A Long Time Burning by J A Higgins

 A Long Time Burning

 by J A Higgins




A Long Time Burning by J A Higgins was published on 21st September 2022. 

My thanks to the author for sending me a copy to review and to

 Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me to take part on the tour.




Synopsis


Nell has had a terrible year, so she travels to North Chase to find some true Christmas magic. But the town has its own problems; its solstice festival is tainted by the disappearance of two teenage boys and a witch's curse is blamed.

Then, nine-month-old Ava is threatened. Has a medieval killer been awoken or does something else haunt the woods?

Nell must battle through horrific nightmares and face her own demons to expose the truth before another child is spirited away. There is magic in the air this Christmas, but behind the tinsel and baubles glitters a terrifying secret that one family has hidden for centuries, and only Nell can uncover it.






My Review

This was an absolutely gripping, supernatural read from start to finish that will have you listening to every little sound around you, wondering if it is real or a figment of your imagination. There are many threads to this story that are woven into the life of Nell and the people around her in North Chase. Threads that lead her into danger as she uncovers what happened many centuries ago.
The narrative keeps you glued to the pages, turning them with trepidation to find out what happens next, either in this world, or the past. The chapters are just the right length for each day preceding Christmas to build up- the suspense and the description of various surroundings has you experiencing the chill and goose pimples that Nell does. 
The horrors that you will discover as you read the book and how they are recurring again in the present are enough to set your teeth on edge and I swear I will never look at an innocent mince pie without revisiting part of the book in my head for a long time.
I am very much looking forward to many more books in the Nell Montague Mystery series as I have certainly not been disappointed with the first two.


About the Author







I have always enjoyed a good mystery or ghost story, so I write the type of books I enjoy reading. The Nell Montague Mystery series: FINDING RUBY, and A LONG TIME BURNING, is inspired by the city of Salisbury where I live. Mystery and history scent the very air in Salisbury and the surrounding area, and a walk down the streets always sparks my imagination.

FINDING RUBY was a 2021 Page Turner Award winner and the audiobook will be available in autumn 2022.

In October 2022, A LONG TIME BURNING will be published. It is a spooky Christmas mystery which continues the theme that horrors from the past are still very relevant today. Grateful thanks go out to all my Kickstarter supporters, and to my friends and colleagues in the NHS.

Reading spooky stories are one of my traditions each Christmas, so I've written a quartet of short stories, THREE SPELLS FOR CHRISTMAS, which are available on kindle unlimited, and are, guaranteed to cheer as well as chill.


Comments

  1. J A HigginsSeptember 30, 2023 at 1:44 AM

    Thank you so much for your amazing review. I am absolutely thrilled that you experienced the story in exactly the way I hoped it would be experienced when I wrote it. You’ve made my week 📚🥰

    ReplyDelete

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