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A Stranger's Grave
The dead rise, and only the dead can rock them back to sleep...but sometimes it falls to the living to do what the dead cannot.
Elton Burlock's done his time. Twenty-six years for a terrible murder. Some of those years were hard, some easy. On the outside, he takes the only job he can find - the custodian of a local cemetery. A simple job, keeping the grass tidy...giving the dead a haircut.
But there are three black angels in the cemetery: a little girl's ghost that roams the night...and two women, one a vision in white, one a nightmare in black.
When the killing starts, who can rock the restless dead back to sleep? Who but Elton? Elton, custodian of the dead, but the gatekeeper, too. The keeper of this world and the next.
The dead are awake. The little girl is free of the earth. But there are no lullabies for the dead and if he's going to live, Elton's going to have to give her what she wants.
Then, maybe, he can find peace for them both - in the grave or out.
Elton Burlock's done his time. Twenty-six years for a terrible murder. Some of those years were hard, some easy. On the outside, he takes the only job he can find - the custodian of a local cemetery. A simple job, keeping the grass tidy...giving the dead a haircut.
But there are three black angels in the cemetery: a little girl's ghost that roams the night...and two women, one a vision in white, one a nightmare in black.
When the killing starts, who can rock the restless dead back to sleep? Who but Elton? Elton, custodian of the dead, but the gatekeeper, too. The keeper of this world and the next.
The dead are awake. The little girl is free of the earth. But there are no lullabies for the dead and if he's going to live, Elton's going to have to give her what she wants.
Then, maybe, he can find peace for them both - in the grave or out.
- GenresHorror
222 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 7, 2012
3 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Craig Saunders
69 books72 followersCraig Saunders is the author of over thirty novels and novellas, including 'Masters of Blood and Bone', 'RAIN' and 'Deadlift'. He writes across many genres, but horror and fantasy (the 'Rythe' tales) are his favourites.
Craig lives in Norfolk, England, with his wife and children, likes nice people and good coffee. Find out more on Amazon, or visit:
www.craigrsaunders.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/craigrsaundersauthor
www.twitter.com/Grumblesprout
A little aside - I don't visit GR often, but I'm always available on Twitter or the FB page. I apologise in advance if it takes a while for me to answer a question here!
Craig lives in Norfolk, England, with his wife and children, likes nice people and good coffee. Find out more on Amazon, or visit:
www.craigrsaunders.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/craigrsaundersauthor
www.twitter.com/Grumblesprout
A little aside - I don't visit GR often, but I'm always available on Twitter or the FB page. I apologise in advance if it takes a while for me to answer a question here!
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 20, 2015
I've said before that Craig Saunders writing style fits succinctly with my inner core and A Strangers Grave is definitely one of my favourites.
Elton Burlock is out of prison after a long 26 year stretch for murder, longer than it should have been but that's something at the heart of his story, along with the reason he went to jail. You would think a murderer an evil man but Elton is far from that, he's an old man now just surviving.
The only job Elton can get is the keeper of an old graveyard in a small Norfolk market town, the first headstones were laid in 1756 but something much older came in 2007. A trio of angels carved in basalt and polished to a black sheen, the evil those angels bought was older than anything.
And when the first murder occurs, who is the obvious suspect?
'But he screamed, then, because as he came she came, the old one, and she drove splinters into his spine and tore out handfuls of his lungs until he could scream no more, snapped his neck, broke his skull, tore into his brain, her worm-ridden tongue licking and licking and eating his eyeballs from behind.'
So there's death in the graveyard, the odd ghost with evil intent, still-born children buried in a strangers grave, a grave that can never be too deep and some laughs around two fat coppers.
'They both set to running as fast as two fat coppers can in a dark cemetery if they don't want a broken neck or a coronary, because of intuition, but also because both policeman knew that whatever happened next, neither one wanted to get to the screamer alone.'
From reading Craig Saunders work you can tell he doesn't waste much time on masses of research, the writing flows effortlessly from darkness to humour in the blink of an eye and I've got visions of him chuckling away in his legendary shed, maybe it's got a little bar and pool table for relaxing. But at the end of the day I really enjoyed A Strangers Grave, the protagonist carries enough baggage to make for an arresting character coupled with a disturbingly creepy setting and a quite wicked story. Craig Saunders does it again.
Also posted at http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...
Elton Burlock is out of prison after a long 26 year stretch for murder, longer than it should have been but that's something at the heart of his story, along with the reason he went to jail. You would think a murderer an evil man but Elton is far from that, he's an old man now just surviving.
The only job Elton can get is the keeper of an old graveyard in a small Norfolk market town, the first headstones were laid in 1756 but something much older came in 2007. A trio of angels carved in basalt and polished to a black sheen, the evil those angels bought was older than anything.
And when the first murder occurs, who is the obvious suspect?
'But he screamed, then, because as he came she came, the old one, and she drove splinters into his spine and tore out handfuls of his lungs until he could scream no more, snapped his neck, broke his skull, tore into his brain, her worm-ridden tongue licking and licking and eating his eyeballs from behind.'
So there's death in the graveyard, the odd ghost with evil intent, still-born children buried in a strangers grave, a grave that can never be too deep and some laughs around two fat coppers.
'They both set to running as fast as two fat coppers can in a dark cemetery if they don't want a broken neck or a coronary, because of intuition, but also because both policeman knew that whatever happened next, neither one wanted to get to the screamer alone.'
From reading Craig Saunders work you can tell he doesn't waste much time on masses of research, the writing flows effortlessly from darkness to humour in the blink of an eye and I've got visions of him chuckling away in his legendary shed, maybe it's got a little bar and pool table for relaxing. But at the end of the day I really enjoyed A Strangers Grave, the protagonist carries enough baggage to make for an arresting character coupled with a disturbingly creepy setting and a quite wicked story. Craig Saunders does it again.
Also posted at http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...
February 10, 2013
Thanks to Grand Mal Press and Ryan C. Thomas for making this available to members of Horror Aficionados. This was a well written ghost story with a sympathetic protagonist and impressive character development. Personally, ghost stories are at the bottom of my preferred horror reads so I can't rank this among my favorites. With a few exceptions, ghost stories tend to leave a redundant impression on me. It has been done so many times that a new twist on this vein of horror is a rare find. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the book and would read this author again. Other GMP books are already on my list. If you are a fan of ghost stories, I would recommend this one. If you are a fan of haunted cemeteries, I would enunciate that recommendation.
May 5, 2014
I picked up this book from Grand Mal Press back in February 2013 when it was offered for free at Smashwords. Thanks, Grand Mal!
This is the story of an ex-convict starting up his new life as the caretaker of a cemetery. He meets a few people in the course of his new job. Some of them are not alive.
At it's heart, this is a ghost story. It takes a little while to figure that out, though. I did like the way in which the story was presented, with a few exceptions. There were chapters interspersed with the main narrative which would start off like "There's a gatekeeper in a cemetery in a small Norfolk market town." Now, I don't mind intervening chapters when doing a back and forth format say from present time to some time in the past. The format as presented in this book though, served no purpose to me,other than to vaguely foreshadow a few events to come. Secondly, there was some repetition going on that got on my nerves a little bit. (I know the guy has two degrees, I know! Enough already!)
Overall, I did like the premise of the book and I liked how the story played out. It's just that I could have done without some of that repetition and the few extraneous asides -(guy in a small market town) pages. I deducted two stars for those reasons and give this a solid three star rating. I would try more from this author in the future.
I reviewed this book for Ravenous Reads which has now become Horror After Dark. www.Horrorafterdark.com
This is the story of an ex-convict starting up his new life as the caretaker of a cemetery. He meets a few people in the course of his new job. Some of them are not alive.
At it's heart, this is a ghost story. It takes a little while to figure that out, though. I did like the way in which the story was presented, with a few exceptions. There were chapters interspersed with the main narrative which would start off like "There's a gatekeeper in a cemetery in a small Norfolk market town." Now, I don't mind intervening chapters when doing a back and forth format say from present time to some time in the past. The format as presented in this book though, served no purpose to me,other than to vaguely foreshadow a few events to come. Secondly, there was some repetition going on that got on my nerves a little bit. (I know the guy has two degrees, I know! Enough already!)
