, to empathise with the chatacters when they reveal their bleak stories. The horror element is not that chilling either. But we will be caught in the mystery and it's mildly unsettling.
I would definitely read it again.
April 30, 2018
4.5 stars. This is a fabulous ghost story! (Warnings for two violent animal deaths.)
This book is about a picture-perfect English cottage--crumbling stone walls, a flourishing rose garden, a cozy, antique-filled interior--that happens to be a place where terrifying things keep happening. What I love about this book is how the story keeps twisting. I was pretty sure I knew what was going on at the 50% mark--but then the story changed, and then changed AGAIN after I thought I had my bearings. I read a lot of thrillers/ghost stories, so it's not often a book can surprise me like that.
I'm so glad Valancourt is bringing back some of these vintage horror novels. Highly recommended for horror lovers--or anyone that wants a spooky read.
This book is about a picture-perfect English cottage--crumbling stone walls, a flourishing rose garden, a cozy, antique-filled interior--that happens to be a place where terrifying things keep happening. What I love about this book is how the story keeps twisting. I was pretty sure I knew what was going on at the 50% mark--but then the story changed, and then changed AGAIN after I thought I had my bearings. I read a lot of thrillers/ghost stories, so it's not often a book can surprise me like that.
I'm so glad Valancourt is bringing back some of these vintage horror novels. Highly recommended for horror lovers--or anyone that wants a spooky read.
April 8, 2023
This is only my second book by Taylor but both have been winners and now I am eager for more. Sweetheart, Sweetheart haunts the reader from the first page to the last. Our main protagonist, David, has lived in NYC for the last 8 years or so, leaving a twin brother and his father in England. David's mother died at birth and he was born with a congenital hip defect that required a lot of TLC, which is father did not have. At an early age, he was shipped to his aunt and therefore never really knew his twin very well. Yet, as they got older, they got closer, and are avid 'pen pals' now that David is in the US.
David is living with Shelagh, who also teaches at the school in NYC. For the last year, however, David has been plagued with bad dreams and just seems/feels disconnected. His brother recently married a woman named Helen and they now live in a small village in England at a lovely cottage. His brother's letters, after being so effusive about his new wife and life start to dwindle, however, and after a 'spell' where he passed out at work, David decides to go visit Colin ASAP. After arriving in England, he finds out from his dad that Colin recently died. Shocked, he goes to visit his cottage and finds out that it is now his, willed to him by Colin, and that his wife Helen also died recently.
So, David freaks out a bit and tries to find out what the hell happened, but the more he digs, the more strangeness he seems to find...
Yes, this is a ghost story, but definitely not 'typical' of the genre. Taylor's prose and pacing move the story along nicely, and capture the disorientated state of David shockingly well. Further, Taylor wastes very few words here and packs quite a bit into such a slim volume. I loved how he kept me guessing as to what was really going on, tossing in many misdirections along the way and the denouement was gold. 4.5 ghostly stars!
David is living with Shelagh, who also teaches at the school in NYC. For the last year, however, David has been plagued with bad dreams and just seems/feels disconnected. His brother recently married a woman named Helen and they now live in a small village in England at a lovely cottage. His brother's letters, after being so effusive about his new wife and life start to dwindle, however, and after a 'spell' where he passed out at work, David decides to go visit Colin ASAP. After arriving in England, he finds out from his dad that Colin recently died. Shocked, he goes to visit his cottage and finds out that it is now his, willed to him by Colin, and that his wife Helen also died recently.
So, David freaks out a bit and tries to find out what the hell happened, but the more he digs, the more strangeness he seems to find...
Yes, this is a ghost story, but definitely not 'typical' of the genre. Taylor's prose and pacing move the story along nicely, and capture the disorientated state of David shockingly well. Further, Taylor wastes very few words here and packs quite a bit into such a slim volume. I loved how he kept me guessing as to what was really going on, tossing in many misdirections along the way and the denouement was gold. 4.5 ghostly stars!
