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Parliament of Rooks: Haunting Brontë Country
No matter how hard life is, humanity has the power to make it bearable – or even worse.
Parliament of Rooks, the new historical paranormal novel in the award-winning Yorkshire Ghosts series, contrasts the beautiful, inspiring village of Haworth today with the slum – or rookery – it was during the industrial revolution: rife with disease, heartache, poverty, and child slavery in the mills.
In 2017, life expectancy in the UK is 81.
In 1848 Haworth, it was 22.
Likened by independent reviewers on Amazon to the Brontë sisters, Edgar Allen Poe, Barbara Erskine and Nathaniel Hawthorne, Karen Perkins' novels are filled with unflinching honesty and an acute understanding of human nature. She explores not only the depths of humanity, but the depths of human motivation behind the actions and pain people inflict upon each other, as well as the repercussions of these actions not only in the short term, but also the later generations who live with the implications of the past. Karen Perkins won the silver medal for European Fiction in the 2015 IPPY book awards, and her fiction has been at the top of bestseller lists on both sides of the Atlantic, including the top 50 in the UK Kindle Store.
Nine-year-old Harry Sutcliff hates working at Rooks Mill and is forever in trouble for running away to the wide empty spaces of the moors – empty but for the song of the skylark, the antics of the rabbits, and the explorations of Emily Brontë. Bound together by their love of the moors, Emily and Harry develop a lasting friendship, but not everyone is happy about it – especially Martha, Harry’s wife.
As Martha's jealous rages grow in ferocity, Harry does not realise the danger he is in. A hundred and fifty years later, this danger also threatens Verity and her new beau, William. Only time will tell if Verity and William have the strength to fight off the ghosts determined to shape their lives, or whether they will succumb to an age-old betrayal.
The Yorkshire Ghost Stories are all stand-alone, complete books, and can be read in any order.
Parliament of Rooks, the new historical paranormal novel in the award-winning Yorkshire Ghosts series, contrasts the beautiful, inspiring village of Haworth today with the slum – or rookery – it was during the industrial revolution: rife with disease, heartache, poverty, and child slavery in the mills.
In 2017, life expectancy in the UK is 81.
In 1848 Haworth, it was 22.
Likened by independent reviewers on Amazon to the Brontë sisters, Edgar Allen Poe, Barbara Erskine and Nathaniel Hawthorne, Karen Perkins' novels are filled with unflinching honesty and an acute understanding of human nature. She explores not only the depths of humanity, but the depths of human motivation behind the actions and pain people inflict upon each other, as well as the repercussions of these actions not only in the short term, but also the later generations who live with the implications of the past. Karen Perkins won the silver medal for European Fiction in the 2015 IPPY book awards, and her fiction has been at the top of bestseller lists on both sides of the Atlantic, including the top 50 in the UK Kindle Store.
Nine-year-old Harry Sutcliff hates working at Rooks Mill and is forever in trouble for running away to the wide empty spaces of the moors – empty but for the song of the skylark, the antics of the rabbits, and the explorations of Emily Brontë. Bound together by their love of the moors, Emily and Harry develop a lasting friendship, but not everyone is happy about it – especially Martha, Harry’s wife.
As Martha's jealous rages grow in ferocity, Harry does not realise the danger he is in. A hundred and fifty years later, this danger also threatens Verity and her new beau, William. Only time will tell if Verity and William have the strength to fight off the ghosts determined to shape their lives, or whether they will succumb to an age-old betrayal.
The Yorkshire Ghost Stories are all stand-alone, complete books, and can be read in any order.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 28, 2017
82 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
About the author
Karen Perkins
36 books244 followersKaren Perkins is the author of the Yorkshire Ghost Stories, the Pendle Witch Short Stories and the Valkyrie Series of historical nautical fiction. All of her fiction has appeared at the top of bestseller lists on both sides of the Atlantic, including the top 21 in the UK Kindle Store in 2018.
Her first Yorkshire Ghost Story – THE HAUNTING OF THORES-CROSS – won the Silver Medal for European Fiction in the prestigious 2015 Independent Publisher Book Awards in New York, whilst her Valkyrie novel, DEAD RECKONING, was long-listed in the 2011 MSLEXIA novel competition.
Originally a financial advisor, a sailing injury left Karen with a chronic pain condition which she has been battling for over twenty five years (although she did take the European ladies title despite the injury!). Writing has given her a new lease of – and purpose to – life, and she is currently working on A Question of Witchcraft – a sequel to Parliament of Rooks: Haunting Brontë Country.
To find out more about current writing projects as well as special offers and competitions, you are very welcome to join Karen in the her Facebook group. This is an exclusive group where you can get the news first, as well as have access to early previews and chances to get your hands on new books before anyone else. Find us on Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/groups/karenperkinsb...
Her first Yorkshire Ghost Story – THE HAUNTING OF THORES-CROSS – won the Silver Medal for European Fiction in the prestigious 2015 Independent Publisher Book Awards in New York, whilst her Valkyrie novel, DEAD RECKONING, was long-listed in the 2011 MSLEXIA novel competition.
Originally a financial advisor, a sailing injury left Karen with a chronic pain condition which she has been battling for over twenty five years (although she did take the European ladies title despite the injury!). Writing has given her a new lease of – and purpose to – life, and she is currently working on A Question of Witchcraft – a sequel to Parliament of Rooks: Haunting Brontë Country.
To find out more about current writing projects as well as special offers and competitions, you are very welcome to join Karen in the her Facebook group. This is an exclusive group where you can get the news first, as well as have access to early previews and chances to get your hands on new books before anyone else. Find us on Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/groups/karenperkinsb...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
March 12, 2017
Loved it!
Atmospheric and mysterious. The hardship of the residents of 1800s Haworth was described brilliantly and the characters were well rounded. Add to that spooky goings on and a bit of romance and you have a cracking read.
Atmospheric and mysterious. The hardship of the residents of 1800s Haworth was described brilliantly and the characters were well rounded. Add to that spooky goings on and a bit of romance and you have a cracking read.
June 6, 2018
3 stars, but only because part 3 was so good (if quite short). The historical elements were good, the modern parts not so.
Also, the book references Haworth being the scene of the famous Hovis advert when really that was filmed at Gold Hill in Shaftesbury in Dorset. A fact easily checkable by just Googling!
I loved Harry, Martha and, of course, Emily.
Also, the book references Haworth being the scene of the famous Hovis advert when really that was filmed at Gold Hill in Shaftesbury in Dorset. A fact easily checkable by just Googling!
I loved Harry, Martha and, of course, Emily.
November 5, 2017
Nice. Imaginative. Creative. Ghostly. The way the author intertwined the present with the past was very cleaver and interesting, connecting the lives and folktales of people from different eras, in fact going back to the Bronte's and how they lived on the moors of the 19th century. The book is clearly not about ghosts and spirits, as the reader might at first discern but about connections and how they have direct impact on each other. I became wrapped up in the two tales and of wanting to know what happened, the relationships that developed in the Yorkshire dales and Bronte country with Vertie and her friends and their determination to start a guest house in Howarth, the place with the famous sisters lived and which had since become a major tourist attraction. It would be up to readers to find the connection between the modern characters and the past but to me the author succeeded in enthusing much real life characterisation through the language, idoms and culture used in the north of England while enjoying the narrative and the way the book moved forward. In the third half of the book, I first thought there was a complete cut from the present characters, but the author did a good job in focusing on a terrible era of destitution, poverty and slums, where parents had to send their children many as young as seven-year-olds to the mills, to make ends meet, and were of course, terrible accidents happened and many fatal. The description was so graphic, it harked my mind back to the days of studying social history of Britain in the 19th century when children were forced down at the mines. Definitely a good read.