Overall, I did like the premise of the book and I liked how the story played out. It's just that I could have done without some of that repetition and the few extraneous asides -(guy in a small market town) pages. I deducted two stars for those reasons and give this a solid three star rating. I would try more from this author in the future.
I reviewed this book for Ravenous Reads which has now become Horror After Dark. www.Horrorafterdark.com
November 26, 2013
I picked up this book from Grand Mal Press back in February when it was offered for free at Smashwords. Thanks, Grand Mal!
This is the story of an ex-convict starting up his new life as the caretaker of a cemetery. He meets a few people in the course of his new job. Some of them are not alive.
At it's heart, this is a ghost story. It takes a little while to figure that out, though. I did like the way in which the story was presented, with a few exceptions. There were chapters interspersed with the main narrative which would start off like "There's a gatekeeper in a cemetery in a small Norfolk market town." Now, I don't mind intervening chapters when doing a back and forth format say from present time to some time in the past. The format as presented in this book though, served no purpose to me,other than to vaguely foreshadow a few events to come. Secondly, there was some repetition going on that got on my nerves a little bit. (I know the guy has two degrees, I know! Enough already!)
Overall, I did like the premise of the book and I liked how the story played out. It's just that I could have done without some of that repetition and the few extraneous asides -(guy in a small market town) pages. I deducted two stars for those reasons and give this a solid three star rating. I would try more from this author in the future.
This is the story of an ex-convict starting up his new life as the caretaker of a cemetery. He meets a few people in the course of his new job. Some of them are not alive.
At it's heart, this is a ghost story. It takes a little while to figure that out, though. I did like the way in which the story was presented, with a few exceptions. There were chapters interspersed with the main narrative which would start off like "There's a gatekeeper in a cemetery in a small Norfolk market town." Now, I don't mind intervening chapters when doing a back and forth format say from present time to some time in the past. The format as presented in this book though, served no purpose to me,other than to vaguely foreshadow a few events to come. Secondly, there was some repetition going on that got on my nerves a little bit. (I know the guy has two degrees, I know! Enough already!)
Overall, I did like the premise of the book and I liked how the story played out. It's just that I could have done without some of that repetition and the few extraneous asides -(guy in a small market town) pages. I deducted two stars for those reasons and give this a solid three star rating. I would try more from this author in the future.
April 18, 2014
I really enjoyed this novel. It reminded me of Ania Ahlborn's work. I found myself strangely drawn to Elton, the main character - the way he was so genuinely comfortable with the presence of the supernatural in his life. I think, deep down, he knew what would find him, and why it would find him, and he was resigned to it... almost needed it, in order to redeem himself and make his life a meaningful one where the good he did, overall, outweighed the bad.
It left me in a reflective mood that lasted for several days. I shall definitely be reading more of this author.
It left me in a reflective mood that lasted for several days. I shall definitely be reading more of this author.
July 4, 2014
Damaged man with brutal past comes to tend a cemetery where the dead won't rest in peace. This was a mix of detective investigation with ghosts. The story worked nicely, gradually revealing both past and present plot threads. It wasn't amazing by any means, but solidly good. The writing was the real star here, I really enjoyed Saunders narration and his main character. Not without problems, particularly the dates (years of birth/death) didn't add up, but a good entertaining quick (about 3 hours) read. Recommended.
February 12, 2014
A brilliantly written ghost story/mystery starring an ex-con turned gravekeeper/digger you can't help but root for. Saunders's prose is engaging, the story at times heartbreaking and frightening, and the structure is cleverly executed to introduce back story and character motivations. He's taken the old horror trope of a haunted graveyard and turned it into an original tale of revenge and redemption. An excellent read.
