Review: The Coffin Path by Katherine Clements

I love reading gothicky ghost stories, particularly at this time of year, and as soon as I saw the cover and title of this book I was intrigued. 

The story is set on the Yorkshire Moors in 1674, with the country still feeling the effects of the Civil War. The 'coffin path' is the well-worn path across the moor to the local church, passing Scarcross Hall. Once an impressive manor house, Scarcross Hall has now fallen on hard times, along with the fortunes of the people who live there: Bartram Booth, his daughter Mercy, and their housekeeper Agnes. They lead a hand-to-mouth existence, completely dependant on sheep-farming. Mercy has taken over from her father, who is becoming increasingly senile, but working alongside the shepherds mean the villagers no longer respect her as the lady of the manor.

A stranger arriving, seeking work, triggers a series of sinister events. Lambs are ritualistically slaughtered and left in the stone circle at the top of the moor; antique coins disappear, only to re-appear in unlikely places; and noises can be heard coming from a locked, empty room. Has evil arrived at Scarcross Hall? Or has it been there all the time?

This was one of those books where I wavered between four and five stars. It is well-written and incredibly atmospheric, with a brilliant sense of place; the desolate moor is practically a character itself and reminded me of Wuthering Heights. Compelling and chilling, the slow build-up of tension had me completely on edge. There is a scene towards the end, where someone (or something?) throws stones through the glass window, which I read the same time as the postman shoved a parcel through my letter box. I was so involved in the story, I practically hit the ceiling! However, it is very bleak, with the characters suffering set-back after set-back, and there was a little too much detail about sheep-farming, particularly in the opening chapters.

The Coffin Path is a leisurely read, so it won't suit anyone hoping for a quick succession of jump shocks, but I really enjoyed it. And if you love gothicky ghost stories, I'm sure you'll enjoy it too. 

Four and a half stars, rounded up to five.

I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of this book, which will be published on 8th February 2018.

Thank you to Katherine Clements, Headline Review, and Netgalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Painted Chamber by Katherine Clements

Review: The Painted Chamber by Katherine Clements

The Painted Chamber consists of two short stories and a sample from one of the author's full-length novels, The Crimson Ribbon. The short stories take about ten minutes each to read, and the sample of the novel starts at 35%. At the time of writing it was 99p to download but I did feel it was worth it because the stories were a beautiful read.

Too much detail and we head into spoiler territory, so I'll just say that the first story, The Painted Chamber, is a beautiful tale of first love between a yeoman's daughter and an artist. The second story, How to Roast a Pig with the Hair on, is about a farmer and his wife. Both stories are historical, although the exact time period is not mentioned. Both stories are exquisitely written, but very dark. Any scenes of sex or violence are implied rather than detailed.

I enjoyed both stories, which had a slight fairy tale quality to them, although I think my favourite was The Painted Chamber. Recommended!