The Haunting of Henderson Close

by Catherine Cavendish

"In this atmospheric novel, Cavendish tells what happens when tour guides go from telling dark and haunting stories to becoming the haunted ones drawn into the story." - Publishers Weekly

Ghosts have always walked there. Now they’re not alone…

In the depths of Edinburgh, an evil presence is released.
Hannah and her colleagues are tour guides who lead their visitors along the spooky, derelict Henderson Close, thrilling them with tales of spectres and murder. For Hannah it is her dream job, but not for long. Who is the mysterious figure that disappears around a corner? What is happening in the old print shop? And who is the little girl with no face?

The legends of Henderson Close are becoming all too real. The Auld De’il is out – and even the spirits are afraid.





FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.

Genres: Horror, Paranormal, Fiction, Fantasy, Ghosts, Audiobook, Supernatural

221 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 10, 2019

About the author

Hello, my name's Catherine Cavendish and I write suspense novels, novellas and short stories of the ghostly, haunted, creepy kind that include supernatural, paranormal, Gothic and other, related themes.

THE STONES OF LANDANE is out now from Flame Tree Press - When Jonathan agrees to accompany his girlfriend, Nadia, on a trip to Landane, he imagines a short relaxing break in the countryside, but he quickly discovers that Nadia isn’t just drawn to the ancient Neolithic stone circle, she is obsessed by the megaliths. One in particular holds a fascination for her. Within hours, her personality begins to change, and it isn’t long before Jonathan starts to fear for her sanity. All too soon he realizes, it isn't only Nadia who is in danger

My other novels from Flame Tree Press are:

THOSE WHO DWELL IN MORDENHYRST HALL - Evil runs deep at Mordenhyrst Hall… When Grace first sets eyes on the imposing Gothic house, she is struck with an overwhelming sense that something doesn’t want her there. Her fiancé’s sister heads a coterie of Bright Young Things whose frivolous lives hide a sinister intent. Simon, Grace’s fiancé, is not the man she fell in love with, and the local villagers eye her with suspicion that borders on malevolence.

Her friend, Coralie, possesses the ability to communicate with powerful spirits. She convinces Grace of her own paranormal gifts – gifts Grace will need to draw deeply on as the secrets of Mordenhyrst Hall begin to unravel.

THE AFTER-DEATH OF CAROLINE RAND - Alli is caught between fantasy and reality, past and present, in the life of a famous singer from the 1960s and soon learns that evil infests the once-holy building she called
home. Before long, Alli's fate will be sealed, and she will learn about her role in the after-death of Caroline Rand. It begins with a chilling greeting: "Welcome to The Columbine, Miss Sinclair. You are expected."

DARK OBSERVATION - is published by Flame Tree Press. In the dark days of war-torn London, Violet has more to fear than bombs. From deep within the Earth, demonic forces are rising.

IN DARKNESS, SHADOWS BREATHE. Carol and Nessa are strangers with one thing in common, they are in the hands of an entity that knows no boundaries and crosses dimensions - bending and twisting time itself - where danger waits in every shadow

THE GARDEN OF BEWITCHMENT. Historical haunted Gothic horror set in the wilds of the Yorkshire moors - pure Bronte country - with a Bronte theme.

And - THE HAUNTING OF HENDERSON CLOSE. Ghostly horror set in Edinburgh's Old Town.

THE CROW WITCH AND OTHER CONJURINGS is my first short fiction collection and is out now from Weird House Press.

My novellas THE DARKEST VEIL, COLD REVENGE, MISS ABIGAIL'S ROOM, THE DEMONS OF CAMBIAN STREET, DARK AVENGING ANGEL, LINDEN MANOR, THE DEVIL INSIDE HER and THE SECOND WIFE are published by Crossroad Press.

My novels THE DEVIL'S SERENADE and SAVING GRACE DEVINE have also been released in new editions by Crossroad Press, as has my novel of the Lancashire Witches - THE PENDLE CURSE.

I live with a long-suffering husband and a delightful black cat who has never forgotten that her species used to be worshipped in ancient Egypt. She sees no reason why that practice should not continue. Who am I to argue?

When not slaving over a hot computer, I enjoy wandering around Neolithic stone circles and visiting old haunted houses.

Reviews

[Luvtoread (Trying to catch up) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mysterious And Creepy!


A clever and interesting historical haunting that made this book a pleasure to read.

The storyline revolves around several central characters and flashes back and forth from the late 1800's to present day and the characters are richly developed so the story is easily followed.
A tour group company spotlighting Henderson Close and it's sad and brutal history is the foundation of this story and it is so well-written that you can't wait to find out why this place seems to have many paranormal events associated with it and why many tourists have claimed to have experienced shadows and cold spots and feelings of deja vu.

I enjoyed this story very much and I look forward to reading more books written by Catherine Cavendish. There are many twists and turns in the last quarter of the book which leads to an unexpected climax that will leave you shaking your head with your mouth open trying to find words to express your feelings about this tumultuous ending!

I want to thank the publisher Flame Tree Press and Netgally for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I have given a rating of 4 Creepy 🌟🌟🌟🌟 stars!!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many tourists come to see Henderson Close in Edinburgh, Scotland. The tales of crime, murder and intrigue, plague victims trapped inside their homes to die, and other haunting aspects of the Close's history bring the curious in droves. Hannah comes to Edinburgh to start her life over. She's divorced and her daughter is grown and at college. She sees the tour guide position at the Close as a dream job. But ghostly specters, disappearances and menacing encounters with evil soon make Hannah realize the stories about the Close are more than folklore.

This story sucked me in quickly....and I found myself reading until the wee hours of the morning. I couldn't put the book down! From a ghostly little girl with no face to the Auld De'il, the specters in this story are delightfully creepy and scary. I loved the setting. I have heard of Mary King's Close in Edinburgh, but didn't realize there were several similar sites in the city, all with their own scary tales. The story moves along quickly, with suspense from start to finish. I definitely would not want to be wandering around Henderson Close in the evening by myself! No thank you!

Great spooky story! I love ghost stories. Any spooky tale that keeps me up until 3 am because I can't put it down deserves full stars from me! I loved this story!

This is the first book by Catherine Cavendish that I've read. I'm definitely going to be reading more!

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Flame Tree Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

[LIsa Noell "Rocking the chutzpah!" · Rating 4 out of 5]

I freaking loved this story. I've been reading Cavendish reviews for years, but I really didn't believe them. Not that I distrust your average Joe or Josephine reviewers, just that at least half the reviews were from other authors. THOSE I mostly don't trust. You know how it goes, you rub my back, and I'll rub yours. Sorry, but that's how I feel. However, and this is a huge HOWEVER....I may have missed a good thing! Luckily, I can still find Ms. Cavendish's books. This book was a winner. First off, it's in Edinburgh. Second? Time jumps. I adore time jumps. Third...Puleeze...Ghosts and the Closes. Give me a setting in Scotland, so long as it's not Glasgow, then I'm well and truly hooked. Make it a murder mystery with ghosts? Yep, ya' got me.

[Laurie (barksbooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book in for review from Flame Tree Press. I’m going to do my best this year to read as many new ladies of horror fiction as I can and I snapped this up as soon as I noticed it was available without even reading the blurbage. I love all kinds of horror but the creepy, slow atmospheric kind has been working for me lately and this story has all of that and a little bonus gore too!

Way back in 1891 a do-gooder is brutally murdered in front of Henderson Close. Many moons later, the building is now a tourist trap where tours are given and it’s reputed to be haunted. When Hannah arrives as a new tour guide, the ghosts all seem to come out of hiding and it’s on her to figure out what the heck is truly going on. Is she losing her mind? Is she in danger? Why is she experiencing time jumps where she’s certain she’s been thrust back in time to 1891? What is going on and why won’t her bitchy employer believe her? Why am I asking so many annoying questions?! Hell if I know, these reviews write themselves.

Anyhow, this book has incredibly well written atmosphere. The author has taken care to create and set her scenes and create her characters and I appreciate that so much. You can nearly smell the stench that permeates the streets in 1891 and the dark corners of Henderson Close when the ghosties appear. It’s also very moody and creeptastic and the reader, as well as Hannah and a few friends, are left in the dark to figure out what the heck is going on. When the reveals are made in the last quarter, I have to admit that I was a wee bit confused by it all because there was too much going on and too many characters involved and it made my head hurt a little. Still, what I understood was pretty satisfying . . .

But up until that point, I was digging the story. There may (or may not) be ghosts, demons and gargoyles and there was even a surprise moment of serial killing gore. Call me crazy but I wouldn’t have minded a little more of that sort of thing!

3 1/2 Stars

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great suspense ghostly mystery!

A small backstory:

Hannah finally has found a job that suits her as she becomes a tour guide in the small town of Edinburgh. One of the suburbs, Henderson Close has lots of history but it is also known to be surrounded in ghostly mystery as there is even an area where a woman was murdered back in the 1800's and some people have witnessed the woman's ghost.

Hannah along with a couple of other tour guides have a feeling though that something is not quite right in Henderson Close as they are always feeling watched and they feel cold drafts throughout the area. As time goes on, Hannah starts not only feeling that there is something different she is transported to the 1800's almost as if she sees it in a dream, but she is awake when it happens. That not only spooks her but it makes her wonder why she is having the experience.

Hannah finally finds out that there is an evil presence that has invaded Henderson Close as it has been unleashed upon the town and she will have to figure out how to contain the presence before it consumes everyone within the town.

What is the evil presence that has been unleashed? Why is Hannah being transported back into time? What is the mystery that surrounds Henderson Close? No spoilers here as you will just have to read the book!

Thoughts:

This was a great ghost story that was just weaved with lots of mystery and suspense along with the gothic feeling of the haunting. The more I became wrapped up in the mystery the more I wanted to find out what was causing the haunting. There are chapters that go back to the 1800's that tells the story of why the area is surrounded by mystery. Normally I am not fond of time jumps but it was not every other chapter - the story in present time would be about three or four chapters and the story in the past would be maybe one chapter, so I was able to keep up with what was going on in both time periods.

The story starts out a little slow, but that is because of the world building, but once I reached the 35% mark the story just took off as more things started happening with the character Hannah. Then the story became a little more fast paced at the 50% mark and I was flipping through my kindle pages quick as I wanted to see what was going to happen next. Giving this one five "haunting" stars!

[Schizanthus Nerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s always been sporadic supernatural activity during the tours of Henderson Close. Occasionally visitors have experienced cold spots or seen shadowy figures, but when Hannah begins her new job as a tour guide the mysterious phenomena escalates. Hannah and her fellow tour guides, Mairead and George, are soon caught up in a series of events that they can’t explain. If anyone ever needed help from the Ghostbusters it’s this trio.

Oftentimes I’ll pick up a book that promises spectral encounters and I’ll eagerly anticipate the promised ghost, only to be disappointed that they show up right at the end. This book does not have that problem. Ghosts really did show up again and again. While I wasn’t scared I did look forward to each time something ‘spooky’ happened, including time slips and a little girl who would probably be really cute, if only she had a face.

I loved the way that historical Edinburgh came alive for me. As scenes in the 19th century were explained I could see them unfold around me, right down to the stench of the Old Town streets. I wanted to solve the mystery of who murdered Miss Carmichael and learn more about the girl with no face.

While I enjoyed finding out about the lives of the people who once lived in Henderson Close and its surrounds, I didn’t become emotionally attached to any of the characters, past or present. No matter what happened to the characters I felt like I was a passive observer, which appeared to diminish the impact of the horror they were experiencing. I appreciated the onslaught on supernatural activity but wonder if I would have cared more about what happened to our trio if more time was spent fleshing out their personalities.