April 19, 2017
As a great fan of Wuthering Heights, I thoroughly enjoyed the idea of Verity, our heroine, coming from the city to start a new life a stone's throw away from Emily Brontë's old home in Haworth, in the county of Yorkshire.
The veil between the modern day and Haworth's brutal past is very thin however and Verity soon finds herself being drawn back in time by the ghosts who linger in her new home. Who are they, what is their story, and what do they want with her?
A Parliament of Rooks is an original and entertaining read. It is romantic and spooky and the time slips into 19th Century Haworth with its satanic mills, horrific disease and grinding poverty are well done, but very sad and rather distressing in places.
I must admit that I found the characters from the Brontë era a lot more engaging than their modern day counterparts, with Martha and Harry standing out especially. I personally think that Ms Perkins shows greater skill at historical fiction than contemporary storytelling, but of course, there wouldn't be a ghost story without the two contrasting time spans.
All in all, another great Yorkshire read.
The veil between the modern day and Haworth's brutal past is very thin however and Verity soon finds herself being drawn back in time by the ghosts who linger in her new home. Who are they, what is their story, and what do they want with her?
A Parliament of Rooks is an original and entertaining read. It is romantic and spooky and the time slips into 19th Century Haworth with its satanic mills, horrific disease and grinding poverty are well done, but very sad and rather distressing in places.
I must admit that I found the characters from the Brontë era a lot more engaging than their modern day counterparts, with Martha and Harry standing out especially. I personally think that Ms Perkins shows greater skill at historical fiction than contemporary storytelling, but of course, there wouldn't be a ghost story without the two contrasting time spans.
All in all, another great Yorkshire read.
September 28, 2017
Verity buys a guest house in Bronte country after her marriage breaks up, but from the minute she gets there strange things start to happen to her. Most especially vivid dreams about a character that reminds her of Heathcliff! And when she meets William a local artist she is beguiled by his Heathcliff looks, and they can't take their eyes off each other, with a connection neither can understand.
As she starts work on doing the house up she becomes more and more embroiled in a story that happened during the Bronte's time, concerning Harry Sutcliffe, Emily Bronte and his wife Martha.
Harry is a young boy who works in the mill but hates it and disappears as often as he can to walk on the moors in the fresh air, where he strikes up a relationship with Emily Bronte, purely as a friend.
When Harry marries Martha she can't believe that he loves her only and her jealous rage over Emily won't rest.
The story carries on over the decades, with dire consequences for both Harry and Martha and Verity and William.
A interesting spooky tale, not too scary, but read it with the lights on!!!
As she starts work on doing the house up she becomes more and more embroiled in a story that happened during the Bronte's time, concerning Harry Sutcliffe, Emily Bronte and his wife Martha.
Harry is a young boy who works in the mill but hates it and disappears as often as he can to walk on the moors in the fresh air, where he strikes up a relationship with Emily Bronte, purely as a friend.
When Harry marries Martha she can't believe that he loves her only and her jealous rage over Emily won't rest.
The story carries on over the decades, with dire consequences for both Harry and Martha and Verity and William.
A interesting spooky tale, not too scary, but read it with the lights on!!!
August 1, 2019
Parliament Of Rooks by Karen Perkins is a fantastic dual timeline supernatural tale that will have the reader drawn in from the start.
The novel is set in present day and 1838 Haworth in West Yorkshire. Haworth is a place that is very dear to my heart as it is the home of the Bronte sisters. It is my ‘go to’ place when I visit our daughter in Yorkshire. The location is very familiar to me and I ‘lived’ through the action.
I am also drawn to the fictional character of Heathcliff and therefore recognised all the references to Wuthering Heights.
As a Bronte sisters, Haworth and Wuthering Heights fan this was the perfect novel for me. I ‘trod’ the streets of Haworth throughout the novel. Karen Perkins has perfectly captured the atmosphere both in present day and in 1838. She has juxtaposed the tourism with the muck, grime and stench of death. The darkness of the mill contrasts with the brightness of tourism.
The novel is split into several parts each one becomes even more engrossing as the reader immerses themselves in the story.
There is a supernatural element as tormented souls from the past seek rest.
Good friends feature in the story. They are friends who are prepared to go the extra mile.
Actual historical facts are woven into the tale.
I loved Karen Perkins style of writing and her connecting tales. This was my first book by her but it is definitely not my last.
If you are a Bronte fan, this book is for you. If you are not a Bronte fan, this book may ignite the flame to read the sisters books and to find out more about them. For me, my flame is well and truly lit – I want to delve deeper into the lives of the sisters. I cannot wait for my next trip to Haworth.
Thank you Karen Perkins for a superb read.
The novel is set in present day and 1838 Haworth in West Yorkshire. Haworth is a place that is very dear to my heart as it is the home of the Bronte sisters. It is my ‘go to’ place when I visit our daughter in Yorkshire. The location is very familiar to me and I ‘lived’ through the action.
I am also drawn to the fictional character of Heathcliff and therefore recognised all the references to Wuthering Heights.
As a Bronte sisters, Haworth and Wuthering Heights fan this was the perfect novel for me. I ‘trod’ the streets of Haworth throughout the novel. Karen Perkins has perfectly captured the atmosphere both in present day and in 1838. She has juxtaposed the tourism with the muck, grime and stench of death. The darkness of the mill contrasts with the brightness of tourism.
The novel is split into several parts each one becomes even more engrossing as the reader immerses themselves in the story.
There is a supernatural element as tormented souls from the past seek rest.
Good friends feature in the story. They are friends who are prepared to go the extra mile.
Actual historical facts are woven into the tale.
I loved Karen Perkins style of writing and her connecting tales. This was my first book by her but it is definitely not my last.
If you are a Bronte fan, this book is for you. If you are not a Bronte fan, this book may ignite the flame to read the sisters books and to find out more about them. For me, my flame is well and truly lit – I want to delve deeper into the lives of the sisters. I cannot wait for my next trip to Haworth.
Thank you Karen Perkins for a superb read.
January 3, 2018
Parliament of Rooks
The story captures your imagination and takes you to another time but in the same place, Haworth, the author brings both eras to life for the reader to experience.
The story captures your imagination and takes you to another time but in the same place, Haworth, the author brings both eras to life for the reader to experience.
December 21, 2017
Just finished this brilliant novel having read all Karen's previous novels this is my favorite so far. The down side is I downloaded it for Christmas but couldn't put it down and finished to quickly. A must read for ghost story lovers.
May 25, 2019
A delightful book
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. An interesting mixture of period and modern drama, based around well known and much loved characters. Can’t wait to read more of this authors work.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. An interesting mixture of period and modern drama, based around well known and much loved characters. Can’t wait to read more of this authors work.
September 29, 2018
Advertised as a suspense, but instead it's a romance. This is not a genre I enjoy, or would choose to buy. However, the descriptions of the Yorkshire moors are truly striking.
If you are looking for a suspense/thriller then I wouldn't recommend this book. If you want a light romantic novel with a paranormal element then this may be for you.
If you are looking for a suspense/thriller then I wouldn't recommend this book. If you want a light romantic novel with a paranormal element then this may be for you.
September 15, 2018
The writing is not sophisticated and the plot is far fetched, but I did find this book still strangely compelling. I’m not sure what Emily Bronte would think though.
October 5, 2021
This is not the usual sort of book I pick up (authors probably dread seeing those words in a review!), but the premise intrigued me, and when Karen Perkins did a signing at our local bookshop (Wave of Nostalgia in Haworth, where the book is set), it wasn't a difficult choice to go along and buy a copy (and have a fabulous chat with the author!).
