A House of Ghosts by W. C. Ryan

A House of Ghosts
By W. C. Ryan
Published by Zaffre (4 October 2018)
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher

Publisher's description

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 . . .

My verdict
I loved this spooky book, with its wartime theme, haunted house and claustrophobic Island setting.

House of Ghosts is an old-fashioned ghost story set in 1917, mixed with Christie-type classic crime and espionage. It's grim, dark and chilling, highlighting the mental and physical scars of the returning soldiers and the grief of the families of those who didn't return from the war at all.

Here, you have a locked room scenario, with an authentic array of characters trapped on a windswept island off the Devon coastline, a murderer among them. There are grieving hosts, dubious clairvoyants, dedicated staff and some unexpected house guests. The two main characters, Kate and Donovan, investigate lies and deception, murder and sabotage. The house, Blackwater Abbey, is a character in its own right, with its ghostly corridors, secret passages and tunnels and creaky floorboards.

Short snappy chapters keep the storyline moving at a fast pace, with lots of cliffhangers, heart-pounding moments and surprises in store. I was having such a great time reading this murder mystery that I really didn't want it to end. Despite its unsettling nature, the book is filled with humour, creating an enjoyable atmospheric read. I don't know if this is the start of a series. But I'm hoping there will be another book featuring Kate and Donovan, with more espionage and ghostly goings-on.

Perfect for dark stormy nights, as well as cold winter one!

The Constant Soldier by William Ryan

The Constant Soldier
By William Ryan
Published by Mantle (25 August 2016)
ISBN:  978-1447255017

Publisher's description

The pain woke him up. He was grateful for it. The train had stopped and somewhere, up above them, the drone of aircraft engines filled the night sky. He could almost remember her smile . . . It must be the morphine . . . He had managed not to think about her for months now.

1944. Paul Brandt, a soldier in the German army, returns wounded and ashamed from the bloody chaos of the Eastern front to find his village home much changed and existing in the dark shadow of an SS rest hut - a luxurious retreat for those who manage the concentration camps, run with the help of a small group of female prisoners who - against all odds - have so far survived the war.

When, by chance, Brandt glimpses one of these prisoners, he realizes that he must find a way to access the hut. For inside is the woman to whom his fate has been tied since their arrest five years before, and now he must do all he can to protect her.

But as the Russian offensive moves ever closer, the days of this rest hut and its SS inhabitants are numbered. And while hope - for Brandt and the female prisoners - grows tantalizingly close, the danger too is now greater than ever.

And, in a forest to the east, a young female Soviet tank driver awaits her orders to advance . . .

My verdict

The Constant Soldier is an emotional novel about the uncertainty of war, the loss of humanity, guilt and redemption. It offers a far more humane side to German soldiers compared with other books that cover a similar theme, including many of those that I have read in the past.

Set in the last few weeks of the Nazi regimen, it follows the story of a German soldier who has returned to his home village to live with his father after suffering severe injuries. He wasn't a Nazi sympathiser, quite the opposite, but gets a job in a local SS rest hut after he recognises one of the female prisoners there.

The book provides an insight into the chaos, panic and conflict felt by the Germans as the war was ending, and also the experience of the Russians as they advanced towards the camps. Some of the SS officers looked back at their actions with disgust, others with pride. Then there were the Germans who refused to take part in the brutality and joined the resistance, determined to save as many lives as possible.

Based on true events, and inspired by a series of photographs of Nazi officers enjoying themselves at a rest hut, The Constant Soldier is certainly compelling and fascinating reading. It's beautifully written in haunting poetic prose, with vivid descriptions of the characters and setting. The story is gripping, realistic and well-plotted from beginning to end. I felt real empathy for many of the characters and was on the edge of my seat for much of the book and then in tears by the end.

The Constant Soldier is yet another novel that I'll be recommending widely (and already have been). It's powerful, heartbreaking and highly thought-provoking - a book that shouldn't be missed.

I received an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.