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The Winter Guest
January 1921. Though the Great War is over, in Ireland a new, civil war is raging. The once-grand Kilcolgan House, a crumbling bastion shrouded in sea-mist, lies half empty and filled with ghosts—both real and imagined—the Prendevilles, the noble family within, co-existing only as the balance of their secrets is kept.
Then, when an IRA ambush goes terribly wrong, Maud Prendeville, eldest daughter of Lord Kilcolgan, is killed, leaving the family reeling. Yet the IRA column insist they left her alive, that someone else must have been responsible for her terrible fate. Captain Tom Harkin, an IRA intelligence officer and Maud's former fiancé, is sent to investigate, becoming an unwelcome guest in this strange, gloomy household.
Working undercover, Harkin must delve into the house's secrets—and discover where, in this fractured, embattled town, each family member's allegiances truly lie. But Harkin too is haunted by the ghosts of the past and by his terrible experiences on the battlefields. Can he find out the truth about Maud's death before the past—and his strange, unnerving surroundings—overwhelm him?
Then, when an IRA ambush goes terribly wrong, Maud Prendeville, eldest daughter of Lord Kilcolgan, is killed, leaving the family reeling. Yet the IRA column insist they left her alive, that someone else must have been responsible for her terrible fate. Captain Tom Harkin, an IRA intelligence officer and Maud's former fiancé, is sent to investigate, becoming an unwelcome guest in this strange, gloomy household.
Working undercover, Harkin must delve into the house's secrets—and discover where, in this fractured, embattled town, each family member's allegiances truly lie. But Harkin too is haunted by the ghosts of the past and by his terrible experiences on the battlefields. Can he find out the truth about Maud's death before the past—and his strange, unnerving surroundings—overwhelm him?
326 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 6, 2022
303 people are currently reading
2559 people want to read
About the author
W.C. Ryan
4 books156 followersW. C. Ryan is also known as William Ryan, who has won acclaim for his historical crime novels in the Captain Korolev series. The first book, The Holy Thief, was shortlisted for a Crime Writer's Association's New Blood Dagger, a Barry Award, the Kerry Group Irish Fiction Award,, and the Theakston's Crime Novel of the Year. The second, The Bloody Meadow, was shortlisted for the Ireland AM Crime Novel of the Year, and the third, The Twelfth Department, was also shortlisted for the Ireland AM Crime Novel of the Year as well as the CWA's Historical Fiction Dagger and was a Guardian Crime Novel of the Year. Hi s books have been published in eighteen countries. William lives in London and teaches creative writing at City University.
(source: Amazon)
(source: Amazon)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 315 reviews
October 26, 2022
The Winter Guest by W. C. Ryan
Narrated by Liam Hourican
It's January 1921 and Irishman Captain Tom Harkin is an IRA intelligence officer. His physical and mental injuries from the war, to body and mind, have him often feeling weak and almost anything can trigger his mind to have him back among the muck, explosions, and death. Not only that, the maimed and dead are with him almost constantly. If he isn't seeing them wherever he goes, he is still feeling their weight on his heart and soul.
Tom is working as an undercover IRA intelligence officer and his former fiancé, Maude Prendeville, has been murdered during an IRA ambush. But the IRA men say that they left her safe and unharmed. Instead someone came back and put a bullet through her head. Being sent to the home of a woman he still loved, a family he knew so well, to investigate her murder, makes the things Tom sees worse, real or not.
The narration by Irishman Liam Hourican is great. The Irish accents are there but they aren't so strong that I don't understand what is being said. Tom is obviously a good man, well liked and trusted, but he's seen and experienced too much so his war is never really over, especially when his countrymen are still fighting for independence. No one can be sure who can really be trusted, who is really on what side, and how to keep their friends and family safe while following their convictions.
And then there are the ghosts. They are there, right in front of us, all around us, we are there with Tom in the trenches and the death, but still, they are subtle. Tom has to go through life now, walking among the ghosts, whether real or not, he must continue through life, doing what must be done. Their presence adds to the gloomy, gothic feel of the story. Tom is a strong man but he's been through too much, just as have the other soldiers and victims of the war. And the fight isn't over until their country is free.
Pub January 6th 2022
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ARC.
Narrated by Liam Hourican
It's January 1921 and Irishman Captain Tom Harkin is an IRA intelligence officer. His physical and mental injuries from the war, to body and mind, have him often feeling weak and almost anything can trigger his mind to have him back among the muck, explosions, and death. Not only that, the maimed and dead are with him almost constantly. If he isn't seeing them wherever he goes, he is still feeling their weight on his heart and soul.
Tom is working as an undercover IRA intelligence officer and his former fiancé, Maude Prendeville, has been murdered during an IRA ambush. But the IRA men say that they left her safe and unharmed. Instead someone came back and put a bullet through her head. Being sent to the home of a woman he still loved, a family he knew so well, to investigate her murder, makes the things Tom sees worse, real or not.
The narration by Irishman Liam Hourican is great. The Irish accents are there but they aren't so strong that I don't understand what is being said. Tom is obviously a good man, well liked and trusted, but he's seen and experienced too much so his war is never really over, especially when his countrymen are still fighting for independence. No one can be sure who can really be trusted, who is really on what side, and how to keep their friends and family safe while following their convictions.
And then there are the ghosts. They are there, right in front of us, all around us, we are there with Tom in the trenches and the death, but still, they are subtle. Tom has to go through life now, walking among the ghosts, whether real or not, he must continue through life, doing what must be done. Their presence adds to the gloomy, gothic feel of the story. Tom is a strong man but he's been through too much, just as have the other soldiers and victims of the war. And the fight isn't over until their country is free.
Pub January 6th 2022
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ARC.
November 5, 2022
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It is a number of things. It is set in 1921 in Ireland during the struggle for independence. It is a whodunit and a whydunnit, a sort of crime novel which examines the brutality of British Imperialism and the difficult choices people had to make. It is also a ghost story and a vivid account of what was then known as shellshock.
The main character is Tom Harkin a veteran of the Great War who is suffering from shellshock after having been blown up at Passchendaele along with his squad. Harkin is an IRA intelligence officer who is sent from Dublin to a small community on the Atlantic coast to investigate a murder near to a country house he knows from before the War. A local IRA unit has ambushed a car and murdered a police officer and an Auxiliary, The Auxiliaries or Auxis were all ex-military and were volunteers working for the British and had a reputation for brutality. In the car also was Maud Prendeville from Kilcolgan House nearby. She is an IRA supporter and heroine of the 1916 rising and also an old flame of Harkin’s. She is still alive after the ambush, though concussed. But then five minutes later she is shot whilst still in the car. Harkin is sent to find the killer and deal with a tense situation, his cover being insurance investigator. There is a good cast of characters and plenty of twists and turns with a scattering of evil Brits and a few dubious aristocrats. There are also a couple of romances (one of them gay).
