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The People from the Sea
Expecting to spend a peaceful summer in a rented old farmhouse, Diana Garson unexpectedly becomes involved in evil and horror when she encounters the people from the sea.
Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1980
About the author
Velda Johnston
75 books30 followersVelda Johnston was a writer of romantic suspense. She also wrote under the pseudonym 'Veronica Jason'.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 26, 2007
I first read this book as a young girl. I was staying at my grandmother's house and rode my bike to the small nearby library branch and checked it out. That was at least 25 years ago. For some reason it stuck with me because when I was at the library last week browsing and saw this title I remembered it immediately. I decided to re-read it for a bit of nostalgia. Now, a quarter of a century later, it seems quite dated (the book was originally published in 1979) - the dialogue, some of the social mores. And while it seemed so very spooky and atmospheric to a young girl, it was rather slow and dry this time around. But, it was good enough for a brief trip down memory lane.
August 6, 2012
There are the moments when you need a certain type of book to get you out of a mood or reading pattern that developed without you knowing it. Somehow, and I don't really mind it, I've found myself reading a lot of nonfiction lately. After about the 4th one in a row, I needed something to refresh my palate. Like most of you, I have hugs stacks of unread books just sitting around waiting for me to pick one of them up. On a whim, I picked up The People Form the Sea, and a little over 4 hours later, I was turning the last page.
When Diana is talked into renting the seaside cottage, she thinks she's finally in a space she can heal in. Newly divorced, Diana has been floundering a bit, not sure of what she wanted or where she was heading. She thinks she is starting to fall for David, but is a little unsure of his intentions. She is at a turning point in her life, she just has no clue which road to take.
From the moment she is left alone in the cottage, she feels at home and safe, a feeling she hasn't had in a long time. As she settles in, she finds an old photo album, and quickly gets enmeshed in the lives of the family that used to own the cottage. A mother and her two grown children, were brutally murdered on board their yacht. The scars of that tragedy lay deep on the small coastal town, scars that Diana feels she needs to start poling at.
She has seen all three of them in the cottage. She has danced with the son, and listened as the daughter played the piano late into the night. She isn't sure if what she is seeing is real, but it's changing her, and not always for the better. What starts off as a question here and there around town, quickly turns into a full blown investigation into what happened on the boat. It's a search that will threaten Diana's life, her future with David, and the tranquility of a town she has grown to love.
When Diana is talked into renting the seaside cottage, she thinks she's finally in a space she can heal in. Newly divorced, Diana has been floundering a bit, not sure of what she wanted or where she was heading. She thinks she is starting to fall for David, but is a little unsure of his intentions. She is at a turning point in her life, she just has no clue which road to take.
From the moment she is left alone in the cottage, she feels at home and safe, a feeling she hasn't had in a long time. As she settles in, she finds an old photo album, and quickly gets enmeshed in the lives of the family that used to own the cottage. A mother and her two grown children, were brutally murdered on board their yacht. The scars of that tragedy lay deep on the small coastal town, scars that Diana feels she needs to start poling at.
She has seen all three of them in the cottage. She has danced with the son, and listened as the daughter played the piano late into the night. She isn't sure if what she is seeing is real, but it's changing her, and not always for the better. What starts off as a question here and there around town, quickly turns into a full blown investigation into what happened on the boat. It's a search that will threaten Diana's life, her future with David, and the tranquility of a town she has grown to love.
December 14, 2011
Diana Garson was instantly drawn to the charming old beach house in the Hamptons. Life in Manhattan was so stressful for her that she was on the verge of a nervous or emotional breakdown of some kind. So here she was, in the Hamptons, wandering through a lovely old house - seeking a place to recuperate and refresh - basking in the peaceful aura that the house radiated.
Sleeping alone in the house one night, Diana is startled awake by soft laughter, voices and eerie piano music. Soon the Woodhull family appears - mother Grace, daughter Sheila, and son Derek, so handsome in his army uniform. A photograph album had sparked Diana's interest in finding out who had previously lived in the house, and now, Grace, Sheila and Derek had returned because she was so intrigued. And because the boating accident that had claimed their lives so long ago was not accidental at all - but murder.
I really enjoyed reading The People From The Sea. It had just the right amount of eeriness and intrigue in it that I devoured it in one day. I may have several books by Velda Johnston on my bookshelf, but this is the first one that I've read. I give The People From the Sea by Velda Johnston an A+! and am looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.
Sleeping alone in the house one night, Diana is startled awake by soft laughter, voices and eerie piano music. Soon the Woodhull family appears - mother Grace, daughter Sheila, and son Derek, so handsome in his army uniform. A photograph album had sparked Diana's interest in finding out who had previously lived in the house, and now, Grace, Sheila and Derek had returned because she was so intrigued. And because the boating accident that had claimed their lives so long ago was not accidental at all - but murder.
I really enjoyed reading The People From The Sea. It had just the right amount of eeriness and intrigue in it that I devoured it in one day. I may have several books by Velda Johnston on my bookshelf, but this is the first one that I've read. I give The People From the Sea by Velda Johnston an A+! and am looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.
February 9, 2015
The old gothic romance, mystery novels have always been my fav little pleasure...short books with a big old spooky house, spooky people, mystery surrounding the people in the house, a little bit of romance, brooding man, woman....sometimes ghost, usually good trying to get the truth...I read this book years ago, but I enjoy the mystery around the sea....the ghost...and of course , happy ending where all is resolved.
May 1, 2025
Vintage Velda Johnston. Always quirky. Always good.
January 18, 2026
The plot was intriguing, but rushed. By the time you get to the last few chapters, so much has been skipped that you feel lost. Very poorly executed.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews