A.J. Sefton
  • Home
  • My Books
    • Growing in Damp Places
    • Crushed
    • Teon
    • Gulfyrian
    • Catnip and Tuck
  • About
    • FAQ
    • What I'm Reading >
      • Reviews Index
  • Contact
  • Home
  • My Books
    • Growing in Damp Places
    • Crushed
    • Teon
    • Gulfyrian
    • Catnip and Tuck
  • About
    • FAQ
    • What I'm Reading >
      • Reviews Index
  • Contact
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

What I'm Reading

Picture
Snow themed reads

14/6/2020

Nightingale House by Steve Frech

Picture
A suddenly-rich novelist buys a big old house. As his wife has recently died in an horrific accident, spookiness is bound to come knocking on the big old door.

Neither the author or his young daughter can settle in this dream home. Memories of his dead wife haunt the narrator and the little girl makes up imaginary friends. As all old houses have creaks and groans, the writer has to decide whether the shadows and thumps are coming from his grief, imagination or something more supernatural.

There are two stories, one told in the present in the first person from the author's perspective. It is written in a casual style, which makes it very current and easy to read. The second is from the point of view of a teenage girl from 1900. Here the style is also first person in a diary format but also very modern. The attitudes are not as they would have been in 1900, especially concepts such as accountability and responsibility in relation to a married man showing an interest in a teenage girl. This did not come across as authentic.

The theme is one of coming to terms with grief, rather than a ghost story. An enjoyable if unoriginal story, not in the realms of Stephen King or The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, as claimed, with regards to atmosphere and suspense. Nightingale House is an engaging and familiar mystery with a bit of a disappointing ending.
Picture
Published by Harper Collins HQ on 19 June 2020.
​Advanced review copy supplied by the publisher.
Steve Frech lives in Los Angeles. His debut thriller, 'DARK HOLLOWS', is available through Harper Collins/HQ Stories. His followup novel, 'THE NIGHTINGALE HOUSE', a supernatural thriller, will be available in July of 2020. In addition to writing, his award-nominated podcast, 'Random Awesomeness', has been developed for television by the Emmy-winning team at 'Thank You, Brain! Productions'. He is also the co-creator of 'Sports? with Jessiemae Peluso' for Comedy Central. He is a frustrated fan of the Chicago Bears, finds cooking to be very cathartic, and is amazing a pub trivia.

Comments are closed.
     📚   Get every new book review direct to your inbox   📚

    Follow my Book Reviews

    * indicates required

    RSS Feed

    A.J.'s bookshelf: currently-reading

    Murder at the Theatre Royale
    Murder at the Theatre Royale
    by Ada Moncrieff

    goodreads.com

    Snow themed books

    Categories

    All Anthology Bildungsroman Childrens Historical Fiction History Memoir Misc. Mystery & Detective Non Fiction Poetry Psychological & Suspense

    Reviews home page
    Reviews Index
    Vertical Divider
    Picture

Picture
RevolverMap
Advertising fees and commissions may be paid on any sales links. This does not affect the price of goods or the impartiality of this site.
Sitemap
© Copyright 2012-2023 A.J. Sefton
   ​Privacy Policy