Ryan has based some of Harkin’s experience of shellshock on that of Siegfried Sassoon who when walking around London often saw maimed, dead and dying soldiers on London streets. Ryan also blends in the supernatural elements into the plot well. As he says himself:
“The idea that Harkin, like Sassoon, could both experience these terrifying visions but also function on a day-to-day basis fascinated me. It also worked for the setting of the novel: a haunted country house on the edge of the Irish Atlantic coast. Harkin is never quite sure if the strange things he sees there are supernatural, or the manifestations of his own mind. I hope that the reader is similarly unsure.”
Ryan has based his characters and story loosely on actual events and has a family history to draw on as his forbears fought against the British at the time.
This is a good tale for this genre and the historical background is well researched and portrayed.
The main character is Tom Harkin a veteran of the Great War who is suffering from shellshock after having been blown up at Passchendaele along with his squad. Harkin is an IRA intelligence officer who is sent from Dublin to a small community on the Atlantic coast to investigate a murder near to a country house he knows from before the War. A local IRA unit has ambushed a car and murdered a police officer and an Auxiliary, The Auxiliaries or Auxis were all ex-military and were volunteers working for the British and had a reputation for brutality. In the car also was Maud Prendeville from Kilcolgan House nearby. She is an IRA supporter and heroine of the 1916 rising and also an old flame of Harkin’s. She is still alive after the ambush, though concussed. But then five minutes later she is shot whilst still in the car. Harkin is sent to find the killer and deal with a tense situation, his cover being insurance investigator. There is a good cast of characters and plenty of twists and turns with a scattering of evil Brits and a few dubious aristocrats. There are also a couple of romances (one of them gay).
Ryan has based some of Harkin’s experience of shellshock on that of Siegfried Sassoon who when walking around London often saw maimed, dead and dying soldiers on London streets. Ryan also blends in the supernatural elements into the plot well. As he says himself:
“The idea that Harkin, like Sassoon, could both experience these terrifying visions but also function on a day-to-day basis fascinated me. It also worked for the setting of the novel: a haunted country house on the edge of the Irish Atlantic coast. Harkin is never quite sure if the strange things he sees there are supernatural, or the manifestations of his own mind. I hope that the reader is similarly unsure.”
Ryan has based his characters and story loosely on actual events and has a family history to draw on as his forbears fought against the British at the time.
This is a good tale for this genre and the historical background is well researched and portrayed.
January 13, 2022
I would have liked the element of the ghosts to be bit more pronounced throughout the story but it was enjoyable all the same!
The main character was quite likeable!
The story was interesting despite that I anticipated some of the events!
Also the historical aspect of the story was intriguing and gave us an insight as to how things were at the time!
The main character was quite likeable!
The story was interesting despite that I anticipated some of the events!
Also the historical aspect of the story was intriguing and gave us an insight as to how things were at the time!
February 23, 2022
This was a great story set in Ireland during the Troubles of 1920s. The RIC and the IRA skirt around each other during an investigation. An excellent read.
October 16, 2022
January 1921
The Great War is over, but Ireland is in a civil war. When an IRA ambush goes horribly wrong, Maud Prendeville, the oldest daughter of Lord Kilcolgan is killed. The IRA column insist she was left alive and someone else must have killed her. Captain Tom Harkin, an IRA intelligence officer, and Maud's former fiancé is investigating her death. He goes to Kilcolgan House to investigate. The home has ghosts as does Harkin's past.
I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator. The book has a dreary feel to it. There is the mystery of who killed Maud. There are secrets, mistrust, and political upheaval. The book looks at the effects of war and how it affects not only soldiers but non soldiers as well. It shows the trauma and PTSD that Harkin was left with. How he is haunted by his experiences during the war.
This is a solid book with great narration. It has a Gothic feel, and the crumbling home sets the stage. Harkin is a likeable character and I enjoyed how he set out solving what happened to Maud.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of the author's work.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
The Great War is over, but Ireland is in a civil war. When an IRA ambush goes horribly wrong, Maud Prendeville, the oldest daughter of Lord Kilcolgan is killed. The IRA column insist she was left alive and someone else must have killed her. Captain Tom Harkin, an IRA intelligence officer, and Maud's former fiancé is investigating her death. He goes to Kilcolgan House to investigate. The home has ghosts as does Harkin's past.
I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator. The book has a dreary feel to it. There is the mystery of who killed Maud. There are secrets, mistrust, and political upheaval. The book looks at the effects of war and how it affects not only soldiers but non soldiers as well. It shows the trauma and PTSD that Harkin was left with. How he is haunted by his experiences during the war.
This is a solid book with great narration. It has a Gothic feel, and the crumbling home sets the stage. Harkin is a likeable character and I enjoyed how he set out solving what happened to Maud.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of the author's work.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
December 21, 2021
Having enjoyed, “A House of Ghosts,” by W.C. Ryan, I was keen to read the author’s second novel. “The Winter Guest,” is set in an Ireland where the Troubles are just beginning, loyalties are divided and WWI is still very much in the memory of those in this book, including the main character, Captain Tom Harkin.
This novel opens with an ambush, in which everyone is shot, apart from the Honourable Maud Prendeville. Daughter of the Big House, she has been a hero in the struggle for Irish independence, so those who opened fire, leave her unconscious in the car. However, a single gunshot is then heard, and she is also killed. Tom Harkin was once engaged to Maud, but that was before the trenches. Now he is informed about her death and sent to pose as an insurance investigator to investigate who killed her.
Part ghost story, part historical mystery, this is a well written book, with interesting characters and a well realised setting. The Anglo-Irish aristocracy are under threat, the population unsettled. Danger lurks in the most peaceful, and rural of settings. Ryan paints an excellent portrait of the times and of the way that WWI left men, like Tom Harkin, with personal, as well as political, troubles. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review and I will certainly look out for more books by W.C.Ryan. An excellent novel for long, winter evenings.
This novel opens with an ambush, in which everyone is shot, apart from the Honourable Maud Prendeville. Daughter of the Big House, she has been a hero in the struggle for Irish independence, so those who opened fire, leave her unconscious in the car. However, a single gunshot is then heard, and she is also killed. Tom Harkin was once engaged to Maud, but that was before the trenches. Now he is informed about her death and sent to pose as an insurance investigator to investigate who killed her.
Part ghost story, part historical mystery, this is a well written book, with interesting characters and a well realised setting. The Anglo-Irish aristocracy are under threat, the population unsettled. Danger lurks in the most peaceful, and rural of settings. Ryan paints an excellent portrait of the times and of the way that WWI left men, like Tom Harkin, with personal, as well as political, troubles. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review and I will certainly look out for more books by W.C.Ryan. An excellent novel for long, winter evenings.
March 8, 2022
My first book by this author. I picked it up mainly because it was set during the Civil War in Ireland. I love history and this part of it is particularly interesting to me as I had family who were fighting in this war.