I'm glad I did as I enjoy a good timeslip story and, knowing the locations well, I found it a clever and entertaining interweaving of the past and present of the area. A past that was brutal, especially for those at the lower end of the social scale, as depicted here in the downtrodden millworkers, but also sometimes for those higher up. The Bronte family, Haworth's most famous residents, were of course among the latter, and the tale involves an intriguing look at the possible genesis of Emily's 'Wuthering Heights', woven into the life of the contemporary heroine, Verity - attempting to bounce back from a messy break-up by buying and renovating a dilapidated bed and breakfast on Haworth's Main Street, within cawing distance of the Parsonage's famous rookery.
The passages set in the past are vividly drawn and provide a striking contrast to the more familiar scenes set in the present day - all tied together by spooky ghostly happenings...
I'm glad I did as I enjoy a good timeslip story and, knowing the locations well, I found it a clever and entertaining interweaving of the past and present of the area. A past that was brutal, especially for those at the lower end of the social scale, as depicted here in the downtrodden millworkers, but also sometimes for those higher up. The Bronte family, Haworth's most famous residents, were of course among the latter, and the tale involves an intriguing look at the possible genesis of Emily's 'Wuthering Heights', woven into the life of the contemporary heroine, Verity - attempting to bounce back from a messy break-up by buying and renovating a dilapidated bed and breakfast on Haworth's Main Street, within cawing distance of the Parsonage's famous rookery.
The passages set in the past are vividly drawn and provide a striking contrast to the more familiar scenes set in the present day - all tied together by spooky ghostly happenings...
September 19, 2018
Parliament of Rooks is a very gripping read. As a devoted Bronte fan, I found the concept of the book very intriguing.
Parliament of Rooks tells the story of Verity Earnshaw, a newly divorced lady who moves to Haworth to start her life over, running a B&B right near the Bronte Parsonage. With the help of her friends and new people she meets in the town, she begins setting up her new business. However, it isn't long before eerie things start happening and Verity and her friends suspect the B&B might be haunted and past begins to weave with the present, leading to a shocking conclusion.
Perkins' greatest strength with this novel for me personally is her writing of the past. She writes so colourfully of the Bronte era, with well developed characters. The start of the novel doesn't seem to have the most developed characters to start with and it can have a kind of 'chick lit' feel too it. However, if you press on, the novel really blossoms as it brings the past alive.
Also, not to spoil anything too much hopefully, but I found the book's haunting climax rather abrupt. It was a satisfying resolution for the main characters but the explanation at the end seemed pretty rushed. Overall I enjoyed this book- particularly all the scenes set in the Bronte era.
Parliament of Rooks tells the story of Verity Earnshaw, a newly divorced lady who moves to Haworth to start her life over, running a B&B right near the Bronte Parsonage. With the help of her friends and new people she meets in the town, she begins setting up her new business. However, it isn't long before eerie things start happening and Verity and her friends suspect the B&B might be haunted and past begins to weave with the present, leading to a shocking conclusion.
Perkins' greatest strength with this novel for me personally is her writing of the past. She writes so colourfully of the Bronte era, with well developed characters. The start of the novel doesn't seem to have the most developed characters to start with and it can have a kind of 'chick lit' feel too it. However, if you press on, the novel really blossoms as it brings the past alive.
Also, not to spoil anything too much hopefully, but I found the book's haunting climax rather abrupt. It was a satisfying resolution for the main characters but the explanation at the end seemed pretty rushed. Overall I enjoyed this book- particularly all the scenes set in the Bronte era.
August 27, 2023
This book needed at least one more copy edit. Although I enjoyed the story and found the mystery intriguing, I think the plot suffered a bit of an identity crisis. At times, it felt like a romance. Then, at others, it was a horror and then a historical mystery. These genres did not work as well together as they could.
I also think the author sometimes chooses the wrong words to describe things. I sometimes struggled to believe the characters, and the story moves at a strange pace. I also did not appreciate the protagonist blaming the other women that her husband cheated on her with. The husband is to blame, not them.
There were also times when the book felt touristy regarding 'Bronte Country'. Although it is a beautiful place, this book does not need to sell it to me. Ultimately, this balance could have been fixed, given another edit. If I were writing the book, I would have also formatted the chapters so Harry and Martha's story was more distinct than Verity and William's. It was often unclear when one story switched to another.
Overall, I would recommend 'Parliament of Rook' to anyone interested in Bronte Country. Self-publishing is always challenging, but we should respect and support anyone like Perkins who does it well.
I also think the author sometimes chooses the wrong words to describe things. I sometimes struggled to believe the characters, and the story moves at a strange pace. I also did not appreciate the protagonist blaming the other women that her husband cheated on her with. The husband is to blame, not them.
There were also times when the book felt touristy regarding 'Bronte Country'. Although it is a beautiful place, this book does not need to sell it to me. Ultimately, this balance could have been fixed, given another edit. If I were writing the book, I would have also formatted the chapters so Harry and Martha's story was more distinct than Verity and William's. It was often unclear when one story switched to another.
Overall, I would recommend 'Parliament of Rook' to anyone interested in Bronte Country. Self-publishing is always challenging, but we should respect and support anyone like Perkins who does it well.
August 8, 2018
This was appropriate, to read a ghost story set in Haworth that cleverly intertwines an imagined episode from Emily Brontë's life in the very year of Emily's bicentenary. A recently divorced young woman decides to buy an old property in the centre of Haworth. Her two friends visiting every weekend form something resembling a parliament of rooks with her as ghostly occurrences dog the process of turning the building into a guest house, a means of our MC making a living. As ghostliness proceeds within the building, including an appearance of a Heathcliff type ghost, a secondary narrative begins. We are taken back to a time when Emily has not yet left home to tutor young charges and has a glimmer of romance before it is scuppered. The way that the two storylines interweave in the book make for an engaging read. There is enough detail around Emily's actions and unhappiness to satisfy Brontë afficionadas. Altogether, for lovers of ghost stories, Perkins has provided a rich feast in this book.
February 3, 2021
I have absolutely loved reading this book just as much as all of the others from Karen Perkins.
Verity moves into a property by the Yorkshire Moors and discovers its haunted. Nothing too terrible happens to begin with and getting to know her firm friends Jayne, Lara and Lara’s daughter Hannah, added to the warmth of the story stopping it from feeling too creepy.
Verity needs to have a lot of work done to the new property before she can open it as a guest house. This was a great way for her and her friends to meet with the locals and a link to the local gossip.
Anthony is Veritys ex husband who is still persistent even after their divorce but not for long fortunately, after a visit to the Guest House scares him off.
The story is based around the times of the Bronte sisters and the village in which they lived and grew up, wrote about then sadly died too.
Verity moves into a property by the Yorkshire Moors and discovers its haunted. Nothing too terrible happens to begin with and getting to know her firm friends Jayne, Lara and Lara’s daughter Hannah, added to the warmth of the story stopping it from feeling too creepy.
Verity needs to have a lot of work done to the new property before she can open it as a guest house. This was a great way for her and her friends to meet with the locals and a link to the local gossip.
Anthony is Veritys ex husband who is still persistent even after their divorce but not for long fortunately, after a visit to the Guest House scares him off.
The story is based around the times of the Bronte sisters and the village in which they lived and grew up, wrote about then sadly died too.
May 5, 2018
I love Howarth and have stayed there many times, the Old Hall is a favourite place for a meal. We have walked up to Top Withens many times and love the landscape, the parsonage and history surrounding the place. Having read this book I’m a bit disappointed that no ghosts have ever engaged with me! At first I thought I might not enjoy the book as much as I did as it is largely a romantic story - the combination of past and present lives was relatively well done but it took quite a long time for the “possession” to take place. I also know a lot of Yorkshire people as my husbands family are from there but they seldom use as many old phrases as the modern characters do, this was a bit much at first - that said this was a very readable book and in the end I enjoyed it.
