This story is set in the winter of 1917, during WW1, and the owner of Blackwater Abbey, situated on island off the coast of Devon, is hosting a house party of the most sombre kind. Lord Highmount of Highmount Industries (developers and producers of armaments for the war effort) lost two of his sons in the trenches and the get-together at the Abbey is for the purpose of contacting his sons' spirits, with the assistance of two invited Mediums. But some of the guests are not necessarily who they appear to be and may have agendas of their own.

A decent, slightly old fashioned haunted house whodunit with great characters and an engrossing mystery, but despite all the ghosts I found the story lacking in atmosphere and suspense.

A House of Ghosts is a shiver inducing beautifully written and immersive story – think Agatha Christie meets M.R. James but done in Mr Ryan’s own indomitable style, which if you’ve read “The Constant Soldier” you’ll know is pretty damn fine.

Its a perfectly pitched mystery, set in wartime, a place and time the author brings to descriptively vivid life. The story itself is most excellent, spies and nefarious goings on, in a haunted house cut off by a storm where nobody is being entirely honest.

Our two main protagonists, Kate and “Donovan” are wonderfully drawn and highly engaging plus ghosts. Yes well, it is a house full of them and not necessarily of the other worldly kind.

I loved it, from the claustrophobic and literally haunted setting to the intelligent mystery elements and all the way to the terror filled finale. Oh and there’s some thought provoking truths about that time in our history thrown in for good measure. A story with many layers which is overwhelmingly entertaining throughout.

Lots of brownie points for this one. Don’t be scared. The dead can’t hurt the living…can they?

Highly Recommended.