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Haunted Ballad #2
The Famous Flower of Serving Men
Certainly some of the events are real---or, to be more accurate, they are partly hidden in a genuine English ballad that was composed and sung centuries ago. Just as the song in Grabien's well-received first novel in this unusual series, The Weaver and the Factory Maid, tells a story that may or may not be based on an actual event---but that in any case reflects perfectly the world in which it is set. And once again our two very modern principals, Penelope Wintercraft-Hawkes ("Oh, please, just 'Penny' ") and her lover, Ringan Laine, find themselves in uncomfortably closer contact with a long-gone world than they would like.
It all starts when a solicitor informs Penny that an elderly aunt, a woman she never met, has died and left Penny some "property in East Central London." The "property" turns out to be a realization of Penny's dream. She heads a touring theatre troupe that performs classic drama to audiences all over Britain and abroad. But Penny has yearned for a "home"---a theatre in London where she could prepare her season and launch her tours. And now, wonder of wonders, Aunt Mary--- Mary Therese Isabel Heatherington - whom Penny has never even met---has given her the very thing.
At first look, the condition of the building is dismaying. It is very old and needs considerable work. But practical Aunt Mary has left money toward that purpose, and Ringan Laine is a well-known and very talented restoration architect, who when he isn't singing and playing old English songs with the other musicians in his own traveling troupe, eagerly applies his skills to Penny's theatre.
And then, when Ringan is working alone late one afternoon, he is surprised to hear someone singing, singing a song so drenched with sadness he shudders at the sound.. The voice begins to be heard often during the day, and not only by Ringan. Who is the singer, what is the song that seems to have soaked into the old building's walls? Penny begins to dig into the history books and learns that there was much violence at the site centuries ago, violence that has left frightening remnants in the present. It is clear that before Penny can use her heritage they must find what terrible thing happened to the woman whose story the song seems to be telling, and what they can do to lay her ghost to final rest. Only when that is done can the curtain go up without mishap.
It all starts when a solicitor informs Penny that an elderly aunt, a woman she never met, has died and left Penny some "property in East Central London." The "property" turns out to be a realization of Penny's dream. She heads a touring theatre troupe that performs classic drama to audiences all over Britain and abroad. But Penny has yearned for a "home"---a theatre in London where she could prepare her season and launch her tours. And now, wonder of wonders, Aunt Mary--- Mary Therese Isabel Heatherington - whom Penny has never even met---has given her the very thing.
At first look, the condition of the building is dismaying. It is very old and needs considerable work. But practical Aunt Mary has left money toward that purpose, and Ringan Laine is a well-known and very talented restoration architect, who when he isn't singing and playing old English songs with the other musicians in his own traveling troupe, eagerly applies his skills to Penny's theatre.
And then, when Ringan is working alone late one afternoon, he is surprised to hear someone singing, singing a song so drenched with sadness he shudders at the sound.. The voice begins to be heard often during the day, and not only by Ringan. Who is the singer, what is the song that seems to have soaked into the old building's walls? Penny begins to dig into the history books and learns that there was much violence at the site centuries ago, violence that has left frightening remnants in the present. It is clear that before Penny can use her heritage they must find what terrible thing happened to the woman whose story the song seems to be telling, and what they can do to lay her ghost to final rest. Only when that is done can the curtain go up without mishap.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published November 4, 2004
59 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Grabien
29 books26 followersDeborah Grabien is a world traveller, retired medieval historian, and lifelong rocker chick. Her short fiction, reviews, and essays can be seen in many diverse venues.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 20, 2018
A very strange name for a book, but with good reason! This is a ghost story, full of suspense, chills, and great characters.
The title is based on an old English folk tale and the author, Deborah Grabien, has woven a great story darting in and out of the old tale. The original story, as most are, is based on actual historical events from England and France back in the 1300's.
I found the modern setting and the English banter to be quite fun. The story held me and it was hard to set down. Heat a pot of tea and sit down for a great treat!
The title is based on an old English folk tale and the author, Deborah Grabien, has woven a great story darting in and out of the old tale. The original story, as most are, is based on actual historical events from England and France back in the 1300's.
I found the modern setting and the English banter to be quite fun. The story held me and it was hard to set down. Heat a pot of tea and sit down for a great treat!
July 24, 2011
We meet Penny and Ringan again in the second book of the Haunted Ballard series. In this one, Penny comes into an unexpected inheritance from an eccentric French aunt that she has only met a few times. She leaves Penny a small theater and money to restore it. We find that there is a reason this theater has been in use only periodically as it is haunted by a malevolent presence that brings with it the scent of fire. Ringan is helping Penny with managing the restoration and they are all shocked at the spirits reaction to a song. Penny becomes convinced that they need to perform Iphigenia rather than something from their usual repertoire. The spirit becomes even more frightening when it causes a death. The pair and their compatriots begin researching the history of the street and the story behind the song "The Famous Flower of Serving Men" which is tied to the apparition along with Iphigenia. They find that the whole lane is affected and work together to find a solution. It was an intriguing story, once you got over the unlikely inheritance and I enjoyed the historical perspective and the history of the ballad. I look forward to the rest of the series.
June 7, 2011
#2 in the "Haunted Ballads" series featuring the couple Ringan Laine (folk singer and property restorer) and Penny Wintercraft-Hawkes (actress and theatre troupe leader.) Penny is left a bequest in a will--an abandoned theatre in London--from an eccentric great-aunt she met only once. The theatre is, of course, haunted and as they begin restoration on it and rehearsals for the first play, the troupe members and both Penny and Ringan begin hearing voices in French as well as a nasty stench. This means they need to research to find who the ghost is and how they can get rid of her.
