I opened The Coffin Path by Katherine Clements anxious and excited, and I was not disappointed. Published yesterday, this novel is eerie and dark, relying on gradual tension building. As the reader, you must commit yourself to reading this book and choosing which characters to trust along the way. With a lot of murder, spooky ghost stories embedded and a weird atmosphere overall, this book is not for everyone, but it certainly is for those with a dark taste.

The Plot
The Coffin Path is told from a few narrative perspectives, focusing on Mercy Booth and Ellis Ferreby as he mysteriously arrives at the gothic setting, Scarcross Hall. As with any brilliant gothic horror, the setting starts off as mildly eerie, yet full of life with the characters who liven the hall. However, one by one their true natures are revealed, as Mercy deals with learning some harrowing truths about her family and spooky happenings in the night. As sheep start to die around her, old witching rumours resurface as she is branded as evil and cast out from society.

What I liked
I liked this book because it dives straight in at the deep end and doesn’t let the reader up for air very often. It begins with some rather gross descriptions of sheep giving birth, which sets the tone for the rest of the novel. From there, the dark, winter setting reflected the slowly darkening spirits of Scarcross Hall’s residents. As they learn of their fates and come to plenty of realisations, their natures emerge and I enjoyed seeing the difference in how each character dealt with loss and grief.
Agnes is a very likeable character, as she senses when things are amiss yet is often ignored until something is needed from her. Sam, the young boy, is essentially the mischief maker, causing incidents to happen yet not realising the effect they are having on the rest of the families. Ellis comes across very well for most of the story, and as a reader, I was drawn to his quiet, heroic behaviour, which you can never fully trust. Mercy’s character grows a lot within the story, as she takes on more responsibility and ‘presents herself as a man’ in order to keep the lives of her family stable.
The narrative itself is slow-paced, however keeps you gripped as the tension is built. I enjoyed the realistic nature and the way that the historical aspects are presented; Mercy struggling to prove that she is the rightful heir to Scarcross Hall whilst being a woman.

What could have been done better
There wasn’t much I didn’t like about this novel; the characters are well thought out, they inspire emotion and make you trust their nature. However, there were a few chapters which I felt dragged the narrative out unnecessarily. I felt that the characters spent a lot of time not talking about a lot of things, yet having conversations with subtext of the real issues which got frustrating at times, particularly between Mercy and Ellis.
Aside from this, I didn’t not like anything particularly. This book would not be for everyone, and nor should it be.

Overall, I felt that the narrative was inspired, using accurate historical quirks and figures, such as the companion. The characters saw some real development and none of them were one-sided, superficial or used as plot devices. Any avid read will appreciate all of these things. This novel is inherently gothic, dark and murderous. I loved the creepy settings, the awful depictions of birth and death how they really are, as opposed to how people describe them usually. It was candid and there was an air of deception and mystery surrounding a lot of the characters.
I would recommend this book to anyone with a strong stomach, who wants to be unsettled and a bit disturbed. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. Katherine Clements is a gifted storyteller and The Coffin Path is seriously spine chilling. Even in the opening pages, she creates a sense of mystery and isolation; it feels tangibly creepy and claustrophobic. That's a great start because I was propelled immediately into a different world. I could feel the cold, misty envelopment of the Yorkshire moors, the mid 1600s setting of this tense and haunting story. It's packed with suspense, feels bleak and after a slow but compelling start, the story builds inexorably.

The central premise is straightforward. An inheritance and expectation confounded by circumstance. Katherine Clements brings a palpable sense of mysticism to to the tale. It's haunting, filled with curses, omens and secrets. Best of all is the strong, totally plausible central female, Mercy. In some ways, she's at odds with the world, both literally and figuratively. Her father is ailing and the future of her dilapidated home, Scarcross Hall, is uncertain. Hers is a male dominated world; one of
adversity, suspicion and prejudice.

Any story which sweeps me into the time, people and issues is a winner. This is beautifully written, a compelling drama played out against a convincing English, rural, Restoration period backdrop. I enjoyed every page.

My thanks to Headline for a review copy, via Netgalley.

Set in the 17th century on the eerie Yorkshire Moors is Mercy, she lives with her father Bartram Booth and Agnes in Scarcross Hall.  They are in the heart of the sheep community and part of a close-knit of herders, shepherds and locals. But when a stranger appears looking for work, is it coincidence that things take on a turn that boarders on creepy maybe even supernatural.

