Supernatural Fiction Readers discussion

Hi There, paranormal lovers. I am trying to find a book I read back in the 1970s (or thereabouts), and don't have much to go on. It was a ghost story in which the heroine is trying to solve a haunting of an old church/graveyard. There are many scenes describing the elusive mist that cloaks the valley beyond the graveyard. At the end, she discovers that the ghost is from someone who died "outside of the church" and was buried just outside the stone wall edging the graveyard, i.e. on unhallowed ground.

I know that's not much info--no title, no author, not even sure of the year. I'm thinking it has the word "mist" in the title, but can't be sure. But the story was so good & so scary that it has stuck in my mind till this day. Any of this ring a bell with anyone?

If it weren't for your publication date, I'd say this sounds a bit like Long Lankin by LIndsey Barraclough. However, Long Lankin was published in 2014 (though it's based on an old folktale).

Deb wrote: "If it weren't for your publication date, I'd say this sounds a bit like Long Lankin by LIndsey Barraclough. However, Long Lankin was published in 2014 (though it's based on an old folktale)."

Thanks Deb! I will check out that title. However, I do know that it's been at least 25 years since I read the book. But if it's a similar story, I'm sure I will love it!

Hi Claire, could your book be Ghosts of the Mists of Time? It appears that one was published in the 1970's and contains the word mists in the title. Here's the link: http://bit.ly/2bPqUqZ

I wrote a review of Long Lankin if you're interested in that one: http://wp.me/p3D6Co-fz

Deb wrote: "Hi Claire, could your book be Ghosts of the Mists of Time? It appears that one was published in the 1970's and contains the word mists in the title. Here's the link: http://bit.ly/2bPqUqZ

I wrote ..."

Deb, thanks for this, but this seems to be a collection of ghost stories, not a novel. I also couldn't find a detailed description of it on Amazon. What I'm looking for is definitely a novel. *sigh*

Bummer. I guess the next step would be to head to an old library and search Books In Print starting in 1970 with "mist" in the title. Books In Print would contain the titles of all traditionally published books for a particular year.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help. And here I was considering myself something of a ghost fiction connoisseur...

Deb wrote: "Bummer. I guess the next step would be to head to an old library and search Books In Print starting in 1970 with "mist" in the title. Books In Print would contain the titles of all traditionally pu..."

Is that something I need a subscription for? I never heard about that database. I have an account with Bowker (for purchasing my ISBNs) but the Books in Print site won't take my username and password.

At my library (probably 100 years old), there was a section in the reference area with Books In Print. They are big red books, one published for each year. You just go to the year you want and look in the index for your title or genre. I did this maybe ten years ago.

Nowadays, I think Books In Print is published online, but it is a paid subscription. Your library will have Books In Print (possibly in book form for 1970) available, and a reference librarian can help you locate it.

Let me know how you make out. If you find the novel, I'll read it, too!

Claire, you might want to consider joining this group: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/... , and taking your question to them. They've been quite successful in helping me hunt down a number of books I'd previously read, but had forgotten the author/title information for.

Claire, can you update us on your search? Have you identified this novel yet?