The Haunting of Alice May

by Tony Lee Moral

Alice May Parker moves with her family to the sleepy town of Pacific Grove after her Mom dies, but little does she know the strange and terrifying events to come. When she falls into the bay during a kayaking trip, she is rescued from drowning by the mysterious Henry Raphael. Handsome, old fashioned and cordial, he is unlike any other boy she has known before. Intelligent and romantic, he sees straight into her soul. Soon Alice and Henry are swept up in a passionate and decidedly unorthodox romance until she finds out that Henry is not all what he seems. . .

"A supernatural mystery, a coming of age story with romance, faith and hope. The biggest theme in the novel is what it means to be alive, focusing on Alice as she tries to navigate her grief for her mother, her new relationship, and her family. As history, a curse and ghosts plague the town, life and death are tackled in a unique way. Tony Lee Moral doesn't shy away from his characters questioning belief, and they are confronted with whether they need to see to believe, or believe to see. The plot comes full circle by the end, but the last page will leave you wanting more. It's clear this is just the beginning for Alice. A must read with strong prose that carries an eerie undercurrent, slowly delving into details as the mystery unfolds." - Reader's Favourite


“An enjoyable adventure story filled with love, angst and ghosts.” – Writing Times

“Moral has a great story, with twists and turns that keep the reader turning the pages. It is part love story, part thriller – hardly surprising given Moral’s previous work. The magical realism is a new diversion. . . It’s clever.” – Julia Webb Harvey

“This book is a great read for anyone who loves a great ghost story or paranormal romance.” – Debbie McClure

“I loved the setting of this novel – Monterey, CA. It definitely added to the story and felt real. I liked Henry and some of the other characters.” – The Story Sanctuary

Voted among 13 Ghost stories to read and enjoy on Halloween – The Treasured Bookshelf

"I was impressed by the reader friendly writing style and the way the author blends the past and present in a haunting tale. Beginning with Alice May being rescued from near drowning, the tale takes readers into a paranormal adventure that will have them turning the pages and falling into this story." - P.S. Winn

About the Author Tony Lee Moral is a mystery and suspense writer who has written three books on the works of Alfred Hitchcock; The Making of Hitchcock's The Birds, Hitchcock and the Making of Marnie and Alfred Hitchcock's Movie Making Masterclass. He is the author of two published novels and writes for film and television. After working in Monterey and Pacific Grove, California for two years for National Geographic Television he was inspired to write The Haunting of Alice May which is the first in a series of Ghost Maven novels. The book was written with Hitchcock's principles of suspense, character and plot in mind which Tony details in his book Alfred Hitchcock's Movie Making Masterclass - a how to write a screenplay manual which can be applied to writing novels. Growing up in Hastings, England, Tony has always been inspired by the sea and moving to Monterey, California was the perfect backdrop to write his novel, as Monterey is the oldest town in California and rich in folklore and the supernatural. Tony has three more novels in the process of being published. You can find out more about his work on his personal www.tonyleemoralbooks.com and www.ghostmaven.com

Young adult fiction, Young adult bestsellers, Young adult fantasy, Young adult books, Ghostly tales, Ghostbusters Ghosts, Supernatural books, Supernatural meditations, Supernatural, Teenage books, Teenage boys, Teenage girls, Romance suspense, Romance novels, Romance series, Romance best sellers.

Genres: Horror, Romance

225 pages, Paperback

Published October 25, 2022

About the author

Tony Lee Moral is an author specialising in mystery and suspense. He has written three books on the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock: Alfred Hitchcock's Movie Making Masterclass (2013) published by MWP books; The Making of Hitchcock's The Birds (2013) published by Kamera Books and Hitchcock and the Making of Marnie (2005) published by Scarecrow Press. Tony was born in Hastings, England in 1971, before moving to California. He lived in Monterey and Big Sur for two years which forms the inspiration for his latest thriller The Haunting of Alice May, which is published in March 2019 in Paperback and Kindle.

