The Ghost of Hollow House

The Ghost of Hollow House is a wonderful book with interesting characters. The book is engrossing and we'll written. I hope to read more by this author.

Can you believe I read this book within 48hrs?! I read it,I loved it,and I will recommend it to everyone who loves paranormal books with ghosts in them.
The writing kept me engaged and sucked me in the storyline from the start. I loved this book a lot, that is why it only took me two days to read it.
I am sincerely looking forward to more books by this author!

by cayocosta72

In Victorian England, Mina Scarletti has been invited to Hollow House, the home of Mr. Honeyacre and wife, Kitty, to investigate claims of ghosts and ghouls and things that go bump in the night. It’s so bad, that the servants won’t stay on after dark. Along with Dr. Hamid, Mina explores the claims of a ghostly woman in white. A born skeptic, Mina’s main concern is for Kitty, who appears to be sickening in front of her eyes. Readers will find it easy to engage with Mina, an intelligent, feisty heroine

Well, we certainly have here all the components that lovers (myself included) of such country house mysteries will immediately recognise . There is the Victorian era setting, the aforementioned country house, a nearby village inhabited by the superstitious, sightings and hearings of other worldly phenomena, local legends and deep hidden secrets, an eclectic cast of characters from all sections of society and of course that great perennial, the natural event (normally a violent storm but in this case incessant rain) which cuts off all communication and means of escape thus trapping the inhabitants of the house. Against this backdrop we have making I believe her fourth outing in print the inestimable Mina Scarletti who believes in the rational and is a confirmed sceptic when it comes to all things that go bump in the night.

Now invited to Hollow House by Mr Honeyacre who since acquiring this ancient Sussex property has been tormented by ghostly happenings including sightings of ‘the woman in white’, Miss Scarletti with the assistance of her friends Dr Hamid, and Nell must investigate and determine what is at the root of the mystery. I read this over the course of two days for once started it became quite difficult to put down as the writing created an appealing mixture of unease and suspense mingled throughout with elements of humour. It was clear that much research went into creating what it would have been like to have lived in the world of 1872 where spiritualism became a popular phenomenon. A spooky fun read that will appeal and delight lovers of this genre.

Set during Victorian England. The main character, Mina Scarletti, is known for exposing scam artists and fakes of the supernatural fad that has hit the country. She is frail though, and suffers from scoliosis, and is temperamental towards the damp and cold weather. Invited by her friend, and taking along her doctor friend, they go to the country house of Hollow House, where supposedly a haunting is taking place. When her brother and a detective show up, and a man whose pride doesn't allow defeat in the supernatural beliefs, the red herrings are plentiful. Take into account two young maids and a caretaker and his wife there are plenty of possibilities for mischief. I did enjoy this book a lot, although my first in the series by this author, I wasn't too lost within the story. Do not think I want to know more about her spoiled sister and bossy mother, but assume they are prominent in other books. I few odds and ends that left me pondering, and cost a star (issues with her friend, brother, etc.) but otherwise I highly recommend this book and author.

ghosts, illusionists, England, suspense, 19th-century *****

A friend in need of company living with her new husband in a reportedly haunted house asks a mutual friend and Mina Scarletti (ghost debunker) to join them for a weekend. Mina has a physical condition which means that she is physically frail despite her determination and good sense. But first all are stranded by the weather, then Mina's ditzy brother shows up, the next pair of guests are unwelcome and odious and unavoidable. No spoilers here! An excellent read that proves that almost anyone can be fooled by carefully crafted illusions fueled by gossip.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Sapere Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

The Ghost of Hollow House was like reading a BBC special. It had all the elements of a Victorian ghost story with a twist of Jane Austen-like humor thrown in.

I didn't read the previous books in this series, but it was easy to get caught up on the characters' past shenanigans. My favorite character was Mina, a spunky young author who knows her own mind.

My only complaint about this book was its tendency to repeat details and "clues" over and over. That got old, and I found myself skimming a lot near the middle of the book. I loved the book-within-a-book feature.

This is a good option for those who enjoy clean cozy mysteries with a paranormal twist.

"Mina Scarletti returns in her most thrilling mystery yet! Perfect for fans of Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie and Antonia Hodgson...

A peaceful country retreat has become the scene of relentless terror...

Sussex, 1872.

Mina Scarletti is invited to ancient Hollow House to investigate reports of ghostly occurrences.

The current occupants - newlyweds Mr Honeyacre and his wife, Kitty - have been plagued by unexplained noises and strange visions since moving into the property.

And now most of their servants refuse to stay at the house after dark for fear of encountering the ghostly presence of ‘the woman in white’.

A determined sceptic, Mina’s main concern is for Kitty, whose health appears to be dramatically sinking under the strain of all that is going on.

With the help of her trusted adviser, Dr Hamid, and her lively friend, Nell, Mina must get to the heart of the mystery.

Have the maids merely been frightening themselves with tales of the macabre? Is there a rational explanation for what is being reported?

Or will Mina be forced to admit to the presence of a ghost in Hollow House?"

A country house possibly plagued by the supernatural? This is my bread and butter people!

This book is engaging, entertaining, and well written.
I liked the well researched historical background, the setting, and the fleshed out characters.
I look forward to reading other books in this series.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Sapere Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Sapere Books for an advance copy of The Ghost of Hollow House, the fourth historical novel to feature Mina Scarletti, the scourge of fake mediums in Victorian England.

Newlyweds Mr and Mrs Honeyacre have recently moved in to their new home in rural Sussex but all is not well with strange noises and ghostly goings-on. Mina Scarletti and her friends, Dr Hamid and Nell Jordan, are invited for the weekend to investigate and allay the fears of an increasingly hysterical Mrs Honeyacre.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Ghost of Hollow House which is an intriguing tale of ghosts and and healthy scepticism which gently pokes fun at the Victorian preoccupation with spiritualism. It is told from Mina’s point of view and as she has a history of uncovering fraudulent practitioners the reader just knows that there is a more mundane explanation for the ghosts and poltergeist type activity. I was fascinated by trying to work out how it was done and couldn’t manage to as it is so cleverly done. The clues are all there but I wasn’t smart enough to put them together although I had fun trying and it held my attention from start to finish.

The novel isn’t only concerned with the supernatural as there is a fair amount personal friction between the characters. Due to adverse weather conditions, a staple in Ghost stories and a nice touch, the group are marooned in Hollow House. Tensions are running high with the hysterical Mrs Honeyacre and are exacerbated by the arrival of Mina’s nemesis and fervent spiritualist Arthur Wallace Hope. He is a wonderful study of faith over logic and epitomises the beliefs of the time but just in case the reader is tempted to accept his beliefs he has some rather unsavoury predilections to blacken his character.

I enjoyed the theme of the novel about how facts get twisted in the retelling and evolve into myths and legends. This is at the heart of the novel with Mina trying to sort fact from the lurid local stories. I particularly liked Mina’s fictional take on the events at Hollow House which she writes at the end of the novel, neatly encapsulating what has gone before.

I always like reading this series. It has a warm, inviting tone and intricate plotting but the main attraction is the character of Mina Scarletti, a woman of many talents. She has scoliosis which she believes (probably truthfully for the era) makes her unmarriageable. Instead she writes ghost stories under a pseudonym, cultivates her friendships and investigates fraudulent mediums. She is smart, logical and very likeable with a curious nature and an endearing zest for life.

The Ghost of Hollow House is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Early in the year 1872, Miss Mina Scarletti, accompanied by a former-stage-artist-now-respectably-married-woman friend and by her faithful doctor, travels to rural Sussex to investigate ghost sightings at the home of an acquaintance. Appalling weather renders them virtual prisoners of Hollow House, along with several uninvited guests — including Miss Scarletti's nemesis, whose presence only exacerbates the already tense atmosphere. Despite the mistress of the house's delicate situation, a séance is organised in an attempt to communicate with any spirits that may be about, with shocking results. Mina must untangle truth from trickery before full-blown panic sets in... or tragedy strikes.

This novel possesses all the beloved elements of a classic haunting tale: an ancient house, tragic past events, an isolated group of people, enigmatic servants, a locked room, unexplained sounds, and even a hidden skeleton! Its great originality rests in its central character, a young woman with scoliosis who secretly writes horror and ghost stories under a male pseudonym. As someone with a physical disability, I highly appreciated that Mina is portrayed as very able and independent, without downplaying her limitations, the opportunities denied to her, or the impact her diminishing physical health may have on her future quality of life (a concern with which I'm all too familiar).

Despite its slightly rushed conclusion, I found this novel smart, entertaining, well written and absolutely delightful — and the bonus ultra-Gothicized version of this experience that Mina writes as "Robert Neil" had me in stitches! I'll definitely have to get my hands on Miss Scarletti's other adventures.

This book was so engrossing from page 1!! I loved the plot, characters & setting. This book had everything I love - a mystery, spiritualism, an engaging protagonist & a bit of history. Is it a ghost or an elaborate hoax??? That is my favorite literary question! I was glued to this book until it’s conclusion.

My one complaint is that it ended abruptly. I would have liked a bit more of a solid conclusion.

4 stars!

I have to start by admitting that this book started out so amazing that it pulled me in within the very first paragraph! This is not so common for me these days, so I found it very exciting and refreshing. I then went throughout this book with a full intention of giving it a solid 5 stars when done! Unfortunately, the ending was where a star was lost.

The characters were very well developed and defined! The vocabulary was impressive in that I actually added a lot of new and exciting words to my repertoire. I loved the British flare to the storytelling. I loved how there were characters representing two very opposite and distinct directions of thinking and facing how they view the world, and problem solve issues as they arise that challenge their ways of thinking. However, after so thoroughly engaging me throughout this book, the author seemed to up and decide rather quickly that the book was done. She wrapped up the ending so quickly with so little excitement that it was a total anticlimactic experience. Then, she presented the form of an entirely separate ending...the main character in the book told the same story from the opposite viewpoint with a lot of extra drama. Instead of adding excitement for me, I actually struggled with finishing the ending of the book. I felt like at the very highest, most exciting, point of the book I was dropped. I would have much rather the author spent more time on the first ending. The second ending felt like total overkill.

As a result, I struggled to not reduce my rating by 2 stars instead of just one. However, the main portion of the book truly was amazing! All of the things I loved about the book were worth every minute I spent in reading it! This author truly has a gift for storytelling! I just hope she works on creating conclusions in future books that keep up with the incredible flair of the rest of the book. Thank you NetGalley, and the publishers and authors therein, for allowing me the privilege of reading books through this site in return for an honest review. I greatly value this honor!