A House of Bells

by J.T. Croft

A woman haunted by fate, a child silenced by fear, and a house full of secrets and bells.

1918. Stripped of her reputation and haunted by a spirit she failed to protect, the young governess Grace Meadows finds herself out of time and growing more and more desperate. But when she’s offered a strange job from an eccentric medium, she never could have imagined what she was signing up for.

Tasked with caring for a troubled young girl who has lost the ability to speak, Grace must unravel the dangerous secrets at the heart of a run-down country mansion and find the source of the horrors which now threaten both of their lives.

As she’s forced to confront her own demons and reconcile the ghosts of past and present, can Grace protect the child from the living and dead? And what is waiting for her beyond the mysterious silk and bells which protect them from forces unseen?

Jane Eyre meets the Woman in Black in this gothic supernatural mystery.

Genres: Gothic, Horror, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Paranormal, Historical

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 8, 2021

About the author

J. T. Croft is a Gothic and speculative fiction author with a passion for tales both fantastical and supernatural.

An avid fan of Gothic fantasy and ghost stories, J. T. imbues his work with strong emotional themes designed to tug readers’ hearts and make them think. His stories roam between good and evil, exploring the grey area between with a melancholy, bittersweet, and strangely charming feel.

J. T. Croft is enchanted by the works of Edwardian ghostwriters such as M. R. James, E. Nesbit, and E. F. Benson, as much as the Gothic works of Laura Purcell, Susan Hill, and Daphne du Maurier.

When not writing, he enjoys listening to podcasts, drinking coffee, and spending time with his partner and their grey tabby in Worcestershire, UK.

Website - www.jtcroft.com
Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/jtcroftauthor/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jtcroftauthor
Twitter - https://twitter.com/jtcroftauthor
BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-t-c...

Reviews

[Priskah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 ✨✨✨

(Audiobook)

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

**Rating: 2/5**

I really, really wanted to love this book. I really did. The premise sounded promising and I was very excited to learn that our protagonist Grace worked with children who were deaf or mute or both, which is a representation I haven't seen a lot of in Gothic fiction and would love to learn more about. Sadly, the rest of the book didn't really live up to its potential in my opinion.

Firstly, the pacing was way off. It was slow to start initially but then the "mystery" was solved relatively quickly, leaving very little chance for any build up of tension to happen except for a few moments here and there. Another thing related to this point - none of the culprits made any sense to me. We barely get the chance to know them, and to understand their backstories and motives. One of them literally appears out of nowhere; we weren’t even introduced to him until halfway through the book - just prior to him being apprehended, in fact.

So the people responsible for poisoning Grace and Rose are the housemaid Kate - who we probably have a grand total of two interactions with throughout the whole book - and her brother Henry camping in the woods, who also happens to be a wanted criminal. What. It feels like the pair of siblings were just randomly plucked out of the air to serve as nothing more than a convenient plot device. Even the whole Sophia Ferris exorcism debacle made very little sense to me - we know literally nothing about her, only that she didn't have a good marriage, is dead and now wants her poisoned-and-in-poor-health-but-still-very-much-alive daughter to join her in the afterlife.

???

Additionally, the fact that there were both human and ghostly perpetrators didn't work in this story in my opinion - the two storylines weren't connected or cohesive in any way, and it was rather clunky and awkward to read.

A fair few descriptions in the book were also extremely confusing, and I didn't understand some of the logistics in certain situations. For example, "Grace peered down to see the missing section of railing, free of its masonry but hacked by several cuts to remove the finely wrought leaves that spiralled within the filigree. The silvered metal beneath glinted back against the tarnished black paint that had been applied to its surface. She picked up a small piece and was surprised by its weight, placing it on a set of tarnished brass scales, which suddenly tipped over without a counterbalance." We're in a closed space suspended in air, looking through the glass down at a section of the stairs, how is this possible? Maybe I'm just being stupid, but unless she descends the staircase, picks up the pieces and goes back up again, I really don't see how she accomplishes this. Another example, "Grace watched in horror as the woman put the spirit child’s neck into the crook of her arm, stifling its silent cries. Arthur struggled and went limp, as the woman dragged her steady way up and through the webs of the staircase, setting off the tinkling of bells. Several thinner strands passed straight through both mother and child as they made their way to the second-floor landing." Sophia Ferris and Arthur (Grace's previous charge who sadly perished) are in no way related. Why refer to them as mother and child then? I did a double take when I read that and had to go back to make sure I hadn't missed anything.

Overall, A House of Bells was just not for me. I still think its concept is excellent, it's just a shame it wasn't executed very well.

