Dark Mountain

Tales from the Dark Past #2

by Helen Susan Swift

In the West Highlands of Scotland, after the end of World War One, Brenda and her friends are preparing for an expedition of a climbing An Cailleach, also known as The Witch.

But even before they reach the base of the mountain, they realize that something is wrong. Strange apparitions, even stranger locals and ancient superstitions tell them of the dangerous path they have chosen.

When things take a turn for the worse, will friendship be more important than survival?



★★★★★ - "A wonderful, twisted mystery."

★★★★★ - "Excellent storyline. Kept me up way past my bedtime."

Genres: Horror, Historical Fiction, Historical

462 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 8, 2018

About the author

Born and bred in Scotland, I live in the north east of the country. My interests include history and folklore, as well as nature and animals.

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

When six young women set off to conquer a Scottish mountain, there are dark forces accompanying them on the climb. Mysterious sightings, ancient legends & the ghosts of their forefathers seem to cast doom upon the party at every step. It's a creepy story that builds up the tension and plays with the mind until you are unsure who or what to believe. I felt that the ending was a bit quickly and rounded up too neatly, otherwise...a really good story and very well written, especially if you are interested in ancient legends and don't mind being scared out of your wits...but you might want to read with the lights on and the doors securely locked.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (2/7/2019)! 🎁

[Morgan Scorpion · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, but felt the ending was a real let down. With a better ending this would have been a four star review.
I did enjoy another book written by this author, and would buy one of her novels again, if she writes another horror.

[Cari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a slow starter but with a low slow burn that lasted until the (great) ending. It was a bit long (and I admittedly skipped over some of the narrator's inner dialogue, probably to my detriment) but the slow slog was worth it for the peek into a complicated women's group from a completely different time and space. This book had me thinking about it afterwards, which for me is the true definition of a good read. If the author could tighten up and lighten up a bit this would easily be a 5*, but it's still so close for me. Ultimately, I decided although I contemplated it for a long time afterwards, the fact that I skipped some meant it couldn't be a 5*.

[Samantha Aso · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down. The imagery and descriptive prose of wildness of the landscape, interleaved with ancient Scottish folklore really drew me into the plot. I felt that the ending was a bit quickly exercised and rounded up too neatly, otherwise this was a great book to start on a wintry night.

[David Gilchrist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging and mysterious a real good read.

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had seen Kate's bullying, Christine's fear, and Charlie's dislike of men, Lorna's terrible memories and Mary's bitterness over the Clearances. How about me? What aspect of my character or personality was being revealed? I did not know.[p. 106]

October 1921: the six women of the Edinburgh Ladies' Mountaineering Club have set out to climb An Cailleach, a brooding peak that's never been summitted. Men -- including the brother of one of the women -- have died in the attempt, but the six are convinced that they can succeed.

Their love of climbing, and their determination to be independent and successful in a male-dominated world, are not all that unites them. Each has a secret, a dark side -- ranging from a family history of oppression to an orphan's quest for identity to unspoken romantic aspirations -- and as they ascend the mountain, the tensions between them reach crisis point. Was the woman they saw, washing linen at the stream, a supernatural harbinger of death? Are Brenda's dreams of ancient rituals some kind of insight into the prehistory of the place? Is An Cailleach really cursed?

I acquired this novel via Kindle Unlimited, and found it very readable. Some of the characterisation was a little heavy-handed, and I'm not wholly convinced by the finale. But there are some genuinely chilling scenes, and it becomes more and more obvious that Brenda (the narrator) may not be as reliable and steadfast as she presents herself.

[Cody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bizarre

I'm going to have to contemplate a bit how much I really like this book or not. I like the other book she wrote better than this one.

[Anais Szatan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5
I am torn because I really want to rate this book higher - I liked the mystery and whole vibe (Scottish folklore and country <3) but it is written in such an obnoxious manner that I really struggle not to DNF'd it throughout whole book. In fact it's a miracle I even finish it :D The heroines are repulsive and well, hard to connect, I didn't like any of them (and the feminist? Ugh), also the ending was a huge disappointment for me.
edit: also I don't know how to treat some of the names - Catriona, Graham MacKenzie, Menzies etc. - as an easter egg or nod to very popular Outlander series, but it was kind of forced to me.

[A.J. Griffiths-Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

When six young women set off to conquer a Scottish mountain, there are dark forces accompanying them on the climb. Mysterious sightings, ancient legends & the ghosts of their forefathers seem to cast doom upon the party at every step. Very well-written, this intriguing novel affords the reader a real sense of suspense & drama. You can almost feel the salty sea air upon your face as you turn the pages, building up into a dramatic ending. Another great read from this very talented author.

[Malcolm Archibald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based in Scotland, this novel follows a group of young women setting out to climb a previously unconquered peak. As the story unfolds, dark events occur, and the character of each member of the group is exposed to ruthless exposure. Only in the very last few lines is a truth given, and even that leaves questions.
A very gripping read.

[Judith Barretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this novel, characters were believable and relatable. There were many twists and turns within the story to keep the reader engaged. The end came as a startling shock and ties the story together in a neat package. If you enjoy period story's with folk history and the descriptive storyline of the Scottish Highlands this is a novel you will enjoy.

[Louise Musgrave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having already read Dark Voyage by the same author, I thought I would try Dark Mountain. It is another creepy story that builds up the tension and plays with the mind until the reader is unsure who or what to believe. A masterpiece of fiction.

[Scott Sillars · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intense adventure

I especially enjoyed the first half of this story
I found this story to be an incredibly intense adventure that for the second half was very dark indeed
I related in part with Brenda's character and temperament because I am a confirmed introvert

[Ken Warwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

A strange yarn that was difficult to put down. Almost believable but a bit over the hill. The characters are well defined and very realistic. Well worth the time to read. KMW