A house with a sinister past - and a grisly power - When Michael Flint is asked by American friends to look over an old Shropshire house they have unexpectedly inherited, he is reluctant to leave the quiet of his Oxford study. But when he sees Charect House, its uncanny echoes from the past fascinate him - even though it has such a sinister reputation that no one has lived there for almost a century. But it's not until Michael meets the young widow, Nell West, that the menace within the house wakes . . .
Property of A Lady
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
From the opening pages this book had me gripped and I couldn't put it down until I got to the end of the mystery about Charcet House.
When Michael's friends Jack and Liz who live in America inherit an old house in England they ask him to oversee the renovations on it.
Charcet house is apparently haunted. When Local antique dealer Nell's daughter Beth and Jack and Liz's daughter Ellie start to suffer disturbing nightmares Nell and Michael are convinced that they are somehow linked to Charcet house and set about uncovering the history of the house.
Told in the present day and also going back in time with the help of old diaries and letters that the main characters in the book find, the plot flows along nicely. The conclusion was fantastic.
This is apparently the first book in a series of ghost stories that Sarah is writing and I can't wait to read the next one.
When Michael's friends Jack and Liz who live in America inherit an old house in England they ask him to oversee the renovations on it.
Charcet house is apparently haunted. When Local antique dealer Nell's daughter Beth and Jack and Liz's daughter Ellie start to suffer disturbing nightmares Nell and Michael are convinced that they are somehow linked to Charcet house and set about uncovering the history of the house.
Told in the present day and also going back in time with the help of old diaries and letters that the main characters in the book find, the plot flows along nicely. The conclusion was fantastic.
This is apparently the first book in a series of ghost stories that Sarah is writing and I can't wait to read the next one.
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I've thoroughly enjoyed many of Sarah Rayne's previous books, psychological thrillers with a touch of the supernatural and a smidgen of gothic which always hits the spot with me! Property of A Lady appears to be the first in new series of "ghost books" featuring Nell West and Michael Flint. The second in the series, The Sin Eater, is due for release in 2012.
Michael Flint, an Oxford Don, is asked to keep an eye on renovations of an old Shropshire house inherited by his American friends. He soon realises that Charect House is not quite the rural idyll his friends are expecting; from the moment he crosses the threshold, the aura of evil is palpable and Rayne cranks up the tension beautifully, drawing in the reader. Nell West, a local antique dealer, soon finds herself joining forces with Michael to discover the truth about Charect House. Why are Nell's daughter and Michael's American god-daughter having the same nightmares about the Dead Man's Knock and a man with pits for eyes? What happened to the previous occupants of the house? What happened to the psychic investigator who visited the house? All these questions are answered in the end but not before the author has stepped up the fear factor, leaving you (well, me in this case..) too scared to turn off the bedside lamp.
Once again Sarah Rayne has succeeded in weaving a complex, compelling story with lots of twists and turns. She's also excellent at creating atmospheric locations and Charect House is a truly eerie setting. It's a very readable, riveting book which I read in one sitting, into the wee small hours, as I just had to find out what happened next. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series which deals with the ancient practice of sin-eating, a topic which intrigues me, and there may be a rural Irish setting too - roll on publication date in 2012!
Michael Flint, an Oxford Don, is asked to keep an eye on renovations of an old Shropshire house inherited by his American friends. He soon realises that Charect House is not quite the rural idyll his friends are expecting; from the moment he crosses the threshold, the aura of evil is palpable and Rayne cranks up the tension beautifully, drawing in the reader. Nell West, a local antique dealer, soon finds herself joining forces with Michael to discover the truth about Charect House. Why are Nell's daughter and Michael's American god-daughter having the same nightmares about the Dead Man's Knock and a man with pits for eyes? What happened to the previous occupants of the house? What happened to the psychic investigator who visited the house? All these questions are answered in the end but not before the author has stepped up the fear factor, leaving you (well, me in this case..) too scared to turn off the bedside lamp.
Once again Sarah Rayne has succeeded in weaving a complex, compelling story with lots of twists and turns. She's also excellent at creating atmospheric locations and Charect House is a truly eerie setting. It's a very readable, riveting book which I read in one sitting, into the wee small hours, as I just had to find out what happened next. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series which deals with the ancient practice of sin-eating, a topic which intrigues me, and there may be a rural Irish setting too - roll on publication date in 2012!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
With Property of a Lady, Sarah Rayne provided me with a delicious dilemma: whether to race through the pages at breakneck speed desperate to discover what happens next, or stop reading from time to time to savour the delight. I really didn't want to put the book down but neither did I want the magic to end. My solution? I read it twice in fast succession and found yet more to relish second time round.