Hitchcock was a master storyteller, using plot, character, location and props to tell engaging stories of mystery, suspense, crime and retribution. Tony uses these principles to write his novels, including The Haunting of Alice May which has just been released in paperback and Kindle. Three more novels are along the way.

Websites
https://www.tonyleemoralbooks.com
https://www.ghostmaven.com
https://www.alfredhitchcockbooks.com

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/tonyleemoral...

Instagram & Twitter
tonyleemoral

Keywords
Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Crime, Murder. Paranormal, Ghost Thrillers, Romance, Investigation

Reviews

[Georgia Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s not giving anything away to say that Alice May gets saved one day while out on a kayak by Henry. They soon become romantically involved which would be fine were it not for the fact that Henry died 100 years ago and is living in some sort of purgatory. And he’s not the only one ‘living’ this way.

I enjoyed the setting with the descriptions of Alice’s life in the town of Pacific Grove where she lives with her dad and sister after her mum died. I also liked her friends Christian and Emily.

The things that jarred with me were that I was confused about whether people could see Henry with Alice, or not, at least at first. Later in the story it was clear he could be seen by everyone and also he seemed as solid as a properly living person.

Strangely at one point Alice is concerned by the fact that Henry is 100 years old and what effect that would have on their relationship, without considering the perplexing issue that he is essentially dead so their future together is not looking that promising anyway.

I am probably not the ideal audience for this book but I’m sure it would appeal to younger readers as they would relate to the age range of the characters better.

I chose to read this book and received a copy from the author but this does not affect my review in any way.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes when we are lonely, maybe even feel like a misfit, we begin to create things in our mind. Is there actually any kind of dimension people who die are in? Is there a place they stay before they cross over, so to speak? Was Henry in one of these places? Alice wondered where her mother was. Was she dreaming all of this? She isn’t really sure. When she lost her mother and moved to another town with her biologist father and her younger sister, she didn’t think it would be quite so hard. It’s like a double whammy; first your mom then your friends too.

I have to say this was a very fast read. Interesting and a page turner. Is this a book for a young adult or for almost everyone? I am most certainly an adult (at least as often as I have to be) and I really enjoyed it. Do I think a young adult would enjoy it? No question they would. There wasn’t really any sex; maybe only what I’d call the thoughts teenagers have; a feeling of desire maybe, but it was clean sexually while still having a little romance. A refreshing story for a change.

If I read a book that I decide to write a review on, I always do a little research on the author. It’s pretty easy to see that Tony Lee is as involved in films as he is an author. His writing read like that, as if each chapter of his book was a scene, a wonderful picture of the setting. The same is true of how vivid his characters were. There were a couple of moments that made my reading stutter; only because I had to turn the pages back to see if I had missed something. If you’ve ever seen one of my reviews, you’ll have read about my thinking that we have a rhythm to reading and those small things often throw off our rhythm. However, there was not a thing I could really find wrong with this enjoyable book, except for possibly there isn’t another book in process.

[Chris Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not normally one that I would choose to read, but this past year or so I have been trying different genre's so that I am seeing what else is out there. I have to say I really enjoyed this book, the story was original and nothing I have really seen before, either in book form or on TV/films.

Is this a love story? Yes it is, but it's not a soppy romantic book. It's about a teenage girl dealing with a lot a sad and stressful troubles in her life that a girl of that age should not have to go through. It's about her managing this and the horrible and painful matter of falling in love for the first time. The boy she loves is around the same age, well... He was when he died a hundred years ago. An ancient curse has been put on the town meaning that peoples souls are still there living amongst real life people. Like all good love stories there are people, or ghosts as it is in this book that are trying to ruin things and are out for revenge. This story is a fun and enjoyable read about love, with a ghostly twist that makes you want the good guys to win.