The overall story was interesting. There were a lot of suspects and it did keep the reader guessing until almost the end. Tom Harkin, the main character is complex. He has been involved with the
family previously and we also hear his thoughts on what he has endured when fighting in World War I
This was very well done.
The brutally of this war came across vividly. Everyone distrusted everyone, even people who had known each other for years were cagey around each other.
The 'ghostly' element did nothing to add to the story. It should have played a bigger part or been left out altogether. It added nothing and seemed to almost be an after thought.
While it had me totally gripped at the beginning, it tailed off and dragged a bit towards the end.
Did like the epilogue.
The overall story was interesting. There were a lot of suspects and it did keep the reader guessing until almost the end. Tom Harkin, the main character is complex. He has been involved with the
family previously and we also hear his thoughts on what he has endured when fighting in World War I
This was very well done.
The brutally of this war came across vividly. Everyone distrusted everyone, even people who had known each other for years were cagey around each other.
The 'ghostly' element did nothing to add to the story. It should have played a bigger part or been left out altogether. It added nothing and seemed to almost be an after thought.
While it had me totally gripped at the beginning, it tailed off and dragged a bit towards the end.
Did like the epilogue.
October 9, 2022
Murder during The Troubles!
Ireland after the first World War. It’s 1921. The IRA has murdered one of their own, a woman, the Honourable Maud Prendeville, a hero of the Easter Uprising.
Captain Tom Harkin has been sent by the IRA’s top people to investigate. Firstly because he had been engaged to Maud, and because he was once a secretary to Maud’s uncle, John Prendeville, who also is supplying a shipment of guns to the IRA. There was a legitimate insurance policy taken out for Maud which needs legally to be investigated. That would be his cover. He’d also received a telegram from Maud’s brother Billy asking him to come to Kilcolgon House.
His investigations lead him to make contact with a man who’s his opposite with the British Army, a man who was secretly associated with Maud, Major Hugo Vane.
The man leading the British Auxilary Forces forces stationed in the district is Major Abercrombie. A harsh, sadistic leader who’d already had complaints about his behavior reportedly by District Inspector Teevan, a victim in the attack alongside Maud.
Hardin has trouble separating his experiences in the trenches at the Somme. They dog his footsteps. He’s haunted by ghosts. Ominously, he sees the White Lady, an apparition who reputably appears whenever a Prendeville is about to die.
The brutality of the times, of Irishman pitted against the Irishmen, against the British, fighting for freedom and self determination is not to be underestimated.
A convoluted haunting tale, startling and engaging. A curious tale of murder mixed in with the atrocities that were part of the Troubles. Hard to look away from and hard to put down.
A Skyhorse Arcade ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Ireland after the first World War. It’s 1921. The IRA has murdered one of their own, a woman, the Honourable Maud Prendeville, a hero of the Easter Uprising.
Captain Tom Harkin has been sent by the IRA’s top people to investigate. Firstly because he had been engaged to Maud, and because he was once a secretary to Maud’s uncle, John Prendeville, who also is supplying a shipment of guns to the IRA. There was a legitimate insurance policy taken out for Maud which needs legally to be investigated. That would be his cover. He’d also received a telegram from Maud’s brother Billy asking him to come to Kilcolgon House.
His investigations lead him to make contact with a man who’s his opposite with the British Army, a man who was secretly associated with Maud, Major Hugo Vane.
The man leading the British Auxilary Forces forces stationed in the district is Major Abercrombie. A harsh, sadistic leader who’d already had complaints about his behavior reportedly by District Inspector Teevan, a victim in the attack alongside Maud.
Hardin has trouble separating his experiences in the trenches at the Somme. They dog his footsteps. He’s haunted by ghosts. Ominously, he sees the White Lady, an apparition who reputably appears whenever a Prendeville is about to die.
The brutality of the times, of Irishman pitted against the Irishmen, against the British, fighting for freedom and self determination is not to be underestimated.
A convoluted haunting tale, startling and engaging. A curious tale of murder mixed in with the atrocities that were part of the Troubles. Hard to look away from and hard to put down.
A Skyhorse Arcade ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
October 13, 2022
This was an audiobook for me and I loved the narrator Liam Hourican. He brought a special touch to this that I wouldn’t of gotten by reading. The Winter Guest was written by W. C. Ryan and I found the writing memorable and meaningful. The story is a mystery of sorts that will lead you down an interesting path and a broken community rattled with war.
It’s a high 4⭐️ for me and I want to read more. Highly recommend.
Thanks Dreamscape Media via Netgalley.
It’s a high 4⭐️ for me and I want to read more. Highly recommend.
Thanks Dreamscape Media via Netgalley.
November 24, 2022
WWI has recently ended but Ireland is still fighting. A Civil War rages in Ireland, and it is an escalating and bloody battle. The action in this novel takes place after the first infamous 'Bloody Sunday'.
There is an IRA ambush outside the manor house owned by the Prendeville's. In a strange turn of events, Maud Prendeville is murdered - though the IRA claim they left her alive.
Captain Tom Harkin, a Catholic IRA intelligence officer, is Maud's former fiancée. He goes to Kilcolgan House to investigate her death under the guise of his position as a life insurance investigator. Harkin, a former army Captain, is suffering from shell shock from his time overseas, in particular Passchendaele. The gloomy and deteriorating old house does little for Harkin's state of mind. Reputed to be haunted, Kilcolgan house shares its ghosts with Harkin.
Harkin was a great character. Deeply traumatized by the dire circumstances of WWI trench warfare, yet he retained his ethics and moral fortitude despite his personal history.
Duplicitous characters, conspiracies, police corruption, martial law, and the fight for Home Rule pervade this novel.
This was an interesting and compelling gothic mystery which was overshadowed by the Irish politics and military history of the time period. I recommend this historical murder mystery to those readers with a keen interest in Irish history and a love of gothic mysteries.
There is an IRA ambush outside the manor house owned by the Prendeville's. In a strange turn of events, Maud Prendeville is murdered - though the IRA claim they left her alive.
Captain Tom Harkin, a Catholic IRA intelligence officer, is Maud's former fiancée. He goes to Kilcolgan House to investigate her death under the guise of his position as a life insurance investigator. Harkin, a former army Captain, is suffering from shell shock from his time overseas, in particular Passchendaele. The gloomy and deteriorating old house does little for Harkin's state of mind. Reputed to be haunted, Kilcolgan house shares its ghosts with Harkin.
Harkin was a great character. Deeply traumatized by the dire circumstances of WWI trench warfare, yet he retained his ethics and moral fortitude despite his personal history.
Duplicitous characters, conspiracies, police corruption, martial law, and the fight for Home Rule pervade this novel.
This was an interesting and compelling gothic mystery which was overshadowed by the Irish politics and military history of the time period. I recommend this historical murder mystery to those readers with a keen interest in Irish history and a love of gothic mysteries.