September 10, 2012
A brilliant, dark mystery involving ghosts in a graveyard and an ex con trying to get on with his life. Saunders' voice is so amazing easy to read without being rudimentary. And at times it is laugh out loud funny. This was a great little book (shorter than your average novel) with a creepy atmosphere and well defined characters I cared about. Highly recommended for a good ghost story vibe.
February 24, 2013
A Stranger's Grave is pretty damn good ghost story. It was a bit repetitive sometimes in verbiage and theme which was a bit irksome, but overall I enjoyed the story line and the characters were fleshed out well (even the ones with no flesh). It's was my first book from Craig Saunders and I look forward to reading more from him. 3.5 Stars.
August 8, 2017
Deep, dark, insanely good writing. I was transported to another place and time. Often, (and much to my delight) I felt his hands on my back pushing me forward while I dug in my ankles in fear.
I am in awe of this author's ability to clarify the unclarifiable; moving me to feel the heart, to understand, to actually respect (!) a murderer. How do you like them apples?
I am in awe of this author's ability to clarify the unclarifiable; moving me to feel the heart, to understand, to actually respect (!) a murderer. How do you like them apples?
August 1, 2017
There is a cemetery in a small Norfolk town...
Very interesting and great storyline. You feel for the main character even though he is far from a regular hero. Invite the dead who are not at rest and the author spins a great nighttime read.
Very interesting and great storyline. You feel for the main character even though he is far from a regular hero. Invite the dead who are not at rest and the author spins a great nighttime read.
August 18, 2019
Craig Saunders is a terrific writer and paces this novel perfectly. You don't know more than the lead character knows at any point. There are surprises, but they make sense within the context of the book. If you like horror combined with mystery and great writing this one is for you.
March 29, 2014
“A Stranger’s Grave” by Craig Saunders is a spell-binding tale of ghosts in a cemetery, reawakened and waiting for justice. Elton Burlock walked through the prison doors, a free man for the first time in 26 years. A former boxer, filled with a rage he could neither understand nor control, Elton carried a heavy load of grief in his heart.
The only job he could find on the outside was cemetery groundskeeper, but his daddy always taught him to carry through until the job was done, regardless of the job. His daddy could not have foreseen the job Elton ultimately would have to do.
This was a surprisingly engaging tale of a man with a past, and Saunders’ prose was delightful. Elton, though guilty of two killings, was a person you couldn’t help but like. Under the same circumstances, most of us would have wished those two men dead.
He was troubled by the ghosts he could see, as he was courted to do the bidding of a few of them in need of some resolution. He learned the hard way that evil did not die along with the body in which it had manifested.
I shared his anxiety, as will you. I sweated alongside Elton, and felt his aches and pains. But nothing could prepare him – or me – for the horrific past he would learn about as he carried out his ghostly assignments.
“A Stranger’s Grave” is a paranormal/horror story unlike any you’ve previously read, and one you will not soon forget. If you like ghost stories, you have got to read this book.
The only job he could find on the outside was cemetery groundskeeper, but his daddy always taught him to carry through until the job was done, regardless of the job. His daddy could not have foreseen the job Elton ultimately would have to do.
This was a surprisingly engaging tale of a man with a past, and Saunders’ prose was delightful. Elton, though guilty of two killings, was a person you couldn’t help but like. Under the same circumstances, most of us would have wished those two men dead.
He was troubled by the ghosts he could see, as he was courted to do the bidding of a few of them in need of some resolution. He learned the hard way that evil did not die along with the body in which it had manifested.
I shared his anxiety, as will you. I sweated alongside Elton, and felt his aches and pains. But nothing could prepare him – or me – for the horrific past he would learn about as he carried out his ghostly assignments.
“A Stranger’s Grave” is a paranormal/horror story unlike any you’ve previously read, and one you will not soon forget. If you like ghost stories, you have got to read this book.
June 26, 2013
I didn't know what to think of this book other than I thought the writing was beautiful in how he gave descriptions. I would say it picked up at the end. That helped me along. Really powerful story. Reminded me of Lee Thompson.
May 22, 2014
A quick paced read that gets its claws into you. Stretches back in time as it moves forward to solve the mystery of the graveyard. A good tough guy paranormal.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews