A Distant Drum

by Amy Rae Durreson

Christmas is coming… but Alex is running away.

Panicked by the prospect of spending Christmas with his boyfriend’s disapproving parents, Alex flees to the old houseboat in the Norfolk Broads his uncle left him. But when a freak snowstorm traps him there, Alex soon realises he’s not the only heartbroken lover haunting the shores of Halsham Broad.

Two hundred years ago, drummer boy Jack Sadler drowned skating over thin ice to meet his lover. Now, whenever the Broad freezes over, he returns and brings a curse with him.

And every night Alex spends trapped in the icebound boat, he hears the beat of a distant drum draw closer…

Genres: M M Romance, Holiday, Paranormal, Ghosts, Contemporary, Romance, Fiction

89 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 20, 2019

About the author

Amy Rae Durreson is a quiet Brit with a degree in early English literature, which she blames for her somewhat medieval approach to spelling, and at various times has been fluent in Latin, Old English, Ancient Greek, and Old Icelandic, though these days she mostly uses this knowledge to bore her students. Amy started her first novel a quarter of a century ago and has been scribbling away ever since. Despite these long years of experience, she has yet to master the arcane art of the semicolon. She was a winner in the 2017 Rainbow Awards.

Reviews

[Meep · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully atmospheric; I loved this it's perfect for snuggling up with on a dark winter's night. It's not the typical over sugared Christmas fare but a creepy little ghost story with some real chills to it and a lot of feeling.

Kindle-sort-reread

Enjoyed this. Short but has feels and atmosphere.
- - - -

For a short story it balances things well; the ghost story, character development, relationship. We don't get an indepth of the character's background but enough to feel we understand them. The hauntings and ice weather bring suitable chills. An established relationship but still early, still getting to know each other; Alex not quite letting down his defences and Nik being wonderful yet real. Got to admit the ending got me, it stops before the Hallmark bows and ribbon, just in the right place to mean something.

I left it feeling I'd read a full length book, there's so much here, it drew me fully in and kept my attention. Really enjoyed.

Oh and for non-Brit readers I got to add - yes, our roads really are that bad! One flake of snow and everything grinds to a hault. It's not the distance you go but the route to it.

[Georgie-who-is-Sarah-Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd never before understood the phrase "my blood ran cold." But three times reading this, I was frozen with fear, all the hairs on my body rigid, and I sat petrified in spite of the warm fire, warm lights, warm tea.

This is a really effective little ghost story, told with Durreson's signature ability to conjure a strong sense of place from a few significant details. Winter, a boat frozen in inland waters, an MC frozen in wintry memories, a ghost frozen in mindless malice. And, because it's Durreson, who does this sort of thing marvellously, there's a lover offering warmth and regenerative love with grace and humour.

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

Well, if you take out the creepy ghost from the equation, Amy Rae Durreson's A Distant Drum in its core, is actually a very tender romantic story, that perfectly suits my mood in this rainy season (I live in Jakarta, Indonesia, okay, December equals rainy not snowy).

Alex, unable to deal with the idea of family Christmas with his boyfriend, Nik, just yet, convinced that Nik's family will hate him, decides to run away from London to his deceased uncle's houseboat at Norfolk. In the houseboat, Lady Lily, which was Alex's sanctuary all those years ago with his uncle, Gabe, during the time when Alex's parents didn't welcome him, Alex is forced to reassess his choice. Especially when Nik comes to be with him -- making Alex understands that Nik is not simply going to give up on their relationship.

But Durreson's adds that ghost story ... it amplifies the atmospheric sense of a haunting winter. Durreson just has a way with words, and she is able to make me feel the chill and my blood temperature drops. I loved the background details of the ghost. I loved how Durreson worked with it as well, and gave it a wonderful ending.

Thus, if you're looking for a touch of thrill, not mind being a little frightened for your holiday/winter read, I recommend this one for sure.


A Guest Review for The Blogger Girls



The ARC is provided by the author for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent. Amy Rae Durreson writes the best ghost story romances. This was super creepy and somehow also festive and romantic. The writing is vivid and the length is perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed this. A new one from ARD is always a special treat.

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time)]

Thank you for the gift, Noctos, the elf who gives during the nig!

[Kaje Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting blend of sweet contemporary romance and creepy ghost story. Alex spooks at the idea of a family Christmas with his boyfriend and ditches Nik to run off and hole up in an old houseboat in the Norfolk Broads, where his deceased uncle once gave him refuge and affection missing in his life. Hiding in his safe place, he figures he's pretty much burned his bridges with Nik, and there's something eerie and nerve-wracking going on outside that safe space. It's anything but comforting.

But Nik isn't that easily dissuaded, and the power of true love is strong.

The mix of sweet and spooky worked well for me here, and for a short story, I felt connected to the main characters. Both the contemporary and fantasy works I've read by by this author have been very much worth my time.

[Achim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ideal closure of the Holiday reading season. Comfortably old-fashioned ghost story with the right amount of creepiness and a perfect setting somewhere in the english country side on a secluded house boat. I adored Nik who stands by his man no matter what, without drawing the curtain over the hurt Alex's flight has caused and I became to like Alex who not only faced the ghost but some of his inner demons as well. I also enjoyed that Durreson granted the guys only a HFN because although that christmas experience set their relationship on the right track they still have a way to go.

I would have liked more explanations about the reason of Alex' family issues or what finally happened between him and his parents. I only remember one concrete example and while the author succeeded in making me believe the situation in hindsight I missed that information.

Oh, and while I didn't miss it at all and don't even believe it would fit into this story but if you need a bit of heat or a sexy time in your book then you might like to look somewhere else - but you would miss a nice ghost story.

[ven · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This was so, so good! I went in pretty blind; I'm honestly not even sure I read the full blurb before I started. I thought this was a story about a dude falling in love with a ghost, lol. It is decidedly not.

The atmosphere is the star here. Absolutely lush and evocative and bitterly cold and completely british. The MCs were both wonderful and I'm glad I got to spend a little time with them. I'm pretty sure this author will be a new favorite. The way she writes is just. *chef's kiss*

Knocking off half a point for a plot I found a little heavy-handed. Also wish there was on-page smut, but hey--you can't have everything.

[Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of this author will enjoy this short story. For such a short story, the author did an excellent job fleshing the characters and the story out. I also liked the surprise twist involving the ghost and once again, appreciated Durreson's uncanny ability to mix paranormal/suspense/romance so well. Well worth a read. :)

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex is a bit of a loner, especially during Christmas. His family treats him coldly, and the only relative he was close to, Uncle Gabe, passed away recently.

Alex's boyfriend, Nik, wants him to spend Christmas with him and his family, but that's the last thing Alex wants. He believes Nik's family hates him for "seducing" their son.

Instead, Alex leaves London to spend the holidays on Uncle Gabe's boat, which has been converted into a boathouse at the edge of Halsham Broad and is rented out to tourists in the summer.

Nik calls and begs him to come home, but Alex knows he can’t handle family Christmases. Ever.

So, it's just him, the boat, the icy lake, and the surrounding wilderness.

What begins as a sad story about a young man who feels like he doesn’t belong anywhere transforms into a chilling tale. Alex stumbles upon a local legend about a young soldier and drummer who fell in love with a wealthy farmer’s daughter. Her parents disapproved and forbade them from meeting. Defying them, the drummer boy met her on the frozen lake, signaling his arrival with his drum. One night, however, the ice gave way, and the boy drowned.

Legend says he can still be seen and heard skating on the ice during winter nights.

Romantic.

To my surprise, the ghost story takes on a Nosferatu-like horror edge when the ghost begins haunting Alex on the boat—and seems intent on harming him. I literally felt chills whenever the ominous sound of the drum echoed in the dark.



The story resolves beautifully, though, and in hindsight, it’s a uniquely memorable Christmas romance with some VERY spooky elements.

I’ll definitely remember this for a long time.

5 stars!

[Tetkaripli · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Trix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Heather York · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!!!! Nothing says Christmas like a good old fashioned ghost story and Amy Rae Durreson definitely has a doozy of a one with A Distant Drum. I stumbled onto it by accident and I am so glad I did!

I won't say too much because I don't want to give anything away, this is definitely one story you have to experience yourself to fully appreciate the creepified factor. Snow and ice storms can be spooky enough(believe me I know I'm a lifelong resident of Wisconsin) but throw in a little history, doomed lovers, and you have a recipe for a very scary Merry Christmas😉 The details the author adds to the distant drums from the title, well let me just say I swear I could hear every beat, every scrape, every chill in the air.

So if you love holiday romance but are looking for something different, a little grit to your Christmas cookies than Amy Rae Durreson's A Distant Drum is right up your alley.

[空 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Partida na medyo nakakatakot yung mumu (kahit na hindi siya ganun na nakakatakot), pero ang laki ng drama ni pareng Alex. Dahil sa drama nitong si kuya Alex e napunta pa sila sa gitna ng kung saang probinsiya tas namulto pa!

May multo na nga, kulang yung takot para madala ako, at hindi ko trip si Nik at si Alex. Yung isang eksena kung saan nagdedeliryo si Alex e medyo nahiya ako para sa kanya. Hindi ko talaga trip yung mga ganung klaseng eksena mehn.

[CN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amy Rae Durreson is the queen of stories set during the winter. These vary in tone from sweet (Guadete) to fairytale-esque (The Holly Groweth Green) to eerie (this one and A Frost of Cares), but there's something about the season that lends itself to Durreson's lovely prose, no matter that the theme.

I found A Distant Drum scary as hell; there were several times while reading while I almost put it down because it was so creepy (in a delicious way).

Alex, our MC, finds himself on his uncle's old houseboat, hiding from his boyfriend, Nik, after bailing on their plans to see Nik's family over the holidays. He reads the legend of Halsham Skater in a book he finds onboard, before starting to hear the eerie sound of the drum referenced in the book. Alex is a compelling narrator and there's a malevolence to drummer that makes for a very spooky read, even though I found the central romance a bit slight.