January 10, 2022
Excellent.
November 30, 2023
I loathe fabricated war and historical periods. I love stories of spirits without any element of horror. William C. Ryan’s aced this in his first novel. Spirit presences were built up so well, I dismissed the war background. I think that story was in the third person, the narrative that makes readers firsthand listeners. Finally, if we expect to like a book, we buy it new; sometimes as an expensive Canadian hardcover price. There are no freebies and I finish what I start, so I definitely hope to like books I invested in!
A shocking departure from the bottled lightening William achieved before, I could not hesitate to describe my slog through “The Winter Guest”, 2022, with a two star grade. It annoyed the senses with a distancing first person tense, because it is no one tells stories that way face to face. For what it’s worth, the Irish “home rule” fight was obviously a stressful time but this was my introduction to that history. I did not imagine a war among personal residences, under a martial law in which citizens did not know whom to trust. It was fair to teach the facts. However, this was marketed as a mystery blended with a spy and ghost atmosphere. I dislike spy stories. This time, there was not enough mystery and ghost content, for pushing through disliked aspects to be worthwhile, which were in the majority.
Repetition of phrases and tone surpassed patience, the last straw. Need a setting constantly be rainy, foggy, dark, rotten, or sick? Where was the editor? There was so little dialogue, it was a boring novel of depressing contemplations. I would have screamed if there were any more remarks about candle reflections! Hardly any character was likeable or three-dimensional. The very few ghost appearances were flat.
A shocking departure from the bottled lightening William achieved before, I could not hesitate to describe my slog through “The Winter Guest”, 2022, with a two star grade. It annoyed the senses with a distancing first person tense, because it is no one tells stories that way face to face. For what it’s worth, the Irish “home rule” fight was obviously a stressful time but this was my introduction to that history. I did not imagine a war among personal residences, under a martial law in which citizens did not know whom to trust. It was fair to teach the facts. However, this was marketed as a mystery blended with a spy and ghost atmosphere. I dislike spy stories. This time, there was not enough mystery and ghost content, for pushing through disliked aspects to be worthwhile, which were in the majority.
Repetition of phrases and tone surpassed patience, the last straw. Need a setting constantly be rainy, foggy, dark, rotten, or sick? Where was the editor? There was so little dialogue, it was a boring novel of depressing contemplations. I would have screamed if there were any more remarks about candle reflections! Hardly any character was likeable or three-dimensional. The very few ghost appearances were flat.
December 9, 2022
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for accepting my request to audibly read and review The Winter Guest.
Author: W. C. Ryan
Narrator: Liam Hourican
Published: 10/06/22
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
I learned something, I don't care for the time period in books. I would enjoy watching The Winter Guest on PBS Masterpiece Theatre. I can't visualize the surroundings. If my issues are not a problem, this may have been written for you.
Insofar, as I could stay focused, I liked the relationship between Tom and Maud's friend (her name escapes me). He the Officer for the IRA and she the woman who sells herself. Ryan writes the lingo for the time period, and it was the highlight in a cold story. The IRA storyline was a mis, and that saddened me. Historical fiction is my first choice. Again, I couldn't connect.
The narrator was okay. I understood without any problems what he was saying. I did reread the synopsis (Something I don't like to do once I have selected a book. I try to go in blind.) and saw Ireland. I expected an identifiable perceived Irish accent.
I would gift this.
Author: W. C. Ryan
Narrator: Liam Hourican
Published: 10/06/22
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
I learned something, I don't care for the time period in books. I would enjoy watching The Winter Guest on PBS Masterpiece Theatre. I can't visualize the surroundings. If my issues are not a problem, this may have been written for you.
Insofar, as I could stay focused, I liked the relationship between Tom and Maud's friend (her name escapes me). He the Officer for the IRA and she the woman who sells herself. Ryan writes the lingo for the time period, and it was the highlight in a cold story. The IRA storyline was a mis, and that saddened me. Historical fiction is my first choice. Again, I couldn't connect.
The narrator was okay. I understood without any problems what he was saying. I did reread the synopsis (Something I don't like to do once I have selected a book. I try to go in blind.) and saw Ireland. I expected an identifiable perceived Irish accent.
I would gift this.
October 20, 2022
In 1921, Ireland was fighting their war for independence from Britain. The book's description mistakenly says that the book is see during the civil war, but that war began in June, 1922 after the Anglo-Irish treaty was signed but rejected by some of the Irish leadership.
Murders that happen in the midst of war can be overlooked and attributed to violence of the war. The protagonist of the story, Captain Tom Harkin, was once the fiancé of the victim, Maud Predeville. Her death is blamed on the IRA, but this seems unlikely as Maud was a heroine of the Easter Uprising. Her sympathies lie with the IRA despite her Protestant Ascendancy background. Harking is a veteran of World War I and the British Army, but he is Irish. These complicated identities are well handled by the writer, who is Irish, and knows his history.
A satisfying mystery.
Murders that happen in the midst of war can be overlooked and attributed to violence of the war. The protagonist of the story, Captain Tom Harkin, was once the fiancé of the victim, Maud Predeville. Her death is blamed on the IRA, but this seems unlikely as Maud was a heroine of the Easter Uprising. Her sympathies lie with the IRA despite her Protestant Ascendancy background. Harking is a veteran of World War I and the British Army, but he is Irish. These complicated identities are well handled by the writer, who is Irish, and knows his history.
A satisfying mystery.
October 31, 2022
Thank you to W.C. Ryan, NetGalley, and the publisher, Dreamscape Media Audio, for my honest review of this ARC. * I really loved this novel.* The narrator, Liam Hourican, truly highlighted this novel with his subtle, lovely, Irish accent, which wouldn't have happened if not on an audiobook, as well as his ability to read all character parts without reader confusion or aggravation (lol).
The setting is Ireland, a couple years after WWI, and times are hard for everyone. In Ireland, there's another war waging between the Irish and Brits, and it's a painful and ugly war. If you've read anything about the constant fighting (and starving of) the Irish endured, you'll understand the fear and trauma and suspense! You'll also realize that you don't know who to believe or trust, and who might turn on you or kill you.
It begins with Captain Tom Harkin, an (ex) IRA intelligence officer, who was also with the British Army, and is asked to come to his ex-fiance Maud's home, which was once a grand estate called Kilcolgan House. A crime has been committed and Tom Harkin now has his hands full staying in this home with a cast of gloomy characters, including Maud's family members, local police, other intelligence officers, past friends of his and Maud's, and so forth. The tension is palpable!
The Winter Guest will keep your head spinning and your heart pounding during this cold, cold Irish winter. Shiverrrr!