The descriptions given of the contrasts that can be experienced on the moors have been vividly told, they paint a beautiful and bleak image.  She has explored the deeply rooted sense of community and when uncertainty mixed with fear is in the air how self-preservation is utmost priority woe betide anyone getting on the wrong side of community spirit. Fear is something that lurks in the minds of some, makes them think of things from the past, it creeps into the heads and when things go missing, noises are heard and items are moved the feeling that something more is going on.

The plot itself is a good suspense filled one, it paints the bleak, rugged and dangerous moors as a backdrop for a more intense feeling.  I was never quite sure who or what was the cause, but by the end I felt quite satisfied that my questions and thoughts had been answered.  Mercy is a hard but likeable character, the epitomizes the strength required to work as a woman in a man's world, doing a man's job, just as good as a man as well.  Se is a powerful character, and there were times that she did have more of a female side.

I thought this was a great read, it has the eerie suspense of evil that chitters away in the background, occasionally raising its head to remind you of its presence. It is atmospheric and has a beautiful description of the moors and surrounding areas.  This is a book I would definitely recommend to readers of historical fiction, suspense and in my opinion a hint of horror.

Yorkshire, 1674. Mercy Booth is the only child of Bertram, the patriarch of Scarcross Hall. Steadfast and intuitive, Mercy is as part of the moorland as the earth itself- but something is troubling her. Despite her misgivings, Mercy allows itinerant worker Ellis Ferreby to stay and tend the Hall’s sheep flock. From this point, things will never be the same again.

Kelly Fitzgerald, Assistant Professor at University College Dublin wrote that ‘In order for the imagination to be projected onto the landscape, a gifted storyteller is required.’ This is demonstrated precisely by The Coffin Path. The fears that Mercy experiences- worry for her beloved father, the otherworldly dangers held in her surroundings- are palpable. The conventions and superstitions of the time are acutely observed, only serving to deepen the claustrophobic atmosphere that Katherine Clements creates so wonderfully.

The Coffin Path really will weave its way into your imagination and chill you to the bone- simply, it’s one of the best novels I’ve read.

So the Coffin Path By Katherine Clements was a strange one for me, I was really looking forward to this but it didn't quite deliver and left me feeling a tad confused by that unexplained ending.
So this book tells the story of Mercy Booth who lives at Scarcross Hall with her father and an old servant called Meg.
Scarcross Hall is at the end of the old coffin path that winds up from the village to the top of the moor, hence the stories name.
Stories Abound about the evil that resides up here.
But Mercy isn't afraid she loves this land.
And when a stranger appears seeking work Mercy reluctantly provides it.
So the stranger, Ellis Ferreby and Mercy's tales are on a collision course and the fallout is going to be epic.
So this is what I would class as a gothic ghost tale, set in the seventeenth century on the bleak Yorkshire Moors amid sheep country.
The Coffin Path gives vivid descriptions throughout of the bleakness of the times.
The first visual upon starting this is a graphic portrayal of Mercy aiding a sheeps labour and this book continues to provide vivid optical delights.
The atmosphere created throughout hangs heavy with an extremely ominous feel.
Despite this, I struggled at times to fully connect and though the mood was set there never seemed to be an adequate explanation for any of the events occurring.
The Coffin Path mostly relies on its ambience, setting an aura of terror for the reader.
I also felt there were just too many bloody sheep stories being told.
I know where it was set, and the author did show her great knowledge of sheep farming back in the day, which is awesome, but for me, it was just a tad too much information.
I was sick to the back bloody teeth of sheep.
So the ending for this book took me completely by surprise, I saw some of it coming, but there was other stuff that I really wasn't expecting at all, and if I'm honest I actually feel rather sad and heartbroken for Ellis, poor bloke.
I would have definitely prefered an alternative ending and actually felt that Mercy was a complete cow to the poor bloke.
And also, as I said earlier, I am not quite sure what has actually happened here.
It was all a bit weird if I'm honest.
I was left feeling a bit deflated, this showed so much promise but for me fell totally flat in places.
Saying that this was very well written and had such a lyrical prose you couldn't help being enthralled by the language and also the overall setting.
So, in conclusion, this was a somewhat solid read but with some issues that I failed to overcome.
I was provided with an ARC of "The Coffin Path" By Netgalley of which I have reviewed voluntary.
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Scarcross Hall sits high on the moors, bleak and isolated, but for Mercy Booth this place is home; she's as hefted to the spot as the sheep she and her elderly father raise on the moorland.