March 25, 2021
I love that Valancourt Books have reprinted so many of the old classic horror novels, making what was once difficult to find in used condition brand new again for a new generation of horror readers.
Previously, the only book I had read by this author was Godsend, so many years ago that I can only remember that I enjoyed it, I will need to reread someday. I had no idea he was such a prolific horror and true crime writer. After reading this one I have made it a point to get hold of several of his other titles and a collection of his short stories.
Sweetheart Sweetheart begins innocently enough, with an underlying tension and a slowly building feeling of unease. David has not heard back from his twin brother recently and begins to feel uncomfortable with the silence. True that David is busy with his new life, and new wife but odd that he has not written in some time. David feels compelled to fly off to England to check on him. His girlfriend thinks he is overreacting but he can not ignore the feeling of dread that compels him to go.
Upon his arrival he is told very coldly and bluntly that his brother is dead and that his father could not be bothered to call him in time for the funeral. Between his father and the locals he is given bits and pieces of the story, laden with rumor and innuendo but little in the way of facts and details. As David settles in to the cottage that has been left to him, he considers making it his permanent home, but the more he learns, the more he wants to know, and the more he finds out the clearer it becomes that there is a danger to staying in the lovely cottage where so much death has occurred. The gradual build up of creeping fear makes the ending that much more shocking. This story was brilliant. It is expertly crafted and perfectly executed.
Previously, the only book I had read by this author was Godsend, so many years ago that I can only remember that I enjoyed it, I will need to reread someday. I had no idea he was such a prolific horror and true crime writer. After reading this one I have made it a point to get hold of several of his other titles and a collection of his short stories.
Sweetheart Sweetheart begins innocently enough, with an underlying tension and a slowly building feeling of unease. David has not heard back from his twin brother recently and begins to feel uncomfortable with the silence. True that David is busy with his new life, and new wife but odd that he has not written in some time. David feels compelled to fly off to England to check on him. His girlfriend thinks he is overreacting but he can not ignore the feeling of dread that compels him to go.
Upon his arrival he is told very coldly and bluntly that his brother is dead and that his father could not be bothered to call him in time for the funeral. Between his father and the locals he is given bits and pieces of the story, laden with rumor and innuendo but little in the way of facts and details. As David settles in to the cottage that has been left to him, he considers making it his permanent home, but the more he learns, the more he wants to know, and the more he finds out the clearer it becomes that there is a danger to staying in the lovely cottage where so much death has occurred. The gradual build up of creeping fear makes the ending that much more shocking. This story was brilliant. It is expertly crafted and perfectly executed.
November 13, 2015
This book was great. The third Bernard Taylor horror novel I've read this year and all three from the wonderful Valancourt! This is probably my favorite of the trio.
This is a haunted house tale, a mystery, a tale of heartbreak and loss. The main character, David, is a twin, rejected by his father, homeless in a way, a bit of a coward, desperate for love. He returns to England to find that his brother is dead and he's inherited a lovely country cottage with a dark history. Cue a relentless building of tension and terror, and an ending that is gut-wrenching and inevitable.
Michael Rowe, authoring the introduction, rightly calls this work a masterpiece of its kind. It is right up there with Burnt Offerings, in my opinion.
Do yourself a favor and read this book.
Want to read
September 12, 2017This hardcover edition is numbered 40 of 250 copies produced and is signed by:
Bernard Taylor
Charles L. Grant (facsimile signature)
Lisa Desimini
Bernard Taylor
Charles L. Grant (facsimile signature)
Lisa Desimini
August 4, 2021
3.0 Stars
This was a very classic haunted house ghost story, which unfortunately is not my thing. I picked this one up because I love the author so much that I mistakenly believed this one would work for me. This is very much a case of reading a book that did not fit my reading tastes. The writing and storytelling were perfectly fine.