I’m still not entirely clear about the sequence of events surrounding Mairead’s life and felt that the connections the characters had to Henderson Close were a bit flimsy overall. The ending seemed rushed and I’m left with unanswered questions. I would have preferred for a couple of Hannah’s family background scenes to have been deleted, especially the letter Hannah received from her ex (which I didn’t think added anything to the story). Instead I wish there’d been additional explanations as to why the story ended the way it did.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for the opportunity to read this book. I’d be interested in reading more books by this author. I am rounding up from 3.5 stars.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

THE HAUNTING OF HENDERSON CLOSE, by Catherine Cavendish, is a novel that takes you--literally--on a tour of what Edinburgh's Henderson Close would have been like in the late 1800's. Three of the main characters dress the part of an actual person that lived and worked there, and take groups of tourists down to see what it looked like before renovations were made above it. From a historical perspective, I imagine entering a modern day shop, and then descending into an area that was left behind--underground--generations ago would have been quite the adventure.

". . . the moment she stepped over the threshold of the tourist attraction that was Henderson Close, she felt a strange sense of belonging . . . "

The beginning of this story quickly drew me in. The sights and smells that are depicted coming from this "underprivileged" town in the past was nearly enough to get my own stomach rolling in nausea. Have you ever read a book with descriptions so good that you felt you could smell the surroundings? That's what happened when I began reading about Henderson Close.

". . . I think I see things out of the corner of my eye . . . ."

Hannah is moving away from all she knew to try and start a new life. When she finds the job of being an authentically dressed up "guide" at this location, she quickly realizes that getting into another "character" comes easily to her.

". . . Just relax into your role and let Mary Stratton take over."
"Sounds like a case of demonic possession."

While Henderson Close has been known to affect a portion of tourists . . . differently . . . at times, the other guides and their no-nonsense boss notice an undeniable increase in the number of these haunting episodes immediately following Hannah's employment.

The story begins to alternate and show us pieces of what happened in this area in the past. A wealthy and generous person, Miss Carmichael, was murdered in a filthy alley while on a charity mission. Now Hannah and two other guides are seeing things, and being told to "find her murderer".

". . . Everything had been leading up to this encounter . . . "

I had a difficult time in connecting with any of the characters, for some reason. The information we learned of their lives outside of work didn't seem to have any connection to the current situation. It was obvious that certain characters were meant to be linked to ghosts from the past; however, the connections shown were flimsy and tenuous at best. In regards to one of them, I honestly couldn't figure out how or why they were involved at all. A lot of "mysteries" were brought up regarding the present day characters, and unfortunately I felt that most of them remained unresolved, leaving me with a lot of questions and no answers in the end.

"Whatever was after her here had been after her probably all her life . . . "

Overall, I felt the atmosphere in this novel was outstanding, particularly in the scenes that showcased how Henderson Close had been when people lived there in the past. Unfortunately, I never got emotionally invested in any of the characters. I didn't see any strong connections which would have tied them, in particular, to the century-old murder. Additionally, there were a lot of "extra mysteries" added into the main idea. While some of them genuinely intrigued me, most were simply abandoned, and left open-ended. The ending frustrated me in part because of this, and also because many of the pieces didn't seem to fit. There were some really good ideas presented, but it seems that there were too many ultimately, and the end suffered as a result. This story included some great historical fiction. If the novel had been shorter, with less offshoots diverting attention from the main idea, perhaps it would have worked better for myself.

[exorcismemily · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐ rounded up to 4⭐ because it was enjoyable

This is a tough review to write. I loved most of The Haunting of Henderson Close. This book is set in Scotland at a haunted tourist attraction - Henderson Close is a street that was closed, and then built over. The street is underground, and the main characters are tour guides who spend a fair amount of time in Henderson Close.

Just the setting itself is so badass. It's set up to be so spooky, and I was immediately invested. I recently read The Carrow Haunt by Darcy Coates, which is also about a tour guide at a haunted tourist attraction. I really enjoyed that one, so I had high hopes for The Haunting of Henderson Close.

I wasn't entirely sure how I was going to feel about time slips, but Catherine Cavendish really pulled it off. I loved following along with the characters' uncertainty about what was going on, and I was pleasantly surprised by how well everything was woven together. It was fun to hear about the different legends - usually I am not a huge fan of historical fiction, but I really liked that aspect of The Haunting of Henderson Close.

Then we start running into problems. Once it gets closer to the end, everything gets pretty convoluted. There was way too much going on, and the attempt to make deep ties for certain storylines left other storylines with gaping plot holes. The story got overly complicated, and the plot twists harmed the story much more than helped it. I was really loving this one up until this point, so I was a bit sad.

Even though the ending didn't work for me at all, I still had so much fun reading this book as a whole. I would still recommend it to fans of haunted locations & ghost stories despite my feelings on the wrap-up. Thank you so much to Flame Tree Press for sending this one to me. The Haunting of Henderson Close will be out on 1/10.

[Kirsty ❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Edinburgh and I love ghost/horror stories so this was, for me, a brilliant read. The story flips between Hannah and her colleagues in present day, Miss Carmichael in 1881 but we also have some time slip as the modern day characters flip back in time to uncover the mysteries of Henderson Close. 

I enjoyed all the characters, loved the twists as the book neared the end and found it to be a real page turner. There is so much atmosphere, it was very easy to put yourself into any of the time zones. Everything was so easy to picture and I really felt part of the story.

Now I want to go back and do the scary walks I never got to do before and see some Edinburgh ghosts for myself! It's my first book by both Flame Tree Press and Cavendish but it definitely won't be the last for either.

[lucia meets books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Agh how I was needing to read a horror story! And The Haunting of Henderson Close was just what I wanted right now.

This book has Hannah as its main character, this amazing woman that is trying to find her place in the world after her daughter goes away to work and she goes through a divorce, that's how she finds herself working as a tour guide on Henderson Close. I loved her and her personality, she was funny, smart and above all, adorable as a friend. I think I'd be able to read about her for quite a while without getting bored or tired.

