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stormofpages 's review for:
A House of Ghosts
by William Ryan, W.C. Ryan
As the weather turns more towards autumn, so also turns my reading taste towards the more mysterious and darker side of my reading list. I requested this ARC based on the cover and the description, and it did not disappoint.
The setting for this novel feels very reminiscent of And Then There Were None (which is part of the tagline, but definitely deserved) – a remote island off the British coast where a gathering of friends and colourful folk gets cut off from the mainland by a winter storm, only to discover that there are more than ghosts present in the old Abbey – someone with murderous intent walks among them.
We follow a cast of characters, though we only get a few point of views. Kate Cartwright, friend of the Highmount family, is currently in the employ of the British government as a code-breaker. She is teamed up with Donovan, a man of dubious history whose skills become more apparent as things get grimmer on the island – and not just become of the paranormal activity. While the story inherently is a murder mystery set on an island – always a good start – this novel adds to a paranormal edge that is refreshing. I had expected it would play a more significant role in the unraveling of the mystery than it did, but was still a new twist to an old tale.
Kate Cartwright is an main character full of initiative, full of determination not to sit on her hands but be useful, be involved – and finds herself immensely enjoying the thrill of the mystery and the investigation. Despite having some paranormal ability herself (I am still very intrigued about the ‘incident’ that Kate refers to causing such embarrassment for her at Blackwater Abbey previously – I expected it to be elaborated on!), she rarely relies on this to help her, instead using her own intellect and curiosity to further the investigation. Her partnership with Donovan is based on mutual respect for their abilities, as well as their ideas and opinions, which is a pleasant deviation from the trope where the main characters go behind each others backs, or the male character insists the female characters stay safe and protected at all times. Instead throughout the book they decide on their next steps together, and the consequences of this they face together as well.
The mystery itself was engaging enough, though could have been more elaborate. There were some leaps of logic, but the interaction between the characters and suspects was interesting enough to make up for any holes or vague points in the narrative. I highly enjoyed Kate and Donovan’s teamwork and chemistry, and I hope that we will get to see what happens in their next adventure – the ending left some room for a sequel, which I would very happily read!
The setting for this novel feels very reminiscent of And Then There Were None (which is part of the tagline, but definitely deserved) – a remote island off the British coast where a gathering of friends and colourful folk gets cut off from the mainland by a winter storm, only to discover that there are more than ghosts present in the old Abbey – someone with murderous intent walks among them.
We follow a cast of characters, though we only get a few point of views. Kate Cartwright, friend of the Highmount family, is currently in the employ of the British government as a code-breaker. She is teamed up with Donovan, a man of dubious history whose skills become more apparent as things get grimmer on the island – and not just become of the paranormal activity. While the story inherently is a murder mystery set on an island – always a good start – this novel adds to a paranormal edge that is refreshing. I had expected it would play a more significant role in the unraveling of the mystery than it did, but was still a new twist to an old tale.
Kate Cartwright is an main character full of initiative, full of determination not to sit on her hands but be useful, be involved – and finds herself immensely enjoying the thrill of the mystery and the investigation. Despite having some paranormal ability herself (I am still very intrigued about the ‘incident’ that Kate refers to causing such embarrassment for her at Blackwater Abbey previously – I expected it to be elaborated on!), she rarely relies on this to help her, instead using her own intellect and curiosity to further the investigation. Her partnership with Donovan is based on mutual respect for their abilities, as well as their ideas and opinions, which is a pleasant deviation from the trope where the main characters go behind each others backs, or the male character insists the female characters stay safe and protected at all times. Instead throughout the book they decide on their next steps together, and the consequences of this they face together as well.
The mystery itself was engaging enough, though could have been more elaborate. There were some leaps of logic, but the interaction between the characters and suspects was interesting enough to make up for any holes or vague points in the narrative. I highly enjoyed Kate and Donovan’s teamwork and chemistry, and I hope that we will get to see what happens in their next adventure – the ending left some room for a sequel, which I would very happily read!