This was a very classic haunted house ghost story, which unfortunately is not my thing. I picked this one up because I love the author so much that I mistakenly believed this one would work for me. This is very much a case of reading a book that did not fit my reading tastes. The writing and storytelling were perfectly fine.
February 24, 2013
A brilliant example of how a ghost story should be written. Slow growing menace and an ending you won't see coming place this novel beside The Woman in Black and Haunted. A tapestry of secrets hides an ugly truth within an idyllic English cottage...undying love is the deadliest emotion. Highly recommended.
March 8, 2017
This is easily one of the best haunted house stories I have ever read. It is chock full of 'Don't do that!' moments from start to finish. Truly terrifying.
My thanks to Char and the folks at the Horror Aficionados group for giving me the opportunity to read and discuss this and many other fine books.
My thanks to Char and the folks at the Horror Aficionados group for giving me the opportunity to read and discuss this and many other fine books.
November 23, 2015
This is how horror should be written! wonderful stuff Mr Taylor....
I have a confession to make, I was never aware of Bernard Taylor, horror author, until recently that was until I was introduced to his 1977 ghost story, Sweetheart Sweetheart which I understand was chosen by Charles L Grant as one of the 100 best horror novels. The 1970’s saw the emergence and growth of King, Koontz and Herbert with their astounding debuts of Carrie, The Rats and Demon Child (Koontz writing as Deanna Dwyer and this was really his first attempt at Gothic style horror) and yet Bernard Taylor in comparison accomplished no such commercial success....and that is unfortunate because Sweetheart, Sweetheart is one of the best written ghost stories (as distinct from horror) I have ever read.David Warwick lives in New York with his American wife Shelagh and in David’s own words “Her demands matched my own, mostly, and she never made me feel threatened by any sense of inadequacy.” David has a twin brother who lives in Hillingdon, London and he senses that Colin is in grave danger so purely on instinct he makes the long trip to “Gerald’s Hill” cottage in Hillingdon where he receives some unwelcome and sad news...Colin and his wife Helen have both died suddenly and David is the sole beneficiary of the cottage.....”It was beautiful. Far more beautiful than it had appeared in any of the photographs Colin had sent, and for a while I stayed quite still, relishing my first sight of it. It was all so complete, I thought-so right. There was the tall, steep, peg-tiled roof, with the moss growing in the crevices; there were the dormer windows, the stout stone walls, the roses that climbed the walls and grew in profusion over the gate’s arch; there all the colours of the garden that lay around the house and stretched out, away, beyond; and the very lines of the house itself- not one of them precision-straight-all of them showing the personal touch of the hand –the laying on of stone on tile.”David cannot understand why he is the beneficiary of the cottage? He questions the mysterious death of Helen who it appears fell from the roof trying to rescue Girlie the cat..why should a pregnant woman attempt to carry out such a foolish act? and what is the reason that Colin drove his sports car so recklessly?....just look at the passion and force in this description...”But I would never see him now, He was dead, I said aloud....”DEAD” and wondered at the fragility of our bodies- and why death should be so final...Wounds, blood spilt, holes in flesh, organs torn –adding up to the ceasing of our being—so that we became just things, soulless, rotting flesh, clay....dead...” Who is the mysterious Jean Timpson who is determined to act as David’s cottage keeper and could Alan de Freyne have possibly been Helen’s secret lover? This is a ghost story written with real style, panache, and pace and still as readable today almost 40 years later as it was on first publication in 1977.At it's heart is the chilly realization that David Warwick's journey is about sexual obsession with a ghostly ethereal being. Bernard Taylor shows his brilliance by expertly setting the scene, introducing wonderful diverse characters, creating the idyllic and then when you the reader feels it is safe....shattering your dreams. There is a review that refers to the “slow-rolling” story, this misses the point entirely as the pace is essential to the unravelling of this wonderful tale and allows for the author to indulge us, shock us with the unexpected and lead us to a terrific conclusion.A wonderful read a great example of how a horror story should be written and a real treat for anyone like me who has yet to be introduced to the horrific world of Bernard Taylor.
I have a confession to make, I was never aware of Bernard Taylor, horror author, until recently that was until I was introduced to his 1977 ghost story, Sweetheart Sweetheart which I understand was chosen by Charles L Grant as one of the 100 best horror novels. The 1970’s saw the emergence and growth of King, Koontz and Herbert with their astounding debuts of Carrie, The Rats and Demon Child (Koontz writing as Deanna Dwyer and this was really his first attempt at Gothic style horror) and yet Bernard Taylor in comparison accomplished no such commercial success....and that is unfortunate because Sweetheart, Sweetheart is one of the best written ghost stories (as distinct from horror) I have ever read.David Warwick lives in New York with his American wife Shelagh and in David’s own words “Her demands matched my own, mostly, and she never made me feel threatened by any sense of inadequacy.” David has a twin brother who lives in Hillingdon, London and he senses that Colin is in grave danger so purely on instinct he makes the long trip to “Gerald’s Hill” cottage in Hillingdon where he receives some unwelcome and sad news...Colin and his wife Helen have both died suddenly and David is the sole beneficiary of the cottage.....”It was beautiful. Far more beautiful than it had appeared in any of the photographs Colin had sent, and for a while I stayed quite still, relishing my first sight of it. It was all so complete, I thought-so right. There was the tall, steep, peg-tiled roof, with the moss growing in the crevices; there were the dormer windows, the stout stone walls, the roses that climbed the walls and grew in profusion over the gate’s arch; there all the colours of the garden that lay around the house and stretched out, away, beyond; and the very lines of the house itself- not one of them precision-straight-all of them showing the personal touch of the hand –the laying on of stone on tile.”David cannot understand why he is the beneficiary of the cottage? He questions the mysterious death of Helen who it appears fell from the roof trying to rescue Girlie the cat..why should a pregnant woman attempt to carry out such a foolish act? and what is the reason that Colin drove his sports car so recklessly?....just look at the passion and force in this description...”But I would never see him now, He was dead, I said aloud....”DEAD” and wondered at the fragility of our bodies- and why death should be so final...Wounds, blood spilt, holes in flesh, organs torn –adding up to the ceasing of our being—so that we became just things, soulless, rotting flesh, clay....dead...” Who is the mysterious Jean Timpson who is determined to act as David’s cottage keeper and could Alan de Freyne have possibly been Helen’s secret lover? This is a ghost story written with real style, panache, and pace and still as readable today almost 40 years later as it was on first publication in 1977.At it's heart is the chilly realization that David Warwick's journey is about sexual obsession with a ghostly ethereal being. Bernard Taylor shows his brilliance by expertly setting the scene, introducing wonderful diverse characters, creating the idyllic and then when you the reader feels it is safe....shattering your dreams. There is a review that refers to the “slow-rolling” story, this misses the point entirely as the pace is essential to the unravelling of this wonderful tale and allows for the author to indulge us, shock us with the unexpected and lead us to a terrific conclusion.A wonderful read a great example of how a horror story should be written and a real treat for anyone like me who has yet to be introduced to the horrific world of Bernard Taylor.
December 11, 2016
I’m not sure what took me so long to read Bernard Taylor, but evidently, I have been missing out. This is a great example of 1970’s old school atmospheric horror. The building dread and tension are palpable in this one as long buried secrets are slowly revealed, leading up to the appropriately twisted conclusion. A very well written, dark and brooding, ghost story/murder mystery.
A Solid 4+ Stars. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
A Solid 4+ Stars. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
February 17, 2017
'Sweetheart, Sweetheart' is a TERRIFYING story!!!!! Well-written, atmospheric, and extremely scary!
Published in 1977, many fans of horror fiction consider this novel a classic, and I can see why. It reminded me a little of The Turn of the Screw by Henry James because of how the book begins a ghost haunting the owners of a lovely cottage in Hillingham, England.