February 17, 2020
I absolutely loved this book, and could hardly put it down — luckily it's a holiday weekend! When Verity Earnshaw, fresh off her divorce, buys an old house — once four weaver's cottages — in Haworth, she never expects it to be haunted. But haunted it is, which may interfere with her plans to turn it into a guesthouse; after all, this is Bronte country. But there is a presence of some sort, one workman is scared off, and her friends Jayne and Lara become concerned. Even Verity isn't sure what to make of the persistent, haunting dreams she's having . . . .
Wonderful characterization, evocative descriptions of Haworth, both present and past, add up to an absolutely wonderful story. Highly recommended.
Wonderful characterization, evocative descriptions of Haworth, both present and past, add up to an absolutely wonderful story. Highly recommended.
March 1, 2023
It's strange, the ghost element didn't work for me. Anyone who ever read early Barbara Erskine and felt the hair on your neck prickle and not be able to sleep; or seen The Sixth Sense/The Birds, would understand. Didn't find the modern relationships or characters much more than sketches, either. The part of this novel which was truly brilliant was the evocation of the past. No simple, cheerfully smudged faces and cockney accents. It was all dark satanic mills. Their lives, pain and casual death, beautifully wrought. In the UK, for the moment, there are laws to protect the labour force from this level of exploitation Now the West outsources to Far Eastern mills. Little hands still make your clothes and shoes.
April 27, 2018
After the first few pages I thought 'Oh no! Chick-lit!' but I am glad I kept reading because 'Parliament of Rooks' is more than that. Having visited Haworth, I enjoyed the descriptions of the village though Jayne was wrong about it being the setting for the Hovis ad. It is a magical place now but the passages dealing with its earlier history were in effective opposition to its present status. The descriptions of life in the early industrial age were heart rending and a reminder of how life and death were so closely entwined at that time. The supernatural elements are well handled: overt but not ridiculous. All in all an enjoyable read on a windy, rainy Brontë day.
April 10, 2018
Entertaining ghost story
This book immediately appealed to me because I am a big bronte fann and also like a good ghost story. This was a quick read, entertaining, but with not much depth or character development. There was an awful lot of speech, some of it repetitive and disjointed. I had to read read some passages to understand which character was there and who was saying what. The sudden decent into unconsciousness for 3 months was a pretty weird plot development. It was an enjoyable light read.
This book immediately appealed to me because I am a big bronte fann and also like a good ghost story. This was a quick read, entertaining, but with not much depth or character development. There was an awful lot of speech, some of it repetitive and disjointed. I had to read read some passages to understand which character was there and who was saying what. The sudden decent into unconsciousness for 3 months was a pretty weird plot development. It was an enjoyable light read.
January 1, 2019
I've read this as our January Book club read. I wouldn't have picked this off the bookshelf myself as ghost stories are not a genre that I choose to read. Having said that I enjoyed this book as it's part ghost story, part romance and part a lesson in British history in the time of Emily Bronte.
In the beginning part of the book I found the ghost element a bit spooky and creepy but as the story progressed this seemed to diminish with the story leaning more on the romance and history of the time.
If you like chick lit and fancy something a little different that give this ago, you might even learn something about Emily Bronte and Wuthering Heights.
In the beginning part of the book I found the ghost element a bit spooky and creepy but as the story progressed this seemed to diminish with the story leaning more on the romance and history of the time.
If you like chick lit and fancy something a little different that give this ago, you might even learn something about Emily Bronte and Wuthering Heights.
January 12, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyable mix of ghost story and romance with some historical interest thrown in. Perfect read for a cold, dark, gloomy January.