Then we have other interesting characters that I got to connect immediately with and I was so thrilled to find out about their unique stories. Of course, we didn't get to know them deeply because that was part of the mystery but I did truly enjoyed the facts that we got to know. The only one I didn't care about at all was the male friend in the group (I've already forgotten his name, that's a clear sign of how much attention I paid him), he was really plain and I didn't know why he was there on the first place. For me, he had nothing in common with my girls.

However, the most enjoyable thing about this book is its creepiness. From the start, this book gave me the chills and I actually jumped a couple of times when someone around me made a loud noise while I was reading 😂. The downside though, was that it got less and less scary as the story went on in my opinion, it was hard to picture the things described as something dark.

A super interesting thing I found unique on this story was that it used a lot of Scottish slang because it's set there and even though I had to look up quite a few words on the dictionary, I loved doing it and it made the story feel much more real. I could imagine it was me there in Scottland talking to all these different people and I loved it.

Regarding the ending, I didn't like who was to blame. I felt like it didn't make a lot of sense and it came out of nowhere which was a bit dissapointing.

To sum up, The Haunting of Henderson Close has amazing characters, it makes you feel like you're inside it and it has some really creepy scenes. However, if you're looking for a truly scary book, saddly I wouldn't recommend the second half of this one which was a huge let down for me since that was what I was looking for.

[Mindi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was sent to me from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I had no idea what to expect from this one, and I was pleasantly surprised. This is a page turner with quite a surprising ending.

Recently divorced, Hannah moves to Edinburgh in order to work as a tour guide for the supposedly haunted Henderson Close, one of the squalid 19th century areas of Edinburgh's Old Town. In the late 1890's the streets of the Close was filled with poverty stricken families and teeming with criminals. Miss Carmichael wants to help the less fortunate people who live in the Close, and she becomes attached to one family in particular. However, Henderson Close is a dangerous place, especially for a wealthy lady from New Town. One day when she is visiting the Close a band of thugs beat her to death in the street and steal her money. All but one of her attackers are tried and hanged, and the people of the Close claim that the ring leader, Donald Bain, escaped being apprehended because he's possessed by what the locals call Auld De'il.

Hannah is a natural tour guide, but soon eerie and unexplainable things begin to happen to her and some of the other tour guides, and things escalate once renovations begin to open the neighboring Close that has been sealed off for more than a century. Hannah and her friend George soon begin to believe that the malevolent occurrences center around Miss Carmichael's murder and possibly the release of Auld De'il. As the threats increase, and Hannah begins to fear for her life, she must uncover the truth about Miss Carmichael's attackers and the secret behind the legend of Auld De'il.

The Haunting of Henderson Close is a fast paced ghost story with some truly eerie and creepy moments. I had a lot of fun reading this one, and would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes a good ghost story. I'm fond of both Scotland and ghost tours, so this one had me from the get go.

[Steve Stred · Rating 4 out of 5]

I might be in the minority here, but lately I’ve become a bit jaded towards “the haunting of’s” horror stories. Maybe I’ve read too many lately? Or watched far too many horror movies of that trope? Either way, I’ve started to pull away from haunted house tales to a degree.
Saying that, Catherine Cavendish came highly recommended. Everyone was talking about how much creep factor she can create and the dread her atmospheres have.

I found that within this book in spades.

The tale jumps back and forth between time periods, and Catherine does that really well. I found it easy to follow and wasn’t struggling to keep track of what was happening.

Her writing flows fantastically and it keeps you wanting more and more.

I did find the ending to be a bit jumbled and the more I’ve thought about it over the last few days, the more I’ve been able to think back and try and find some clues that led me to the finale.

Overall, I think this one was a really well done offering. I’ll still be limiting my haunted house reading, but surely won’t be limiting what I read from Cavendish!

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghosts have always walked there. Now they’re not alone…In the depths of Edinburgh, an evil presence is released.
At the start we meet Miss Carmichael, a woman who lives in Edinburgh and pays many visits to a place called Henderson Close where she helps the poor as much as possible. However, one day, she is viciously attacked and killed.

Then we advance several years, after building had resumed in the area and a tour company opens and allows visitors to come in through the gift shop and go underneath to explore the old area. There are guides to talk about the ones that used to live there, and answer questions. The tour is supposed to be historic, but many visitors are there just hoping to see the rumored ghosts.

Now we meet Hannah. After she joins the tour company, she begins to see some very strange things. At first, she was skeptical. Soon she realizes that her experiences aren’t just her friends or fellow workers playing tricks since she was the newbie on the crew. These rumored ghosts have proven themselves to be very real, and they say need Hannah’s help.

I love ghost stories, but this book gave me with quite a chill. Of course I was immersed in the story immediately! I got the entire book read before realizing I hadn’t paused to eat...and it was now 6:00...P.M. My husband is used to me losing time while reading, but even he had come to see if I was still breathing:) I don't remember when I had read a book that made me feel like I was there with the characters like this one did.

The horror is steadily increased throughout the story. It starts with a few little tingles of spookiness, we it soon things turn up that produces chills... and then the all the way at to the max where we saw some brutal and terrifying things! The "ghost story junkie" in me loved every minute of it!

The plot was nothing short of brilliant and the storyline was organized in a way that slowly gives the reader more information from various perspectives until they see the entire picture....and WHAT an ending! I've read enough of these types of stories over the years that I'm usually pretty good at figuring out how it's all going to turn out...but not this time. I did NOT see any of that coming! This was an awesome story from beginning to end.

[Frank Errington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review copy

Catherine Cavendish is a prolific writer of horror - frequently with ghostly, supernatural, Gothic and haunted house themes. She's very active on Social Media and I have no idea why I've never read her work before now, but now that I've finally read one of her novels, I know I'll be back for more.