Sounds sort of simplistic, but it's really not--it's a very atmospheric, eerie, graphic ghost story tied to the folk song with the same title as the book. As the author owns in her forward to the book, some of the information is historically sound and other parts are made up--it IS fiction, after all. I thoroughly enjoyed and devoured this book, with the author's setting you down right in the midst of wherever she put you at the time and you becoming oblivious to the outside world. Wunnerful!
Sounds sort of simplistic, but it's really not--it's a very atmospheric, eerie, graphic ghost story tied to the folk song with the same title as the book. As the author owns in her forward to the book, some of the information is historically sound and other parts are made up--it IS fiction, after all. I thoroughly enjoyed and devoured this book, with the author's setting you down right in the midst of wherever she put you at the time and you becoming oblivious to the outside world. Wunnerful!
September 3, 2007
THE FAMOUS FLOWER OF SERVING MEN (Paranormal-England-Cont) – G+
Grabien, Deborah – 2nd in series
Thomas Dunne Books, 2004 – Hardcover
Penny Wintercraft-Hawkes heads a troupe of traveling actors. She is stunned when she inherits a run-down theatre, and the funds to renovate it, from an aunt she has only seen once and didn't know at all. But when she goes to survey her inheritance, she finds not only a theatre, but also the spirits of past lives, particularly one violent woman begging for a priest.
*** Ms. Grabien has a wonderful way of mixing history and music into a tense ghost story. I do wonder a bit, how many times she can make this formula work. But, there's a interesting cast of characters and well-done descriptions that add to the suspense. My only small complaint was the use of French without translation. But, for paranormal fans, it's a good read.
Grabien, Deborah – 2nd in series
Thomas Dunne Books, 2004 – Hardcover
Penny Wintercraft-Hawkes heads a troupe of traveling actors. She is stunned when she inherits a run-down theatre, and the funds to renovate it, from an aunt she has only seen once and didn't know at all. But when she goes to survey her inheritance, she finds not only a theatre, but also the spirits of past lives, particularly one violent woman begging for a priest.
*** Ms. Grabien has a wonderful way of mixing history and music into a tense ghost story. I do wonder a bit, how many times she can make this formula work. But, there's a interesting cast of characters and well-done descriptions that add to the suspense. My only small complaint was the use of French without translation. But, for paranormal fans, it's a good read.
January 21, 2012
Just as good as the first book in the series...I'm anxious to get started on the 3rd!
"Certainly some of the events are real---or, to be more accurate, they are partly hidden in a genuine English ballad that was composed and sung centuries ago. Just as the song in Grabien's well-received first novel in this unusual series, The Weaver and the Factory Maid, tells a story that may or may not be based on an actual event---but that in any case reflects perfectly the world in which it is set. And once again our two very modern principals, Penelope Wintercraft-Hawkes ("Oh, please, just 'Penny' ") and her lover, Ringan Laine, find themselves in uncomfortably closer contact with a long-gone world than they would like."
"Certainly some of the events are real---or, to be more accurate, they are partly hidden in a genuine English ballad that was composed and sung centuries ago. Just as the song in Grabien's well-received first novel in this unusual series, The Weaver and the Factory Maid, tells a story that may or may not be based on an actual event---but that in any case reflects perfectly the world in which it is set. And once again our two very modern principals, Penelope Wintercraft-Hawkes ("Oh, please, just 'Penny' ") and her lover, Ringan Laine, find themselves in uncomfortably closer contact with a long-gone world than they would like."
January 7, 2008
What I got from this book besides a smashingly good write up of ghostly phenomena was a lot of information about the life and times of Richard II and how his people lived. The heroine inherits a charming theater - that no one has ever completed a season in. In fact, all the shops in the block have had hard times, including unexplained deaths. There is a great deal of scholarly detail presented in a fun way.
October 8, 2012
Terrific blend of mystery, history, ghosts, and London. Very quick read as the plot sucks you in. This one even has librarians and archivists in it, all trying to solve the haunting of a theater property from the 1300s. There may not have really been a Lady Agnes, but the author makes a convincing case for her story and her tragedy. Partial quibble: I wish that mystery books published in the last 10 years would not predictably introduce something about child molesting!
February 6, 2008
Fabulous. I love this series - it's terrific! There is just enough creepiness to make one feel spooked just a bit when reading it alone at home, but it's not so bad that it gives one nightmares, and the spooky moments are nicely broken up. I really like how she works these ballads in with English history and makes the story just come alive. I can't wait to get on with the next book.
July 17, 2014
Music, ghosts, history, mystery. A delicious morsel. Grabien manages to pull together some unusal elements and make them work well together. The only thing I don't much like is the title, because it isn't familiar to me, and doesn't make me think of a mystery at all. But the cover is pretty, isn't it?
April 4, 2015
I read one of her books in this series many years ago and now that I've found some of the others in my local libraries, I'll read them all. I love the interactions between the people and the supernatural. Enjoying folk music the fact that the series is based on songs is really interesting.
August 7, 2008
Perfect light summer reading. England, ghosts, history and lots of drinking of tea.
December 16, 2009
main characters Penny Wintercraft-Hawkes a theatre director, Ringan Laine a folk musician and architectural historian/restoration consultant
February 23, 2011
I love this series. It just keeps getting better.
Want to read
December 6, 2011Recommended in the book Tolstoy and the Purple Chair.
September 12, 2012
This was a surprise book. Part ghost story, part history lesson and part theatre, it held my interest from start to finish. I'm not a great fan of ghost stories, but this was one I'll recommend!
October 19, 2012
I enjoyed this book! It was the second in the series I read and I really need to go back and get more.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews