I had to reread this book since I had forgotten the story from the first time I read it. Technically, I listened to the story the second time, and I'm glad I did because I found myself enjoying the story much more the second time. The books in this series have a tendency to feel a bit the same after you have read a couple, but I must say that this book, thanks to the second half of the book and the great twist, was pretty good.

The House on Widows Hill is more of a twist on the typical English country house mystery than even Ishmael Jones and his partner Penny Belcourt usually have to contend with.

And that’s definitely saying something about the cases that the mysterious “Organization” usually assigns to this unconventional pair – even after the case in the previous book, Night Train to Murder, that has literally just dropped them off in Bath when this investigation begins.

Someone high up in that secretive, blacker-than-black-ops ‘Organization’ wants Ishmael and Penny to spend the night at that house on Widows Hill overlooking the city, a house with a reputation so dark that not only has no one lived there since the Victorian Era, but no one even goes near the place.

The place is so creepy that not even the local kids go there on dares, and haven’t for decades. Probably because of the overwhelming sense of impending doom and dread that comes over anyone and everyone who approaches the outer gates.

Someone in the ‘Organization’ is considering buying the place – or that’s what Ishmael and Penny are told, anyway. That night is a ‘one-night-only’ invitation to not just Ishmael and Penny as representatives of the potential buyer, but also to a whole team of “ghost botherers” (as Ishmael calls them) who have been begging – for years it seems – to get inside the old haunt. Along with one intrepid reporter who represents the family that owns the creepy pile – and really would like to get shed of the place once and for all.

The rumor is that the house is haunted – but there have never been any reports of actual ghost sightings. At least not until the first member of the little group of wannabe ghost hunters dies in the midst of what Ishmael is sure is a fraudulent séance. Then again, Ishmael believes that all séances are fraudulent so he’s not disappointed that this one is all a wheeze – although he is peeved that he let himself get caught up in the distraction.

He just wasn’t expecting this particular bit of shenanigans to be a way of covering up murder. But he should have been, even if he’s a bit off his usual game. Because while there may not be any ghosts in the house, there certainly is a real something. Something that’s speaking to Ishmael himself in ways that seem entirely too familiar – even if they are speaking of a past that he can no longer claim as his own.

Escape Rating A-: I normally save this series for around Halloween, but I’m in the midst of a reading quandary that I hoped this book would solve – or at least beat back for a couple of days. I’m in the middle of listening to Erik Larson’s No One Goes Alone, and it reminds me A LOT of the Ishmael Jones series – at least so far. The thing about the Larson ‘book’ is that it’s audio only – there’s no actual book. If there were I’d have finished the damn thing by now, because I’m desperate to find out not just whodunnit but also how and why it was done. ‘Thumbing’ to the end of an audio is just damnably awkward – but I’ve been sorely tempted all the same. (I’ll finish the damn thing this week one way or another! And in case you can’t tell, I’m really, REALLY frustrated by the lack of a text.)

Once the resemblance between the two became clear to me, I picked up The House on Widows Hill, which is the next book in my catchup on this series, in the hopes of getting a bit of resolution by proxy for the book I can’t quite carve out enough time to finish.

It even worked, sorta/kinda. Which is awesomely relieving in a peculiar, reading obsessive kind of way.

So this book was pretty much the right book at the right time, even if my reading did start out as a search for a catharsis by substitution.

The House on Widows Hill very much has the classic haunted house vibe going on – even though with Ishmael and Penny involved the reader begins the story aware that it just isn’t going to go to any of the places that haunted houses normally go. That Ishmael gets shaken out of some of his internal certainties and securities added a bit to the ongoing arc of the series while at the same time ramping up the tension of both this book and the books in the series yet to come.

As I’ve already read the final book in the series so far, Haunted by the Past, I have one more book left in my catchup of this series, and that’s Buried Memories. Which I’ll probably get around to THIS coming Halloween, unless the urge for some of this author’s trademark line in snark hits me sooner and isn’t satisfied by the next book in his Gideon Sable series, Where is Anybody?, scheduled for publication in August.

Review will follow shortly.Thank you to netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the electronic advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review

A mystery in a mystery. Is the house haunted or is someone just messing with everyone? This is a new kind of mystery to keep the genre going and will probably be replicated and honestly, should be made into a movie

Received from Severn House and Netgalley for honest read and review.
Another fine read from Simon R Green,really love this chart and series

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great read and lots of fun.

I really nedd to go back and read the earlier books of the series.

Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for sending me this ARC.

Ishmael Jones, intrepid (and extraterrestrial) secret agent, takes on a haunted house, along with his charming companion, Penny. The story opens with a peek into Ishmael’s history, hints of the space ship crash that landed him on Earth and the existence of a second survivor. In return for help locating another of his kind, he agrees to investigate an old house with a nasty reputation. It’s the usual set-up, with Ishmael, Penny, and an assortment of psychics and ghost-hunters and such agreeing to spend an entire night in the house. Of course, spooky things happen. Of course, Ishmael and Penny don’t for a second believe these are due to supernatural apparitions.

Of course, things then take a seriously twisted turn, one even Ishmael can’t explain away.

The opening of the book felt comfortably familiar, with the legends and warnings about the house, the introduction and frictions between the guests, and the early, inexplicable events. But this is Ishmael Jones at work, and the story unfolds in the hands of a gifted writer who is much too savvy to follow expectations.

Marvelous fun, but with moments of reflection. I hope Ishmael gets his answers, but not too soon. The journey from here to there provides excellent entertainment.

A Little Silly, But Still Plenty of Fun

I admit up front that I generally like these books. They remind me very much of Avengers episodes, with a fine John Steed/Emma Peel feeling. But much like the Avengers, the episodes vary a good deal in quality and appeal, and there are some ripping bits and some lame bits. When I get a weak one I just comfort myself that there is likely a stronger one coming up next.

All of that leads up to the fact that this was one of my favorites. It's Number 9 in the series. Number 8 was an in-betweener and Number 7 was on the higher end, so I wasn't sure where we'd end up this time. I was not much encouraged by the whole haunted house angle; it just didn't seem to bode well. Turns out my misgivings were not well based. This latest Jones book struck me as toward the higher end of the series.

The book starts well, with a fine scene involving Ishmael's and Penny's assignment to find out what's behind the ghosty history of the House on Widow's Hill. We get a creepy tale on the way to the house and some very effective scene setting. Of course we have a team at the house. Ever since Shirley Jackson haunted house books have had to have a team. Even Scooby Doo knows this. Well, our team is a celebrity psychic, a reporter, a ghostbuster, and a white witch. Enough to make Ishmael have indigestion, and a warning to the reader. But wait, the group, while absolutely true to type and expectations, is actually handled very well, with just enough twists to their personalities to keep them interesting.

We then go through ghost house folderol, which I will not spoil. The plot doesn't keep anything moving, really, but the whole haunted house deal is so nicely and ironically handled by our author that the slim premise works. Again, no spoilers, but I was quite happy with this Ishmael Jones version of a haunted house tale, and am not at all inclined to gripe about plot holes, pacing, plausibility, or any other similarly mundane complaints.

The book is a hoot. It also moves the Jones back story about a second alien forward, and I am keen to see where that eventually goes.

Bottom line, - it's a lark, but reasonably well written and fairly creepy and very Jonesy, which is all you could really ask for.


(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

I have read a few of these books and they do not disappoint. I think Ishmael is a really good character to relate to even though we still have no idea what he really is or where he has come from. I will continue to look out for this series of books, and this author because the books are very well written and the stories very engrossing. Absolutely would recommend.

Simon Green renders an excellent horror house mystery in The House of Widows Hill. Ishmael Jones and his friend Penny have been tasked to find out if the old house is haunted or has other problems; a group of pyschics and ghost hunters accompany them into the old Victorian house. Arthur is killed mysteriously and his ghost appears, but only to Ishmael. Classic creepy locked doors and mysterious basement. Short read for a spooky evening.

The House on Widows Hill by Simon R. Green, another Ishmael and Penny novel. I enjoyed it, a very well done book that draws you in and makes you want to keep reading to find out what happened.

This was my first book by this author and the first that I have read in this series. I found the story to be quite enjoyable. I do not know the whole backstory of the mc Ishmail but I never felt that I needed to. This is the story of a haunted house...or is it? I would have liked to have a few more scares in this book but that is my preference. The only critique that I have is that the chapters seemed to be to long.

Ishmael Jones and Penny Belcourt travel deep into the English countryside to investigate a "haunted house." Ishmael doesn't believe in ghosts, but something is definitely happening with the four walls of this house. Penny and he are to spend the night in the house, along with a psychic, a newspaper reported, the son of the house owners, a paranormal investigator and a medium. During a seance, the reporter dies and everyone believes it was the house. When he reappears, Ishmael has to revise his knowledge regarding ghosts. But, it isn't the paranormal that's haunting the house; it is something else entirely. And only Ishmael can destroy it. Another enjoyable romp through the English tropes of Green's world.

Ah! What a pleasure to read this latest Ishmael Jones story. Once again he teams with Penny Belcourt to solve what has been a decades long mystery. Is Harrow House, a Victorian that sits on a hill high above the city of Bath, actually haunted or not?

They are in Bath at the end of their last case, having to stay the night as there are no return trains to London until the next day. And on the next day, a representative of the Organization presents them with a new job requiring only one night’s work: stay overnight in Harrow House to assess if the property has “issues” or not. There are, of course, more details than that, there are others involved in the “stay over” who should make things interesting. A psychic, a white witch, a reporter, what could go wrong? Of course Ishmael does not believe in ghosts though he knows that all types of other monsters and creatures definitely exist. Penny is more interested in the prospect of a haunting. Before the story is over, both will confront many things they hadn’t expected.

Recommended. Can be read as a stand alone though some references may be missed. Background information is provided that gives basics on Ishmael’s history.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Mysteries are not usually my go to - but boy this thriller was good. Ishmael's character is so interesting. I was excited to see how this would wrap up - a fun exciting read

Here's a little twist to the series with an actual ghost. What do you get when you've just finished one case but get thrown onto another. You get a ghost story in a haunted house. I enjoyed this one because it expanded on the lore of the universe just a bit. The little step in solving the bigger mystery was done very well. The fun in this story is enjoying how the main character has to question what he thought he knew. All to solve what only he or someone like him could solve.

Ishmael Jones Is Back....
Ishmael Jones is back, this time a potentially haunted house is on his agenda. He and Penny agree to spend a night to investigate the strange goings on - joined by a group of experts in their field , Team Ghost’ may just have taken on way more than they bargained for. The ninth entry in this entertaining, quirky series of mysteries and an enjoyable read.

I'm going to just come right out and say it at the very beginning.....get it out in the open....

I am a HUGE Simon R. Green fan! I loved his Nightside series and I have been a dedicated reader of the Ishmael Jones books since the first one. Green could write blurbs for toilet paper wrappers and I would buy megapacks just to read what he had to say.....

That being said....

I knew the minute this book popped up on my available-to-review list that I would love this book. I always do. Ishmael Jones. His sidekick Penny. The Organization. And......a haunted, creepy house. What's not to love?

And I was right, as usual. Green never lets me down. Great suspense, creepy and a fun, engaging read! The Ishmael Jones books are short -- about 120-150 pages each. The House on Widows Hill is the 9th book in the series. Jones is an alien. He's not exactly sure what type....or where he came from. He only vaguely remembers a crash...his ship going down. Then the onboard AI repaired him and wiped his memory so he could live as a human and survive until rescue. But no rescue ever came. Since he doesn't age -- he's been the same age since 1963 -- he trades protection and safety offered by a covert organization in return for handling strange cases for them. He and Penny have investigated some really really strange stuff.....and now, they are spending the night in an infamous supposedly haunted house. Their mission? Join a group of ghost hunters and determine if the house is really haunted. When one of the group mysteriously drops dead, Ishmael realizes this is going to be so much more than traipsing around with an EVP recorder and a body cam. This isn't reality tv.....Harrow House is real...and dangerous.

This story is a quick read as usual. Green expertly weaves a creepy story of suspense. He packs a lot into 150 pages! Lots of twisty-turny creepiness!

Great read!! Can't wait for the next adventure of Ishmael and Penny!

This is my first Ishmael Jones novel though I will likely read more. It has a little bit of everything: murder mystery, haunted house/ghost story, a secret international organization, a touch of romance, and the weirdest backstory for a protagonist that I have ever run across. The backstory places this work clearly in the fantasy/science fiction realm. Dedicated detective fiction readers will probably beat Jones to the resolution of this murder mystery, and the book requires a lot of suspension of disbelief, but his is still an entertaining read. Simon Green has an engaging writing style with his tongue clearly in cheek in places, and he drives the plot along at a furious clip. Thanks to Severn House Publishers for this ARC. Check it out.

Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice* Jones's Reviews > The House on Widows Hill
The House on Widows Hill by Simon R. Green
The House on Widows Hill (Ishmael Jones #9)
by Simon R. Green
30817744
Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice* Jones's reviewJul 10, 2020 · edit
really liked it
bookshelves: 2020, netgalley-arc, series, 3-star, 4-star, contemporary-fiction, crime, murder-mystery, paranormal, sci-fi

EXCERPT: 'I don't like the feel of the house,' I admitted. 'As though it's hiding something from us.'

'Are you feeling anything specific?'

Nothing I can put a name to. Not dread or horror, just . . . a general feeling of being watched, by unseen eyes.'

'I am definitely feeling all of that,' said Penny.

'Remember the ink blot,' I said. 'It's more than likely we are only feeling these things because the file told us we would.'

'But we're professionals,' said Penny. 'You are Space Boy,I am Spy Girl; we're used to walking into dangerous situations. We don't get nervous; we make other people nervous. And yet . . . it does feel as if something in that house is waiting for us, and rubbing its hands together in anticipation.'

ABOUT THIS BOOK: Set high on top of Widows Hill, Harrow House has remained empty for years. Now, on behalf of an anonymous prospective buyer, Ishmael and Penny are spending a night there in order to investigate the rumours of strange lights, mysterious voices, unexplained disappearances, and establish whether the house is really haunted.

What really happened at Harrow House all those years ago? Joined by a celebrity psychic, a professional ghost-hunter, a local historian and a newspaper reporter, it becomes clear that each member of 'Team Ghost' has their own pet theory as to the cause of the alleged haunting. But when one of the group suddenly drops dead with no obvious cause, Ishmael realizes that if he can find out how and why the victim died, he will have the key to solving the mystery

MY THOUGHTS: Another amusing and entertaining romp with Ishmael and Penny. Although this is a series, the books are easily enjoyed as stand alones. Author Simon R. Green gives enough information on the unique Ishmael Jones' history to keep the reader up to speed.

While I easily guessed the murderer and motive, this in no way diminished my enjoyment.

The House on Widow's Hill is a quick read, read easily in an afternoon, that blends a number of genres and sets us up for the next installment.

😱😱😱.5

#TheHouseonWidowsHill #NetGalley

'Fight fire with fire. When science can't protect you, and logic is off in a corner having a panic attack, magic is right there kicking arse and taking names.'

Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Because if you do it today and you like it, you can do it again tomorrow.

THE AUTHOR: and fantasy-author. He holds a degree in Modern English and American Literature from the University of Leicester.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Severn House via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The House on Widow's Hill by Simon R. Green for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my profile page on Goodreads.com or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

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