[Becky Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the kindle version and loved it so much that I was lucky enough to listen to a review copy of the forthcoming audiobook.

Set in 1918, the story centres around Grace Meadows, a young governess haunted by the ghost of a charge she failed to protect. After encountering an eccentric spirit medium, Grace finds herself in a new position in a country mansion, caring for a young girl who has strangely lost the ability to talk. But within the crumbling walls of this once great house are dark secrets and malevolent ghosts. Grace must confront her own past and protect the young girl from those living and dead.

A House of Bells has everything I expect for a great Gothic ghost story… a rambling old manor, a great cast of believably flawed characters who all harbour secrets. Exceptionally written, this had me on the edge of my seat and swiftly turning the pages, playing on my mind when I wasn’t reading. I positively devoured this book.

With tangible vibes of The Woman in Black and Jane Eyre and is an excellent read for lovers of more contemporary authors such as Hestor Fox and Laura Purcell.

[Helen McCormick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A period ghost story with good characters

The characters are lovely, and the plot is original and it's nice that it mentions sign language a lot. It didn't hook me, it was a slow burner of a story and at times I found it confusing of what the author was trying to describe, but a good read.

[Christine RN-H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read and rather enjoyed the short story collection "High Spirits" by the same author I was looking forward to his first novel. The publisher promises the reader a gothic piece in the style of Laura Purcell, Hester Fox and Susan Hill, and "House of Bells" entirely lives up to the promise! It has all the ingredients for a classic ghost story, from a crumbling manor house to a charismatic medium and a young governess haunted by her past, but it does not have to rely purely on its supernatural elements (although there are plenty of those, too!) for suspense. Some protagonists seem to follow their own agenda, and as their lifelines interweave, pieces fall into place and the story picks up speed and unfolds before the reader's eyes. During a truly captivating and thoroughly enjoyable read, the past suddenly does not seem to be so far away after all. -
The year is 1918. Grace Meadows has yet again fallen out with an employer. Having no means of her own, she will soon find herself in dire straits unless she can secure herself an income. Highly qualified and possessed by a strong sense of duty, she wants nothing more than to continue her mission as a teacher to children who cannot communicate in the usual way, but as her former employers deny her letters of references, that's not likely to happen. For despite her commitment and dedication to her wards, Grace's way of dealing with her own experiences of loss and trauma is not compatible with the smooth running of the grand houses of the gentry where employees are supposed to fit in quietly. Yet helping her wards to find their voices has become her sole purpose in life, so Grace rather takes her chances now when faced with the election between a mere bread-winning job and a possibility to follow her true vocation, even if her choice implies exposing herself to close scrutiny by an enigmatic medium - which opens old wounds anew - and most unusual circunstances of employment. A further hazard is that failure this time will see her on the streets for good. Still, Grace accepts the challenge, which leads her to a vast isolated mansion, run-down and barely kept together by the hitherto unquestioned reign of an ever-interfering housekeeper who is at liberty to deal with the few remaining servants as she sees fit, as the master of the house is a broken man who takes little interest in his surroundings any more. Craving oblivion, the only thing to tether Captain Ferris still to life is his little daughter Rose, whose health is ever deteriorating and who refuses to speak since her mother's loss. Grace is to get Rose to speak again, a task that Grace's beloved teacher Jane Urquart begun but could not complete. If she is to help Rose, Grace needs to uncover the secrets of Hemingworth Hall, where nothing is quite as it seems, and she needs to be quick about it. It's hard to tell friend from foe in an increasingly menacing atmosphere, and Grace soon discovers that the stakes are even higher than she bargained for. And Rose is running out of time...

[Anne-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edge of your seat

Edge of your seat gothic supernatural suspense
Wonderful story with great characters especially Grace and Bishop...
My first book by J.T. Drift and it won't be my last...I love gothic ghost stories and good ones are hard to find!
The story takes place in 1918
Grace is a governess who cares for young children who cannot speak or don't want to speak. She teaches them sign language for communication. She has a phobia for fire but I won't spoil this review with why you will have to read the book to find out...
Highly recommend and hope you enjoy it as much as I did

[Brandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was sadly underwhelming for me. Gothic anything is my jam, but this book seemed to be heavy on promises but not so great at delivery. It was a slow burn to the point of boredom, repetition and predictability. The “big reveal” takes place with 1.5 hours of the novel yet to read. The ghostly showdown was fun, but not worth the wait.

