The Silence (A Nell West and Michael Flint Haunted House Story...

A century-old crime menaces the present in this spine-tingling tale of supernatural suspenseAntiques dealer Nell West is valuing the contents of her late husband Brad’s childhood home, Stilter House. Set on the remote Derbyshire Peaks, there was once a much older property there, in which the notorious Isobel Acton committed a vicious crime. Warned against visiting the house by an elderly aunt of Brad’s, Nell hears mysterious piano music soon after her arrival. It becomes clear that the music is tangled with Isobel Acton’s macabre fate more than a hundred years earlier. A fate whose consequences still menace the present.

From Booklist

Antiques dealer Nell West and her friend, Oxford literature professor Michael Flint, return in another spooky outing. Nell, who was recently widowed, is going through her late husband’s family home. Once upon a time, an older home stood here, one that was the center of a scandal—a woman poisoned her husband—and the property is said to be haunted. Nell soon begins to notice strange goings-on, and it isn’t long before a century-old evil manifests itself in the present day. Each of the three West novels explores the same theme—the sins of the past absolutely refusing to stay in the past—but with enough variation to keep us from feeling like we’re just reading the same book again and again. Nell, too, is a sympathetic and likable protagonist (Michael Flint is more of a supporting character than a costar), and, as always, Rayne keeps the story moving at a steady but not breathless pace. Fans of this veteran author (her first book appeared, under a pseudonym, 30-odd years ago) will be well pleased. --David Pitt

Kirkus Reviews

Rayne continues to mix eerie hauntings and witty protagonists in her enjoyable third neogothic mystery ― Publishers Weekly Fans of this veteran author will be well pleased. ― Booklist Rayne's third Nell West ghost story perfects the craft of deftly chosen details, simmering suspense and chilling surprises, all woven into a quiet, elegant narrative

About the Author

Sarah Rayne is the author of novels of supernatural suspense, including the new series featuring Michael Flint and Nell West. She lives in Staffordshire.

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