Tome Time, The Haunting of Gad's Hall by Norah Lofts

Started August 25th, finished August 31st.

I was very worried that I wouldn't like the Gad's Hall books.  They're two of my mum's favourites and I'd hate to have to tell her they were a disappointment.  Luckily neither of them were.

I have to say that once again it wasn't a book that focused on the spooky very much at all.  There's enough of it in there to deny Trading Standards a collar but it's a very minor part of the story.

It continues where the first book left off.  In both time settings.  The vast majority of the story is dedicated to the historical family.  I was glad about this as their story was much more interesting to me than one set in more modern times.  This is a novel about family.  The trials and tribulations that families go through together.  Where is stands up well for me is the characters.  They are all vividly written.  It can't have been an easy job to write five very different female characters all so well.  I believed in each one and the actions they took.  It's not a sentimental book.  It writes its characters very honestly.  Faults and good points all included.

I'm not sure whether or not I would keep the supernatural element of the story in if I were to advise the author.  It seems only to be there to direct the tale back to the historical era.  I don't really think it's necessary.  It doesn't spoil the story but it does feel a little tacked on.  The historical tale is a great read and leaving it open to the reader to decide what was actually at work would have pleased me more.

I really enjoyed a story set in the not too distant past centred around well written women,

4 out of 5 pawprints.

Next - A Question of Belief by Donna Leon

Book 46 of the 50 Book Challenge

Gad's Hall by Norah Lofts, 280 pages

Started June 25th, finished June 26th

This was another holiday read.  I've been meaning to read this book for over 20 years.  It has been on the bookshelves at my parent's house since before i was born.  I was always 'about to read it'.  I think I was a little wary due to the spooky cover.  Keeping myself awake because of a book happened too often! 

This is the tale of how a couple come to own the titular Gad's Hall.  Partway into the book it steps back in time to an earlier part of the history of Gad's Hall.  It tells the tale of the family that lived there at the time.  I enjoyed both stories very much.  My only point is that it is not actually that scary.  The cover is misleading.  It is the first of two books, the second being The Haunting of Gad's Hall.  This book is the set up for that.  It's great that the set up is so deep.  You really get to know both families.  There are sparks of what is to come in this book but I'm guessing that the sequel will spook me much more.  I'm very much looking forward to reading it.  I feel I can't properly judge this, knowing there's a sequel.  A sequel which seems it will fulfil the spookiness of the cover of this book.

4 out of 5 pawprints

Total so far, Books - 46, Pages - 13,475

Next - The Elephant to Hollywood by Michael Caine