C. J. Daley

Grabbed this on Audible’s cyber Monday deal, and finished it in the same day. As a Christmas tradition based nonfiction (although mythology/folklore and fantasy really blend?), it was a perfect read for me.

The author takes the reader through the history of Christmas, not just its darker creatures, but even the creation of Santa Claus and St. Nick. The historical beats reminded me of Jeff Guinn’s The Autobiography of Santa Claus, at least in the instances where the author takes from what’s known. And the traditions from other places I was not familiar with reminded me of Linda Raedisch’s The Old Magic of Christmas.

A great blend of information I knew, and that that I didn’t, this was a quick and enjoyable read for the holiday season. The author draws on the history of the holiday to explain when and how or even why certain Christmas traditions came and went away. How Krampus was frowned upon, seemingly went away, and then was modernized in the 2015 film. The author even likens the appearance of the Grinch to that of Krampus, and how even when traditions seem forgotten they still hold on.

I went with the audible original of this, narrated by Paapa Essiedu. It was fantastically done, with music and all the ghostly thuds. The only hiccup was dialogue was lowered as if those speaking to Arthur were further away—a cool idea, but I found these lines to be hard to hear both at work with an AirPod in and in the car. The narration as fantastic though.

I found myself truly blown away that this novel is from the 80s. The author’s voice, the way it’s written, the way the content is presented, just all speaks to it being a classic of much older origin. With that sort of Victorian-gothic creeping atmosphere you’d expect from the ghost stories that started it all. Even following in the footsteps of the likes of The Turn of the Screw and the later The Haunting of Hill House with its focus on the feel of the haunting much more than the actions of any ghost. And while this novel does turn into actual consequence, I felt that it still toed the line.

Arthur is a junior solicitor, so when the chance to prove himself is presented, he jumps at the opportunity. Penning a brief explanation to his fiancée, certain she will understand, he leaves for the job. He has been tasked with attending the funeral of Mrs. Drablow, the sole occupant and owner of Eel Marsh House. After representing his firm at the funeral, he must go to the house and search it for any document of worth before her final business is settled. However, the house is at the end of a causeway, wreathed in fog and mist, and becomes unreachable during the tide. As if that wasn’t enough to raise his hackles, there’s also something more at work here. Her secrets, some of which are even sinister, are boiling just below the surface.

I really enjoyed how the author made the reader feel each and every thudding heart beat from Arthur. That each eerie instance is drawn out for all it’s worth. It excels as an atmospheric ghost horror, and that’s a genre I don’t always think succeeds. And I still can’t believe the facsimile quality of their much older sounding writing, it’s honestly a triumph.

While you’ll most likely find yourself uneasy, or feeling suspense, I doubt anyone will actually feel genuine fear or terror. While the ending is truly horrific and bleak, the story is just much more understated than that. Definitely for fans of those ghostly tales of old.

This is book 14 in The Mystery House series, of which I have read one before (book 8) and I don’t recall seeing anything on NetGalley signifying the fact that it was part of a series, but that may be on the site.

While I may just be spoiled by reading two of the A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series at the right time and them giving me the exact feel I was going for—which is mostly why I requested this one, this lacked any holiday cheer, and other than the last five minutes featuring Christmas, it could have been really any month as there’s snow…but they’re in Colorado. So the name is quite the mislead.

And while I will say that I also have written a ghost hunting story myself and did some research, as well as countless hours watching the shows, that doesn’t make me any kind of expert. However, the characters here use a Ouija board and dowsing rods to communicate with the dead more than once, and aren’t those two of what’s considered to be the least reliable or “scientific” ghost hunting items? You’d think by book fourteen they’d be more professional? Oh and not that I am a believer, but with seemingly zero qualifications they attempt an exorcism?

I don’t know if the content in this book is historically accurate, but this is read much more like of a history lesson than a paranormal mystery. With its older cast and jokes, there’s probably a market for this with older readers or even those consistent with the cozy genres. Just not for me.

This was offered on Audible for free and happened to be the follow up to my last read, so I gave it a go. It’s easy to follow, seasonal and semi-cozy, and Allyson Ryan is such an easy narrator to follow.

Unfortunately, it’s a year later for Holly, and things haven’t been great between her and the Bostonian sheriff. He’s distant, and she doesn’t know why. With Christmas looming, she’s gearing up for another busy week of reindeer games at the family tree farm in Mistletoe, Maine. The construction of an inn on the family property is going well, and the man in charge looks and sounds just a bit like Santa.

Over the last year of being home, Holly has become best friends with Caroline, near inseparable, but after a fight with a man got out of hand and filmed, it ended up on the news…only making things worse when he was found dead the next day. The clues all seemingly point to Caroline, so it’s up to Holly to once again ask around, to infuriate the sheriff, and to draw unwanted attention to herself, perhaps at a large personal cost. Will Caroline be proved innocent? Can Holly and the sheriff reconcile?

While this one still featured a romance subplot, the mystery was far better established in my opinion. With actual red herrings, misdirects, and some well thought out investigation. For me, that was quite the build off the last one, and not for nothing, this one’s a bit darker too, and chillier too, given the season. Not quite so cozy, however the author continues to offer up seasonal cheer and sugar comas galore. And I really love that it took most of book two for someone to finally label Holly as an amateur sleuth, cause really she’s just being nosy. Sadly, the others aren’t included, and I don’t have credits.