2 stars

[The Pastel Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

[Krista Clements · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. The story was either predictable or just straight ridiculous with no in-between. I couldn't get around the author trying to cram an entire thesaurus of adverbs and adjectives into this one book, which made for a very clunky read.
Example:

**Grace took a deep breath and entered the sumptuous room. A great blaze warmed the duck-egg blue wallpaper above the shoulder-high linen-fold panelling in a wide and airy day room. A crystal chandelier glinted with the flickering of the electrics and against the window. A child of seven years old, white-smocked and fair-haired, knelt on a window chaise oblivious to the interruption and looked out at the returning headlights of the burgundy motorcar.***


Top that with the poorly executed tactic of hiding information for a dramatic reveal (which came out as random information that had me reread paragraphs to try to figure out when the heck that character came into play) and you have yourselves a book that begs to be skimmed and forgotten.

[Jᴀɴᴀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

As it says in the title, this novel is a gothic supernatural mystery filled with suspense, which promises to thrill us, but the few plot holes it has and some of its more rushed moments fail to make that promise as true as I'd hoped. Still, it has ghosts, haunted mansions, poisoners, some rather unique characters and has quite an intriguing story featuring people with speech impediments, which is something one rarely comes across especially in gothic novels. Overall, an interesting read.

[Billie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

[shereads_theworld · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this, but found myself literally lost in the descriptions as they were overwhelming to me and I couldn't visualize anything; and also got completely lost in the layout of the house and the tunnels and rooms 😭

I honestly literally felt like I was being suffocated and couldn't wait to escape

[Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this with my book club in Gothy Discord.

Props to the author for including characters with different disabilities, in as a respectful way as you can in a historical novel.

Sadly this book never really manage to grab me, I wasn't interested in the characters and didn't feel there was much plot. So I'm gonna have to give this 2.5 stars. I'll keep my copy though, maybe I'll give it another chance one day.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

If you like atmospheric, foreboding stories about ghosts and haunted houses, then this might be a book you will enjoy. I picked it up after seeing it in a video by DanniDabbles, I am so pleased I did; otherwise, I would have missed out on one of the best stories I have read so far this year.

[J. T. Croft]

A Secret Always Rings True.
When the talented but desperate young governess Grace Meadows is offered a strange job from an eccentric medium and socialite, she never could have imagined what horrors she would discover. Tasked with caring for a troubled young girl who has lost the ability to speak, Grace must unravel the dangerous secrets lurking in the shadows of a run-down country mansion.
As she grapples with her own demons and tries to reconcile the ghosts of the past and present, Grace must find a way to protect the girl from the unseen forces which now threaten both of their lives.
There’s a secret hidden in this mansion, one which somebody doesn’t want discovered – and Grace soon learns that the mysterious silk and bells won’t save her from everything…

[Steve Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a strong, classic ghost story, with an engaging, damaged hero, Grace Meadows, who has a special gift for supporting children who do not speak. Grace carries an aching pain for a tragedy that leaves her haunted and desperate. After a difficult incident, a kindly aristocrat saves her from destitution by sending her to his old flame in London, who gives her a second chance in a remote country manor.

I loved the way this story played out, with a seasoning of corrupt characters and a vengeful spirit, testing Grace’s skills to the limit. Recommended.

[Christy Wahl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Such a promising start... that then kind of fizzled into a mediocre ending 80% of the way through the book... and then went on and on and on. I really can't stand it when an author doesn't know how to end a book. I've heard that it's not knowing how to start a novel that's the hardest thing about creative writing- it's knowing how to end it. Can someone please be kind and teach JT Croft how to end a plot before his readers are all bored to tears?

[Sara Vogt · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️ this book had potential. However unreliable narration (the characters did the same thing several times in scenes-as if the editors didn’t catch it) and somewhat stilted ways of saying things hindered the flow. The book would benefit from a thorough editing. The premise is solid but very cliche.

[Carolina Búho · Rating 2 out of 5]

2:5/5

Este libro es un perfecto ejemplo de cómo una idea, por muy buena que sea, puede llegar a nada si la ejecución no está a la altura. Me explico: la sinopsis prometía una casa embrujada y una protagonista asediada por un fantasma que debe resolver el misterio antes de que eso les cueste la vida a ella y a su nueva estudiante... y sí pasa eso, pero no.
Mi primer problema con este libro fue el ritmo. El prólogo no está mal, nos presentan un hecho impactante y misterioso que será importantes después, y luego empieza la historia de Grace Meadows, la protagonista. Sin embargo, la acción arranca hacia el 25% del libro, cuando Grace es enviada a trabajar a la casa embrujada mencionada en la sinopsis y no es sino hacia la mitad de la historia que empezamos a ver los misterios y los hechos extraños que ahí tienen lugar. Sin embargo, el desenlace ocurre en tres capítulos y luego tenemos un epílogo larguísimo que no aporta nada. Me parece que el libro habría funcionado mejor si hubiera empezado cuando la protagonista llega a la mansión... o, si acaso, cuando va a visitar a la médium de Mayfar y que la revelación sobre su pasado ocurriera en alusiones o flashbacks, en lugar de gastar 25% en presentarnos situaciones e información que, en retrospectiva, no aportan nada a la historia y, en realidad, contribuyen a la sensación de irregularidad en el ritmo.
Mi segundo problema fue la resolución de los conflictos, tanto el "real" como el sobrenatural: el primero se resuelve en un capítulo y los autores de dicho conflicto son dos personajes que, hasta ese momento, no habían aparecido más que incidentalmente. Si bien existe un plot-twist, pues los culpables son quienes menos imaginarías, cabe recordar que los plot-twist deben tener coherencia... y en este caso no la tienen. Creo que, si el autor hubiera introducido estos personajes o la situación de otra manera, habría logrado que tuviera sentido. En cuanto a la resolución del conflicto sobrenatural... no entendí cómo fue posible que sucediera eso e_e
Mi tercer problema, que está intrínsecamente relacionado con los dos anteriores, es que los personajes no están bien definidos. A excepción de Rose, Emeline y la propia Grace, todos los demás personajes sólo existen. Los leemos hablar, actuar e interactuar, pero al final del día son sólo un nombre sobre el papel (o, en mi caso, la pantalla). Aunado a eso, no se nos explican sus motivos o las razones detrás de sus acciones... uno de mis grandes problemas con esto fue la esposa de Charles quien es el fantasma que atormenta la casa y a su propia hija. Sin embargo, nunca entendemos por qué actúa así, sólo se dice que "está loca", pero... ¿qué la llevó a eso? ¿por qué está obsesionada con Rose?. Aunado a la falta de caracterización de los personajes, está el desarrollo de las relaciones entre éstos, pues no resultan creíbles. Al final, Grace está con el doctor James y lady Emeline con el viejo duque... sin embargo, aunque el médico y Grace interactuaron un par de ocasiones, nunca vemos más allá que una incipiente amistad; mientras que lo del duque y la médium resulta algo forzado e innecesario.
En conclusión, la idea de la historia era buena y, si el autor hubiera desarrollado la historia en más capítulos y cortado algunas cosas que hacían tropezar la narración, habría sido un verdadero acierto de novela. Por desgracia, se quedó a la mitad del camino.

[Karen Furness · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book on a recommendation and I am so pleased I read it. None of your fainting ladies in this one as per usual books of the period. This is a feisty character and I thought she was brilliant. There was no "quick" ending either which I have a real problem with in books where you get a great lead up and then the book ends in one page. I would highly recommend this one and am looking forward to more of the same.

[Myra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who doesn't like a spooky story now and then? Grace, a governess/ caretaker with a specialty working with deaf children trauma, is haunted by a previous charge as she begins a new position. Follow Grace as she meets an eccentric medium, a WWI scarred father, a kind doctor, a mute bodyguard/valet, as well as the terrified little girl she becomes responsible for helping. Atmospheric in a run-down mansion, mysterious bells rung by spirits, and potentially, a poisoner? Enjoy this reading experience!

[Leona Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable, gripping, and with engaging characters. I romped through in one read!

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gothic mystery with a supernatural slant, I really enjoyed this, it was a welcome change from Detective whodunnits. A good book for the dark winter evenings, something to curl up with and leave the world behind.

[Lynn Wendland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fun and exciting. Just enough scare to make you wonder am I hearing things at night. I highly recommend this book.

[Linda Smiff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good premise, very slow to get going then exciting but ultimately too dull and confusing to be really good. Ok enough read.

[Serena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gothic paranormal mystery thriller, intense and full of twists and turns!

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I've read a true gothic novel that isn't from centuries ago. Fantastic read! Looking forward to more by this author.

[Barbara Mcknight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

My first Book by J T Croft, really enjoyed it.Well written and very atmospheric, interesting characters in all great read

[Linda Myette · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the story but the writing was so clunky, I found myself re-reading whole paragraphs and still not understanding what was supposed to be said. Almost DNF’d during the big final scene because I had no idea what was going on, I couldn’t picture any of it in my head.

[Tammy Steger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book a 5 star because it was interesting enough to keep my attention that I read it in one day. Good who did it and what was the motive.