If ever a location deserved to be haunted, it's Henderson Close. This is not a heavy-handed ghost story, but that's just fine. There is certainly a place and an audience for this kind of ghostly tale.

"Farquhars Close was some sort of gateway to hell. It was one of the first Closes to go and was sealed very quickly. The story goes that a devil was walled up there and if he should ever be let loose, Edinburgh would burn."

Now we're talkin'.

This book turned out to be so much fun. The scene with the ouija board was brilliantly written, and terribly frightening. One of the best things about The Haunting of Henderson Close was these were real people having real experiences. I truly enjoyed this immersive experience.

The Haunting of Henderson Close was a wonderfully complex and extremely twisted tale of a haunted area with layer upon layer of ghosts and one elusive demon who has escaped the pentagram which had once trapped his spirit.

Recommended for anyone who enjoys a solid ghost story.

Published by Flame Tree Press, The Haunting of Henderson Close is available in hardcover, paperback, e-book, and audio formats.

From the author's bio - Catherine Cavendish writes horror fiction - frequently with ghostly, supernatural, Gothic and haunted house themes. She has numerous novels and novellas available. Visit her page at Amazon.com for a comprehensive list. Catherine lives with a long-suffering husband and a delightful black cat who has never forgotten that her species used to be worshipped in ancient Egypt. She sees no reason why that practice should not continue. When not slaving over a hot computer, Catherine enjoys wandering around Neolithic stone circles and visiting old haunted houses.

[Kenneth McKinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catherine Cavendish is the queen of gothic horror, and The Haunting of Henderson Close is a prime example of her reign in the subgenre.

Hannah lands a job in Edinburgh working for a historical ghost tour company, giving guided tours as a character from Henderson Close in the late 1800s. As she’s settling into her job as a tour guide, strange occurrences happen, causing Hannah to become disoriented. What feels like time-slips, where she’s propelled back to the 19th century as the witness of the grisly murder of Mary Stratton, the star of her tours in the 21st century, Hannah struggles to comprehend what she’s experiencing is real or a hallucination. Other tour guides experience the same time-slip, and when they compare notes, they soon realize that something evil is pulling them back to the Victorian era. Are they being summoned to find Mary’s killer, or is her killer luring them to a violent end?

The back-and-forth time travel aspect can be confusing in the story, but Cavendish’s atmosphere is the star of the show. You feel like you're walking the grimy streets, smelling the urine-soaked alleys and the fetid breath of the killer on your neck. I would’ve liked a little more clarity throughout the time-lapses. I felt like I had to keep backing up and making sure I knew who I was reading about and what was truly going on. It affected the flow of the story. Also, the ending wasn’t my favorite. All in all, a decent story that harkens back to Dickens and Jack the Ripper all wrapped up in a twisted ghost story.

3.5 Filthy Dolls out of 5

[Yesha- Books Teacup and Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can read all my review on Blog - Books Teacup and Reviews

The Haunting of Henderson Close was horror supernatural story that revolved around legends of Henderson Close, Edinburgh that involved, crime, murder, plague and trapped spirits.

characters-

This was more plot driven book than character. Oddly I was more interested in ghosts and their life rather than the physical/real ones. All characters were developed. I liked Hanna, protagonist, who was brave and wonderful at her job. George was good, I liked him for supporting Hanna all the time. I don’t know about Mairead, I’m still confused. I never liked Ailsa. It was odd she turned blind eye to all the strange experience.

what i liked-

Writing was amazing. This was my first book by author and I’m it won’t be last. Author brought legends and ghosts to life. Specters and Close description was so lifelike that if it would have been a movie, it definitely would have scared me. It’s not easy to scare me. I’m used to watch horror movies at night but I was surprised that at some point I avoided reading book at night.

Book was narrated in third person narrative mostly from Hanna’s perspective. There were two timelines in the book, one the present 2018 and other from 1980 to 1891. The present timeline represented Hanna’s life story, her strange encounters during Henderson tours, her newly formed friendship with Mairead and George, her failed attempts to convince her boss about spirits and weird encounters her group faced, and how she and her friends ultimately discovered about The Auld De’il and other spirits trapped in Close. While the past timeline told about the actual life of spirits roaming the Close and how they were related to the present disturbance and ghostly life threatening encounter, which was my most favorite part of the book.

Plot was amazing. Book started with a chilling, murder back in 1891 at Henderson Close that instantly hooked me to story and now in 2018 the victim was a one of the legendary story of Henderson Close ghost tours. Hanna newly moved to Edinburgh joins this ghost tour as a guide dressed in one of the character from many legends, little she knew her arrival and restoration of close at the same time will unleash the most deadly devil, The Auld De’il.

As I read more it started to turn more interesting. I was intrigued by legends and anecdotes Hanna narrated to her tour guests. The old town, dirty streets, poverty, derelict houses, murders that were like another Jack the ripper, were shocking and ghastly to read. The rotten sulfuric smell, Greyfriars Kirkyard, shadows and specters, disappearance of Mairead, damp and dark Close added a spooky and mysterious air to the story. Hanna and her friends’ time travel was fascinating. I liked this part of the book and what they discovered during their travel.

I was curious to know why Hanna and her friends only experienced the spirits and why other staff could not, how they were connected to the story, why Miss Carmichael wanted Hanna to look for her murderer and how she was supposed to do that, who released the Auld De’il and why he was after Hanna. It was thrilling to unravel all these mysteries.

I felt all kind of emotions while reading about all physical and non-physical characters. I admired Miss Carmichael for going to dangerous part of the city leaving the safety of her house to help poor helpless family. I felt sad for little girl and the way people treated her, I felt angry for what culprit did to Miss Carmichael, and disgusted by the violence and murder.

Author created a great suspense. I couldn’t identify the culprit until the revelation and was totally unexpected. So many things happened from climax to end and there were many twist in last few chapters. I couldn’t even predict the end until the last page. End felt little rushed and it wasn’t as satisfactory as expected.

