The Shade of Hettie Daynes

by Robert Swindells (contributor)

If you expect to see a ghost, you see a ghost...That's what Bethan tells herself when her brother Harry takes her to see the ghost at the old reservoir. But she really can see a pale figure floating over the water, one finger pointing downwards. Local legend says that the ghost is Hettie Daynes, an ancestor of their family, who vanished over a hundred years ago. If so, what does she want? And why is she appearing now? Harry and Bethan and their friends Rob and Alison are determined to find out! A deliciously shivery ghost tale from multi award-winning author Robert Swindells.

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 3, 2008

About the author

Robert Swindells was born in Bradford in 1939, the eldest of five children. He left the local Secondary Modern School at fifteen to work as a copy holder on the local newspaper. At seventeen he enlisted in the RAF and served for three years, two in Germany. On being discharged he worked as a clerk, engineer and printer until 1969 when he entered college to train as a teacher having obtained five 'O' levels at night-school. His first book 'When Darkness Comes' was written as a college thesis and published by Hodder and Stoughton in 1972. In 1980 he gave up teaching to write full time. He likes travelling and visits many schools each year, talking and reading stories to children. He is the secutatry of his local Peace Movement group. Brother in the Land is his first book for Oxford University Press. He is married with two grown-up daughters and lives in Bradford.

Author description taken from Brother in the Land.

Reviews

[Connor's Library Corner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I first read this book when I was in high school (around 2008) and I loved it and was so excited to do a reread.
Well... What the hell were my reading tastes like back then. This was horrendous.

The story was an easy read but it felt as though it was written by a 12 year old.
The author used "kid speak" like Mobi and mate which nobody uses
Then also has them use really mature language too.

Easy read, fun read but not a good book in my opinion

[Siddharth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by my teacher after he heard that I was reading horror stories which were not meant for people my age such as Misery and The Shining. The book was interesting, thrilling, and adventurous as well as a light and easy read. The story was also really fast-paced. Overall, i would give it 4 stars.

[Wilde Sky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A group of children report seeing a ghost and a local councillor gets worried.

A slight story that didn't read as though it had been fully developed and was very slow paced (as if the author had to reach a target number of pages). Some of the actions of the adults were totally unbelievable - even for a children's story. The dialogue and characters are not very good.

My real rating for this book was 2.5.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took a while for me to get into the book.