1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Put on top of your reading list, November 29, 2007
This review is from: New-Slain Knight: The Haunted Ballad Series (Hardcover)
Reviewed by Sharon Broom
The best laid plans... .
When musician Ringan Laine and Penny Wintercraft-Hawkes' vacation is interrupted by the arrival of Ringan's fourteen-year-old niece, Rebecca, it is suggested that they all could visit Cornwall. Rebecca is a violin prodigy and the musical holiday is something that would interest her.
Ringan arranges lodging with a musician friend, Gowan Cambourne. But Gowan leaves Penny with an uneasy feeling that borders on disturbed. When the song New Slain Knight is played, both Penny and Rebecca see the same vision.
The group learns that Gowan's lover committed suicide in the house. Even more disturbing is that Rebecca looks a great deal like the dead girl. During a performance, Rebecca has another vision and Ringan and Penny realize that there are some serious problems involving Rebecca. If the mystery isn't solved, Rebecca might become a victim.
New-Slain Knight is wonderfully chilling. It's a ghost story that rings true and completely envelops the reader, transporting us to a place where we `live' the experience. I will be reading the earlier novels in this series.
Armchair Interviews says: For a haunting good time, New-Slain Knight should be at the top of your reading list.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gripping, Chilling, Never Stale, November 18, 2007
This review is from: New-Slain Knight: The Haunted Ballad Series (Hardcover)
Once again, Grabien brings us a lyrical ghost story, a haunting little mystery whose protagonists are centuries in the ground, found out by our old friends, Ringan and Penny. This time it isn't just them endangered by the shades of old murder ballads, but Ringan's 14 year old niece, Becca. As always, the peril of all is palpable, the love and friendship of the living members of the party real and joyous. Once again Grabien takes her own trope and gives it a twist satisfying enough to keep her series from getting old or campy. These books line up nicely next to Barbara Michaels at her best.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent paranormal suspense, April 5, 2011
This review is from: New-Slain Knight: The Haunted Ballad Series (Hardcover)
First Sentence: In the large upstairs room at the pub called the Duke of Cornwall's Own, a local band, the Tin Miners were playing to an enthusiastic audience.
Musician Ringan Laine and theater producer Penny Wintercraft-Hawkes are looking forward to a rare vacation off together. Plans change when Ringan's sister, whose mother-in-law needs her, asks to send him her 14-year-old daughter, Rebecca, a violin prodigy. Staying with Gowan, a musician friend in Cornwall, seemed like a good idea until Penny has a vision of a man dying and Becca starts sleep-walking. What are the forces from the past and beyond the grave influencing these two women?
Books that include a cast of characters and a map are such a treat. It is even better that Ms. Grabien's characters are distinct and strong I didn't need reminding of them, but it's still a lovely thing to have.
The recurring characters of Ringlan and Penny are now old friends to me, but the author doesn't assume they are known to every reader. New readers will have no problem learning who they are and uncovering their backstory. I think that is such an important thing for an author to do. The new characters are interesting, and fully dimensional. There is one character, Gowan, you start by liking but the shine dims a bit; for another, Lucy, the reverse is true. It is very well done. Lucy is a particularly interesting character as she is a researcher and a true skeptic--something you don't usually see in a book with paranormal elements. She is very believable and adds the perfect balance to the story.
Ms. Grabian's powers of description not only create a sense of place by showing us around Cornwall, but provided us a sense of the characters through their personal environments. When including old documents, I appreciate her leaving them in the appropriate Old English and Victorian spelling and grammar. She trusts the ability of her audience, which is wonderful.
Each of Ms. Grabian's "Haunted Ballad" books is based on an actual old ballad, with a verse from the ballad at the beginning of each chapter. From that, she constructs a story each with a unique use of the paranormal element and a solidly constructed plot. Just when you think you've found a hole, she closes it. The characters ask the questions you mentally ask, and she answers them. The tension and suspense increase at a steady rate but without ever crossing over into graphic horror. The result is even more frightening than if she had, and then she adds excellent twists.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and closed it without identifying any flaws in its construction. The only question for potential readers is whether they enjoy books with a paranormal theme. If the answer is yes, I highly recommend "New-Slain Knight".
NEW-SLAIN KNIGHT (Para/Susp-Ringan Laine/Penny Wintercraft-Hawkes-England-Cont) - Ex
Grabien, Deborah - 5th in Haunted Ballad series
Thomas Dunne Books, ©2007, US Hardcover - ISBN: 9780312374006
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