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Annie Jackson Mysteries #1
The Murmurs
A young woman starts experiencing terrifying premonitions of people dying, as it becomes clear that a family curse known only as The Murmurs has begun, and a long-forgotten crime is about to be unearthed...
On the first morning of her new job at Heartfield House, a care home for the elderly, Annie Jackson wakens from a terrifying dream. And when she arrives at the home, she knows that the first old man she meets is going to die.
How she knows this is a terrifying mystery, but it is the start of horrifying premonitions ... a rekindling of the curse that has trickled through generations of women in her family – a wicked gift known only as 'the murmurs'...
With its reappearance comes an old, forgotten fear that is about to grip Annie Jackson.
And this time, it will never let go...
A compulsive gothic thriller and a spellbinding supernatural mystery about secrets and small communities, about faith, courage and self-preservation, The Murmurs is a startling and compulsive read from one of Scotland's finest authors.
On the first morning of her new job at Heartfield House, a care home for the elderly, Annie Jackson wakens from a terrifying dream. And when she arrives at the home, she knows that the first old man she meets is going to die.
How she knows this is a terrifying mystery, but it is the start of horrifying premonitions ... a rekindling of the curse that has trickled through generations of women in her family – a wicked gift known only as 'the murmurs'...
With its reappearance comes an old, forgotten fear that is about to grip Annie Jackson.
And this time, it will never let go...
A compulsive gothic thriller and a spellbinding supernatural mystery about secrets and small communities, about faith, courage and self-preservation, The Murmurs is a startling and compulsive read from one of Scotland's finest authors.
276 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 14, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
August 29, 2023
If I had to describe a gothic thriller, it would involve a foreboding building, creepy graveyards, and Victorian women fleeing from evil spirts. Michael J Malone has written a gothic thriller that has none of these things, but do you know what? It’s one of the best gothic thrillers I’ve read in years. It’s fresh, terrifying and disturbing. I’m not exaggerating when I say The Murmurs gave me a couple of very disturbed nights’ sleep! Ever present is an overwhelming sense of dread that grows at every turn of the page. The Murmurs is a chilling supernatural mystery that’s shrouded in secrets and murder.
Annie Jackson’s story suddenly starts to experience ‘the murmur curse’. It’s plagued generations of women in her family. She experiences terrifying premonitions. First comes the Murmurs, then comes the horrifying images, followed by the terrifying voices that tell her how and why someone is going to die. Annie experience’s repressed memories from her childhood, in which the past returns to haunt the present and a long-forgotten crime is about to be unearthed. The past are the chapters that haunt you as Molone deftly peels back the layers of Annie’s childhood. Her early experiences of the premonition’s, the complexities of the relationship between Annie and her mother and the difficulties faced living in a small religious community, it’s these chapters that are tinged with darkness.
The story has a dual timeline, told from the viewpoint of various characters, which move seamlessly between the two. The snippets told from other family ancestors blighted by the curse strike fear into the reader, as you experience their horrifying premonitions, the prejudice and cruelty they suffered for being ‘different’. It’s these parts that feel incredibly malevolent and consume the reader with trepidation for Annie’s future.
I devoured this book in one hugely satisfying sitting, YES it really was that good! Molone once again demonstrates his versatility as a writer. He writes poetically, plots meticulously, and develops his characters fully. The Murmurs is both captivating yet horrifying. It’s dark, with a constant sense of malevolence bubbling away under the surface. With hints of witchcraft and the supernatural Molone weaves the most exquisite, creepy tale. Highly recommended.
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Annie Jackson’s story suddenly starts to experience ‘the murmur curse’. It’s plagued generations of women in her family. She experiences terrifying premonitions. First comes the Murmurs, then comes the horrifying images, followed by the terrifying voices that tell her how and why someone is going to die. Annie experience’s repressed memories from her childhood, in which the past returns to haunt the present and a long-forgotten crime is about to be unearthed. The past are the chapters that haunt you as Molone deftly peels back the layers of Annie’s childhood. Her early experiences of the premonition’s, the complexities of the relationship between Annie and her mother and the difficulties faced living in a small religious community, it’s these chapters that are tinged with darkness.
The story has a dual timeline, told from the viewpoint of various characters, which move seamlessly between the two. The snippets told from other family ancestors blighted by the curse strike fear into the reader, as you experience their horrifying premonitions, the prejudice and cruelty they suffered for being ‘different’. It’s these parts that feel incredibly malevolent and consume the reader with trepidation for Annie’s future.
I devoured this book in one hugely satisfying sitting, YES it really was that good! Molone once again demonstrates his versatility as a writer. He writes poetically, plots meticulously, and develops his characters fully. The Murmurs is both captivating yet horrifying. It’s dark, with a constant sense of malevolence bubbling away under the surface. With hints of witchcraft and the supernatural Molone weaves the most exquisite, creepy tale. Highly recommended.
You can follow me and read more of my reviews at
Blog: https://thebookreviewcafe.wordpress.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebookrevi...
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@reviewcafe
September 12, 2023
Having read and very much enjoyed previous books by this author I knew The Murmurs would be a gripping read and I wasn’t disappointed.
Annie Jackson’s first day of her new job at a care home didn’t go well. Annie is afflicted by an unusual ‘gift’ which actually is more of a curse passed down through the female line – voices in the head she called ‘the murmurs’ accompany visual experiences or premonitions and as the story reveals her family background and troubled childhood, it comes as no surprise that she feels she is going crazy. Set mainly in the Scottish highlands, The Murmurs is a disturbing and utterly engrossing thriller of deception, family relationships and long hidden crimes, all bound together by a background of family curses, betrayal and apparent witchcraft which, together with the occasional chapters from the memoir of a long ago descendant, really added to the chill factor.
I did sometimes find Annie a challenging character, she could be rather prickly but I had every empathy with the effect this phenomena and its implications had on her life and especially when she was trying to recall lost memories and find her way around secrets and lies. In comparison, her twin Lewis was more straightforward, although he didn’t suffer in the same way as Annie, he was a supportive sibling and the genuine affection between the two made Annie’s situation feel less isolating.
The story is told from various perspectives and as well as the present story, has a shifting historical timeline which I enjoyed just as much. There were so many diverse characters – apart from the main Jackson family, there was a religious connection with a rather dubious, almost cultish, figure at the head of the small community who actually gave me the creeps.
With the well rounded characterisation and superb plotting which definitely threw me off course a few times, there is something here that will please so many readers whether your bag is crime, thrillers or an interest in the supernatural. I thought it was excellent, (as I knew it would be) and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. The Murmurs is apparently the first in a series, bring it on!
Annie Jackson’s first day of her new job at a care home didn’t go well. Annie is afflicted by an unusual ‘gift’ which actually is more of a curse passed down through the female line – voices in the head she called ‘the murmurs’ accompany visual experiences or premonitions and as the story reveals her family background and troubled childhood, it comes as no surprise that she feels she is going crazy. Set mainly in the Scottish highlands, The Murmurs is a disturbing and utterly engrossing thriller of deception, family relationships and long hidden crimes, all bound together by a background of family curses, betrayal and apparent witchcraft which, together with the occasional chapters from the memoir of a long ago descendant, really added to the chill factor.
I did sometimes find Annie a challenging character, she could be rather prickly but I had every empathy with the effect this phenomena and its implications had on her life and especially when she was trying to recall lost memories and find her way around secrets and lies. In comparison, her twin Lewis was more straightforward, although he didn’t suffer in the same way as Annie, he was a supportive sibling and the genuine affection between the two made Annie’s situation feel less isolating.
The story is told from various perspectives and as well as the present story, has a shifting historical timeline which I enjoyed just as much. There were so many diverse characters – apart from the main Jackson family, there was a religious connection with a rather dubious, almost cultish, figure at the head of the small community who actually gave me the creeps.
With the well rounded characterisation and superb plotting which definitely threw me off course a few times, there is something here that will please so many readers whether your bag is crime, thrillers or an interest in the supernatural. I thought it was excellent, (as I knew it would be) and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. The Murmurs is apparently the first in a series, bring it on!
April 24, 2024
This was an excellent read, a supernatural thriller/mystery with a bit of historical fiction thrown in. Set mostly in highland Scotland around a town called Mossgow, the story is told mostly from the point of view of Annie both now and in the past before she lost her memory after, as a child she was in a car accident that killed her mother. In between the main narrative there are excerpts from the memoir of Moria McClean about the family curse and her great grandmother, her mother, brother and sister were the last witches to be burned in the area. Throw in a dodgy pastor and some other creepy religious types, a convicted murderer just released from prison and memories of cold hearted mothers. And Annie’s ‘murmurs’ with the visions that go along with them.
There were a couple of plot points I saw coming but otherwise it’s an intense and satisfying read.
There were a couple of plot points I saw coming but otherwise it’s an intense and satisfying read.
April 9, 2024
This is not my first Michael J. Malone novel and I have come to expect quality writing and an intense reading experience. One again, I was not disappointed.
I adored the Scottish settings, the pacing was spot-on, and the characters were well developed. I particularly enjoyed the twin/sibling relationship between Annie and her brother Mark. The charming and charismatic preacher was a man who seemed too good to be true - and you know what they say about that...
The story was told via several different viewpoints in addition to Annie's. Her female relatives from previous generations were also heard from.
The reader can really empathize with Annie, who fears for her own sanity and is plagued with 'murmurs' - hellish voices that give Annie a precognition of impending deaths. For that reason she is loathe to look anyone in the eye for fear she will see their faces turn into skull-like phantoms. This 'gift' of hers has followed down the generations of women in her family and impacts her life to such an extent that she fears she will never have any kind of normality in her life.
I knew going in that this novel differed from his previous work in that it has a strong supernatural element. To be brutally frank, it was this aspect that was my least favourite part of the novel. Also, I had a wee quibble with the fact that Sister Theresa was dying, yet the 'murmurs' did not apprise Annie of this fact ahead of time...
The historic crimes aspect of this novel was cleverly incorporated into the plot. Also, Scotland's rich history of witchcraft and the purging of purported 'witches' was sympathetically covered.
"The Murmurs" is the first in a prospective series featuring Annie Jackson. Any readers who love crime fiction expertly blended with supernatural elements should definitely give this series a read.
I adored the Scottish settings, the pacing was spot-on, and the characters were well developed. I particularly enjoyed the twin/sibling relationship between Annie and her brother Mark. The charming and charismatic preacher was a man who seemed too good to be true - and you know what they say about that...
The story was told via several different viewpoints in addition to Annie's. Her female relatives from previous generations were also heard from.
The reader can really empathize with Annie, who fears for her own sanity and is plagued with 'murmurs' - hellish voices that give Annie a precognition of impending deaths. For that reason she is loathe to look anyone in the eye for fear she will see their faces turn into skull-like phantoms. This 'gift' of hers has followed down the generations of women in her family and impacts her life to such an extent that she fears she will never have any kind of normality in her life.
I knew going in that this novel differed from his previous work in that it has a strong supernatural element. To be brutally frank, it was this aspect that was my least favourite part of the novel. Also, I had a wee quibble with the fact that Sister Theresa was dying, yet the 'murmurs' did not apprise Annie of this fact ahead of time...
The historic crimes aspect of this novel was cleverly incorporated into the plot. Also, Scotland's rich history of witchcraft and the purging of purported 'witches' was sympathetically covered.
"The Murmurs" is the first in a prospective series featuring Annie Jackson. Any readers who love crime fiction expertly blended with supernatural elements should definitely give this series a read.
January 26, 2024
When Annie starts her new job in a care home she gets a terrible shock. As she meets one of the elderly residents, she knows with absolute certainty that he is about to die.
As these premonitions start to come thick and fast, Annie is forced to accept that she has a gift - or a curse - which has passed through the women on her family. And to understand and accept this Annie will need to revisit her past and address long buried secrets.
This was an intoxicating and intriguing read, it has hints of witchiness and magic which really grabbed my attention and on top of that there’s also decades old mystery to contend with. I loved the careful and slow unravelling of Annie’s past and I was also warmed by the close relationship she had with her twin brother.
Short snappy chapters split between timelines of the past and the present - and with the odd historical chapter thrown in - meant that this was a book I quickly finished without realising I was doing so!
As these premonitions start to come thick and fast, Annie is forced to accept that she has a gift - or a curse - which has passed through the women on her family. And to understand and accept this Annie will need to revisit her past and address long buried secrets.
This was an intoxicating and intriguing read, it has hints of witchiness and magic which really grabbed my attention and on top of that there’s also decades old mystery to contend with. I loved the careful and slow unravelling of Annie’s past and I was also warmed by the close relationship she had with her twin brother.
Short snappy chapters split between timelines of the past and the present - and with the odd historical chapter thrown in - meant that this was a book I quickly finished without realising I was doing so!
September 18, 2023
To get TO, you must go THROUGH
How true!
This is the first book I have read by this author and by golly, it was really good.
Is Annie really having premonitions? Is what she sees and hears a figment? Not only did I like the psychic aspect, but I loved being kept guessing for quite some time. I certainly did not see some of the endings happening. Well played, Mr. MALONE!
I now need to scuttle off to read more!
P.S. very excited to see this won't be the first and last we see of Annie.
How true!
This is the first book I have read by this author and by golly, it was really good.
Is Annie really having premonitions? Is what she sees and hears a figment? Not only did I like the psychic aspect, but I loved being kept guessing for quite some time. I certainly did not see some of the endings happening. Well played, Mr. MALONE!
I now need to scuttle off to read more!
P.S. very excited to see this won't be the first and last we see of Annie.
November 13, 2023
Great story with many unpredictable twists.
September 1, 2023
When Annie Jackson is asked about her past, she is unable to answer as she only knows what she has been told. This is since the accident in which her mother died and Annie was found washed up on the shores of a Loch. Her brother is a valuable part of her and is able to answer most of her questions. The ones he can't answer though are the ones that come from her ability to know when someone is due to die. She calls it the murmurs. Her family and her ancestors called it the family curse!
Having a brother and other people to give Annie guidance and help is great, but there is a time when she is going to have to confront her past head-on. The thing is, well is she strong enough?
From the very start, I knew I was going to adore this book. It was so annoying that I had such a busy week at work and I could not sit and read it cover to cover as I am sure I would have done given the chance.
The story is that of the family and is told from their individual perspectives and of others who are involved in the story. It is a brilliant format for this type of story as you really get inside the heads of the characters, but that doesn't mean that you are any closer to understanding how things are going to occur or what is coming.
Given that Annie has this ability to see the future of some, there is a controversial twist. Her mother was a devout Christian woman and there are references to events in the past when ancestors were driven out of the small community they lived in. Having this back and forth between characters and timelines is great as the author is able to leave little nuggets of information that gradually build up over the course of the story.
The author has brought a sense of dread and suspicion to the forefront of his story. Annie is not quite sure who to trust and this works so well for her character. Being reliant on others for information is one thing, but are they telling the truth?
This was also quite an emotional story and one that had me hoping that things would turn out well for Annie just because I thought she deserved to have good things. Her character is one that I really liked, at times full of confidence and at others doubting herself and those around her. Not understanding some of her memories but knowing they are important somehow was great and added another layer of suspense.
This for me was a superb gothic horror-style story but set in the present day. It was atmospheric and there are some wonderfully creepy moments. The characters have a good array of backgrounds and add doubt and suspicion.
If you are a fan of suspense-filled gothic horror stories then you really do need to look at this one. When I say horror I don't mean the old blood, guts and chainsaw type but the psychological sort and it has been done brilliantly. Great story and characters and one I would definitely recommend.
Having a brother and other people to give Annie guidance and help is great, but there is a time when she is going to have to confront her past head-on. The thing is, well is she strong enough?
From the very start, I knew I was going to adore this book. It was so annoying that I had such a busy week at work and I could not sit and read it cover to cover as I am sure I would have done given the chance.
The story is that of the family and is told from their individual perspectives and of others who are involved in the story. It is a brilliant format for this type of story as you really get inside the heads of the characters, but that doesn't mean that you are any closer to understanding how things are going to occur or what is coming.
Given that Annie has this ability to see the future of some, there is a controversial twist. Her mother was a devout Christian woman and there are references to events in the past when ancestors were driven out of the small community they lived in. Having this back and forth between characters and timelines is great as the author is able to leave little nuggets of information that gradually build up over the course of the story.
The author has brought a sense of dread and suspicion to the forefront of his story. Annie is not quite sure who to trust and this works so well for her character. Being reliant on others for information is one thing, but are they telling the truth?
This was also quite an emotional story and one that had me hoping that things would turn out well for Annie just because I thought she deserved to have good things. Her character is one that I really liked, at times full of confidence and at others doubting herself and those around her. Not understanding some of her memories but knowing they are important somehow was great and added another layer of suspense.
This for me was a superb gothic horror-style story but set in the present day. It was atmospheric and there are some wonderfully creepy moments. The characters have a good array of backgrounds and add doubt and suspicion.
If you are a fan of suspense-filled gothic horror stories then you really do need to look at this one. When I say horror I don't mean the old blood, guts and chainsaw type but the psychological sort and it has been done brilliantly. Great story and characters and one I would definitely recommend.
September 27, 2023
A modern gothic chiller that was perfect to get me in the mood for the upcoming spooky season. This is a tale of witchcraft, of premonitions that could be taken as either a curse or a gift passed down the female line. Driving some to madness and others to silence. With religious undertones and a creepy pastor this book would give Stephen King a run for his money.
Annie Jackson has just started a new job when the murmurs start again, showing and telling her how a person will die. Having no recollections of the previous ones since a car accident stole her memories and her family made the decision to shield them from her or possibly her from them.
I loved the historical aspects featured with the use of memoir extracts and also the shifting timeline showing Annie’s childhood to present day. Clearly defined and not in the least jumpy this made it easy to follow and gave a bigger insight into Annie and her family, especially as it has multiple points of view.
It’s quite rare to find a male author who not only writes an authentic female character but also tackles female relationships like mother and daughter and does it with an almost feminist approach. He understands the differences in how girls are treated, the burdens they carry and shows it with a care and subtlety in his writing.
The Murmurs is pure witchcraft!
Annie Jackson has just started a new job when the murmurs start again, showing and telling her how a person will die. Having no recollections of the previous ones since a car accident stole her memories and her family made the decision to shield them from her or possibly her from them.
I loved the historical aspects featured with the use of memoir extracts and also the shifting timeline showing Annie’s childhood to present day. Clearly defined and not in the least jumpy this made it easy to follow and gave a bigger insight into Annie and her family, especially as it has multiple points of view.
It’s quite rare to find a male author who not only writes an authentic female character but also tackles female relationships like mother and daughter and does it with an almost feminist approach. He understands the differences in how girls are treated, the burdens they carry and shows it with a care and subtlety in his writing.
The Murmurs is pure witchcraft!
March 27, 2024
Finished reading: March 27th 2024
"To everyone else it was just a normal day, but she was forever changed. Death was no longer an abstract. It was touchable. Heartbreakingly real."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Orenda Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
February 2, 2024
The first part was quick for me, and I was super excited about the development of Annie's curse. Unfortunately, the action slowed to a trickle, and the storyline didn't really delve into the curse as I hoped it would. This would be a 2.5 if Goodreads allowed partial stars. I know. I'm surprised too. I feel like everyone else has given this such illustrious, glowing reviews, and I'm the party pooper.
October 21, 2023
I really wanted to love this one but sadly it didn’t end up being great for me. I found Annie’s curse and what it involved to be interesting and was looking forward to seeing what would happen with that however it didn’t really go in the direction I hoped it would. The story felt very slow for me in parts and like not much was happening in the plot for a lot of the book. The twists and turns were all pretty predictable too which was also disappointing.
This book is getting amazing reviews so I think it’s just a me problem and sadly something about the story and writing just didn’t click with me sadly so I don’t think I’ll be carrying on with the series.
This book is getting amazing reviews so I think it’s just a me problem and sadly something about the story and writing just didn’t click with me sadly so I don’t think I’ll be carrying on with the series.
September 4, 2023
This is such a wonderfully inventive story!
Annie Jackson has The Murmurs. A family curse which means she can tell when and how a person is going to die.
As Annie delves into her own past in an effort to understand what is happening to her, the supernatural element of the story weaves together brilliantly with the mysteries of her past and the disappearance of girls across the highlands.
A great story and short chapters make for a pacy read and I devoured this in just a couple of sittings.
This is a creepy, gothic, utterly gripping thriller of a book. I highly recommend
Annie Jackson has The Murmurs. A family curse which means she can tell when and how a person is going to die.
As Annie delves into her own past in an effort to understand what is happening to her, the supernatural element of the story weaves together brilliantly with the mysteries of her past and the disappearance of girls across the highlands.
A great story and short chapters make for a pacy read and I devoured this in just a couple of sittings.
This is a creepy, gothic, utterly gripping thriller of a book. I highly recommend
September 21, 2023
I have been mulling over this review for some time now as it's such a good book that I feel my words won't do it justice, but I'm also wary of saying too much about a book that deserves to be read without any preconceptions.
The Murmurs is book one of the Annie Jackson mysteries. A beautiful gothic thriller like you've never heard of before. When I hear gothic thrillers I think of mansions, darkness and haunting pasts. This book takes the theory of gothic thrillers, mushes them together and spits them out reimagined in a hauntingly dark and addictive thriller.
Picture this: Annie, a girl with a forgotten childhood, starts a new job at a care home and has a vision of one of the residents deaths. This vision acts as the key to unlock Annie's childhood and open up her future, has her remembering and revisiting her past and helps to solve some past mysteries. All wrapped up together with a memoir from an ancestor detailing curses, revenge and witchcraft. What more could you possibly want?
Michael J Malone is a genius at drawing you in and ensuring you never want to leave. The timelines of Memoir/Then/Now were easy to follow but extremely effective in captivating my attention and I couldn't bare to put the book down at the end of an evening, always racing to pick it back up the next chance I got.
Simply put, this book is captivating, heartbreaking, enticing and deliciously dark. A strong start to the Annie Jackson mysteries and a top read of mine for 2023. Definitely a recommended read for fans of crime/thrillers/gothic mysteries.
The Murmurs is book one of the Annie Jackson mysteries. A beautiful gothic thriller like you've never heard of before. When I hear gothic thrillers I think of mansions, darkness and haunting pasts. This book takes the theory of gothic thrillers, mushes them together and spits them out reimagined in a hauntingly dark and addictive thriller.
Picture this: Annie, a girl with a forgotten childhood, starts a new job at a care home and has a vision of one of the residents deaths. This vision acts as the key to unlock Annie's childhood and open up her future, has her remembering and revisiting her past and helps to solve some past mysteries. All wrapped up together with a memoir from an ancestor detailing curses, revenge and witchcraft. What more could you possibly want?
Michael J Malone is a genius at drawing you in and ensuring you never want to leave. The timelines of Memoir/Then/Now were easy to follow but extremely effective in captivating my attention and I couldn't bare to put the book down at the end of an evening, always racing to pick it back up the next chance I got.
Simply put, this book is captivating, heartbreaking, enticing and deliciously dark. A strong start to the Annie Jackson mysteries and a top read of mine for 2023. Definitely a recommended read for fans of crime/thrillers/gothic mysteries.
August 13, 2023
I'm just going to say it. I devoured this book. Picked it up, started reading and, mere moment later, poof .... it was gone. Or that's how it felt. Michael J. Malone is a master of literary gothic imaginings and, with The Murmurs, he has created a story which grabbed me from the bewitching opening (no pun intended) to the beautifully fitting final pages. This is no ordinary thriller, not your typical whodunnit style of mystery, although there are certainly elements of that contained within. This is a story packed with the inexplicable, or, at the very least, the unexpected, laced with emotion, complex familial relationships and secrets which are destined to be revealed in truly dramatic style.
In The Murmurs we meet Annie Jackson, a young woman with a particular, and very unwelcome gift. She begins to suffer from debilitating visions, a sense of foreshadowing in which she is able to see the untimely, and devastating, future of those around her. It begins on her first day in a new job at a care home, the eponymous murmurs that whisper to her the truths that no-one wants to hear. But this is not really the first time Annie has experienced this particular gift, or rather curse, and we are soon drawn into her tragic past as she struggles to understand what is happening to her.
What I really like about Michael J Malone's writing is his ability to create such authentic characters who, whilst not always the most endearing of people, I find myself compulsively drawn towards. Annie is a confused young woman, but the more we learn about her history, the easier it is to understand why her life is lived in such stark contrast to her twin brother, Lewis. Annie is a complex character, not just because of her special circumstances, but also because of the difficult relationship she had with her mother. The truth of this is only gleaned through snatches of memory, and we embark upon a voyage of discovery with Annie, one that feeds into the key mystery of this whole story.
Told using a dual timeline narrative, we are led through Annie's life, both her childhood and the present day. The scenes from the past go a long way to establishing Annie's backstory and the reasons why her premonitions have lain dormant for so long. The present day is laced with an undercurrent of unease, a slow building sense of dread that is enhanced by the appearance of some faces from Lewis and Annie's past. Contrasting a modern religious fervour and internet evangelism against the more pagan elements of Annie's 'gift' add to the atmosphere and suspense that have been building since the opening chapter.
The author plays a canny game with this book, employing sleight-of-hand to misdirect, keeping the truth from our attention until just the right moment. The mystery is kept alive through journal entries from one of Annie and Lewis' ancestors, one that gives more insight into the family curse. With hints of witchcraft, trickery and double crossing, it makes for a tantalising read, one where the sins of the past are every bit as compelling as the shocking revelations that are to play out in the present. I love Mr M's writing, and the way in which he brings each timeline to life, leaving my spine tingling at just the right moment, and drawing me to the edge of my seat so often in moments of high tension, that I really was in fear of falling right off.
The Murmurs is a story of murder and of injustice, both historic of the present day. Of family secrets and the lengths to which people will go in order to protect them, all wrapped in a shroud of mystery, bolstered by a touch of the otherworldly. If you like your stories beautifully crafted, with a hint of witchcraft and stories of the unexpected, then this will be for you. Another brilliant read by an author who manages to adapt his style with every new book, whilst retaining that almost lyrically descriptive styling, and who is always firmly on the must read list for me. Definitely recommended.
In The Murmurs we meet Annie Jackson, a young woman with a particular, and very unwelcome gift. She begins to suffer from debilitating visions, a sense of foreshadowing in which she is able to see the untimely, and devastating, future of those around her. It begins on her first day in a new job at a care home, the eponymous murmurs that whisper to her the truths that no-one wants to hear. But this is not really the first time Annie has experienced this particular gift, or rather curse, and we are soon drawn into her tragic past as she struggles to understand what is happening to her.
What I really like about Michael J Malone's writing is his ability to create such authentic characters who, whilst not always the most endearing of people, I find myself compulsively drawn towards. Annie is a confused young woman, but the more we learn about her history, the easier it is to understand why her life is lived in such stark contrast to her twin brother, Lewis. Annie is a complex character, not just because of her special circumstances, but also because of the difficult relationship she had with her mother. The truth of this is only gleaned through snatches of memory, and we embark upon a voyage of discovery with Annie, one that feeds into the key mystery of this whole story.
Told using a dual timeline narrative, we are led through Annie's life, both her childhood and the present day. The scenes from the past go a long way to establishing Annie's backstory and the reasons why her premonitions have lain dormant for so long. The present day is laced with an undercurrent of unease, a slow building sense of dread that is enhanced by the appearance of some faces from Lewis and Annie's past. Contrasting a modern religious fervour and internet evangelism against the more pagan elements of Annie's 'gift' add to the atmosphere and suspense that have been building since the opening chapter.
The author plays a canny game with this book, employing sleight-of-hand to misdirect, keeping the truth from our attention until just the right moment. The mystery is kept alive through journal entries from one of Annie and Lewis' ancestors, one that gives more insight into the family curse. With hints of witchcraft, trickery and double crossing, it makes for a tantalising read, one where the sins of the past are every bit as compelling as the shocking revelations that are to play out in the present. I love Mr M's writing, and the way in which he brings each timeline to life, leaving my spine tingling at just the right moment, and drawing me to the edge of my seat so often in moments of high tension, that I really was in fear of falling right off.
The Murmurs is a story of murder and of injustice, both historic of the present day. Of family secrets and the lengths to which people will go in order to protect them, all wrapped in a shroud of mystery, bolstered by a touch of the otherworldly. If you like your stories beautifully crafted, with a hint of witchcraft and stories of the unexpected, then this will be for you. Another brilliant read by an author who manages to adapt his style with every new book, whilst retaining that almost lyrically descriptive styling, and who is always firmly on the must read list for me. Definitely recommended.
March 12, 2024
I was really intrigued by the premise of this book. It was super unique and I felt like most of the book was pretty fast-paced (until I got about 70% of the way through). I was initially ready to give this book 5 stars, but it wasn't quite wrapped up like a pretty bow at the end how I had hoped it would be. I found myself wanting more details about the curse along with how and why it is existed. Overall, I'd recommend the book, just know that you may end the book feeling like you're missing a little something. 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Orenda Books for an ARC of this novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orenda Books for an ARC of this novel.
November 3, 2023
I enjoyed this supernatural book. Was a great read for the spooky season. Gave me chills, and thrills. A bit on the gothic side as well.
Highly recommended for the supernatural lovers..
The author's writing is superb.
Highly recommended for the supernatural lovers..
The author's writing is superb.
December 3, 2023
I loved this book, it was so well crafted and written, I really liked the plot and characters, and the twists that I did not expect 😀
September 3, 2023
The Murmurs is a tense gothic thriller by Michael J Malone and I think it’s his best book to date. We’re introduced to Annie Jackson, who discovers she’s inherited a family curse. It all begins when she realises that she has the ability to know when people are facing imminent death, or if they are suffering from an illness, after she has a series of disturbing premonitions. She comes to realise this after taking a job in a care home. Confused and scared, she has no idea if she is going mad, that is until, she discovers the dark secret, and the curse her family have had to burden for generations.
There is a really creepy atmosphere to this book, which makes it a perfect read for the spooky season. This atmosphere helps draw us in, and Michael J Malone does a brilliant job of bringing Annie’s fears and confusion to life, as she learns these new facts about her family. There is a lot of emotion as well, particularly as Annie fights to get the truth out of her mother, who is reluctant to part with any more information, when Annie asks her for more details about what is going on. It’s as Annie decides to get to the truth on her own, that the novel darkens all the more. Michael J Malone reveals some unsettling and disturbing truths and they make this a brilliant read, and the truths, when they do come, are hard hitting for Annie.
The pace of the novel is spot on and the short chapters kept me flying through the pages, as I waited to see what Annie was going to uncover. Michael J Malone keeps the suspense and the intrigue ticking up a notch, especially as Michael drip feeds us more information about Annie’s family. We begin to see that there is far more going on here than what first meets the eye. There are some brilliant characters who are all withholding information from Annie, and they add to the suspense, especially the local Pastor and a local nun.
If you love a novel full of family secrets with a dark and creepy atmosphere, then this is the novel for you. Michael J Malone is a fantastic writer. His writing will pull you in and you will not want to stop reading. I’m intrigued to see that The Murmurs is the first book to feature Annie, so I’m excited to see where Michael J Malone will take Annie next. I highly recommend it.
There is a really creepy atmosphere to this book, which makes it a perfect read for the spooky season. This atmosphere helps draw us in, and Michael J Malone does a brilliant job of bringing Annie’s fears and confusion to life, as she learns these new facts about her family. There is a lot of emotion as well, particularly as Annie fights to get the truth out of her mother, who is reluctant to part with any more information, when Annie asks her for more details about what is going on. It’s as Annie decides to get to the truth on her own, that the novel darkens all the more. Michael J Malone reveals some unsettling and disturbing truths and they make this a brilliant read, and the truths, when they do come, are hard hitting for Annie.
The pace of the novel is spot on and the short chapters kept me flying through the pages, as I waited to see what Annie was going to uncover. Michael J Malone keeps the suspense and the intrigue ticking up a notch, especially as Michael drip feeds us more information about Annie’s family. We begin to see that there is far more going on here than what first meets the eye. There are some brilliant characters who are all withholding information from Annie, and they add to the suspense, especially the local Pastor and a local nun.
If you love a novel full of family secrets with a dark and creepy atmosphere, then this is the novel for you. Michael J Malone is a fantastic writer. His writing will pull you in and you will not want to stop reading. I’m intrigued to see that The Murmurs is the first book to feature Annie, so I’m excited to see where Michael J Malone will take Annie next. I highly recommend it.
October 20, 2023
Très agréable et plein de rebondissements. 👏
October 19, 2023
This book is being marketed as a gothic thriller and supernatural mystery; I almost didn’t read the book because of these descriptors. I did read it, however, and did enjoy it. But, for reasons I will discuss later, I would not describe it as really gothic or supernatural.
Annie Jackson discovers she has inherited a curse which has plagued the lives of several generations of women in her matrilineal lineage. She can identify people who will soon die: graphic, debilitating visions accompanied by otherworldly murmuring voices show and tell her how that person will meet his/her demise. With her twin brother Lewis, she sets out to probe her past in order to “understand who she was and how this curse might impact on her ability to have any kind of normal existence.” Her quest is complicated by the fact that she has lost all memories from before the car accident which resulted in her being injured and her mother Eleanor killed. Nonetheless, Annie is eventually drawn back to her childhood village in the Scottish highlands where, in the past, women like her were put to death as witches.
I felt a sense of dread from the beginning. The reader learns how cruelly women who were seen as different were treated in the past. Even when Annie was a child, a fundamental pastor prayed over her as if she were demonically possessed, so there is a lot of trepidation concerning Annie’s future. She shares these fears, wondering if she will go mad and end up institutionalized like other female relatives. Encounters with Edward Trainer, a convicted murderer, and the reappearance of people from her past just add to the sense of foreboding.
There is a dual timeline (past and present) and multiple points of view. Besides Annie and Lewis’s perspectives, the reader is also occasionally given those of Eleanor and Edward. Interspersed are portions of a memoir written by Moira McLean in 1818 in which she explains the origins of the curse of the murmurs.
I liked the relationship between the twins. Though there is genuine love between the two, Annie and Lewis are foil characters in many ways. Annie is confused and frightened much of the time but Lewis, who is usually calmer than the oft agitated Annie, serves as a steadying influence. He is loyal and supportive so though Annie often doesn’t know whom she can trust, she knows she can rely on and trust her brother. A flaw they share is a blindness to people’s true natures: they are both deceived by others because they choose to see and believe what serves their needs rather than examine people’s motives more closely.
What also stands out for me is the hypocrisy of religious figures who hide their true natures behind charm or charisma. Pastor Mosley, whom Eleanor regarded with awe and reverence, is actually narrow-minded, selfish, and manipulative. He is ever vigilant against signs of demonic possession, but he should have looked inwards for signs of evil. Another church leader is implicated in a series of crimes. (I found these rather unbelievable since motivation is unclear.) In the present, there’s an internet church whose leader seems more interested in fame and financial gain than people’s spiritual well-being. I guess the message is that evil exists in all time periods and often in those who preach against the wickedness of others.
I’ve read others’ reviews and come across words and phrases like spookyand scary and creepy being used because of the novel’s supernatural elements. I found the wickedness demonstrated by humans much more frightening than any that can be attributed to the supernatural. Were magic words used to curse descendants of a certain family? I believe betrayals and secrets can cause trauma across generations, especially to sensitive people. Conversations with others and even an experience of my own mean that, for me, premonitions of death may be beyond our current understanding but are not malevolent. It’s only the vividness of Annie’s premonitions that are problematic. Having visited places like the Dachau concentration camp, where much suffering and death occurred, I’ve had emotionally intense experiences which would probably only differ in degree from what Annie experiences. So I take exception to connotatively loaded words like gothic and supernatural to describe the novel, except in the very general sense of mysterious and inexplicable. (Okay, I’ve stepped off my soapbox.)
With its short chapters and continual ramping up of tension and suspense, this is a compelling read. Though some attribute its atmosphere of dread to supernatural elements, I see the book more as a horrifying portrayal of the evil humans commit because of their pride, greed, lust, and wrath.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/DCYakabuski).
Annie Jackson discovers she has inherited a curse which has plagued the lives of several generations of women in her matrilineal lineage. She can identify people who will soon die: graphic, debilitating visions accompanied by otherworldly murmuring voices show and tell her how that person will meet his/her demise. With her twin brother Lewis, she sets out to probe her past in order to “understand who she was and how this curse might impact on her ability to have any kind of normal existence.” Her quest is complicated by the fact that she has lost all memories from before the car accident which resulted in her being injured and her mother Eleanor killed. Nonetheless, Annie is eventually drawn back to her childhood village in the Scottish highlands where, in the past, women like her were put to death as witches.
I felt a sense of dread from the beginning. The reader learns how cruelly women who were seen as different were treated in the past. Even when Annie was a child, a fundamental pastor prayed over her as if she were demonically possessed, so there is a lot of trepidation concerning Annie’s future. She shares these fears, wondering if she will go mad and end up institutionalized like other female relatives. Encounters with Edward Trainer, a convicted murderer, and the reappearance of people from her past just add to the sense of foreboding.
There is a dual timeline (past and present) and multiple points of view. Besides Annie and Lewis’s perspectives, the reader is also occasionally given those of Eleanor and Edward. Interspersed are portions of a memoir written by Moira McLean in 1818 in which she explains the origins of the curse of the murmurs.
I liked the relationship between the twins. Though there is genuine love between the two, Annie and Lewis are foil characters in many ways. Annie is confused and frightened much of the time but Lewis, who is usually calmer than the oft agitated Annie, serves as a steadying influence. He is loyal and supportive so though Annie often doesn’t know whom she can trust, she knows she can rely on and trust her brother. A flaw they share is a blindness to people’s true natures: they are both deceived by others because they choose to see and believe what serves their needs rather than examine people’s motives more closely.
What also stands out for me is the hypocrisy of religious figures who hide their true natures behind charm or charisma. Pastor Mosley, whom Eleanor regarded with awe and reverence, is actually narrow-minded, selfish, and manipulative. He is ever vigilant against signs of demonic possession, but he should have looked inwards for signs of evil. Another church leader is implicated in a series of crimes. (I found these rather unbelievable since motivation is unclear.) In the present, there’s an internet church whose leader seems more interested in fame and financial gain than people’s spiritual well-being. I guess the message is that evil exists in all time periods and often in those who preach against the wickedness of others.
I’ve read others’ reviews and come across words and phrases like spookyand scary and creepy being used because of the novel’s supernatural elements. I found the wickedness demonstrated by humans much more frightening than any that can be attributed to the supernatural. Were magic words used to curse descendants of a certain family? I believe betrayals and secrets can cause trauma across generations, especially to sensitive people. Conversations with others and even an experience of my own mean that, for me, premonitions of death may be beyond our current understanding but are not malevolent. It’s only the vividness of Annie’s premonitions that are problematic. Having visited places like the Dachau concentration camp, where much suffering and death occurred, I’ve had emotionally intense experiences which would probably only differ in degree from what Annie experiences. So I take exception to connotatively loaded words like gothic and supernatural to describe the novel, except in the very general sense of mysterious and inexplicable. (Okay, I’ve stepped off my soapbox.)
With its short chapters and continual ramping up of tension and suspense, this is a compelling read. Though some attribute its atmosphere of dread to supernatural elements, I see the book more as a horrifying portrayal of the evil humans commit because of their pride, greed, lust, and wrath.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/DCYakabuski).
September 25, 2023
When you think of a Gothic thriller the first thing that probably springs to mind is a creepy Victorian mansion on an isolated moorland. Or maybe a neglected graveyard, with ivy creeping over the wings of the angels that stand guard over the long dead. What you might not anticipate is a contemporary story that kicks off in a seemingly innocuous care home.
Annie Jackson, the protagonist of Michael J. Malone’s new standalone thriller The Murmurs, is looking forward to starting her new job as an elderly care assistant at Hartfield House. But her first day is ruined when she has a terrifying premonition of the death of the very first resident she meets.
Worried she might be going mad, Annie reveals all to her brother, Lewis. But to her surprise, he isn’t shocked by what she has to say. Instead he tells Annie that this isn’t the first time she has predicted someone’s death. Years before, as a little girl, Annie saw visions of death and heard whisperings in her ear. After the accident that killed their mum and eventually left them orphans, Annie supressed the memories of her childhood. But now ‘the murmurs’ are back and they won’t stop until Annie listens to them.
Right from the off, The Murmurs plunges the reader into the uncanny. Annie’s nightmares and premonitions are extremely creepy but, as with many a classic gothic horror novel, it isn’t long before the reader begins to suspect that the real terrors lie in the world of the living. As Annie’s fractured childhood memories are gradually restored, far greater horrors lie in wait for her: ones that, far from being supernatural in origin, are centred on the dark and tangled web of secrets that lie at the heart of her family.
As you may be able to tell, The Murmurs is not a novel for the faint-hearted. Although more creepy than horrific, Annie’s premonitions and nightmares will almost certainly leave you with the chills! More pertinently, however, the novel deals with some pretty hard-hitting themes, especially once details about Annie’s childhood begin to emerge and coalesce. Whilst there is rarely any serious violence or gore on the page, the novel tackles several immensely topical issues unflinchingly and content warnings should be noted for murder, suicide, forced confinement, forced institutionalisation, religious bigotry, cults, sexual assault/rape, discussions and depictions of mental illness, pregnancy, miscarriage, and gaslighting.
Moving between several viewpoints, the novel builds a picture of the complex relationship between the women of Annie’s family and ‘the murmurs’. Viewed by some as a ‘gift’, for Annie’s mum Eleanor the murmurs are nothing but a curse. The novel is at its most poignant – and perhaps also its most frustrating – when we see the impact that this has on the relationship between Annie and Eleanor. Whilst, by the end of the book, I understood many of Eleanor’s motivations, she is the epitome of a character who often does very unwise – and even unkind – things for what she feels are very good reasons. As such, I was never quite sure whether I sympathised with her or detested her, which I think is a sign of excellent characterisation!
Annie herself is much more likeable. I really felt for her as she struggled to come to terms with the trauma of her childhood, as well as with the re-emergence of the terrifying premonitions. I also loved the slightly combative but mutually supportive relationship between Annie and her brother, Lewis. The rest of the cast made for a diverse bunch ranging from a possibly-wrongly-convicted murderer, now out on release, to the creepy cult-like leader of the small religious community in which Annie grows up. Malone does an excellent job of each character to life, even if several of them are rather unlikeable!
The atmosphere is also absolutely pitch-perfect throughout the novel. From the stifling constraints of Annie’s childhood home to the terrifying oppression of the religious services she was forced to endure, there were times when I was genuinely afraid for Annie! The superb plotting kept the pages turning (no mean feat when the increasing tension meant I just wanted to hide under the bedcovers!) and meant that I never guessed exactly what was coming next.
Although this is the first novel that I have read by Michael J. Malone, it definitely won’t be the last. With interesting characterisation and a complex but well thought out plot, this was an atmospheric and suspenseful read that, although largely set in contemporary Scotland, manages to convey a genuinely creepy gothic tone without ever resorting to tired tropes or stereotypes.
NB: This review also appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpre... as part of the blog tour for the book. My thanks got to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Annie Jackson, the protagonist of Michael J. Malone’s new standalone thriller The Murmurs, is looking forward to starting her new job as an elderly care assistant at Hartfield House. But her first day is ruined when she has a terrifying premonition of the death of the very first resident she meets.
Worried she might be going mad, Annie reveals all to her brother, Lewis. But to her surprise, he isn’t shocked by what she has to say. Instead he tells Annie that this isn’t the first time she has predicted someone’s death. Years before, as a little girl, Annie saw visions of death and heard whisperings in her ear. After the accident that killed their mum and eventually left them orphans, Annie supressed the memories of her childhood. But now ‘the murmurs’ are back and they won’t stop until Annie listens to them.
Right from the off, The Murmurs plunges the reader into the uncanny. Annie’s nightmares and premonitions are extremely creepy but, as with many a classic gothic horror novel, it isn’t long before the reader begins to suspect that the real terrors lie in the world of the living. As Annie’s fractured childhood memories are gradually restored, far greater horrors lie in wait for her: ones that, far from being supernatural in origin, are centred on the dark and tangled web of secrets that lie at the heart of her family.
As you may be able to tell, The Murmurs is not a novel for the faint-hearted. Although more creepy than horrific, Annie’s premonitions and nightmares will almost certainly leave you with the chills! More pertinently, however, the novel deals with some pretty hard-hitting themes, especially once details about Annie’s childhood begin to emerge and coalesce. Whilst there is rarely any serious violence or gore on the page, the novel tackles several immensely topical issues unflinchingly and content warnings should be noted for murder, suicide, forced confinement, forced institutionalisation, religious bigotry, cults, sexual assault/rape, discussions and depictions of mental illness, pregnancy, miscarriage, and gaslighting.
Moving between several viewpoints, the novel builds a picture of the complex relationship between the women of Annie’s family and ‘the murmurs’. Viewed by some as a ‘gift’, for Annie’s mum Eleanor the murmurs are nothing but a curse. The novel is at its most poignant – and perhaps also its most frustrating – when we see the impact that this has on the relationship between Annie and Eleanor. Whilst, by the end of the book, I understood many of Eleanor’s motivations, she is the epitome of a character who often does very unwise – and even unkind – things for what she feels are very good reasons. As such, I was never quite sure whether I sympathised with her or detested her, which I think is a sign of excellent characterisation!
Annie herself is much more likeable. I really felt for her as she struggled to come to terms with the trauma of her childhood, as well as with the re-emergence of the terrifying premonitions. I also loved the slightly combative but mutually supportive relationship between Annie and her brother, Lewis. The rest of the cast made for a diverse bunch ranging from a possibly-wrongly-convicted murderer, now out on release, to the creepy cult-like leader of the small religious community in which Annie grows up. Malone does an excellent job of each character to life, even if several of them are rather unlikeable!
The atmosphere is also absolutely pitch-perfect throughout the novel. From the stifling constraints of Annie’s childhood home to the terrifying oppression of the religious services she was forced to endure, there were times when I was genuinely afraid for Annie! The superb plotting kept the pages turning (no mean feat when the increasing tension meant I just wanted to hide under the bedcovers!) and meant that I never guessed exactly what was coming next.
Although this is the first novel that I have read by Michael J. Malone, it definitely won’t be the last. With interesting characterisation and a complex but well thought out plot, this was an atmospheric and suspenseful read that, although largely set in contemporary Scotland, manages to convey a genuinely creepy gothic tone without ever resorting to tired tropes or stereotypes.
NB: This review also appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpre... as part of the blog tour for the book. My thanks got to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
September 5, 2023
When Annie Jackson begins a new job at a care home for the elderly, she is plagued with first day jitters, but she has no idea that this fresh start will bring with it a nightmare. When meeting a resident called Steve, Annie is overwhelmed with the feeling that he is going to die very soon, but when she tries to share her fears with him, he brushes her concern aside. The very next morning brings news that Steve has died in the very way Annie has foreseen.
A terrifying ability has awakened within Annie, and as she tries to cope with a stream of visions of death that will not leave her in peace, she begins to wonder if this power is somehow related to the childhood she cannot remember. With the help of her twin brother Lewis, Annie searches for clues to help her unlock the mystery of the years before a fateful crash that killed her mother and left her with amnesia. What they discover harks back to family secrets, and a curse that has inflicted her female bloodline with terrifying premonitions, bringing with it the danger of madness, fear and suspicion.
In this intricately plotted mystery, Michael J. Malone skilfully blends the boundaries between past and present, echoing through time the shattering legacy of both Jacobean witch trials and the Highland Clearances on Annie Jackson's family. Annie knows little of her family history, as her parents both died in tragic circumstances, and her own memories have been wiped clean by the accident that killed their mother. However, when haunting nightmares of drowning herald the onset of premonitions of death, she begins to question whether she has been told all there is to know about her family, and embarks on journey that reveals far more about sins of the past than she could ever imagine.
Told through the tense chain of events that follow Annie's realisation that she has the ability to foretell death, flashbacks to family conflict between Annie's mother and her two sisters, and excerpts from the memoir of Annie's distant relation Moira Mclean written in 1818, this story oozes Gothic vibes. Malone delves into history to bring alive episodes within Annie's family tree that show how passion, jealously and fierce rivalry entwined with age old suspicion gave birth to a hatred that cursed future generations. And in a stroke of pure genius, he embroiders the effects into a gripping mix of domestic drama and cracking crime story in the present.
As the separate storylines in time and place unfurl, Annie finds herself embroiled in a search for the truth about the murders of young women in the Scottish Highlands which leads her into terrible danger. In parallel, the secrets that lie thick around her own parentage, and the origin of the curse that has left such a toll on her and the women before her are revealed. Everything comes together in a mighty collision as the tangled threads resolve themselves in a powerful moment of shocking clarity - with a glorious little parting kick in Moira's memoir too.
Malone's themes run thick and fast, and a sense of foreboding holds you tightly throughout. He explores faith, deeply held superstition, madness, fear, and an unwillingness to confront the truth, through every part of this tale. I particularly enjoyed how he plays with power, charisma, and the subversion of religion to ramp up that disquieting feeling in the pit of your stomach, and cleverly uses themes of different kinds of witch hunts appropriate to each time period.
This book hits the all consuming sweet spot between being terrified by what you are reading and yet unable to look away for a second. It gave me the absolute chills, in the best possible way. I am delighted to find that this is the first in a series of mysteries for Annie too, as I desperately need more of this fabulous Tartan Noir in my life.
A terrifying ability has awakened within Annie, and as she tries to cope with a stream of visions of death that will not leave her in peace, she begins to wonder if this power is somehow related to the childhood she cannot remember. With the help of her twin brother Lewis, Annie searches for clues to help her unlock the mystery of the years before a fateful crash that killed her mother and left her with amnesia. What they discover harks back to family secrets, and a curse that has inflicted her female bloodline with terrifying premonitions, bringing with it the danger of madness, fear and suspicion.
In this intricately plotted mystery, Michael J. Malone skilfully blends the boundaries between past and present, echoing through time the shattering legacy of both Jacobean witch trials and the Highland Clearances on Annie Jackson's family. Annie knows little of her family history, as her parents both died in tragic circumstances, and her own memories have been wiped clean by the accident that killed their mother. However, when haunting nightmares of drowning herald the onset of premonitions of death, she begins to question whether she has been told all there is to know about her family, and embarks on journey that reveals far more about sins of the past than she could ever imagine.
Told through the tense chain of events that follow Annie's realisation that she has the ability to foretell death, flashbacks to family conflict between Annie's mother and her two sisters, and excerpts from the memoir of Annie's distant relation Moira Mclean written in 1818, this story oozes Gothic vibes. Malone delves into history to bring alive episodes within Annie's family tree that show how passion, jealously and fierce rivalry entwined with age old suspicion gave birth to a hatred that cursed future generations. And in a stroke of pure genius, he embroiders the effects into a gripping mix of domestic drama and cracking crime story in the present.
As the separate storylines in time and place unfurl, Annie finds herself embroiled in a search for the truth about the murders of young women in the Scottish Highlands which leads her into terrible danger. In parallel, the secrets that lie thick around her own parentage, and the origin of the curse that has left such a toll on her and the women before her are revealed. Everything comes together in a mighty collision as the tangled threads resolve themselves in a powerful moment of shocking clarity - with a glorious little parting kick in Moira's memoir too.
Malone's themes run thick and fast, and a sense of foreboding holds you tightly throughout. He explores faith, deeply held superstition, madness, fear, and an unwillingness to confront the truth, through every part of this tale. I particularly enjoyed how he plays with power, charisma, and the subversion of religion to ramp up that disquieting feeling in the pit of your stomach, and cleverly uses themes of different kinds of witch hunts appropriate to each time period.
This book hits the all consuming sweet spot between being terrified by what you are reading and yet unable to look away for a second. It gave me the absolute chills, in the best possible way. I am delighted to find that this is the first in a series of mysteries for Annie too, as I desperately need more of this fabulous Tartan Noir in my life.
September 28, 2023
“Who are they?
They are every woman, burned, every man flayed and skinned, they’re every trauma visited upon every human—they’re pain they’re torture, they are the scream echoing in the distant dark, the whispered taunt in your ear.
They’re the baited breath, the hammering pulse, the cold beaded sweat, dry mouth, and the bunched yet frozen muscle ignoring the command to run, run, RUN.
They are vengeance and they will never stop.”
A family curse, long-forgotten crimes, repressed memories, and decades-old secrets all come together in this beguiling gothic thriller that is perfect for spooky season.
Annie Jackson is a young woman whose life has been marred by tragedy. She survived the accident that killed her mother but it took her memories, leaving her with only a nightmare that returns just as she’s about to start a new job at a care home. And on her first day it gets worse as a disturbing vision and murmuring voices tell her one of the residents is about to die. From that day on she is plagued by foreshadowings of the fates of those on the margins of life and death. The eponymous murmurs come unwelcome and unbidden, leaving her frightened, bewildered and scared to look people in the eye. Annie soon discovers the murmurs are part of a curse that has cascaded through the generations of women in her family. Desperate to know more and understand what is happening to her, she and her twin brother, Lewis, begin to explore their family history. But what they discover is much darker than they ever imagined and they find themselves embroiled in old mysteries that are far more dangerous than they realise…
He’s done it again! Michael J. Malone is a masterful gothic storyteller and he had me spellbound as I read. Evocatively told, it oozes a sinister atmosphere as he weaves elements of folklore and the supernatural into the narrative, blurring the lines between what is real and what is in our imagination. Ghostly fingers of the past tighten their grip on Annie and rekindle ashes of memory that slowly reveal horrifying secrets that have been buried for decades. It is chilling, twisty, and there’s a creeping sense of dread that permeates the pages. There are elements of the unknown, the inexplicable, and the unexpected alongside complex family dynamics, dark secrets, and lots of emotion. The story is steadily paced and slowed down a little in the middle before picking up pace again during the last third of the book. This is where I couldn’t put it down, pushing aside my sleepiness in the early hours and flying through the pages as the tension escalated at breakneck speed and we hurtled towards the heart-pounding and shocking finale.
Malone tells the story in multiple vividly drawn timelines by multiple compelling narrators. But it is Annie who is at the heart of this book. She’s is a bit of a lost soul and we can feel her confusion, fear, and isolation as she tries to figure out what on earth is happening to her. I liked her relationship with her twin brother, Lewis, which felt authentic and grounding in a story that generally feels quite bizarre. I also really enjoyed reading the historical family members and loved the addition of Moira McLean’s memoir.