Old rumours of horrific events, and the possibility of a curse on the place, have never troubled her before, but of late a creeping presence is unsettling her. Noises are heard at night in unused rooms, small items are going missing, and, at times, Mercy has sensed a shadowy figure watching her.

Taking on a new man to help with lambing does nothing to settle her mind, and, as the year turns, the odd incidents become more frequent and far more disturbing in nature. Something evil really does seem to be stalking the inhabitants of Scarcross Hall, perhaps seeking some form of retribution ...

Set in the years after the Civil War, the Coffin Path is a dark, atmospheric tale - not quite a ghost story, in my opinion, but a spine-tingler nonetheless. Mercy is an independent self-reliant woman, taking part in the day to day practicalities of running the farm, and used to the bleakness of her surroundings and the hardships encountered there - so not one to be disturbed by a few odd night-time noises.

The spooky disturbing atmosphere is quickly established, with Mercy's feeling of someone constantly watching, and her equivocal attitude towards the new man, Ellis, whose arrival coincides with an increase in strange occurrences around the hall, but somehow, somewhere around the halfway mark, the tale lost its grip on me, as if the tension and creepiness had peaked too early. Fortunately, the ending picks up again, with revelations about the Booth family's past coming thick and fast, and over turning much of what Mercy herself had been brought up believing.

The Coffin Path’s striking opening line - “I was born with blood on my hands” - sets the scene for a story full of atmosphere and chilling moments. Ancient curses, family secrets, a remote moorland setting and a crumbling old house reached only by an ancient track called the coffin path – what more do you want?

Very much in the tradition of M. R. James, the sinister atmosphere the author creates comes more from suggestion than full-blown in your face horror. Noises from empty rooms, objects moving or disappearing without seeming human intervention, sudden chills or unusual scents are far scarier and unsettling to my mind than coming face-to-face with a monster. There is one particular scene that definitely made me want to draw the bedcovers up over my head! All the time the reader is made to wonder whether there is malicious human agency behind the goings-on, whether they are the product of a feverish or disturbed imagination – mass hysteria even - or there is an actual supernatural presence.

As word of the strange occurrences at Scarcross Hall reach the wider community it’s not long before superstitious minds see the work of the Devil behind them and seek to assign blame. Like other women down the ages, Mercy, as an independent-minded, unconventional and most importantly unmarried woman, is an easy target for their suspicions, especially when fuelled by grudges of a more personal nature.

Alongside the strange events in the house, the author presents a convincing and detailed picture of the everyday struggle to eke out a livelihood on a remote moorland farm. There is some wonderful descriptive writing that conjures up the wild beauty of the moor that surrounds Scarcross Hall. ‘Now, in this moment, the wind brings it to him: the rich savour of damp peat, must and decay, the metallic, coppery scent of snow and ancient, rainwashed stone, a hint of salt and sea storms.’ I also liked the use of alliteration in lines like, ‘He craves the comfort of it, longs for the liquidity of limbs, the gradual sink into silent contemplation.’

I have to say that although the story is set in the 17th century, I didn’t get an overwhelming sense of that period for a lot of the book. It felt that it could just have easily been set in the 18th or 19th century. However, this does change towards the end of the book as the events and upheaval of the recent Civil War become more central to the story.

The Coffin Path is a satisfyingly creepy ghost story that builds slowly to a dramatic climax as secrets are finally revealed. I received an advance reader copy courtesy of NetGalley and publishers Headline in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Yorkshire - 1674. Little Bo-Peep has found her sheep - and they have been torn to pieces on the dark Yorkshire moors!

The Coffin Path opens arm-deep in blood, and there is yet an ocean of it to cross before the end. That, however, is not the scary part of this supernatural horror story.

Mercy Booth is the mistress of Scarcross Hall, an isolated farmhouse set deep in the Yorkshire moors. She is born to the sheep-farming life, and lives in a superstitious area still reeling from the after-effects of the English Civil war and Cromwell, with deep poverty and hunger everywhere. She is not a local, however, her father having bought and moved to the property some thirty years previously. 