Estranged from his father, narrator David Warwick moved to New York City from England almost a decade ago. He got a job as a teacher and met a woman, Shelagh. He is settled into an American life and he wonders if he and Shelagh should marry (he has jokingly proposed, but she has seriously rejected him, feeling he isn't ready) when he suddenly has an extraordinary compulsion to visit his twin brother Colin.
David does not really know Colin because their father sent David away to live with an aunt when he was a toddler, partially because their mother died giving birth to him, the youngest twin. However, Colin writes friendly letters to David reporting on his activities - at least, he did until 6 months ago. After Colin married Helen, a woman David never met, Colin's letters, full of cheer and photos, began to be more brief and more perfunctory. But it isn't this which causes David to decide to return to London. David cannot shake a growing feeling that he needs to go back. Then, one day, he feels a dreadful pain and collapses. After recovering, he books a flight to London, to the consternation of Shelagh who is left behind in New York. He promises he will return soon to her.
Well, gentle reader, the plot not only thickens, it positively becomes sticky mud. David learns he has inherited property, a lovely 18th-century cottage in a charming English village. The circumstances of his inheritance are dreadful, but David finds that the friendly little village and the flower-bestrewn cottage with a peaceful woods behind the garden pond soothes his nerves a great deal. But since David has an anxious nature, he can't help becoming aware of the odd silences and the embarrassed glances from the housekeeper or shop owners who otherwise are very sympathetic and helpful. There is a feeling of secrets all about him. Most mysterious of all, he starts noticing an odd warmth and acceptance from seemingly the house itself! The bees buzz and the birds chirp and a cute kitty likes his company - so he decides his unease is crazy.
There IS a craziness in the house all right
I don't think the violence in the story is overwhelmingly graphic, but nasty things occur that definitely are bloody and horrific. Personally, I thought David a twit, so, I wasn't too sad for him. It really is a shame about everybody else, though.
Published in 1977, many fans of horror fiction consider this novel a classic, and I can see why. It reminded me a little of The Turn of the Screw by Henry James because of how the book begins a ghost haunting the owners of a lovely cottage in Hillingham, England.
Estranged from his father, narrator David Warwick moved to New York City from England almost a decade ago. He got a job as a teacher and met a woman, Shelagh. He is settled into an American life and he wonders if he and Shelagh should marry (he has jokingly proposed, but she has seriously rejected him, feeling he isn't ready) when he suddenly has an extraordinary compulsion to visit his twin brother Colin.
David does not really know Colin because their father sent David away to live with an aunt when he was a toddler, partially because their mother died giving birth to him, the youngest twin. However, Colin writes friendly letters to David reporting on his activities - at least, he did until 6 months ago. After Colin married Helen, a woman David never met, Colin's letters, full of cheer and photos, began to be more brief and more perfunctory. But it isn't this which causes David to decide to return to London. David cannot shake a growing feeling that he needs to go back. Then, one day, he feels a dreadful pain and collapses. After recovering, he books a flight to London, to the consternation of Shelagh who is left behind in New York. He promises he will return soon to her.
Well, gentle reader, the plot not only thickens, it positively becomes sticky mud. David learns he has inherited property, a lovely 18th-century cottage in a charming English village. The circumstances of his inheritance are dreadful, but David finds that the friendly little village and the flower-bestrewn cottage with a peaceful woods behind the garden pond soothes his nerves a great deal. But since David has an anxious nature, he can't help becoming aware of the odd silences and the embarrassed glances from the housekeeper or shop owners who otherwise are very sympathetic and helpful. There is a feeling of secrets all about him. Most mysterious of all, he starts noticing an odd warmth and acceptance from seemingly the house itself! The bees buzz and the birds chirp and a cute kitty likes his company - so he decides his unease is crazy.
There IS a craziness in the house all right
I don't think the violence in the story is overwhelmingly graphic, but nasty things occur that definitely are bloody and horrific. Personally, I thought David a twit, so, I wasn't too sad for him. It really is a shame about everybody else, though.
July 25, 2016
One of the most maddening books I've ever read, of course, I've never been good at solving things. Well worth every ounce of misery!
April 5, 2017
Roughly 40 years old and considered a classic by many, this was more of a quiet horror relying on atmospheric chills rather than sledgehammer to the back of the skull shocks. Friend reviews left me with high expectations and while I did enjoy it, it wasn't quite on par with other ghost stories from that era like The Shining and Hell House. Still, it was pleasantly unsettling enough to be worth checking out. 3.5 stars rounded up because the prose was outstanding.
I received a free copy from audiobookboom in exchange for a review. The narration and production quality were excellent.
I received a free copy from audiobookboom in exchange for a review. The narration and production quality were excellent.
October 11, 2015
A wonderful ghost story.
September 26, 2018
Sweetheart, Sweetheart is an old style ghost story about twin brothers, Colin & David. David, who lives in New York, senses that his brother Colin is in trouble and he can't rest until he goes to visit him in England to find out what's going on...
I think one of the things Taylor does very well is creating that deep sense of foreboding and you can really feel that in the first half of the story especially. It does have a very slow building pace though, but if you stick with it, the second half of the story more then makes up for it. The culmination is very intense and chilling and it really tied up the story nicely, which isn't always the case, I think, in ghost & haunted house stories. If you enjoy a vintage ghost story, then this is a great pick.
*I read this for my 2016 Halloween Bingo: ~Classic Horror~ square
I think one of the things Taylor does very well is creating that deep sense of foreboding and you can really feel that in the first half of the story especially. It does have a very slow building pace though, but if you stick with it, the second half of the story more then makes up for it. The culmination is very intense and chilling and it really tied up the story nicely, which isn't always the case, I think, in ghost & haunted house stories. If you enjoy a vintage ghost story, then this is a great pick.
*I read this for my 2016 Halloween Bingo: ~Classic Horror~ square
dnf
November 6, 2025DNF'ed @ page 70.
Lots of talking with nothing happening. I don't have the patience for this.
Lots of talking with nothing happening. I don't have the patience for this.
December 17, 2020
This is a great ghost story, not the most horrific novel you'll read, but what's most interesting and compelling here isn't the horror or the wonderfully-written setting; it's the plot. The pacing is great, Taylor is continually delivering new surprises with enough intricate relationships to keep us guessing. Everything fits together well at the end, with a few things you might have seen coming, but not all of it.
As stated in the introduction of this book, this isn't a novel of nocturnal horrors in a creepy ruined old manor -- this takes place in a pleasant, sundrenched country house. There's some creepy moments, but this is more about the mystery of it all. Uncovering the dark past, a series a uncanny tragedies, and the uncertainty of where the menace is coming from and who you can trust.
As far as negatives go I could say the protagonist is too naïve at times. Also there's a bit too much of that tropey moment when he's trying to get the locals to tell him about the history of the house and they beat around the bush then in hushed tones they regretfully relinquish a piece of the dark past. This happens over...and over. All this is forgivable, this is a really fun read and builds to a successfully tense climax.
Probably my last read of the year -- spending all my free time watching French film noir of the 40's and 50's.
As stated in the introduction of this book, this isn't a novel of nocturnal horrors in a creepy ruined old manor -- this takes place in a pleasant, sundrenched country house. There's some creepy moments, but this is more about the mystery of it all. Uncovering the dark past, a series a uncanny tragedies, and the uncertainty of where the menace is coming from and who you can trust.
As far as negatives go I could say the protagonist is too naïve at times. Also there's a bit too much of that tropey moment when he's trying to get the locals to tell him about the history of the house and they beat around the bush then in hushed tones they regretfully relinquish a piece of the dark past. This happens over...and over. All this is forgivable, this is a really fun read and builds to a successfully tense climax.
Probably my last read of the year -- spending all my free time watching French film noir of the 40's and 50's.
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