Why 4 stars-

I’m not sure about Mairead’s connection with specters and story. I didn’t understand what happened with her and all those memory lapses and what happened in the end to her, Hanna and George. I wish it could be more clear and elaborate.

Overall, it was scary, spooky, creepy and chilling horror with legends and ghost stories that I recommend to readers of this genre.

*** Note: Many thank to Flame Tree Press for providing ARC via SMITH PUBLICITY , in exchange for an honest review. ***

[Red Lace Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hannah is determined to start a new life after her failed marriage, and so moves to Edinburgh and begins a job as a guide to the spooky tourist attraction, Henderson Close. She loves it; the tales she recites, the character she plays, and the disquiet she brings to her guests. All is not as it seems however, as Hannah and her two colleagues soon experience strange occurrences they can't explain.

(WARNING: This review contains minor spoilers.)

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I thank Flame Tree Press for giving me the opportunity.

I decided upon this particular title for the Women in Horror Month readathon (Ladies of Horror Fiction), and I can honestly say I experienced a powerful sense of déjà vu throughout. Having previously read Wrath of the Ancients by Cavendish last year, I couldn't help but compare the two as they both shared similar aspects; one of them being how the paranormal element was approached in general. I mentioned in my other review that the full-blown, in-your-face strategy doesn't entirely work for me - I don't find tension in the constant assault of ghostly happenings. Call it desensitisation if you will, but the lack of subtlety gets to me to the point I'm neither surprised nor excited when the entity decides to strike again in yet another excessive manner. It's why I don't necessarily consider novels like this horror, but that's just me.

That said, the writing truly depicted the grim atmosphere of 1800's Edinburgh. Cavendish didn't gloss over the ugliness of day-to-day life in Old Town; she painted a vivid picture that I couldn't help but get sucked into. I liked the chapters that went back in time and highlighted the lives of those underprivileged. History, especially one as bleak as this one, can add a lot of substance. I even found myself researching Mary King's Close, probably the most comparable to the fictionalised Henderson Close, and I was, and still am, fascinated by it. I'd throw my money at that tour if I was going to Scotland anytime soon. It's a great thing when a book piques my curiosity in such a way.

As far as the characters went, I was unable to fully relate to any of them. There was little room to get to know them, or the extent of their relationships, because there was minimal down-time from all that was going on. At times they didn't seem like real people, but instead devices to continue along events at a quickened pace.

Working up to a climax is expected with every story, but here it was rather lacklustre. I had a difficult time in understanding the confusing way in which everything supposedly tied together. Why were Hannah, George and Mairead specifically targeted and connected? Did it even offer solid answers, or mere hints? It came across as vague, perhaps even messy; certainly not as coherent as I would have liked. Whilst the mystery that presented itself with Miss Carmichael's killer - the whodunit conundrum - had my mind busy right up until the end, those distractions in the form of sub-plots got in the way. Sometimes less is more, and I feel that relates a lot to this book.

In conclusion: The Haunting of Henderson Close is a busy novel, filled with questions and obscure answers. I favoured the atmosphere - Cavendish is a pro when it comes to setting the mood - however I quickly became overwhelmed at the many, and often irrelevant, twists and turns.

Notable Quote:

Henderson Close. The very mention of the name sent shivers down the spines of most of the woman's aquaintances. They couldn't understand why she did this. Helping those too feckless, in their eyes, to help themselves.

© Red Lace 2019

Wordpress ~ Twitter

[Audra (ouija.reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice to see a couple of ladies of horror fiction on the Flame Tree Press list for spring. There are so many great women penning horror novels, and I'd like to see a bit more even representation, especially from presses that only publish genre fiction.

This one immediately caught my eye as it is set in Edinburgh, a city that is close to my heart since I studied abroad there. I'd love to go back to Scotland. One of my favorite things I did in the city was a tour of the Mary King's Close. How crazy is it to think that while you're walking the streets of Edinburgh, there is a whole city beneath it, the city of many centuries ago, that they just bricked up and built over? To get to go down and see a bit of that history, hear the stories, and (fingers crossed!) see a ghost is just everything.

This story centers around Hannah, a new tour guide at the Henderson Close. But strange and spooky things begin happening to her and her coworkers and there's no other way to explain them: they are being haunted.

I really loved the beginning of the book: there is a great historical element with a short prologue that sets up one of the main stories that they talk about on their tours, and the description of the tour and the ghost stories really delivered me to the setting.

Once the book gets about halfway, I started feeling overwhelmed with how many different elements were at play. There are multiple different ghosts with different agendas, there is some time travel weirdness that I didn't feel was fully explained (and played by different rules for different characters), there's a demon creature, many different perspectives telling the story, and multiple time periods, settings, and character arcs. It all began to feel a bit jumbled and just too much.

There is one chapter featuring a little boy and the girl ghost so far out of time and place with the rest of the book I completely forgot it until it slotted into place toward the end of the book, and it just felt so obvious that the chapter had been written specifically to create that moment. It just felt so manufactured and out of place. There was just so much going on that I felt the narrative could have been parred down into something more streamlined.

Overall though, it was a fairly interesting ghost story, and I did like the way it all wrapped up. I'm always on the lookout for good haunted tales!

My thanks to Flame Tree Press for sending an advance copy of this one to read and review.

[Alex | | findingmontauk1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book originally had my attention due to its stunning cover and setting that takes place in Edinburgh. OH! AND it's a haunting! Who doesn't love those? The premise of the haunting surrounding a main character who is a "ghostly" tour guide also made this an easy choice for me. The whole time I was reading I kept thinking about all the haunted ghost tours I have been on and whatnot.

Cavendish did a great job at freaking me out - at least three times when I was in bed late at night I chose to stay IN bed instead of leaving the safe confines of my room to go to the bathroom. There are definitely a few scenes that irked me a bit. And that's just one of the many reasons I love a good ghost/haunting story!