An e-mail from America unleashes a sequence of events that whisk the reader on a breath-taking journey full of twists and turns following the dark fates of wonderfully drawn characters both past and present.
Sarah Rayne has been called the dark lady of crime fiction, and Property of a Lady displays all the hallmarks of her acclaimed psychological novels: a complex plot with multiple narratives, diverse time lines, taut pace and a setting so well portrayed it almost becomes a central character. This book also features a compelling ghost story, packed with suspense and so well written that several scenes will `haunt' me for a long time.
Planting plot lines and weaving narrative strands so seamlessly and to such great effect requires a highly accomplished and assured writer. When I say Sarah Rayne makes it look easy, I mean it as the highest compliment. I think one of her many skills is to touch all the reader's senses. Her words paint pictures we see; she creates scenes we can smell, taste, touch, and - certainly in Property of a Lady - that we can hear. In light of that, it may be better not to read the book if you're alone at night. And if there's a ticking clock in the room - you may want to silence it for the duration.
Property of a Lady is the first in a series to feature Oxford don Michael Flint and antiques dealer Nell West. The Sin Eater will appear next year and personally I can't wait to meet them again.
An e-mail from America unleashes a sequence of events that whisk the reader on a breath-taking journey full of twists and turns following the dark fates of wonderfully drawn characters both past and present.
Sarah Rayne has been called the dark lady of crime fiction, and Property of a Lady displays all the hallmarks of her acclaimed psychological novels: a complex plot with multiple narratives, diverse time lines, taut pace and a setting so well portrayed it almost becomes a central character. This book also features a compelling ghost story, packed with suspense and so well written that several scenes will `haunt' me for a long time.
Planting plot lines and weaving narrative strands so seamlessly and to such great effect requires a highly accomplished and assured writer. When I say Sarah Rayne makes it look easy, I mean it as the highest compliment. I think one of her many skills is to touch all the reader's senses. Her words paint pictures we see; she creates scenes we can smell, taste, touch, and - certainly in Property of a Lady - that we can hear. In light of that, it may be better not to read the book if you're alone at night. And if there's a ticking clock in the room - you may want to silence it for the duration.
Property of a Lady is the first in a series to feature Oxford don Michael Flint and antiques dealer Nell West. The Sin Eater will appear next year and personally I can't wait to meet them again.
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4.1 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Property of a Lady by Sarah Rayne
This horror novel was an excellent read. Horror is something l personally would not read. GREAT STORY and not too gruesome. Highly recommended.
Published 1 month ago by Cal
4.0 out of 5 stars
spine tingling
The first of her books to get me buying more of her writing. Spooky and highly entertaining, if your into that sort of book, then you will love this.
Published 1 month ago by LUCY B
5.0 out of 5 stars
Scary but great
I love Sarah Rayne! She writes well and it is really difficult to put her books down when you have started them. This one is no exception. I found it quite scary but loved it.
Published 4 months ago by Mel
3.0 out of 5 stars
A chilling tale for a quick summer read...
The advertisement appeared in the catalog of a local auction house in an area near the Wales border in Shropshire, England:
Messrs Cranston & Maltravers, Auctioneers, Fine Art... Read more
Messrs Cranston & Maltravers, Auctioneers, Fine Art... Read more
Published 9 months ago by janebbooks
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unable to put down
Great spooky mystery, read over 2 days couldn't put it down loved watching it unravel. Nice twist at the end, highly recommended.
Published 11 months ago by Sueann
5.0 out of 5 stars
Property of a Lady, S Rayne
This is the first book I have read by this author but it wont be the last I am sure. I didn't know what to expect; ghosts maybe with a little light romance thrown in. Read more
Published 14 months ago by wendy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exceptional!
This really is an exceptional story! It was gripping and I couldn't put it down no matter what!
If you are looking for a traditional type ghost investigation mystery... Read more
If you are looking for a traditional type ghost investigation mystery... Read more
Published 15 months ago by S. D. Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars
Forget the housework!
Sarah Rayne is without a doubt my favourite author so i was really looking forward to reading this and boy did i enjoy it. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Maya300
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Gothic Classic
Another ripping yarn from this talented author.All the ingredients are in place for a creepy read.,the old house,the asylum,and ghostly knockings on doors. Read more
Published 18 months ago by appley
5.0 out of 5 stars
Property of a Lady
Another great read fom the talented Sarah Rayne .
here she writes a ghost story which retains its believability a mystery where you have to keep those pages turning, a twist... Read more
here she writes a ghost story which retains its believability a mystery where you have to keep those pages turning, a twist... Read more
Published on 17 April 2011 by B. B. Norman
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