The characters were greatly written and very enjoyable to read about. My favourite being Emily & Christian who were Alice's friends that helped and supported her when she needed it. Emily making me laugh throughout. I also loved the sound of O'Reilly, the captain of the ship that sank a hundred years ago. He was kind of like an 1800's pirate. I mean who does not like pirates??

Was there anything I did not like about this book? Very little really, it was easy to read and only took me 6 days, which is good for me. At the beginning of the book there were a few chapters which I thought ended quite abruptly as though there was some story missing, but as the book went on this flowed a lot easier.

Like I have said it is an enjoyable book to read with a great story.

[JenMarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As you start this novel, you follow Alice, a seventeen year old girl who is tormented by her mother’s sudden death. Her father decided to relocate her and her little sister to a small town on the coast called Pacific Grove. While trying to adapt to her new home, Alice makes a few new friends, but is battling her fear of water.

You watch as Alice grows stronger and out of her shell after she meets Henry, a young man who is a bit out of the ordinary. While starting a relationship with the young man who literally saved her from drowning, Alice discovers that Henry isn’t who he seems. If fact he isn’t human at all. He’s a 100 year old ghost of a dead man.

After having a few mishaps, Henry and Alice start a romantic relationship together. Yeah you heard that right. This is a concept that I haven’t read before and find quite interesting. While the plot is a tad confusing at first, I found this book to be an enjoyable light read. I see a lot of potential for a second novel, maybe more considering the series name is neat. I enjoyed the growth of Alice as she starts to settle into her new home and has a strong connection to Henry. I wish there was a little more explaining about the “ghost maven” and that Henry’s story was told as well.

The ending of this novel was quick and swift, with enough action to keep those pages turning. I sure do hope to see more of our main couple in a next book.

[P.S. Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author and I have to say I was impressed by the reader friendly writing style and the way the author blends the past and present in a haunting tale. Beginning with Alice May being rescued from near drowning, the tale takes readers into a paranormal adventure that will have them turning the pages and falling into this story.

[Aleesha Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!!

The story line is amazing. I was on the edge of my seat through the whole book as it kept my attention unlike any other book. I think this book is directed more towards young adults but anyone who is interested in a different kind of love story

[Mickey Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book!

Well written ghost story, suspenseful and cleverly developed. Appropriate for most age groups, but probably geared towards YA. I'm looking forward to reading more of the series.

[Steph Warren · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*

The Haunting of Alice May is a ghostly romance for teens and young adult readers. I was reminded very much of the Point Horror books of my own youth, but updated with a Twilight-style romance element – forbidden love between the living and undead.

Here we follow Alice, who has moved with her father and sister to a new town after the death of her mother, as she struggles with her aquaphobia, making new friends, and the strange-but-attractive boy who keeps turning up around the water.

For someone with such a crippling fear of drowning, a lot of Alice’s voluntary leisure activities seem to involve taking to the water. This is perhaps explained by the mysterious pull that the cursed bay seems to have on her: she is repeatedly warned to stay away from the water, but cannot manage it, despite her own fears.

The plot is mainly focused around Alice’s investigations of the curse, Henry and the fate of missing teenagers in the town; with the action and adventure slowly building to a fiery, stormy confrontation with some paranormal forces. There is also plenty of romance, as Alice and Henry try to manage a relationship hampered by age, secrets, and an ancient curse.

This story does stand alone, but there are hints in Alice’s eventual role, and the remaining mysteries around the island and the curse, which point to possible future sequels.

The Haunting of Alice May is a sweet ghostly romance for teen and young adult readers, with potential to expand into a ghostly series. I would love to see Alice try to resolve the curse by helping its victims to meet the terms of it, instead of being at odds with them as she was here!





