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I am finally making progress on this. I dislike the way the story is being told, deflecting the eeriness and paranormal onto such mundane storylines about a fake television ghost seeker, that it is astonishing. Who would have great contents and not use an original paranormal story as the primary focus and atmosphere?! Was this a first-time author who did not understand how to angle a tone! A lot like "Jumangi 2"!

It is my pleasure and treat to rejoin the unprecedented Augusts Huiell Seaman for a mystery novel that is genuinely mysterious. It is independent on the crutch of a crime plot devise. It is purely about girls discovering a secret, relishing it, and then going to work on it themselves. It is a thrill all of its own. I want authors to know the absence of legal matters makes plots more exciting, by leaps and bounds.

This author doesn't know he ought to stick to the parts that are riveting. It is clear that he wants to set up an impact for a ghost investigator who doesn't believe in his mark. However paragraphs about his throughts and his assistant's, researching in London, dominate up till now. There is no action yet but I like the assistant far more than the fake, who seems to be the protagonist for now. Let's get grooving.

The start is slow, not thrilling or wondrous. It's a surprisingly mundane introduction, perhaps for a purpose. The ghost-investigator has a sound military career that led to television. He is not really psychic but accepts a retired rock star's request to investigate his property. He has five years of debunking experience. We acquaint his research assistant too. Perhaps in contrast, a spirit will freak him out.

A little ways and then I'm done. I enjoyed the stories. Perhaps 100 year-old remains could only initiate a look at what occurred and not be investigated in earnest, except forensically. Thus, the present story was more about how islanders viewed a hotel project on her ancestor's land. Depicting that climate made a greaet story. But three stars max, because there was frequent vanity-hunting of near-extinct birds.

Here I go, with the great Augusta Huiell Seaman, who lived from 1879 to 1950. Some of my favourite mysteries are hers. They are genuinely MYSTERIOUS mysteries instead of making the crux about a crime: the true nature of this word that so few adult writers attempt. Mysteriousness at its best: any question that we set out to answer can be a wonderful mystery!

I love Beatrice, Emily, her brother Kit, and their close friend Donald, in 1910. I see selfishness and a personality problem with their painter brother and husband Theo but have sympathy. I quickly dislike both brooding men, of worse ill humour than Theo, whom it seems Sarah Maine wants us to regard as the tempting male interests of each century. Cameron is better in Beatrice's time but James is an ass in Hetty's.

Knowing this isn't the ghost story it sounded like made a difference. There is no disappointment in misinformed expectation. I am free to see what British-Canadian Sarah Maine offers. I knew right away that I enjoyed her writing: no excess "soft" or "gentle" adverbs. Focus on feelings, not gestures, nor how anyone looks. This is a saga more than a mystery but I like the unfolding story enougn that I don't mind!

We are in present day often enough. When we revert to Beatrice in 1910, I like having her as a narrator too. It is about what being at that house and Hebrides island means to all of them, including mystery axis, Theo Blake. He is Beatrice's husband and brother of the 2010 character's Grandma, Emily, whom we meet in the prologue. The structure is a shambles in 2010. Even I, a sentimentalist, favour building anew.

I am pleased to find that Canadian-Brit Sarah Maine is a very good writer. She describes the look as well as the vibe of these special Scottish islands very adeptly, with a fresh vocabulary style that I enjoy. She has a lot to sketch because she is painting three time frames. I hope the slow start resolves into comfortable acquaintance with one time frame. She has repeated each generation's arrival at the island.

I tucked this away because I maxed out how much I could reawaken and resume. I love all of the narration, dialogue, description, plot pace, setting, ambiance, characters, and mysteriousness to date. This could be another five-star experience from my dear Simone St. James in Ontario. I am excited to acquaint the house, town, and secrets. My only surprise was at the paranormal announcing itself without building-up.

Simone draws in compassion and interest right away, is a fantastic authoress. She gradually, with active momentum, seamlessly builds on information until we have a portfolio of the protagonist we are accompanying. We are in preliminary action from sentence #1 but at the same time, we know we are acclimatizing properly. I don't see grading this low as a peer did. I'm always glad to find spirit mysteries for adults!

Barbara Mertz builds worlds, characters, and situations very well: vividly and compasisionately. You understand and sympathize with whomever and wherever they are right away. To my surprise, this is in about 1860 and surprising for her, England. What I do always say is that, great foundations aside, Barbara takes long to get the principal story going, especially "Greygallows". We arrive at the place on page 117!

It might not involve ghosts in the traditional sense but this novel has always stayed interesting. I am galloping at that spot where I will race to the finish. I guess there is a ghost but not thought of that way because it doesn't have the feel of a spiritual experience and this story fabricates evil. Although clearly made-up, strong history is spun around this mystery which protagonists and readers fit together.

Sarah Rayne feels the need to describe something gross and disturbing in all her books. I don't mean a little gore or something exaggerated enough to ignore because it is fake. One part is mentally grotesque. But that is her horrifiic input, the extent of this aspect of her novels. The remainder will be a paranormal, mysterious, atmospheric puzzle; making an adventure with great protagonists we like and support.

Fascinating. I prefer stories about spirits to tales of evil entities but this novel has only started. The content with which it is already immersed is as paranoramal as it can get. I love the homey, comfortable connection with the key narrators. Sarah Rayne shares narrators but in this series, accomplishes it engagingly, with an important few personages for whom we care. This pleasantness offsets dark portions.

Happy birthday to me! It is my special, magical day! I pray it brings all positive and good things, like Conan being home with us.

Observing Manitoba's livingrooms and people published here, in chapter after chapter, is a pleasure and a treat. It dawned on me that Lois Forsberb's collection of personal stories in lieu of reputedly haunted spots, compares uniquely with what Dr. Helen Creighton did with folk songs and ghost stories in Nova Scotia. Except due to Helen's profession, her collection is renound. Everyone must know about Lois's book!

Highly enjoyable and thoroughly explored and written, all the way through. I see why these are so freshly unique from the usual true ghost story books. They are people's experiences, at home or any place. They aren't the newspaper cuttings of famous places. Lois Forsberg drew from Manitobans in less famous regions, experiences of anomalies they wanted to reveal. All their anomalies are new to appearing in books!

Superb! This is the best-researched collection of true paranormal stories, much more interesting and one-of-a-kind than any other books put together and very well-organized. The way Lois Forsberg introduces all of these stories is wonderful. Her chapter segues flow and she is really telling the story of having these interviews with Manitoba contributors. Then she prints their experiences in their personal styles.

The synopsis is by me and says what I feel. This is unexpectedly well-written, engaging, and enjoyable to savour and read! It is local and a rare selection for a change. They aren't the usual Manitoba places but new towns and unrevealed experiences altogether. This needs to keep in print and become more popular than Canadian compilations most often circfulating. I'm just beginning and see it is the best of them!

This novelization, vocabulary for turning a story medium into literature, is not as exciting as it should be with emphasis on teenaged dialogue and physical actions. Literature must be driven by emotion, emotion, emotion. I dislike the first person present narrative. It sounds awful, probably because speaking like we are there if we aren't disconnects us. Say how she feels but not constatly being physically cold.