Haunting, ominous, darkly atmospheric, and captivating, this is the best I’ve read yet from this author. Add it to your TBR now.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5
They are every woman, burned, every man flayed and skinned, they’re every trauma visited upon every human—they’re pain they’re torture, they are the scream echoing in the distant dark, the whispered taunt in your ear.
They’re the baited breath, the hammering pulse, the cold beaded sweat, dry mouth, and the bunched yet frozen muscle ignoring the command to run, run, RUN.
They are vengeance and they will never stop.”
A family curse, long-forgotten crimes, repressed memories, and decades-old secrets all come together in this beguiling gothic thriller that is perfect for spooky season.
Annie Jackson is a young woman whose life has been marred by tragedy. She survived the accident that killed her mother but it took her memories, leaving her with only a nightmare that returns just as she’s about to start a new job at a care home. And on her first day it gets worse as a disturbing vision and murmuring voices tell her one of the residents is about to die. From that day on she is plagued by foreshadowings of the fates of those on the margins of life and death. The eponymous murmurs come unwelcome and unbidden, leaving her frightened, bewildered and scared to look people in the eye. Annie soon discovers the murmurs are part of a curse that has cascaded through the generations of women in her family. Desperate to know more and understand what is happening to her, she and her twin brother, Lewis, begin to explore their family history. But what they discover is much darker than they ever imagined and they find themselves embroiled in old mysteries that are far more dangerous than they realise…
He’s done it again! Michael J. Malone is a masterful gothic storyteller and he had me spellbound as I read. Evocatively told, it oozes a sinister atmosphere as he weaves elements of folklore and the supernatural into the narrative, blurring the lines between what is real and what is in our imagination. Ghostly fingers of the past tighten their grip on Annie and rekindle ashes of memory that slowly reveal horrifying secrets that have been buried for decades. It is chilling, twisty, and there’s a creeping sense of dread that permeates the pages. There are elements of the unknown, the inexplicable, and the unexpected alongside complex family dynamics, dark secrets, and lots of emotion. The story is steadily paced and slowed down a little in the middle before picking up pace again during the last third of the book. This is where I couldn’t put it down, pushing aside my sleepiness in the early hours and flying through the pages as the tension escalated at breakneck speed and we hurtled towards the heart-pounding and shocking finale.
Malone tells the story in multiple vividly drawn timelines by multiple compelling narrators. But it is Annie who is at the heart of this book. She’s is a bit of a lost soul and we can feel her confusion, fear, and isolation as she tries to figure out what on earth is happening to her. I liked her relationship with her twin brother, Lewis, which felt authentic and grounding in a story that generally feels quite bizarre. I also really enjoyed reading the historical family members and loved the addition of Moira McLean’s memoir.
Haunting, ominous, darkly atmospheric, and captivating, this is the best I’ve read yet from this author. Add it to your TBR now.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5
September 20, 2023
I think it’s fair to say that Michael J. Malone’s back catalogue of books cover a whole gamut of themes, from gangland violence, to cyberstalking, to physical abuse, to edgy psychological thrillers, and all points in between. The Murmurs marks a wee change of direction, billed as a gothic thriller and supernatural mystery, and illustrating once again Malone’s versatility as a writer.
The story revolves around Annie Jackson, a young woman who is becoming increasingly unsettled by her uncanny knack of foreseeing people’s deaths, and also understandably keen to further examine her family history, to unearth why she is the conduit for these weird and disturbing premonitions. As she explores the family secrets, exposing a chain of deceit, abuse and manipulation, Annie navigates her way through long concealed lies to reveal the truth behind her lineage. Malone carefully frames this in counterpoint to a narrative by one of Annie’s relations in the 17th Century, which cleverly weaves in and out of the main plotline, shedding further light on Annie’s supernatural experiences in the present. As both narratives start to merge, and Annie encounters some startling revelations in her family history, the story winds its way towards a chilling, and potentially violent ending. Insert sinister sound effect here…
I think the most intriguing aspect of this book for me was the way that Malone consistently interweaves religion and spirituality/superstition throughout the book. From Annie’s childhood experiences of a suffocating and narrow minded church, to her mother’s entanglement with a charming, yet increasingly sinister pastor of said church, and the dishonesty and corruption of a new wave of religion suckering people on the internet. The evils of organised religion are counterbalanced beautifully with the potential evil of ‘the murmurs’ that Annie experiences, and how these have tormented other female relations in her family lineage. Malone puts across well the fear and confusion that Annie feels when these premonitions happen, and both the mental and physical effect she experiences, harnessing the readers’ empathy to her plight.
Our empathy is further aroused by the strained relationship she had with her mother, and how this anger was displaced onto her, quite frankly, lovely adoptive parents. The theme of family and loyalty is paramount in this story, and as Annie discovers more the sacrifices made in the past to ensure her future, Malone keeps us as blind-sighted as her for much of the book. Her relationship with her brother Lewis, is an interesting one too, as their involvement with a new age preacher, promises success for Lewis, but something entirely more sinister for Annie. This gives rise to a somewhat unbelievable murder storyline, that all gets a bit far-fetched towards the end of the book, but equally the narrative is shored up by the supernatural plotline, and Malone’s assured characterisation, so this is a minor quibble of the book overall. Generally I enjoyed The Murmurs, and it was interesting to see yet another string to Michael J. Malone’s writing bow, with this tale rooted in supernatural suspense, with a soupçon of gothic darkness.
The story revolves around Annie Jackson, a young woman who is becoming increasingly unsettled by her uncanny knack of foreseeing people’s deaths, and also understandably keen to further examine her family history, to unearth why she is the conduit for these weird and disturbing premonitions. As she explores the family secrets, exposing a chain of deceit, abuse and manipulation, Annie navigates her way through long concealed lies to reveal the truth behind her lineage. Malone carefully frames this in counterpoint to a narrative by one of Annie’s relations in the 17th Century, which cleverly weaves in and out of the main plotline, shedding further light on Annie’s supernatural experiences in the present. As both narratives start to merge, and Annie encounters some startling revelations in her family history, the story winds its way towards a chilling, and potentially violent ending. Insert sinister sound effect here…
I think the most intriguing aspect of this book for me was the way that Malone consistently interweaves religion and spirituality/superstition throughout the book. From Annie’s childhood experiences of a suffocating and narrow minded church, to her mother’s entanglement with a charming, yet increasingly sinister pastor of said church, and the dishonesty and corruption of a new wave of religion suckering people on the internet. The evils of organised religion are counterbalanced beautifully with the potential evil of ‘the murmurs’ that Annie experiences, and how these have tormented other female relations in her family lineage. Malone puts across well the fear and confusion that Annie feels when these premonitions happen, and both the mental and physical effect she experiences, harnessing the readers’ empathy to her plight.
Our empathy is further aroused by the strained relationship she had with her mother, and how this anger was displaced onto her, quite frankly, lovely adoptive parents. The theme of family and loyalty is paramount in this story, and as Annie discovers more the sacrifices made in the past to ensure her future, Malone keeps us as blind-sighted as her for much of the book. Her relationship with her brother Lewis, is an interesting one too, as their involvement with a new age preacher, promises success for Lewis, but something entirely more sinister for Annie. This gives rise to a somewhat unbelievable murder storyline, that all gets a bit far-fetched towards the end of the book, but equally the narrative is shored up by the supernatural plotline, and Malone’s assured characterisation, so this is a minor quibble of the book overall. Generally I enjoyed The Murmurs, and it was interesting to see yet another string to Michael J. Malone’s writing bow, with this tale rooted in supernatural suspense, with a soupçon of gothic darkness.
September 22, 2023
Michael J. Malone is one of my favourite authors and I know I'm guaranteed an absorbingly perceptive and emotional thriller whenever I read one of his books. I loved his previous supernatural novel, House of Spines so I was delighted to learn he had written another spine-tingling gothic tale. The Murmurs is everything I'd hoped for and more; it is as beautifully poetic as it is unsettling and of course utterly compulsive and astutely empathetic.
The atmospheric prologue set in 1818 sets a chilling tone with its talk of curses, a betrayal and terrifying revenge. Although most of the chapters take place in more modern times, the tragic story behind the family curse which has blighted the lives of several generations of women in Annie Jackson's family is gradually revealed. Michael J. Malone cleverly switches the narrative between characters and from past to present as he explores how these lives are irrevocably linked to one another. Annie is the central character and it's her we primarily follow as she becomes increasingly haunted by her grisly gift which means she has graphically upsetting premonitions showing her when people are going to imminently die. After an upsetting encounter in a care home, she slowly begins to recall encounters from her mysterious past but how accurate are her memories?
The storyline also follows the perspective of other characters who are linked in some way to Annie and the richly imaginative narrative is intriguingly unnerving throughout. Terrible tragedies and horrific deaths are disclosed and while the superstitious and religious beliefs of the past result in a particularly dreadful crime, there are malevolent attitudes and actions in supposedly more enlightened times too.
The intertwined histories of the characters are strikingly linked to two separate yet equally shocking atrocities; there's folkloric feel to the story of Mary and Jean, while the more modern tragedy is brutally grim. However, for all the fear, violence and ignorance, there is kindness and hope found here too. The relationship between Annie and her twin, Lewis isn't without its problems but for the most part supportive and loving. Likewise, the wise counsel, care and solace provided by their adoptive parents is a moving contrast to the darker elements in the book.