The setting is Ireland, a couple years after WWI, and times are hard for everyone. In Ireland, there's another war waging between the Irish and Brits, and it's a painful and ugly war. If you've read anything about the constant fighting (and starving of) the Irish endured, you'll understand the fear and trauma and suspense! You'll also realize that you don't know who to believe or trust, and who might turn on you or kill you.
It begins with Captain Tom Harkin, an (ex) IRA intelligence officer, who was also with the British Army, and is asked to come to his ex-fiance Maud's home, which was once a grand estate called Kilcolgan House. A crime has been committed and Tom Harkin now has his hands full staying in this home with a cast of gloomy characters, including Maud's family members, local police, other intelligence officers, past friends of his and Maud's, and so forth. The tension is palpable!
The Winter Guest will keep your head spinning and your heart pounding during this cold, cold Irish winter. Shiverrrr!
November 26, 2022
Boring. Slow. Dull. Unimaginative. Way too “military”. And totally not a ghost story.
This is the second book I’ve read by this author: both were entirely missold as ghost stories. What’s the point in lying about what the books about? You’re just going to get shite reviews from people who feel mislead? Ugh.
This is the second book I’ve read by this author: both were entirely missold as ghost stories. What’s the point in lying about what the books about? You’re just going to get shite reviews from people who feel mislead? Ugh.
December 22, 2021
A haunting tale, exploring a post-war Ireland where loyalties are divided and we see the tensions growing between those who make it their home.
Captain Tom Harkin, our main character, is sent to investigate the death of an ex-lover, aristocratic Maud Prendeville and a known rebel sympathiser. Sent under the guise of an insurance investigation, Harkin is an IRA intelligence officer who has been tasked with learning the truth behind Maud’s shooting.
After his service, Harkin is clearly affected by PTSD. He arrives at the Prendeville home and, from the outset, we can see this is a community increasingly divided. Many characters have a secret they want to remain hidden and I found myself regularly having to check just who was loyal to which faction as double-crossing seems to abound.
From a historical perspective, this was a fascinating read.
Touted as a ghost story I found myself occasionally wondering what I was missing. There’s reference to a mysterious White Lady, rumoured to be seen before the death of a Prendeville. Harkin himself believes he is being watched over by the ghost of Maud, but the ghostly element was more subtle than I thought. There are hauntings aplenty, of the psychological variety, and this element of the narrative lent a wonderful air of unease to things.
On so many levels this story had me captivated. I want to know more about this period and these concerns, so would appreciate recommendations/suggestions for further reading. Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for granting me access to this before publication.
Captain Tom Harkin, our main character, is sent to investigate the death of an ex-lover, aristocratic Maud Prendeville and a known rebel sympathiser. Sent under the guise of an insurance investigation, Harkin is an IRA intelligence officer who has been tasked with learning the truth behind Maud’s shooting.
After his service, Harkin is clearly affected by PTSD. He arrives at the Prendeville home and, from the outset, we can see this is a community increasingly divided. Many characters have a secret they want to remain hidden and I found myself regularly having to check just who was loyal to which faction as double-crossing seems to abound.
From a historical perspective, this was a fascinating read.
Touted as a ghost story I found myself occasionally wondering what I was missing. There’s reference to a mysterious White Lady, rumoured to be seen before the death of a Prendeville. Harkin himself believes he is being watched over by the ghost of Maud, but the ghostly element was more subtle than I thought. There are hauntings aplenty, of the psychological variety, and this element of the narrative lent a wonderful air of unease to things.
On so many levels this story had me captivated. I want to know more about this period and these concerns, so would appreciate recommendations/suggestions for further reading. Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for granting me access to this before publication.
November 30, 2021
Simply, a beautifully told classic ghost story.
I was immediately taken with William Ryan's first foray into ghost stories, "A House of Ghosts" so was delighted to be offered a Netgalley ARC of his latest spine-tingler.
Set in the same post-WW1 period as his previous book, this new spooky tale takes place in Ireland where civil war is raging and the Troubles are building. The IRA and the RIC are playing a tit-for-tat game of bombing and retribution. When an IRA ambush goes wrong, and Maud Prendeville, daughter of Lord Kilcolgan, is killed, Captain Tom Harkin, former soldier and now IRA intelligence officer and Maud's former fiancé, is sent to investigate. The Kilcolgan House is a dark, and haunted place, filled with memories and a family struggling to keep secrets.
This is a classic ghost story intertwined with an historical detective story. Harkin is a troubled soul - suffering PTSD from his time in the trenches, he struggles to decide which ghosts are his and which are real. He meets several people, none of whom are quite what they seem and whose motives are hidden. Working undercover as an insurance investigator, Harkin seeks to uncover the truth while faced with a town at war and families with hidden motives and allegiances.
The story unfolds slowly, but moves forward nicely, as Harkin's mind wrestles with his demons and those around him. The prose seems to fit the period perfectly and images of rural Ireland are drawn beautifully, as the murder mystery, love story and ghost story all blend together. There are characters to love, hate, and sympathise with, and I truly was drawn into the world of 1921. I even learned a bit about the uprising. This is truly a classic ghost story.
Sincerely recommend for fans of Susan Hill, Wilkie Collins and Laura Purcell. I'm looking forward to reading this again, in proper book form.
I was immediately taken with William Ryan's first foray into ghost stories, "A House of Ghosts" so was delighted to be offered a Netgalley ARC of his latest spine-tingler.
Set in the same post-WW1 period as his previous book, this new spooky tale takes place in Ireland where civil war is raging and the Troubles are building. The IRA and the RIC are playing a tit-for-tat game of bombing and retribution. When an IRA ambush goes wrong, and Maud Prendeville, daughter of Lord Kilcolgan, is killed, Captain Tom Harkin, former soldier and now IRA intelligence officer and Maud's former fiancé, is sent to investigate. The Kilcolgan House is a dark, and haunted place, filled with memories and a family struggling to keep secrets.
This is a classic ghost story intertwined with an historical detective story. Harkin is a troubled soul - suffering PTSD from his time in the trenches, he struggles to decide which ghosts are his and which are real. He meets several people, none of whom are quite what they seem and whose motives are hidden. Working undercover as an insurance investigator, Harkin seeks to uncover the truth while faced with a town at war and families with hidden motives and allegiances.
The story unfolds slowly, but moves forward nicely, as Harkin's mind wrestles with his demons and those around him. The prose seems to fit the period perfectly and images of rural Ireland are drawn beautifully, as the murder mystery, love story and ghost story all blend together. There are characters to love, hate, and sympathise with, and I truly was drawn into the world of 1921. I even learned a bit about the uprising. This is truly a classic ghost story.
Sincerely recommend for fans of Susan Hill, Wilkie Collins and Laura Purcell. I'm looking forward to reading this again, in proper book form.