Then I could see a shape swimming toward me and trying to focus, I watched the figure swim with strong, steady strokes. Dark clothes floated in the current with hair that resembled golden seaweed suspended in the water. As the swimmer got closer I could see it was a boy. He had a pale face, like a luminous vision in the murky blue, and seemed at ease underwater. As he swam closer, I saw him looking at me with the lightest blue eyes I’d ever seen.
The sight of him strangely calmed me, like the quell of acceptance before death. An inner peace descended upon me as I lost control. I could no longer hold my breath and was sure I would drown as I lost consciousness. I told myself, before you know it, the water will fill your lungs entirely, and it will all be over.

– Tony Lee Moral, The Haunting of Alice May


Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...

[Shelley Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Following the death of her mother, Alice moves to a coastal town with her younger sister and father. Her story begins in the water as Alice is kayaking with newly acquired friends. As the fog rolls in it set the scene for the mysteries ahead. Before the end of chapter one, our heroine is swept into the tumbling waves and saved by a stranger who kisses her without invitation.

As the story unfolds, we are introduced to Henry, the young man who saved Alice from drowning. I struggled to connect with this character. He was kissing Alice one moment and glaring at her the next. It put me in a bit of a head spin, and I found myself disliking him more and more. At times he was borderline cruel.

The abundance of themes also confused me, and I think the novel would have benefited from a developmental edit to tighten this up. Although it’s always nice to read variations on tried and tested ideas, it came off as muddled. There are scenes where Alice is with Henry, but we are led to believe by interactions with other characters that Alice was alone, hinting that only she can see him. In later chapters, Henry is accompanying Alice to the school dance where everyone can see and interact with him.

The descriptive elements, however, were well written and I could visualise the town and secondary characters. I also found the cover design appealing.

I feel that The Haunting of Alice May would appeal to a younger reading audience who may not find the switch in themes so distracting. Unfortunately, it didn’t hit the spot for me.

I received a copy of this book from the author via Rosie Amber’s Book Review Team in exchange for an honest review.

[Jennifer Lafferty · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Haunting of Alice May is a very suspenseful tale that initially appears to be a charmingly romantic ghost story but turns out to be much more. Encompassing several genres such as mystery, YA , fantasy and paranormal. The likable central character, high school girl Alice Parker, is as strong and she is vulnerable and very easy for readers to relate to. Not only does she confront her fear of water throughout the book but bravely puts herself in danger over and over for newfound love and to find a classmate who has mysteriously disappeared. You'll never guess the outcome of this adventurous thriller with enough twists and turns to leave you spinning.

[Doree · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. The characters are realistic and the twist is fun. Its a great paranormal that kept me interested from start to finish.

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Haunting of Alice May is centered around Alice May Parker. Alice and her family lived in Chicago until the death of her mother. After her mother’s death, Alice’s father decides to move to the small and quaint town of Pacific Grove. On top of trying to come to terms with the death of her mother, Alice now has to try and settle into a new place, a new school and make new friends.
In a bid to fit in and mix with these people, she joins a kayaking trip. Sounds like a great idea right? It would be better if Alice wasn’t completely terrified of the water. Whilst in the kayak and mist begins to roll into the bay, the group are told to head for shore. But Alice becomes lost in the mist, where she’s swept into the water. Alice is saved by a mysterious boy who we later learn isn’t exactly what he seems.
The idea for The Haunting of Alice May is really good. It’s a mixture of paranormal, gothic and romance which I feel should be enjoyable for young adults. I liked the idea behind an island for Souls, a bit like purgatory, where they are free to roam. It was different from anything I’ve read so far.
I’m not convinced about the romance aspect of this book as I felt it was a bit too weird and unrealistic. I know it’s only fiction but I found it hard to believe that a 17-year-old girl who found out her boyfriend is really a 100-year-old ghost, the first thing she worries about is how that would impact their relationship. Surely, there should be some kind of shock, disbelief, maybe even a little hint of Fear?
That aspect aside I did enjoy reading The Haunting of Alice May. I think the author has left the odd loose end, which I think could be used to expand this book into a series. If there is a second book then I’d give it a read and see what happens.