Review: Ghost of a Beach Town in Winter by Kathleen Valentine
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 16, 2012
This is a novella that I enjoyed very much because of the characters and the feeling that something was strangely not quite right in the almost deserted seaside town in winter.  With all of the rides closed and most of the businesses boarded up for the cold season, the town itself became a character and a ghost of itself with so few people there.Joel and his wife, Layla, have come to Halcyon Beach for the winter months so that Joel can finish the book he's writing, and Layla is to run the pub that is staying open for the few people who stay for the winter in cottages beyond the dunes.  Artists and others who need cheap lodging rent the places and manage to keep Layla company during the bitter cold winter months with their stories of the old days when the town was thriving and new.  Layla finds herself becoming attracted to a very quiet and handsome man who visits the pub on occasion and also goes for walks with her.  It isn't long before Joel begins to be suspicious and angry about her walks and time spent away from the pub during the day.I was captivated by this story that has an otherworldly feeling to it.  It is well-written and has a twist at the end.  I highly recommend this novella.