Matty Groves (Haunted Ballad)
Starred Review.In Grabien's third tale of ghostly detection (after 2004'sThe Famous Flower of Serving Men), her most chillingly effective performance to date, folk singer Ringan Laine and his group, Broomfield Hill, have been invited to perform at the prestigious Callowen Arts Festival at Callowen House in Hampshire, England. Accompanied by his longtime lover, actress Penelope Wintercraft-Hawkes, Ringan sets off in high spirits, but quickly strange things begin to happen. Jane Castle, vocalist and flautist for the group, has unsettling nightmares in her bedroom, while Penny and Ringan are deeply disturbed by some ghostly presence in theirs. Penny, Ringan and the others embark on a desperate race to uncover the truth about a vicious and malevolent ghost that haunts Callowen House. As in previous entries, a folk song, "Matty Groves," provides clues. Grabien ratchets up the suspense steadily and implacably, and the resolution is deeply satisfying. Fans of Barbara Michaels's classic ghostly suspense stories will enjoy this immensely.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.