My Five Word TL:DR Review: Certainly Delivers Plenty of Chills

I enjoyed Hear Him Calling.  I expected a scary ghost story and Reagon delivers this aplenty.  This is well written, dark, sinister and I would also mention potentially triggering in more ways than one for some readers.

This is a story told (mainly) over two timelines from three perspectives.  As we begin the story we meet a young married couple, Kyle and Lydia as they view their soon to be house in Wales.  Kyle has inherited a tower, set remotely upon a welsh mountain, isolated from the village and with only a local farm and a derelict cottage as neighbours.  Straight away something feels ominous.  Kyle barely knew his grandfather and so the inheritance has come as a shock but also gives the couple hope.  They’re tired of the hustle and bustle of London.  Lydia suffers from trauma following something that happened to her during her student years and Kyle thinks the beautiful welsh countryside will be an inspiration for her.  Lydia isn’t really sold on the house though, she thinks she sees a man up the mountain waving at her, she hears someone shouting the name Martha in her head and the house is frankly a hot mess.  Drab, not very well cared for – just everything feels very ‘meh’ and Lydia doesn’t really like the idea from the outset – but it’s too good a chance to miss and Kyle is set upon the move, a quick lick of paint will cheer the place up no doubt and he’s already making plans to make the tower self sufficient.

So, the couple move in. Things don’t really get any better in fact this feels like a couple that were on the verge of not being together for much longer who’ve decided that a move will surely renew their love.  It really doesn’t quite work out like that for them in fact the move serves only to push them further apart.  Running away from their troubles was never really going to work as they actually took their troubles with them. There’s a general listlessness from both of them when it comes to doing anything and even when they make improvements their work is constantly undone with strange stains that refuse to be cleaned and scratches appearing in the new kitchen units.  A young baby and a new puppy (strangely enough that they decide to call Martha) doesn’t help the pressure and there’s an ominous feeling of the two being sucked into despair.

The second time line takes us back to a woman called Martha.  Martha’s is a sad tale.  She lives on the mountainside with just her brother for company.  He seems to be suffering from trauma and when he loses his job their relationship changes dramatically. Suffocatingly controlling at first it turns into something horribly abusive and ends with tragedy.  Martha’s story is fascinating even though it’s full of darkness and despair and I loved the way she relates her story.

The reader gradually learns of the history of the cottage and Martha and her brother as both Kyle and Lydia are experiencing their own versions of subtle horror within the house.  Kyle seems more determined than ever to make it work, determined it’s a good move. Lydia is experiencing more and more episodes, lights on the mountainside, hearing noises, footsteps stamping through the house, etc.  The house is definitely having a very powerful and negative effect on them both.

Then we start to learn more about Kyle and Lydia’s past.  At first there were little flags with some of Kyle’s behaviour but these definitely increase.  And, in spite of his insistence to stay at the tower he has no hesitation accepting invitations back to London and leaving Lydia and the baby on their own. Eventually, I found myself totally disliking Kyle and that’s putting it mildly.

This brings us to the cottage on the mountain.  This place gave me the creeps.  Seriously.  It’s scary – that is all.

On top of this the local villagers and the neighbouring farmers are downright unfriendly, apart from the local shopkeeper who does strike up a friendship with Lydia.

Put all these elements together and there’s this dark, foreboding tale of tragedy from the past that feels like it’s now overtaking our MCs with their lives almost becoming the disaster that Marth and her brother’s was.

In conclusion I couldn’t put this down.  I felt like the ending was a little abrupt and I’m still replaying some of the scenes in my head.  I would also again repeat to be warned about the triggers with this one, this is a tale of abuse and misfortune that won’t be for everyone.  Scary enough to give me the goosebumps and bad dreams – my advice, read it in the daylight.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks.  The above is my own opinion.

My rating 4 of 5 stars