I would recommend this novel to anyone who wants to curl up in the warm and banish a cold winter's night! There was a good balance between the modern day romance and the historical detail. I found the historical detail more believable than the modern day characters but that is just my opinion. Thoroughly enjoyed this tale!
I would recommend this novel to anyone who wants to curl up in the warm and banish a cold winter's night! There was a good balance between the modern day romance and the historical detail. I found the historical detail more believable than the modern day characters but that is just my opinion. Thoroughly enjoyed this tale!
September 4, 2018
Parliament of Rooks is an historical, paranormal novel set in Haworth, Bronte country. It contrasts the beautiful, inspiring village of Haworth today with the slum, or rookery, it was during the industrial revolution: rife with disease, heartache, poverty, and child slavery in the mills.
The story is that of Verity and William and how their lives intermingle with Harry and Martha who lived in Haworth in the mid eighteen hundreds. The story also heavily features Emily Bronte.
Paranormal stuff isn't my normal kind of book but I actually enjoyed this. The ghost stuff, hauntings
and eventually posession of the bodies had me hooked. I also found this an interesting read as I didn't know that much about the Brontes or Hawworth. Historically the factual stuff in this book is all correct and it gave me a real sense of the place and the time. I enjoyed this book.
The story is that of Verity and William and how their lives intermingle with Harry and Martha who lived in Haworth in the mid eighteen hundreds. The story also heavily features Emily Bronte.
Paranormal stuff isn't my normal kind of book but I actually enjoyed this. The ghost stuff, hauntings
and eventually posession of the bodies had me hooked. I also found this an interesting read as I didn't know that much about the Brontes or Hawworth. Historically the factual stuff in this book is all correct and it gave me a real sense of the place and the time. I enjoyed this book.
August 18, 2019
Parliament of Rooks
Verity has moved to Haworth and bought a property which she is going to turn into a B&B. Following her divorce this is her new start. But right from the beginning strange things occur and soon Verity's life is changed for ever.
This is a different sort of ghost story and I enjoyed it very much. It jumps between the present day and the 1800's easily and is gripping. The story is fast moving and the characters great.
Verity has moved to Haworth and bought a property which she is going to turn into a B&B. Following her divorce this is her new start. But right from the beginning strange things occur and soon Verity's life is changed for ever.
This is a different sort of ghost story and I enjoyed it very much. It jumps between the present day and the 1800's easily and is gripping. The story is fast moving and the characters great.
March 9, 2018
I dont know whether to believe or not. Possession!!
Actually I quite liked this tale. Born n bred in Dewsbury I didnt need the blue highlights. But its a goid tale and moreso telling the dark side of our mill history and woeful lack of common sense regarding sanitation. The rooks are a good touch
Actually I quite liked this tale. Born n bred in Dewsbury I didnt need the blue highlights. But its a goid tale and moreso telling the dark side of our mill history and woeful lack of common sense regarding sanitation. The rooks are a good touch
April 15, 2018
I enjoyed this book more than The Haunting of Thores-Cross. I'm a big Bronte fan and I've visited Howarth and the Parsonage and I'm from Yorkshire so lots of boxes ticked for me. The ghostly visits were really good without being scary which is good for me. The ending was a bit drawn out though and a bit predicatble. A good depiction of friendship and female solidarity.
May 13, 2018
I was expecting a good ghost story that would give me the heebie jeebies, instead I got a chick lit romance complete with ballsy, prosecco swigging, stiletto wearing best mates and strong but silent Yorkshiremen. Plus a bit of casual haunting and seance holding. Fine if you're wanting a light romance with a bit of the 'destined to be together woo-woo' thrown in but I was not.
July 31, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the characters are warm and believable so you want to know more. The descriptions of Howarth are perfect as I know being a regular visitor and to know more about the mills helps you to appreciate what our ancestors lived through. Fictional story but so believable I half expect to see The Rookery open for business next time I visit!
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