Jonathan is the immortal master of Raven Hollow Manor – a decrepit mansion riddled with superstition, murder and restless ghosts. Beneath it lies a restless malice.Its previous owner driven mad, violently kills his guests with a rusted ax, creating the perfect venue for Jonathan to seclude himself in a prison of his own device.When the streets of London begin to run red with blood; the bodies … with blood; the bodies exhibiting disturbing signs and baffling wounds, the identity of the killer remains elusive to police.
The bodies are just the beginning of Jonathan’s troubles. A mysterious letter accusing Jonathan of committing the murders appear, raising suspicion in the police. Hidden beneath the mangled bodies, Jonathan soon realizes he is being forced to face demons he thought died in a forlorn past he attempted to escape.
One thing Jonathan knows for certain: He must deal with the demons of his past if he is to survive his future. Not only him but those he has come to love as well.
For fans of Jim Butcher, Stephen King, Darcy Coates and Nick Cutter.
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5 CRANKY STARS
Well, this book was not what I was expecting but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Vampire stories are always fun for me ever since I found author Ann Rice. This vampire is a little different and because it is a short easy read, it ended too soon. I liked the concept of vampires (however, the main character doesn’t consider himself one) having different levels of magical power. Because he was created hundreds of years earlier, he has way more power. There are only a few like him still in hiding. He gives us some of his background and the story starts in the 1565 in London where he meets his true love Annabelle. It then jumps to 1910 and this is where I got confused. Of course, it is many years after Annabelle’s death and Jonathan is raising a daughter named Holly. She seems to be in her late teens, early twenties and is just starting to spread her wings. It is just a short time after the Jack the Ripper scandal and Jonathan is hesitant to let her leave home at night. There is what appears to be a vampire hunting in the city and creating hideous corpses. Jonathan knows of only one other vampire capable of such atrocious behavior, but she is dead. I’m not telling you anymore but there is action and suspense as Jonathan tries to help the police. A great quick read for a dreary afternoon.
The eerie cover of Beneath London’s Fog by Ilona Caldwell makes me think of Jack the Ripper and ghosts. Are you creeped out yet?
Jonathon has made himself a prisoner in Raven Hollow Manor, along with his daughter, Holly. He lost his love, Anna, but her ghostly presence lingers.
His past is coming back to haunt him when a serial killer goes wild in the foggy nights of London.
He is able to transform himself and I loved it. He becomes a cat, a Great Dane, or a mist in the night. Being immortal allows him to see without being seen. He is very protective of Holly and struggles to allow her some freedom. He is easily able to ‘spy’ on her, assuring her safety. After all, he knows first hand the monsters that lurk in the shadows. His oasis is by Anna’s gravesite. He reads Poe and Robert Frost to her.
Holly knows that he is an immortal. Authors have the freedom to create the immortal they want to portray, and I love Ilona Caldwell’s version.
I begin to wish for his happiness, for him to move on and create a new life, without Anna.
Enter…Walter Deverough, a detective on the hunt. I wonder….I feel we’ll be seeing a lot more of him.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and SHE will scorch the earth with her need for revenge.
We, also, have Leland…a hero to the end.
Fast paced. Suspenseful. A vampire of a different color. Great world building as I pictured him walking the streets of London, damp and weary. Ilona Caldwell draws pictures with her words.
I voluntarily reviewed and ARC of Beneath London’s Fog by Ilona Caldwell.
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