Suffolk – Judefire33 – The Book Blog

Evie Mathews and her son Alfie flee from her abusive partner Seth to spend New Year with her half-brother Luke at their late father’s summer home on the Suffolk Coast, only to find Seahurst abandoned and Luke missing.

Evie searches for her brother, filled with a deepening dread that something is very wrong at Seahurst and their father’s death may not have been suicide after all.

As Seahurst’s ancient and sinister secrets unfurl around her, Evie fears the souls of the dead will soon claim another terrible revenge.

Seahurst is a gripping, dark, spooky novel that had me turning the pages and devouring it in a matter of days.

The opening chapter sees us witness the horrendous demise of a woman purported to be a witch, and her children, centuries before. I actually found this so moving and spooky, that I knew Seahurst would deliver.

We follow Evie and her teenage son Alfie, as they arrive to meet her step-brother at Seahurst, a huge looming house set on the coast of Suffolk, near the ruins of an old Monastery which are falling into the sea at an alarming rate. The descriptions of the setting are amazing and made me really feel like I was viewing a movie in my head.

The story builds and builds and the feeling of foreboding is anxiety-inducing! It really had me with my heart in my mouth at times, without giving away any of the plots, it is a fantastic read. A wonderful rich cast of characters and a superb ending.

I will happily read another book by Sally Harris if Seahurst is anything to go by.

A gripping, spooky 5 star read.

S.A.Harris writes ghost stories and Gothic fiction. Her debut novel, Haverscroft, was published in 2019. Haverscroft was a semi-finalist in the Book Bloggers Novel of the Year Award 2020, a Halloween recommended read for Prima Magazine 2020, and one of Den of Geek’s Top Books 2019. Her second novel, Seahurst, will be published on 15th May 2023.
She won the Retreat West Crime Writer Competition in 2017, was shortlisted for The Fresher Prize First 500 Words of a Novel Competition and published in their anthology, Monsters in November 2018.
When not writing, S.A.Harris is a solicitor living with her husband and three children in Norwich, Norfolk. She tries to spend as much time as possible on the Suffolk coast, walking the beach at Covehithe, visiting cafes and bookshops in Southwold and wandering amongst the ruins of Greyfriars Medieval Friary at Dunwich.

You can buy Seahurst HERE

You can follow Sally Harris on TWITTER INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK

Sally Harris has her own website HERE

A TEENAGE PRODIGY

HIS OVER-PROTECTIVE MOTHER

HIS JEALOUS TEENAGE RIVALS

ALL PLAYERS IN A CONCERTO OF CONSPIRACY AND MURDER

Edmund Fitzgerald is different

Sheltered by An over-protective mother, he’s a musical prodigy.

Now,against his mothers wishes, he’s about to enter formal education for the first time aged 17. Everything is alien to Edmund: teenage style, language and relationships are impossible to understand.

Then there’s the searing jealousy his talent inspires, especially when the sixth form collies Head of Music, turns her back on her other students and begins to teach Edmund exclusively.

Observing events is Steph, a former police detective who is rebuilding her life following a bereavement as the college receptionist. When a student is found dead in the music block, Steph’s sleuthing skills help to unravel the dark events engulfing the college community.

Firstly, thank you once again to Hobeck Books for the gifted copy of Blood Notes, I’m extremely grateful, as always.

Well I was hooked from the extremely shocking first chapter, I was not expecting that! Nope I’m not giving it away, buy it, read it!

From then on the storyline and plot is one of murder, jealousy and madness and I was hooked.

The main character of Edmund is written really well as a beyond his years, awkward with other teenagers, but brilliant Cellist. His upbringing has cocooned him from other children, just him and his Mother and his music, so when he starts at the local college it’s a clash of 2 worlds! His shock at how teenagers are is the start of a journey for Edmund and his Mother, Imogen.

The characters are all written and portrayed very well by Lin Le Versa in Blood Notes. The involvement of a retired police detective is frankly, a great plot! Steph Grant and her trusty sidekick Derek the dog (I loved that name) help the local Detectives to piece together what is happening when murders start occurring. In the meantime she is being blackmailed and threatened, and even Derek can’t help her! There’s a love angle, which has been simmering for years and her sleuthing ways help to lead us to the killer, in frankly a great finale.

This is the first in a new series of Steph Grant books, and I shall look forward to the next instalment!

LIN LE VERSHA

Lin Le Versha has drawn on her extensive experience in London and Surrey schools and colleges as the inspiration for her debut crime novel which Hobeck are thrilled to be publishing later this year. In addition to crime writing, she has written over twenty plays exploring the issues faced by secondary school and sixth form students. Commissioned to work exploring the issues faced by secondary school and sixth form students. Commissioned to work with Anne Fine on The Granny Project, she created the English and drama lesson activities for students aged 11 to 14.

Creative writing courses at the Arvon Foundation and ‘Ways with Words’ in Italy, encouraged Lin to enrol at the UEA MA in Creative Writing (Crime) and her debut novel was submitted as the final assessment for this excellent course.

Lin is the Director of the Southwold Arts Festival, comprising over thirty events in an eight-day celebration of the Arts.

You can buy Blood Notes from Hobeck Books HERE

Twitter @linleversa