While I continued to read I just knew this was going to end up a 5- star book for me. But then I came across the last 20 pages or so. I am not sure what happened. Maybe I had a mental brain freeze. But the story just got extremely complex and twisty out of nowhere to me and it left me scratching my head. I had to reach out to two other friends who also finished to clarify what happened but they were in the same boat as me. It was almost as if out of nowhere all these different plots started coming together in a rushed way and I just couldn't totally get it.

While the last couple chapters were not up to par with the rest of the book for me, I still thoroughly enjoyed The Haunting of Henderson Close. I did enjoy the MAIN ending (even if I did not fully grasp some of the other plotline endings...) I would recommend this and am still giving it 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Flame Tree Press for sending me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

[Icy_Space_Cobwebs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Release date 10 Jan. 2019

Catherine Cavendish is noted for her ability to delineate characters and pull readers into their lives, making us feel with them. That's very true in her newest novel, THE HAUNTING OF HENDERSON CLOSE. Set in Edinburgh's underground, and in that area when it was still a teeming, if not thriving, metropolis, crammed with human populace, rats, and offal (and crime). Ms. Cavendish skillfully weave time-slips, ghosts, and implacable evil into the equation. In 2018 contemporary Edinburgh, Hannah, George, and Mairead are ghost tour docents, leading tours of the underground former community. Imprisoned not far from Henderson Close is an ancient evil, which reconstruction releases. The trio will discover that the evil is much closer than they had any reason to believe, as they are tasked by a ghost to solve the 1891 murder of a kind-hearted, generous, upper-class lady from the New Town, who daily toiled in the slums to bring temporary relief of kindness, clothes, and food, to the abjectly poor.

[J.H. Moncrieff · Rating 5 out of 5]

The setting of Cavendish's The Haunting of Henderson Close is absolutely perfect. When it comes to locations for ghost stories, it's hard to beat Scotland. I'd never heard of this city underneath the city in Edinburgh, but now I'm determined to visit it myself!

As most great ghost stories are, Henderson Close is a murder mystery cloaked in the supernatural. A woman takes a job as a tour guide in the notoriously haunted underground Henderson Close, only to gradually realize that the rumours of ghosts are more than stories--and that she's inexplicably linked to this part of the past.

I thoroughly enjoyed accompanying Hannah and her friends on their journey of trying to solve the long-ago murder of the doomed Miss Carmichael, and loved the author's note at the end that explained the true story behind the story. Highly recommended!

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

*thank you to Netgalley, Catherine Cavendish and Flame Tree Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*


2 stars.

Ohh man am I the odd one out. I have been saving this for when I felt like a horror story. I think I must have missed something because I don't get where the actual horror was. It wasn't creepy and felt really flat to me. I can see that most people enjoyed this so there is obviously something great about it. Unfortunately I missed the boat. But I'd be happy to suggest others give this a go since it seems to be more so just not for me than being poorly written. 2 stars because it was, "just ok."

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Flame Tree Press & Netgalley for providing me with a copy of The Haunting of Henderson Close in exchange for an honest review.

Edinburgh? CHECK. Time travel? CHECK. Seances & Ouija boards? CHECK.
Creepy little girl who’s missing a face & carries around a ragged doll? CHECK. CHECK. CHECK.

This paranormal experience takes us to Edinburgh & into the lives of the tour guides at Henderson Close. What started off as a dream job for Hannah, soon becomes a nightmare for her & her two colleagues, Mairead & George. Soon after starting her employment, Hannah finds herself face-to-face with spirits, residents of the past, and demons, oh my!

There are so many times in The Haunting of Henderson Close, that I had to pause and ask myself — what the actual heck is going on here?! The story jumps from 2018 to 1881 multiple times, in flashbacks & actual time slips. Characters from the present find themselves meeting members of the town from generations before; characters’ memories are completely wiped from their mind & it’s honestly just a hot mess, but not in a bad-reading-experience way? Oh no. I had a lot of fun reading The Haunting of Henderson Close.

The time slips really did sew themselves in seamlessly & it was very important, in terms of building the stories and piecing everything together. & although, I did not find myself attached to any of the characters, I did find myself rooting them all on in their mission & escape the evil, especially Hannah. For me, being able to cheer on the character is really important, otherwise there is no actual point in reading the story.

The entirety of The Haunting of Henderson Close reads as a ghost story. No shit, huh? What I mean though is, THERE’S NO FILLER — AGAIN, HASHTAG BLESSED. This entire book has the heebies & the jeebies. No extra, pointless content at all.

There’s also a scene in The Haunting of Henderson Close, that I imagined while reading & it actually scared me. This, my friends, doesn’t happen often. Oh! & there’s also this one disturbing murder scene that was extremely gruesome & I’m still Shook.

[Don Gillette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read--so enjoyable that I tried to take my time, reading a chapter every night for several weeks. It took a while to get going, was well paced from about the 20% mark to the 70% mark, slowed considerably for a while, but the denouement was rapid-fire and exciting - so much so that it was almost difficult to keep up with who was who and where was where (not a spoiler, but the book flashes back and forth in time).
All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone. Characters were very believable, well fleshed-out, and interesting. Locales and surroundings were just descriptive enough to entice the reader but not so detailed as to be boring. Plotting was original and all loose-ends were tied up. And the ending was surprising and satisfying.

[Frazer Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

An atmospheric ghost story that keeps you guessing until the last page. Catherine Cavendish has created a sympathetic character in Hannah, and a fun cast of supporting characters both living and un-dead. The Edinburgh setting made me feel nostalgic as it is one of my favourite cities (and the costumed tour guide angle brought back happy memories of my old job at The London Dungeon!). There is even room for some blood and gore in this otherwise subtle and spooky tale.

[Lainy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time taken to read - as able over 2 days

Pages - 288

Publisher - Flame Tree Press

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Ghosts have always walked there. Now they’re not alone…

In the depths of Edinburgh, an evil presence is released.

Hannah and her colleagues are tour guides who lead their visitors along the spooky, derelict Henderson Close, thrilling them with tales of spectres and murder. For Hannah it is her dream job, but not for long. Who is the mysterious figure that disappears around a corner? What is happening in the old print shop? And who is the little girl with no face?

The legends of Henderson Close are becoming all too real. The Auld De’il is out – and even the spirits are afraid.


My Review

We open in Edinburgh, 1891 with a murder and skip to present day, well Edinburgh 2018 and meet Hannah. Starting her new job as a tour guide, dressed for the time and regaling stories of the past and ghosts things are grand. But when renovations start in Henderson Close strange things start happening, evil is unleashed and ghosts suddenly seem to be very real. Hannah and her colleague have to find out what is causing this and most importantly - how to stop it. Where do you turn when you are up against a ghost, the clock is ticking and danger is close - can Hannah do what needs to be done?

Oh you guys I bloody love a ghost story, I have done Mary King's Close in Edinburgh a few times and I totally love it. You go under the town and get to see small bits of history that actually still stand from years gone by. Henderson Close is just that, but when work is done something is unleashed and Hannah, initially, seems to be the only one to voice it. Shut down, threatened with her job but when things take a violent turn Hannah knows she can't ignore it. Ghosts, freaky happenings, a duo timeline, the past mixing with the present ah it is just too good. I think everyone should read this, then go do the Mary King's Close tour and freak themselves out. You have tour parties in the story and how many times have you visited somewhere haunted and felt something or seen something, this happens in the book and the hair on your neck prickles!

I loved ghost stories growing up and even as an adult that love has continued, naff movies I love them too and would be delighted to see this on the screen. Hannah is a sweet enough character but for me I wanted more about what was happening, Cavendish made good on that. We don't get massive droves of back stories on the tour guides and nor should we. The focus is on the happenings or those from the past and when you get a modern day pull into the past AHHHHHHH I friggin love it. Master King did that same thing in 11.22.63 and I think most folk who like supernatural books love that. If you had the chance to go back in the past, like before our time, would you? And imagine not only that but actual interaction with folk of that time. I have read a few books that have done this and I think there should be so so much more, it is a great idea and one many are captivated by.

We start off with a character from the past and throughout the book we get wee flashes of past characters that make you want to plough through the book to find out the who, what and why. A book that builds up a creepy atmosphere pretty much from the beginning and hooks you in one spooky happening after another. Definitely a book for lights off, candle on, and wrapped in a duvet or blanket. This was my first dance with this author, it won't be my last, 4/5 for me. I feel I have to highlight this is now a few books I have reviewed for Flame Tree Press, all new authors to me and I grew up reading King and point horror. They seem to find authors who give a new spin on the genre or recapture the loved voices of old that I grew up with that hooked me into both horror and reading. Certainly going to be checking out their other authors and works!

[Crowinator · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Flame Tree Press for sending me a librarian ARC. I'll add my thoughts here soon.

Bottom line: a great premise, and a convoluted but occasionally spooky story about ghosts, time travel, past lives, and demonic possession.

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great spooky book for the season, intriguing plot all way through and quite entertaining

[Yolanda Sfetsos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to start 2019 with a Flame Tree Press ARC. It also happens to be the first ladies of horror title I've read from this very cool publisher.

As soon as I started, I was hooked by this intriguing story.

Hannah has recently moved into a cosy apartment in Edinburgh. She's ready to start a new life and has managed to get herself a very curious job as a tour guide. In the confines of this underground tourist spot, she dresses up and shares some of the freaky, murderous stories associated with Henderson Close.

But seeing shadows, new construction, dealing with a disappearing workmate and trying not to get on her boss's bad side aren't the only issues Hannah needs to deal with. There's also the case of timeslips, ghosts and an evil presence.

At least she's made a good friend in George. And together, they might be able to solve the mystery of what's going on...

This was such a great book to start the year with! I love ghost stories of every kind, and this one was right up my alley.

One of the best things about this story is how well the sense of location is portrayed. The vivid descriptions made me feel like I was right there. Not just in the modern day long-abandoned underground tourist attraction, but also in the actual filthy overpopulated streets.

The mystery of the woman who was trying to help the needy and instead met her violent demise intrigued me so much I didn't want to put the book down. But I did, because at the same time, I wanted to consume every word at a good pace.

Another great thing was the characters. Hannah is a hardworking woman looking for a new life and is unaware of the darkness shadowing her. Mairead is a young woman with a strange case of amnesia and a mystery of her own. George is a kind man who likes a drink or two after a hard day at work, and gets as swept up in the evil mess as his co-workers. I really enjoyed their shared scenes, and how their lives were intertwined.

There's a lot of stuff going on in this story, so many layers that tie together in some very clever ways extending through time. I thought the different POVs added to the overall narrative as well as the bits told in the past, slowly revealing the puzzle pieces. But not giving everything away until the right moment.

The Haunting of Henderson Close is an atmospheric and spooky ghost story with a great dose of history. It's also deliciously twisted, violent and dragged me through the claustrophic streets of historical Edinburgh until the unexpected conclusion. I really didn't expect things to turn out that way!

Oh, and I love the cover. Not only is it really nice, but totally captures the feel of the story.

This also happens to be the first Catherine Cavendish book I've read, but I'm pretty sure it won't be my last.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...

I thought this was a thoroughly enjoyable story - I love Scotland and Edinburgh and was lucky enough to visit The Real Mary King's Close and do one of the many tours that takes you in to the underground vaults so I couldn't wait to get started with this one!

I thought that the writing style was excellent, it had a great flow to the story and I was really in to the story. I thought that the characters were excellent and I loved how the story built up and developed as the book progressed.

The ending was a bit of an unexpected twist for me and I really enjoyed how the book ended. It isn't an overly scary book but there were times when I will admit that I did have a bit of a shudder!

Four stars from me for this one, I really enjoyed the setting and the characters and the alternate time periods too - highly recommended!!