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The Dead House

In my opinion...

This novel is everything a ghost story should be; ominous, with dark shadows, chilling and filled with tension and unease.

There are not many characters, but they are very real, brought to life through our own imagination.

The descriptions and language used by Billy O’Callaghan is artistic and poetic, it is well written, with beautiful descriptions.

The scene mentioned in the blurb with the Ouiji board, did actually make me feel so uncomfortable that, if you are of a nervous disposition, I would suggest you do not read it on your own in the house!

How does it end? Suffice to say, I still can’t stop thinking about the final few pages.And, as with all good ghost stories, our narrator poses the ‘burning question: Do you believe in ghosts?’ I certainly believe in the author’s talent, and look forward to reading more of his work.

Want to know more?

Attempting to rebuild her life after a violent relationship, Maggie Turner, a successful young artist, moves from London to Allihies and buys an ancient abandoned cottage. Keen to concentrate on her art, she is captivated by the wild beauty of her surroundings.

After renovations, she hosts a house-warming weekend for friends. A drunken game with a Ouija board briefly descends into something more sinister, as Maggie apparently channels a spirit who refers to himself simply as 'The Master'. The others are visibly shaken, but the day after the whole thing is easily dismissed as the combination of suggestion and alcohol.

Maggie immerses herself in her painting, but the work devolves, day by day, until her style is no longer recognisable. She glimpses things, hears voices, finds herself drawn to certain areas: a stone circle in the nearby hills, the reefs at the west end of the beach behind her home ...A compelling modern ghost story from a supremely

talented writer

I was drinking...

Coffee- to keep me awake until I'd finished!

Coffee to keep me awake until I'd finished!

My rating...

A scary five glasses- what a writer..

Thank you Lovereading.co.uk and O'Brien for giving me a copy of this novel to review.

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