Publication: 3th October 2019 – Zaffre
Winter 1917. As the First World War enters its most brutal phase, back home in England, everyone is seeking answers to the darkness that has seeped into their lives.
At Blackwater Abbey, on an island off the Devon coast, Lord Highmount has arranged a spiritualist gathering to contact his two sons who were lost in the conflict. But as his guests begin to arrive, it gradually becomes clear that each has something they would rather keep hidden. Then, when a storm descends on the island, the guests will find themselves trapped. Soon one of their number will die.
For Blackwater Abbey is haunted in more ways than one . . .
An unrelentingly gripping mystery packed with twists and turns, A House of Ghosts is the perfect chilling read this winter.
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I am delighted to welcome you on my stop on the blog tour of A House of Ghosts, the suspenseful and engrossing new novel by W. C. Ryan. A huge thank you to Tracy Fenton for inviting me to join the blog tour and to Zaffrie for providing me with a copy of the novel.
A House of Ghosts is a bit historical novel, a bit spy-story, and a bit ghost story. I don’t know how, but the author managed to mix perfectly these three different genres and create a page-turner! The year is 1917 and people are dying all around Europe. In the meantime, in a small island off the coast of Devon, a few people reunite at Blackwater Abbey for a séance to recall their loved ones who died in the trenches. We read about parents grieving over the loss of their sons and sisters who hope to hear the voices of the brothers they lost. However, if this is a spiritualistic gathering, why is an undercover secret agent taking part to the meeting?
One of my favourite novels by Agatha Christie is And Then There Were None and that’s what A House of Ghosts reminds me. The suspenseful and gloomy atmosphere, the fact that no one can leave the island, murders, suspicion, and secrets… all of this reminded me of the novels of the Queen of Crime. The author adds séances, ghosts, and espionage making the story unique and hard to put down.
A House of Ghosts is not just mystery and crime, there is also a human side. With First World War still going strong on the continent, we read about the families left behind who don’t know if they will ever see again their loved ones and we read about the soldiers fighting for their lives and their country, trying to survive, and how the war still affects them once they go home. This side of the story is quite informative and thought-provoking, at times moving.
I truly enjoyed A House of Ghosts. I loved the captivating story and the engaging and sometimes colorful characters. Actually, I am hoping there will be more novels featuring the two protagonists, Evie and Donovan, as they go around the world as secret agents… I would definitely read more of their stories. Highly recommend it!
Book After Book 