Review: Ghostly goings on and a lovely tale...
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 4, 2013
Book received via Netgalley (UK) - thanks to all concerned.When Alice Hart's husband runs off with his secretary, she runs off with his dog to lick her wounds in a North Yorkshire village. Battling with loneliness but trying to make the best of her new start, she soon meets her neighbours, including the drop-dead gorgeous builder Richard Wainwright and the kindly yet reticent cafe owner, Owen Maltby. All is not what it seems however. Why does she start seeing Owen when he clearly isn't there? Where - or when - does the strange crying come from?I was very much looking forward to this one - having not read a good "ghost" story for a while,this seemed like the perfect remedy. And it was...As we start following Alice on her journey, I was immediately involved...it probably helped that Alice is a lot like me at her heart - not sure where life is going to take her, suffering the loss (albeit not death) of her Husband and just trying to find her way. Enter the roguish Richard and the enigmatic Owen, throw in some strange occurrences with a hint of history and you have a great mix for a great story.Slowly drawing you in, at times you may wonder if Alice is a bit barmy (again I relate as I often wonder that about myself!) as she starts to see Owen all over the place when he is not actually there...and her nights are often filled with a strange "crying" sound that she cannot track down. Spooky, yes. And beautifully written so you are right there with her..As she delves further into village life and discovers more about those around her, so the true story emerges...and its a compelling one. Apart from that I will not say...but if you like a good ghostly tale you will certainly enjoy it.Some great characters in here -Alice of course, I also particularly loved Adam and trust me, you will want some of his baked goods. In the background of the tale a distinct snapshot of life in a place where everyone knows everyone else and secrets are hard to keep..All in all a terrific read and one to curl up under the duvet with and hope that you don't start hearing strange noises in the night....Happy Reading Folks!