Mercy is an independent woman, most happy when out on the moor and with her animals, who has had her heart broken before we meet her and now prefers meaningless encounters as she believes she will never marry. She is the only daughter of Bertram Booth, who to modern eyes is clearly suffering from dementia, and she believes she will inherit all upon his death. Though she is not intending his death to be anytime soon, there is a malice in the house that bodes no-one good, and Scarcross Hall is the subject of local gossip and devil-legends, and has its own bloody history.

From the beginning, the oppressive chill in the air draws us in. Anyone who has been on the moors knows there is a thin wall between this world and the next, and Clements superbly re-creates the sinister, menacing environment surrounding Mercy, to which Mercy is very attuned. An ancient stone circle called the White Ladies, which has a Slaying Stone, is a powerful yet bleak location, and rumours of old curses being cast here are rife. Throughout the book, there is a watching presence, with unexplained (and inexplicable) events, noises and movements coming from unpeopled rooms, valuable items disappearing and reappearing, ghostly figures seen from the corner of eyes.

Increasingly reliant on Ellis Ferreby, a wanderer she met on the moor and offered employment too, she watches helplessly as her father slides further away from her, her flock is decimated by gruesome deaths and the increasingly pitiless winter storms, her neighbours turn ever more hostile towards her (a childless unmarried 30+ woman always ran the risk of being called a witch, which usually meant a death-sentence), she feels the darkness tighten its stranglehold on her. Ferreby, though proving himself a highly-skilled shepherd, has his own agenda, and is riven with his own emotional turmoil.

Every character has secrets in this book, some of which they reveal, some of which are found out, and some tantalise. The book increases in pace in the second part, the heart quickens, and it is hard to put down.

The final chapters are well-done, and the last few scenes are really intense. The truth will always find a way to come out. 

This was an excellent read, a ghost story with real menace.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me a free book to review.

Atmospheric historical fiction is one of my favourite genres so I had to request this novel on Netgalley. We follow Mercy and her family who reside in a decaying country home in a rural region filled with folktales and haunting stories passed down from generation to generation. With the changing seasons, farmhands travel from farm to farm for work and Ellis joins Mercy at Scarcross Hall. Suspisions fly when items start to disappear, eerie sightings and gruesome discoveries are made.

The premise of the book sounded incredible, however the first 20 to 25% was so slow, especially compared to the super quick reads I've been reading recently. Although thankfully the pace did pick up and become even more atmostprhic, eerie and mysterious. I did enjoy this book but I feel a little let down by it, maybe I had built it up too much before reading it. I found it entertaining, genuinely creepy and eerie at times but it was also a little too slow and the end and reveal was predictable for me. I think you'd like it if you like the film Crimson Peak as it did have those vibes, especially towards the end or The Silent Companions but I was personally a little bit disappointed by this book.

Katherine Clements serves up a scarily creepy atmospheric gothic tale of ghosts and horror set in the Yorkshire Moors of the seventeenth century. It is a location that has been hit hard and poverty runs rampant, a place that has been deeply affected by the English Civil War, Cromwell's rule and the return of the monarchy to the country. It is steeped in rampant superstitions, rumours, fears and religious divisions. The dilapidated Scarcross Hall is the family home of the Booth family, on the old coffin path that runs from the village and to the top, where there is a stone circle, known as the White Ladies, a site where horrifying macabre happenings occur. It is an area associated with an old evil, a house well acquainted with death, but Mercy Booth pays the local tales no heed, she is a strong, independent woman continuing the family tradition of sheep farming and she expects to inherit. It is a hard and demanding life, all the while under the threat of going under.

Mercy's father, Bartram is a man in the throes of dementia, no longer able to work, a man who hides much. There are weird and odd sounds that emanate from a unused bedroom and old coins Bartram collected from the site of the White Ladies have vanished. A new work hand has been taken on by Mercy despite her misgivings, Ellis Ferreby, someone she eventually turns outs to be grateful for, as the local hands leave. Ellis, who has his own secrets becomes transfixed and obsessed with Mercy. Sheep are gruesomely mutilated, and amidst hostility from the local community, it is alleged that Mercy is a witch. Mercy finds strength and faith in her connection with the landscape, as she finds she is no longer able to ignore the danger, nor deny what is happening around her and the weather becomes increasingly inclement.

The narrative is related from the perspective of Mercy and Ellis. Clements writing evokes the menace and tension beautifully, her descriptions give a strong sense of place and the nature of sheep farming. She has a real skill in the way she builds up the tension and suspense, creating real fear in me as the reader. This is a story of ghosts and secrets that will chill. I highly recommend this novel for those in search of a spooky atmospheric read. Many thanks to Headline for an ARC.