August 24, 2022
Ireland 1921, after WWI and during The Troubles. The prestigious Prendeville family lives in their crumbling mansion by the sea, while the Irish rebels and the British loyalists plot their campaigns of violence and retaliation. Then an ambush by the IRA goes wrong and beautiful, heroic Maud Prendeville is killed. Her murder must be investigated and so former Army Captain Tom Harkin takes on the job of investigating the murder of his former lover and fiancee. Everyone is a suspect and no one can be trusted, not even old friends. Meanwhile Tom is haunted by the horrors of trench warfare, suffering through terrible flashbacks.
The house also reveals its ghostly inhabitants to him - a long ago bride with her bouquet of rotting flowers, his dead friend and brother-in-arms Arthur Prendeville, and now Maud, sitting calmly by her bedroom window and leading him to clues. Tom struggles to put the pieces of the mystery together, clinging to the pieces of his broken mind and tortured memories while his country comes apart around him.
What an unexpectedly wonderful treat of a novel! I knew nothing about this book but the description captured my imagination when I read it. I was completely engrossed, living among the Prendevilles and navigating the deception and treachery with Tom Harkin. Everything about the story was well executed: the setting, the characters, the atmosphere and the mystery. The house itself felt like a living character with its ghosts, sadness and memories. The conclusion is quite satisfying, offering redemption and hope for Tom Harkin. I will be purchasing a hard copy of this one. A resounding five stars! Many thanks to NetGalley and Arcade Crimewise for this wonderful copy to read and review.
The house also reveals its ghostly inhabitants to him - a long ago bride with her bouquet of rotting flowers, his dead friend and brother-in-arms Arthur Prendeville, and now Maud, sitting calmly by her bedroom window and leading him to clues. Tom struggles to put the pieces of the mystery together, clinging to the pieces of his broken mind and tortured memories while his country comes apart around him.
What an unexpectedly wonderful treat of a novel! I knew nothing about this book but the description captured my imagination when I read it. I was completely engrossed, living among the Prendevilles and navigating the deception and treachery with Tom Harkin. Everything about the story was well executed: the setting, the characters, the atmosphere and the mystery. The house itself felt like a living character with its ghosts, sadness and memories. The conclusion is quite satisfying, offering redemption and hope for Tom Harkin. I will be purchasing a hard copy of this one. A resounding five stars! Many thanks to NetGalley and Arcade Crimewise for this wonderful copy to read and review.
November 11, 2022
An interesting book and very suitable for reading during gloomy November days and nights. The mood of the book is indeed dark and gloomy. I suspect that to appreciate the book to any extent will require some knowledge or the Irish War of Independence otherwise the reader might be confused as to who is on which side. The author’s regular use of the main characters’ surnames as opposed to full names didn’t help when in differentiating from one person to the next - I found it confusing at times but that’s just me. Not a bad book overall but not one that will stay long in my memory.
January 19, 2022
Struggled to the end of this one. Didn't find it remotely atmospheric or chilling. Was expecting a lot more of a ghost story but nevermind.
January 1, 2023
A compelling historical mystery, marred only by my difficulty in understanding the Troubles. However, it is pretty obvious that both sides were violent and unable to compromise, so innocent people were caught in the middle.
April 24, 2023
I struggled to get through this one and I don't really know why. There was a lot of interesting and provoking research into this book but the pacing just dragged a bit for me. I think if I was in a different mindset, I would have enjoyed it way more.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.
November 21, 2025
I enjoyed the story (and the allegory of ghosts in our personal histories with the 'ghosts' in our national histories) but couldn't connect with the storytelling.
December 30, 2021
Thanks to Bonnier Books for a review copy.
W. C. Ryan’s ‘A House of Ghosts’ from 2018 was one of my favourite novels of that year (and I still hope for a sequel to that story). This new novel is no relation to the previous book but maintains the excellence of writing which so characterised the earlier work.
The novel is set in Ireland shortly after the end of World War I. A mysterious death occurs and former army Captain Tom Harkin, now a volunteer intelligence officer for the fledgling IRA is sent to investigate. Harkin’s experience of trench warfare has left him mentally and physically scarred and he has to battle his demons as he returns to the West Coast of Ireland to try and get to the truth of the death of his former fiancée. His presence reopens old wounds and forces secrets out into the open, making his task increasingly uncomfortable.
As ever with W. C. Ryan’s writing the setting is one of the main stars of the story. The West Coast is brought to life as a land of almost unceasing drizzle and mist in and out of which fade shapes which may or may not be real. I could almost feel the wind and rain as I walked with Harkin in the countryside. The two large country houses which form the backdrop to the tale are separated by hills and cliffs which are painted so well by the writing that I almost felt I could find my way around.
The tale is fairly straightforward and the ‘solution’ to the mystery is well signalled, though the dénouement is quite spectacular. The journey though is the real pleasure of the book and should be savoured and enjoyed at a leisurely pace so that all the Irish mist can seep well into the reader’s consciousness. Unlike the previous novel it is not clear here if the ghosts are real, imagined or perhaps a bit of both.
W. C. Ryan also manages to work into the story the raw and visceral sense of injustice felt by both the local Irish (and predominantly Roman Catholic) community about what they see as the British occupation of their land and the British families (predominantly Anglican) who had lived in Ireland for generations and felt that they had no other home but were still seen as colonists by the locals. When it is pointed out that land had been taken from local owners who were then forced to rent it back, it is little wonder that eventually some turned to violence.
This book is beautifully written, has a straightforward but gripping mystery at its heart and can transport the reader a century into the past where the wind blows off the Atlantic, the mist hides secrets and the ghosts of the past make themselves heard.
W. C. Ryan’s ‘A House of Ghosts’ from 2018 was one of my favourite novels of that year (and I still hope for a sequel to that story). This new novel is no relation to the previous book but maintains the excellence of writing which so characterised the earlier work.
The novel is set in Ireland shortly after the end of World War I. A mysterious death occurs and former army Captain Tom Harkin, now a volunteer intelligence officer for the fledgling IRA is sent to investigate. Harkin’s experience of trench warfare has left him mentally and physically scarred and he has to battle his demons as he returns to the West Coast of Ireland to try and get to the truth of the death of his former fiancée. His presence reopens old wounds and forces secrets out into the open, making his task increasingly uncomfortable.
As ever with W. C. Ryan’s writing the setting is one of the main stars of the story. The West Coast is brought to life as a land of almost unceasing drizzle and mist in and out of which fade shapes which may or may not be real. I could almost feel the wind and rain as I walked with Harkin in the countryside. The two large country houses which form the backdrop to the tale are separated by hills and cliffs which are painted so well by the writing that I almost felt I could find my way around.
The tale is fairly straightforward and the ‘solution’ to the mystery is well signalled, though the dénouement is quite spectacular. The journey though is the real pleasure of the book and should be savoured and enjoyed at a leisurely pace so that all the Irish mist can seep well into the reader’s consciousness. Unlike the previous novel it is not clear here if the ghosts are real, imagined or perhaps a bit of both.
