Haunting Hounds by Karen Bush

When I was very young – but probably old enough to know better – I used to be an avid reader of ghost stories (I still am, and now I’m definitely old enough to know better.) I loved nothing more than curling up under the covers and scaring myself silly with tales of headless horsemen, phantom nuns, and grey ladies. Of course, one of the good things about being a ghost-mad kid in Britain is that Blighty’s a notoriously haunted country, in which just about every village and country lane boasts its fair share of ghosts. And not all of those ghosts, as Karen Bush proves in this lovely collection, come in human form.

If men can return from the dead – and, according to folklore throughout the centuries, they can – then I suppose it follows that man’s best and most loyal friend might also do the same. The spectral dogs in this collection are every bit as diverse as human ghosts. Some are horrible, and some are helpful. Some are gloomy, and others are playful. Some come back to haunt the living because of unfinished business, and others do so for no apparent reason whatsoever.

There are plenty of famous spectral hounds here, from the hounds that ride with the Wild Hunt to the mysterious black dogs that haunt lonely roads, either helping or harming the humans they encounter. There are literary dogs, like the inspiration for Conan Doyle’s Hound of the Baskervilles and the Isle of Man’s Moddey Dhoo, which features in Sir Walter Scott’s work. There are vicious dogs and placid dogs, guard dogs and guide dogs, witch dogs and even fairy dogs. And as well as the well-known spectral dogs, there are plenty of more obscure local legends; a huge amount of research must have gone into this book.

Whether you believe in ghosts or not (‘All argument is against it; but all belief is for it,’ according to the opening quote by Samuel Johnson), they’re undoubtedly an intrinsic and fascinating part of folklore, and rather revealing on a psychological level. Ghost stories are often as reassuring as they are frightening, and the same applies to ghost dogs: it’s comforting to think that our canine companions might survive death. And this fascinating, affectionate tribute to our four-legged friends is, ultimately, comforting – not least because of Claire Colvin, whose beautiful and humorous illustrations really make this book a treasure. Highly recommended to anyone who loves ghosts, or dogs, or both.

Haunting Hounds can be purchased at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.

The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw by Suzy Turner

Reviewed by Chris Longmuir

I was slightly out of my comfort zone with this book, as my usual reading diet is crime, suspense, and action. However, I do like a good ghost story as well which was why I was drawn to it.

Emma and Lana are two adopted sisters and as the story evolves it becomes obvious they have special powers. The first section of the book where they discover a mysterious boy washed up by the sea, and then the death by drowning of the elderly Josiah Grimshaw was full of suspense and really kept me guessing, which is what I like in a book.

Lana is afraid of heights, so when she feels impelled to climb to the pinnacle of Carlton Point, not only was she terrified. I was too. And then when she stood on the edge of the sheer drop my heart was in my mouth, and here is how it felt for Lana – She could feel her heart beating, feel it thudding in her chest. She couldn’t open her mouth; it was too dry. All she wanted to do was scream but she couldn’t even do that . . . A sudden massive gust of wind took her feet from beneath her and she was forcefully pushed from the top of Carlton Point, falling silently and peacefully to the rocky hills below. End of chapter. Now that really is strong writing and a terrific cliff hanger.

There is a similar scene with Emma who is afraid of water. She is on a ferry when a voice entered her head and told her to jump . . . Her face was as white as a sheet, but her body didn’t seem to care as she threw herself from the boat into the cold waters of the Thames estuary.

The mystery deepens when the girls travel to London for a work placement, but this is no ordinary work placement. By this time the girls have developed their special powers and they join a group of young people who also have special powers. This was the section where I felt most out of my comfort zone, because there were descriptions of each person’s powers. Although this section was intriguing I found it lacked the pace of the previous section, but that is because I like suspence and action, and I have less patience for the building of fantasy worlds. I have a feeling that this will be the section that will appeal most to fantasy lovers.

The pace picked up again by the end of the book as Emma and Lana seek to free Josiah Grimwood and allow him to move on. The explanation of why he was held in limbo was intriguing and in line with the fantasy element of the story.

In conclusion I really liked the characters of Emma and Lana, and shared their fears and joys, which is what good charaterisation is all about. I also found lots to interest me in this story, and I loved the parts which were full of suspense and action. I did feel it lagged a bit in the middle, however dedicated readers of fantasy will probably not agree with me over this. Overall it was an enjoyable read.

Chris Longmuir

The book is available at:-

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com