Beneath the moonlight, I heard whispers of a haunting new release for Halloween. Shh! A familiar voice hovered on the silence and thawed the chill a little.
Hello, hello – it’s Jena C Henry. It’s time to tell you about the latest book in my golden handbag. Don’t be afraid!
And with a golden handbag…
it’s a golden day…
to read…
I peeked into my golden handbag and glimpsed an intriguing cover. I saw an evening sky showing that mysterious, elusive time between day and night, with a harvest moon rising over an old cottage and the tagline “There’s nothing like a good ghost story…” I gasped and pushed the chapter to the bottom of my handbag and snapped my bag shut. I’m one of those people who always runs up the basement stairs, afraid of what’s behind me in the dark. “Silly, it’s just a book and it looks hauntingly beautiful.” I grabbed the book again and without overthinking, I began to read the first chapter. What’s that chill in the air?
We begin in England, the year is 1725, and the day is “a pleasant one, with the hope of an early spring. Lambing was well underway…”
Soon, we are in the year 1953, again on a tranquil mid-summer evening, with balmy air and a setting sun that had blessed the day. See, this is a charming story, what was I afraid of?
And then we move forward to April 2013, still in England. But, by this time the mood has changed. I begin to read phrases, “harrowing events”, “malevolent”, “something evil”.
Whether the year is 1725 or 2013, something odd is happening at the old Partlowe place. Why are healthy babies dying in their sleep? Why are unborn babies lost? What is this evil face in the mirror, the “distinctly icy…cold, terrible dread”?
As my frisson of fear grew, so did my affection for the characters. We are introduced to a mother and her somewhat unusual daughter in 1725, and to a young teenage couple in 1953. The author was able to make them immediately likable. I truly cared for the husband Sam, and his daughter Cass, that we meet in 2013. They are experiencing a crisis with the wife/mother, Grace, when Chapter One ends in a sad and shocking way.
And now I see a problem with my Golden Chapter reviews. I want to know what happens next! Readers, please give us some hints in the comments. Here are some questions to get our discussion going.
- The title is compelling. Is it an incantation, a warning, a promise or a threat? What do you think?
- The young, precocious girl Cass is blind. I think she may hold the key to solving the mystery of the evil presence at Partlowe cottage. Do you agree?
- Do you like ghost stories? Do you scamper up your basement steps when its dark?
Thanks! We look forward to chatting about And No Birds Shall Sing by E. A. Clark in the comments. If you’ve read the book, please leave a link to your review.
More about And No Birds Shall Sing:
Not all spirits rest in peace…
Following a personal tragedy, a recovering Grace Clements relocates with her husband and daughter to an old cottage in idyllic rural Oxfordshire. As the family integrate into the seemingly benign local community, they learn unsettling facts about the cottage’s dark past. Grace quickly becomes uncomfortably aware of a menacing presence within their new home.
Stumbling upon a neglected cemetery, Grace and her daughter discover the graves of the house’s previous inhabitants, including those of nine babies. Dismayed to find herself pregnant, Grace suspects she has awoken something truly evil in her new residence. She develops a creeping sense of unease as she unravels the disturbing truth about the history of the cottage and the fate of its occupants.
Who is the sinister boy watching Grace and her family? Are there malevolent forces at work? Or is the mentally fragile Grace heading for another breakdown?
A spellbinding paranormal thriller from the best-selling author of Lay Me To Rest. You may want to keep the lights on…
About the author
E. A. Clark lives in the UK, in the Midlands, with her husband and son, plus a rather temperamental cat, a rabbit and a chinchilla. She has three (now grown-up) children and five grandchildren. She is particularly partial to Italian food, decent red wine (or any coloured wine come to that …) and cake – and has been known to over-indulge in each on occasions.
She has a penchant for visiting old graveyards and speculating on the demise of those entombed beneath.
Whilst she has written short stories and poetry for many years, a lifelong fascination with all things paranormal has culminated in her first novel for adults, Lay Me to Rest. The setting is inspired by her love of Wales, owing to her father’s Celtic roots.
In her second novel, And No Birds Shall Sing, set near the historic city of Oxford, she delves once more into the realms of the supernatural.
You can follow her on Twitter @EAClarkAuthor
Please see all the Golden Chapters and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.
Great review on this. I love a good Ghost story ? and this book sounds like my kinda of read, especially it being October (Halloween).
I love this post!
Here are my answers:
1. Incantation.
2. She is the victim.
3. I don’t like ghost stories as my over active imagination gives me enough nightmares as it is – but I do like a book with a compelling setting and this book hold that promise.
Thanks so much for braving the spooky zone to offer your thoughts. I agree about the importance of a compelling setting. There is something about Elizabeth’s book that intrigues…