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A review by sharonleavy
Touched by Joanna Briscoe
3.0
RATING: 3.5
A Hammer Novella.
Perhaps it is not always the strange ones who are strange.
1963. Rowena Crale has moved from London to the small sleepy village of Crowsley Beck with her husband and five children. The cottage they are renovating doesn't seem to want them there - the walls refuse to budge, strange patches of damp keep appearing, and there are rancid smells. When some of the family members start hearing strange voices and noises, Rowena decides to investigate.
Daughter Evangeline is to be sent to a school for troubled children in September, while daughter Jennifer is model-like and fawned over by the villagers. Evangeline's strange habits are the norm to her parents, who are not overly concerned when she disappears for weeks on end. When the same fate befalls Jennifer, however, panic ensues. Is there something paranormal at work or is it something a little closer to home, and much more sinister?
I really liked this book. It was creepy, atmospheric, and while it didn't give me the willies as much as something like The Woman In Black, it did succeed in building tension and making me doubt people and possibilities. I found Rowena an interesting character, but I would have loved a little more insight into what went on in Evangeline's mind.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
A Hammer Novella.
Perhaps it is not always the strange ones who are strange.
1963. Rowena Crale has moved from London to the small sleepy village of Crowsley Beck with her husband and five children. The cottage they are renovating doesn't seem to want them there - the walls refuse to budge, strange patches of damp keep appearing, and there are rancid smells. When some of the family members start hearing strange voices and noises, Rowena decides to investigate.
Daughter Evangeline is to be sent to a school for troubled children in September, while daughter Jennifer is model-like and fawned over by the villagers. Evangeline's strange habits are the norm to her parents, who are not overly concerned when she disappears for weeks on end. When the same fate befalls Jennifer, however, panic ensues. Is there something paranormal at work or is it something a little closer to home, and much more sinister?
I really liked this book. It was creepy, atmospheric, and while it didn't give me the willies as much as something like The Woman In Black, it did succeed in building tension and making me doubt people and possibilities. I found Rowena an interesting character, but I would have loved a little more insight into what went on in Evangeline's mind.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.