W. C. Ryan also manages to work into the story the raw and visceral sense of injustice felt by both the local Irish (and predominantly Roman Catholic) community about what they see as the British occupation of their land and the British families (predominantly Anglican) who had lived in Ireland for generations and felt that they had no other home but were still seen as colonists by the locals. When it is pointed out that land had been taken from local owners who were then forced to rent it back, it is little wonder that eventually some turned to violence.
This book is beautifully written, has a straightforward but gripping mystery at its heart and can transport the reader a century into the past where the wind blows off the Atlantic, the mist hides secrets and the ghosts of the past make themselves heard.
December 31, 2022
I warmed to this book as I read it, but was still left with somewhat mixed feelings. Overwhelmingly I think it was probably trying to be too many things, causing it to be slow at times and loosing it's identity somewhere along the way.
At it's heart is a murder mystery set just after the First World War investigated by an insurance claims investigator, which is really just cover for being an IRA Intelligence Officer. His former fiancee is killed, apparently in an IRA ambush, but he is convinced that they wouldn't kill her, a hero of the East Rising.
The predominant theme is Irish History at the start to the Troubles, and the all-out war between the IRA and the RIC, combined with the lead characters trauma which echos from WWI. As a history it's fascinating, with a lot of context about a period in history I should probably know more about. There are various love and romance stories wrapped around the book, and some ghostly goings on with white lady apparitions and other supernatural incidents.
The problem is it's none of those things - ghost story, whodunnit, history or romance and you're left a bit all over the place. I enjoyed it generally, but something was missing for me.
At it's heart is a murder mystery set just after the First World War investigated by an insurance claims investigator, which is really just cover for being an IRA Intelligence Officer. His former fiancee is killed, apparently in an IRA ambush, but he is convinced that they wouldn't kill her, a hero of the East Rising.
The predominant theme is Irish History at the start to the Troubles, and the all-out war between the IRA and the RIC, combined with the lead characters trauma which echos from WWI. As a history it's fascinating, with a lot of context about a period in history I should probably know more about. There are various love and romance stories wrapped around the book, and some ghostly goings on with white lady apparitions and other supernatural incidents.
The problem is it's none of those things - ghost story, whodunnit, history or romance and you're left a bit all over the place. I enjoyed it generally, but something was missing for me.
January 24, 2022
Having read and listened to W C Ryan's previous book The House of Ghosts, I was eager to read this The Winter Guest. It did not disappoint, Ryan's writing style is superlative. His description of characters makes them leap of the page. This is a completely different story set in Ireland during the Civil War in Ireland however the descriptions of first war soldiers are sharp and concise and gives an accurate feel of their suffering. I highly recommend this book and hopefully the audiobook if it is done. I am so grateful for an ARC of the Winter Guest from Netgalley, the publishers and, of course, the author whom I admire highly.
October 13, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. I liked how the author really set the eerie atmosphere with the house and land. I just wish there would have more ghosts in this story. There were a few references to ghosts throughout the story and a couple sightings, but with the creepy atmosphere of the book more would have been appreciated. I liked the history within this book and learning about the uprisings in Ireland, which I did not know much about. Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book.
October 2, 2022
Ich habe das Buch zufällig entdeckt. Ich wohne sehr ländlich und muss zum nächsten Bookshop 1 Stunde fahren, und der ist dann auch noch spärlich bestückt. Deshalb war ich auch sehr glücklich, dass ich diese gloomy Story gefunden habe.
Wir haben hier alle Zutaten für eine schöne klassische Gothic Story: ein altes Haus, Geister (die meiner Meinung nach ein bisschen zu kurz gekommen sind), düstere Geheimnisse, Verstrickungen, seelische Abgründe und - für mich besonders schön - einen Mord, der aufgeklärt werden muss. Das Setting ist Irland an der Westküste in 1921, also auf dem Höhepunkt der Unruhen. Es ist düster, Feuchtigkeit zieht dir überall rein, Nebel zieht auf und es ist kalt. Ich hab so mitgefühlt - oder mit gefroren (Grüße aus Donegal an der Stelle). Der Autor hat es wunderbar verstanden, diese klamme Atmosphäre hier einzufangen.
Zu meiner Schande muss ich gestehen, dass ich bezüglich der irischen Geschichte nur die Basics kenne und zu Beginn der Geschichte googlen musste, wer diese ganzen Gruppierungen sind, die sich da gegenseitig ausspielen. Menschen, die mehr Ahnung haben, werden hier wohl weniger Schwierigkeiten haben. Ich kann daher nicht beurteilen, ob das alles historisch korrekt ist oder nicht. Es war für mich alles stimmig und passte zusammen.
Die Charaktere fand ich sehr gut gelungen. Jede Person hat ihre positiven Seiten und ihre Abgründe, ihre eigenen Struggles, sodass die Charaktere wirklich sehr menschlich wirken. Der Hauptcharakter, aus dessen Perspektive geschrieben ist, ist sehr sympathisch und seine PTSD kommt sehr gut rüber, insbesondere die Flashbacks die er zwischendrin erleidet. Aber auch die anderen Charaktere haben mir gut gefallen, sie hatten alle ihre eigene Persönlichkeit. Große Liebe für Moira und ihrem Monokel.
Für mich war es zu Beginn recht deutlich, wer den Mord zu verantworten hat, allerdings war ich vornehmlich an dem WARUM interessiert. Die Auflösung wird nach und nach enthüllt, wir folgen verschiedenen Spuren und Theorien. Das ist sehr gut gelungen. Ich habe mich irgendwann nur noch gefragt, wie der Protagonist da unbeschadet wieder rauskommen will. Das Ende hat mir aber sehr gefallen. Die guten Charaktere überleben.
Inhaltshinweis:
Die Geschichte hätte ein bisschen diverser sein können, aber wahrscheinlich limitiert hier auch das Setting die künstlerische Freiheit. Es gibt Repräsentation von Queerness in Form eines M/M-Paares, allerdings stirbt eine der Personen, was ich mich wirklich sehr unglücklich zurückgelassen hat. Ja, es ist logisch und nachvollziehbar, aber warum ausgerechnet diese Person. Hätte es nicht eine andere Person sein können? Weiterhin gibt es noch Charlotte, die gern Charles genannt werden möchte, wo ich nur vermuten kann, dass die Figur vielleicht queer ist. Das muss einem ja auch nicht immer unter die Nase gerieben werden. Ich traue den Lesenden durchaus zu, dass sie ihre eigenen Schlüsse ziehen können. Für mich war Charles halt einfach queer. Ich möchte betonen, dass ich die Bemühungen des Autors sehr zu schätzen weiß.
Fazit:
Ich mochte die Geschichte sehr. Es war alles rund und die Charaktere waren toll. Es gibt wohl noch ein Buch in dieser Reihe, dass ich auf jeden Fall auch noch lesen werde, und ich hoffe, dass noch mehr folgen. Alles in allem gibt es eine Empfehlung von mir. Wer also noch Literatur für den Oktober sucht, ist hier sehr gut aufgehoben.
Wir haben hier alle Zutaten für eine schöne klassische Gothic Story: ein altes Haus, Geister (die meiner Meinung nach ein bisschen zu kurz gekommen sind), düstere Geheimnisse, Verstrickungen, seelische Abgründe und - für mich besonders schön - einen Mord, der aufgeklärt werden muss. Das Setting ist Irland an der Westküste in 1921, also auf dem Höhepunkt der Unruhen. Es ist düster, Feuchtigkeit zieht dir überall rein, Nebel zieht auf und es ist kalt. Ich hab so mitgefühlt - oder mit gefroren (Grüße aus Donegal an der Stelle). Der Autor hat es wunderbar verstanden, diese klamme Atmosphäre hier einzufangen.
Zu meiner Schande muss ich gestehen, dass ich bezüglich der irischen Geschichte nur die Basics kenne und zu Beginn der Geschichte googlen musste, wer diese ganzen Gruppierungen sind, die sich da gegenseitig ausspielen. Menschen, die mehr Ahnung haben, werden hier wohl weniger Schwierigkeiten haben. Ich kann daher nicht beurteilen, ob das alles historisch korrekt ist oder nicht. Es war für mich alles stimmig und passte zusammen.
Die Charaktere fand ich sehr gut gelungen. Jede Person hat ihre positiven Seiten und ihre Abgründe, ihre eigenen Struggles, sodass die Charaktere wirklich sehr menschlich wirken. Der Hauptcharakter, aus dessen Perspektive geschrieben ist, ist sehr sympathisch und seine PTSD kommt sehr gut rüber, insbesondere die Flashbacks die er zwischendrin erleidet. Aber auch die anderen Charaktere haben mir gut gefallen, sie hatten alle ihre eigene Persönlichkeit. Große Liebe für Moira und ihrem Monokel.
Für mich war es zu Beginn recht deutlich, wer den Mord zu verantworten hat, allerdings war ich vornehmlich an dem WARUM interessiert. Die Auflösung wird nach und nach enthüllt, wir folgen verschiedenen Spuren und Theorien. Das ist sehr gut gelungen. Ich habe mich irgendwann nur noch gefragt, wie der Protagonist da unbeschadet wieder rauskommen will. Das Ende hat mir aber sehr gefallen. Die guten Charaktere überleben.
Inhaltshinweis:
Die Geschichte hätte ein bisschen diverser sein können, aber wahrscheinlich limitiert hier auch das Setting die künstlerische Freiheit. Es gibt Repräsentation von Queerness in Form eines M/M-Paares, allerdings stirbt eine der Personen, was ich mich wirklich sehr unglücklich zurückgelassen hat. Ja, es ist logisch und nachvollziehbar, aber warum ausgerechnet diese Person. Hätte es nicht eine andere Person sein können? Weiterhin gibt es noch Charlotte, die gern Charles genannt werden möchte, wo ich nur vermuten kann, dass die Figur vielleicht queer ist. Das muss einem ja auch nicht immer unter die Nase gerieben werden. Ich traue den Lesenden durchaus zu, dass sie ihre eigenen Schlüsse ziehen können. Für mich war Charles halt einfach queer. Ich möchte betonen, dass ich die Bemühungen des Autors sehr zu schätzen weiß.
Fazit:
Ich mochte die Geschichte sehr. Es war alles rund und die Charaktere waren toll. Es gibt wohl noch ein Buch in dieser Reihe, dass ich auf jeden Fall auch noch lesen werde, und ich hoffe, dass noch mehr folgen. Alles in allem gibt es eine Empfehlung von mir. Wer also noch Literatur für den Oktober sucht, ist hier sehr gut aufgehoben.
February 20, 2023
’If, God willing, he survives until the morning, he promises himself a life of only mild excitement’
You’ve gotta love Toilet Ryan (this is a silly little goofy joke because in England WC stood for ‘Water Closet’ which was an old-fashioned name for a toilet and this guys initials are W. C. like WC, meaning toilet, so I call him Toilet Ryan, which isn’t meant as an insult because I like his books, it’s just a silly little goofy joke as I said, which I’ve really over-explained and is no longer funny, I’m sorry, I’m actually going to review the book now).
Toilet Ryan has only written two books, this and his first novel named ‘A House of Ghosts’, which I adored, and they both have the same sort of vibe. Big creepy house, set between the 1910-20s, lots of Irish, cool little murder mystery, and occasionally a spooky ghost. You know, everyone’s favourite things to read about. And no that isn’t sarcasm, I really do enjoy these books!
There’s something very comforting and painless about Ryan’s narrative style - it’s like being wrapped in a big comfy blanket and drinking a nice warm cup of tea. I feel soothed, I feel relaxed, and most of all, I feel content. There’s nothing ground-breaking about his books, nothing that I can say is particularly unique or anything that will change your perspective on life, but I can assure you that you will have an enjoyable and fulfilling time, and isn’t that all anyone really wants?
Overall, The Winter Guest gets 3/5 stars, mainly because I liked the characters less than I did in A House of Ghosts (which I gave a 4/5). And, as is expected, I will be anticipating and buying Toilet Ryan’s next little Irish murder mystery :)
Also the covers to these books are always stunning so buy them for that if nothing else!
You’ve gotta love Toilet Ryan (this is a silly little goofy joke because in England WC stood for ‘Water Closet’ which was an old-fashioned name for a toilet and this guys initials are W. C. like WC, meaning toilet, so I call him Toilet Ryan, which isn’t meant as an insult because I like his books, it’s just a silly little goofy joke as I said, which I’ve really over-explained and is no longer funny, I’m sorry, I’m actually going to review the book now).
Toilet Ryan has only written two books, this and his first novel named ‘A House of Ghosts’, which I adored, and they both have the same sort of vibe. Big creepy house, set between the 1910-20s, lots of Irish, cool little murder mystery, and occasionally a spooky ghost. You know, everyone’s favourite things to read about. And no that isn’t sarcasm, I really do enjoy these books!
There’s something very comforting and painless about Ryan’s narrative style - it’s like being wrapped in a big comfy blanket and drinking a nice warm cup of tea. I feel soothed, I feel relaxed, and most of all, I feel content. There’s nothing ground-breaking about his books, nothing that I can say is particularly unique or anything that will change your perspective on life, but I can assure you that you will have an enjoyable and fulfilling time, and isn’t that all anyone really wants?
Overall, The Winter Guest gets 3/5 stars, mainly because I liked the characters less than I did in A House of Ghosts (which I gave a 4/5). And, as is expected, I will be anticipating and buying Toilet Ryan’s next little Irish murder mystery :)
Also the covers to these books are always stunning so buy them for that if nothing else!
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