The coffin path is that rarity ,a truly scary horror read,with plenty of ghosts,deaths, and quite a few sheep!! Set on the Yorkshire Moors, in the 17th century,just after the English Civil Wars, Mercy Booth is a shepherdess, who lives at Scarcross Hall with her father,Bartram, and his serving woman, Agnes. The hall is falling into disrepair and money is scarce. There are rumours of a curse upon the hall and witchcraft being practiced upon a circle of standing stones,near to the hall,called the White Ladies.
The story opens with the birthing of a lamb,quite a bloody business,but that sets the scene of this blood heavy story. Mercy feels unseen eyes upon her when she is on the moor,a feeling of malice and great evil. A ghostly figure appears to follow her home,and there are unexplained noises in the hall,and her father is keeping secrets from her and gradually losing his mind.
Into this atmosphere of terror,comes Ellis Ferreby,a jobbing farmhand,but is he what he appears to be? He is a good worker, and soon becomes embroiled in a fire,fights and protecting Mercy and her father from whatever is threatening them.
This is a very atmospheric and spooky read. I started reading this book,one evening when alone in the house,and by the time I took the dog out,I was a nervous wreck! I completed the story the following night,and I still felt disturbed and anxious, it really is a compelling and menacing read.
Mercy is a really strong character and the Yorkshire Moors are described so accurately ,the run down hall is so typical of many ruins in that part of the world. I certainally know a lot more about sheep now,the cruelty towards them is bloody,but my stomach gave a lurch regarding poor Bracken. Set in historical times, the way women had no rights of inheritance is accurate but depressing. Witchcraft was greatly feared and many innocent women suffered greatly through false accusations. England was still divided over religion and the English Civil War had resulted in the execution of an anointed King,it was such a tumultuous time,and this novel picks up on the dread and uncertainty of this period in history.
A five star read that I will be recommending to my friends and family. I have posted this review to Goodreads today

Thanks Headline and netgalley for this ARC.

I love these types of Gothic novels. You feel like you are walking beside the characters, chills, the whole nine yards. Unexpected, weird, and lovely scary novel.

This is a fantastic eerie ghost story to settle down with on a winters night. Set in 17th century in the desolate Yorkshire moors the story evolves around the family who inhabit Scarcross Hall, fallen from glory and now in a state of neglect. The Booths operate a sheep farm on the estate and live in isolation, for the most part separated from civilisation by the Coffin Path. Legends abound about the Hall and its previous inhabitants, who were slain in mysterious circumstances. However, for the Booth's life goes by until a stranger arrives by the name of Ellis, looking for work as a shepherd. Meanwhile, macabre deaths begin amongst the sheep flock and strange noises are heard in the hall. The characters all have secrets from one another, all afraid to share with each other what they know. The story offers a very intense finale and will have the hairs on the back of your neck standing up.

There were dead sheep. Or so I read. In this book. A lot.

I found it difficult to relate to a lot of the characters in The Coffin Path as they often made decisions and took actions that actually seemed contrary to their character development up until that point. They weren't very consistent, and so I found it very difficult to identify with them in any real sense. The setting leant it an air of spooky gravitas, which was a plus but that was all made redundant by the faux suspense of phrases like "I can't tell him x because of x..."

The writing was good, with great narrative flow, but the plot was monotonous and dragged a little making it difficult to engage with.

This is more of a 3.5 star than a 3. I would basically not recommend this book if you don't deal very well with the death of animals and unfortunately I am one of those people. And there's not just one animal death, there's A LOT and they start right at the beginning of the story. If I'd have known, I probably wouldn't have chosen to read it, but I did read it the whole way through and to be honest, the actual storyline is really really good! It's a well thought out plot, great characters and with an air of mystery that keeps you reading on.

The ending is a shocking one, half expected, but half not, the revelation and final death being definitely not expected. I would have possibly liked more of an understanding at the end when Mercy pieces everything together, because I'm still completely confused about the icy hand.

I love her relationship with Sam and saw her like a motherly/big sisterly figure to him and their closeness really kept me drawn in, which is why at the end of the book I was a little confused when she states the fact that he may live or he may die in a way that sounded as if she wasn't really bothered. I thought this was completely out of character for Mercy and so left the story on a bit of a... not as strong as I was hoping for ending. I think it's a great book that just needs a little more clarification.

I would like to thank Headline and Netgalley for and ARC of this book.
The Coffin path is a 17th Century ghost story set in the Yorkshire moors. Where Mercy and Father Bertram Booth live in a place called Scarcross Hall just off the coffin path. Where she has lived all her life. Where they employ other people to look after the sheep over the moors and When her father dies hope to be the mistress of Scarcross hall. But in then times women who are not married cannot inherit the land. It will have to be sold as presently they have both fallen on hard times and their life is about sheep farming. But one day, some sheep are found mutilated and Mercy senses that there is evil about and watching her closely. Some of the local villagers think that Mercy is a witch. Also her father Bertram is suffering from dementia. Things don’t look good for the both of them. Until Ellis arrives and he fits right it.
This is a spooky, atmospheric gothic tale which I enjoyed but, I didn’t like or relate to any characters in the story and I also thought that at times the story just kept on repeating itself talking about dead sheep. Where, the author could have put more action in the story then talk about sheep.

I love reading gothicky ghost stories, particularly at this time of year, and as soon as I saw the cover and title of this book I was intrigued.

The story is set on the Yorkshire Moors in 1674, with the country still feeling the effects of the Civil War. The 'coffin path' is the well-worn path across the moor to the local church, passing Scarcross Hall. Once an impressive manor house, Scarcross Hall has now fallen on hard times, along with the fortunes of the people who live there: Bartram Booth, his daughter Mercy, and their housekeeper Agnes. They lead a hand-to-mouth existence, completely dependant on sheep-farming. Mercy has taken over from her father, who is becoming increasingly senile, but working alongside the shepherds mean the villagers no longer respect her as the lady of the manor.

A stranger arriving, seeking work, triggers a series of sinister events. Lambs are ritualistically slaughtered and left in the stone circle at the top of the moor; antique coins disappear, only to re-appear in unlikely places; and noises can be heard coming from a locked, empty room. Has evil arrived at Scarcross Hall? Or has it been there all the time?

This was one of those books where I wavered between four and five stars. It is well-written and incredibly atmospheric, with a brilliant sense of place; the desolate moor is practically a character itself and reminded me of Wuthering Heights. Compelling and chilling, the slow build-up of tension had me completely on edge. There is a scene towards the end, where someone (or something?) throws stones through the glass window, which I read the same time as the postman shoved a parcel through my letter box. I was so involved in the story, I practically hit the ceiling! However, it is very bleak, with the characters suffering set-back after set-back, and there was a little too much detail about sheep-farming, particularly in the opening chapters.

The Coffin Path is a leisurely read, so it won't suit anyone hoping for a quick succession of jump shocks, but I really enjoyed it. And if you love gothicky ghost stories, I'm sure you'll enjoy it too.

Four and a half stars, rounded up to five.


I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of this book, which will be published on 8th February 2018.

Thank you to Katherine Clements, Headline Review, and Netgalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

Set in a 17th-century sheep-farming community against the harsh backdrop of the Yorkshire moors, The Coffin Path felt like a book I could sink into and just savour right from the beginning. This historical ghost story is a fabulous example of great storytelling, rich with detail and drama.

Mercy Booth is the only daughter of a widowed landowner. Her father's health is declining, and Mercy has not married or had children. In an age when women do not tend to inherit, Mercy nevertheless believes she will ultimately take ownership of Scarcross Hall. But this year, there are bad omens: the first lamb of spring has a difficult birth, and the ewe that bore it dies immediately afterwards. The locals are beginning to turn against the Booths – in part because they are suspicious of Mercy's status – and the arrival of a mysterious stranger named Ellis Ferreby seems to stir up even more discontent. Most disturbing of all are the unaccountable noises, footsteps and other signs of movement emanating from an abandoned bedroom at the Hall.

There's a nice feminist slant to Mercy's character, and her independence is well-realised without making her seem anachronistic. Clements does a great job of depicting her faith, too. Mercy is a woman who feels closest to God when she is communing with nature: 'I'm with Him when I'm out on the moor, when I see His hand at work in life, death and the turning of the world.' The Coffin Path contains some creepy details, but much of the narrative is devoted to establishing the character of Mercy, her past, the relationships the Booths have with the local community, and the expert scene-setting required to turn the success or failure of a farm into a nail-biting plight.

The plot steps up its pace in the final chapters; I found myself turning the pages pretty feverishly, desperate to find out how it would all end... and I wasn't disappointed. The ending is a virtuoso flourish that ties a neat (albeit pitch-black) bow around the story's various strands and twists.

(Also: it's always nice when books you read close together have a kind of serendipitous symmetry. The Coffin Path has enough in common with Andrew Michael Hurley's superb Devil’s Day that it could almost be a prequel. The setting is never specifically named, allowing me to imagine it as the Endlands hundreds of years before the events of Hurley's novel. The rural northern setting, the sheep-farming family, the locals' fear of the Devil lurking on the moors... it's all there. And the coffin path of the Booths' era might have become Reapers' Walk by the time the Pentecosts arrived. The Coffin Path also reminded me of another excellent historical horror novel, Rawblood by Catriona Ward, and there's one detail in particular that makes it uncannily similar to Laura Purcell's The Silent Companions.)

Gothic 17th century ghost story set high up on the Yorkshire moors. Mercy Booth is content with her life, mistress of Scarcross Hall, assisting her father, and being a shepherdess but all that changes when she suddenly senses great danger, that something is watching and chasing her as she rushes home one evening. Shortly after an enigmatic stranger turns up - who is he and what does he want? A chilly, atmospheric story, best read when the light is fading and then the imagination can run riot! I loved the very descriptive scenes and could see how hard life must have been in those days - not just the hard work but they were living in superstitious times. Some very creepy moments but wish there had been more of those and less about sheep and all their doings!

I love a good ghost story, although they can sometimes turn out to be a little disappointing. But, when I saw The Coffin Path on Netgalley and the comparison to Michelle Paver, I couldn’t resist, and I was thrilled when my request to read this title was approved.

"One coin marks the first to go. A second bodes the fall. The third will seal a sinner’s fate. The Devil take them all."

Maybe you've heard tales about Scarcross Hall, the house on the old coffin path that winds from village to moor top. They say there's something up here, something evil.
Mercy Booth isn't afraid. The moors and Scarcross are her home and lifeblood. But, beneath her certainty, small things are beginning to trouble her. Three ancient coins missing from her father's study, the shadowy figure out by the gatepost, an unshakeable sense that someone is watching.
When a stranger appears seeking work, Mercy reluctantly takes him in. As their stories entwine, this man will change everything. She just can't see it yet.

What a wonderfully creepy story this is! From the very beginning of the novel, Clements sets the tone with Mercy Booth delivering the first lamb of the season, but with the ewe dying following the complicated birth. She saves the lamb, and rushes home to feed it, but on her walk home across the moors, she feels as though she is being watched by a malevolent, but unseen, presence. It’s an atmospheric start that is full of foreboding, and it lets the reader know exactly what they’re in for. And there are some extremely creepy moments in the novel which build up gradually from things that go bump in the night to more sinister goings on.

As with many stories of this nature, place has a significant role to play in The Coffin Path. Set on the Yorkshire Moors, Scarcross Hall is isolated, with the main route to and from this Gothic house being the coffin path of the title. I think that moorland works brilliantly in ghost stories. There’s something about the long stretches of land where straying off the beaten path can cost you dearly, as well as the superstitions that are often part and parcel of the history of the landscape. And of course, Scarcross Hall has its own, not entirely pleasant history…

Scarcross Hall is inhabited by Mercy, her father, and Agnes, who is a nominally their housekeeper, but so much a part of the family that it’s hard to see her in that light. Mercy is a fascinating character who determined to do things her way, whether her actions are approved of or not. At around 30, she is unmarried, and does as much work on the farm as any of the men who work for her. I love a character who isn’t afraid to break the mould, and Mercy is up there with some wonderful strong women - she reminded me of Sarah Perry’s Cora Seaborne in The Essex Serpent. She’s no frail creature, who needs to be shielded from anything more than a light breeze, but strong and capable, and she is more than willing to get stuck in.

The Coffin Path is a delightfully creepy tale with a strong main character that you care about and worry over, and I do recommend it if you’re a fan of Michelle Paver’s ghost stories, Dark Matter and Thin Air. It’s a relatively short read, and one that comes with a couple of nice little twists at the end.

The Coffin Path will be published by Headline on 8 February 2018. Many thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read this title via Netgalley.