Of course, the malignant murmurs that Annie experiences are creepily dire and although Michael J. Malone eventually reveals the origin of this awful curse, he never undermines the spookiness of the story by providing a prosaic explanation; there is a wonderfully timeless quality to this spellbinding tale. However, despite the supernatural dread engendered, the human frailties, fears and wickedness on display are arguably even more frightening. Ultimately though, this is a poignant, perceptive examination of the abiding interconnectedness of all our lives. The Murmurs is a hauntingly lyrical, captivatingly immersive book and another exceptional read by Michael J. Malone; I very highly recommend it.
The atmospheric prologue set in 1818 sets a chilling tone with its talk of curses, a betrayal and terrifying revenge. Although most of the chapters take place in more modern times, the tragic story behind the family curse which has blighted the lives of several generations of women in Annie Jackson's family is gradually revealed. Michael J. Malone cleverly switches the narrative between characters and from past to present as he explores how these lives are irrevocably linked to one another. Annie is the central character and it's her we primarily follow as she becomes increasingly haunted by her grisly gift which means she has graphically upsetting premonitions showing her when people are going to imminently die. After an upsetting encounter in a care home, she slowly begins to recall encounters from her mysterious past but how accurate are her memories?
The storyline also follows the perspective of other characters who are linked in some way to Annie and the richly imaginative narrative is intriguingly unnerving throughout. Terrible tragedies and horrific deaths are disclosed and while the superstitious and religious beliefs of the past result in a particularly dreadful crime, there are malevolent attitudes and actions in supposedly more enlightened times too.
The intertwined histories of the characters are strikingly linked to two separate yet equally shocking atrocities; there's folkloric feel to the story of Mary and Jean, while the more modern tragedy is brutally grim. However, for all the fear, violence and ignorance, there is kindness and hope found here too. The relationship between Annie and her twin, Lewis isn't without its problems but for the most part supportive and loving. Likewise, the wise counsel, care and solace provided by their adoptive parents is a moving contrast to the darker elements in the book.
Of course, the malignant murmurs that Annie experiences are creepily dire and although Michael J. Malone eventually reveals the origin of this awful curse, he never undermines the spookiness of the story by providing a prosaic explanation; there is a wonderfully timeless quality to this spellbinding tale. However, despite the supernatural dread engendered, the human frailties, fears and wickedness on display are arguably even more frightening. Ultimately though, this is a poignant, perceptive examination of the abiding interconnectedness of all our lives. The Murmurs is a hauntingly lyrical, captivatingly immersive book and another exceptional read by Michael J. Malone; I very highly recommend it.
July 11, 2024
Notes from a Decaying Millennial:
Here we are again with another installment of "Look What I Found at My Local Public Library". Wherein I shamelessly plug Libraries as the go-to place for your next reading fix.
Public Libraries loaded with books just waiting for you to find them. Don't see the author or title you are looking for? Talk to a Librarian and request that they order it.
This is not a paid Review
-
The Murmurs is a novel by (dare I say prolific?) Scottish Author Michael J. Malone. I am always on the hunt for works of Horror from Scottish authors. The greater horror genre is wide and varied, with many unique voices. I have found this also to be true for horror authors lurking in Scotland. When I have my first taste of an authors writing, and it hooks me, then I'm pretty much sold moving forward, they write, I'll read it, full speed ahead.
I occasionally I like to take a palate cleansing break from all the splatterpunk and extreme horror that I often read. I'm also surprisingly picky when it comes to mysteries, which brings me to todays review.
With the Murmurs, Michael Malone delivers a pulse pounding work of Gothic Psychological Horror of character and power that only Scotland could deliver. Very quickly the reader is drawn into a tale of generational trauma, witchcraft and family secrets. The narrative shifts from present to past with a fluid and rapid pace that matches the atmosphere of mystery and desire for answers that builds around Annie Jackson.
This book is an absolute page turner, that you will find yourself pushing to read faster as the fear builds. You'll find yourself mentally going over the building list of facts, and raise your eyebrows as new questions are raised and twists emerge from the shadows. As mentioned above, I am picky when it comes to mysteries, you won't see me pouring over a "cozy mystery". What draws me in are books like Murmurs, where mystery blends with horror, where it is the darkened corners that must be explored, the past that must be dug up.
This book was my introduction to the writings of Mr. Malone, and if this book is any indicator of the caliber of material that he has delivered in his other 23 books, I will definitely seek them out.
Here we are again with another installment of "Look What I Found at My Local Public Library". Wherein I shamelessly plug Libraries as the go-to place for your next reading fix.
Public Libraries loaded with books just waiting for you to find them. Don't see the author or title you are looking for? Talk to a Librarian and request that they order it.
This is not a paid Review
-
The Murmurs is a novel by (dare I say prolific?) Scottish Author Michael J. Malone. I am always on the hunt for works of Horror from Scottish authors. The greater horror genre is wide and varied, with many unique voices. I have found this also to be true for horror authors lurking in Scotland. When I have my first taste of an authors writing, and it hooks me, then I'm pretty much sold moving forward, they write, I'll read it, full speed ahead.
I occasionally I like to take a palate cleansing break from all the splatterpunk and extreme horror that I often read. I'm also surprisingly picky when it comes to mysteries, which brings me to todays review.
With the Murmurs, Michael Malone delivers a pulse pounding work of Gothic Psychological Horror of character and power that only Scotland could deliver. Very quickly the reader is drawn into a tale of generational trauma, witchcraft and family secrets. The narrative shifts from present to past with a fluid and rapid pace that matches the atmosphere of mystery and desire for answers that builds around Annie Jackson.
This book is an absolute page turner, that you will find yourself pushing to read faster as the fear builds. You'll find yourself mentally going over the building list of facts, and raise your eyebrows as new questions are raised and twists emerge from the shadows. As mentioned above, I am picky when it comes to mysteries, you won't see me pouring over a "cozy mystery". What draws me in are books like Murmurs, where mystery blends with horror, where it is the darkened corners that must be explored, the past that must be dug up.
This book was my introduction to the writings of Mr. Malone, and if this book is any indicator of the caliber of material that he has delivered in his other 23 books, I will definitely seek them out.
September 13, 2023
I read the blurb of this book and I knew that I needed to read it. It just sounded so good…and I wasn’t wrong. This book is brilliant! I loved this with all my heart and didn’t want to finish it so quickly, but at the same time, I also wanted to know the ending.
Annie starts a job at a care home, yet her first day doesn’t go well. One of the elderly patients that she is supposed to care for suddenly dies. Annie however sees a premonition about his death and knows how the patient is going to die precisely, via the murmurs, a curse that is passed through the generation of the females in the family. She doesn’t know about The Murmurs, and she doesn’t know why she is the only one hearing them. These chilling murmurs make Annie and her twin brother look for answers, which leads them to numerous secrets about their family, the mysterious Scottish Highlands, unsolved murder cases, and witchcraft.
I loved how this book follows then and now timelines and chapters that are told from various characters' POVs. Also, I loved that in each chapter there is a crumb of information and a reader has to collect them all to puzzle a story. I think this just added more to the suspense and thrill of this book. The setting of this book in the remote Scottish Highlands was just brilliant, as it captures that truly gothic and mysterious atmosphere of lochs, mountains and small villages hidden in them. I also adored how the author managed to link the mystery and gothic atmosphere of the Scottish Highlands so naturally with curses, and witchcraft, as well as the present-day environment/society.
I just knew from a few chapters that this book is going to be amazing. The atmosphere, scene setting, suspense and writing were all so good. It was also an emotional story because both Annie and her brother are searching for the truth about The Murmurs, but alongside that learn quite a lot about their own family. I must mention how all the characters in this book are very well-developed and each of them makes the story whole and are important in one way or another to the story.
Overall: This was my first book from Michael J. Malone but definitely won’t be the last. Beautifully written, with short yet captivating chapters full of suspense and tension. Mysterious and gothic atmosphere, family secrets, and paranormal murmurs all mixed in a perfect book. One of my favourite gothic thrillers that I have ever read.
Annie starts a job at a care home, yet her first day doesn’t go well. One of the elderly patients that she is supposed to care for suddenly dies. Annie however sees a premonition about his death and knows how the patient is going to die precisely, via the murmurs, a curse that is passed through the generation of the females in the family. She doesn’t know about The Murmurs, and she doesn’t know why she is the only one hearing them. These chilling murmurs make Annie and her twin brother look for answers, which leads them to numerous secrets about their family, the mysterious Scottish Highlands, unsolved murder cases, and witchcraft.
I loved how this book follows then and now timelines and chapters that are told from various characters' POVs. Also, I loved that in each chapter there is a crumb of information and a reader has to collect them all to puzzle a story. I think this just added more to the suspense and thrill of this book. The setting of this book in the remote Scottish Highlands was just brilliant, as it captures that truly gothic and mysterious atmosphere of lochs, mountains and small villages hidden in them. I also adored how the author managed to link the mystery and gothic atmosphere of the Scottish Highlands so naturally with curses, and witchcraft, as well as the present-day environment/society.
I just knew from a few chapters that this book is going to be amazing. The atmosphere, scene setting, suspense and writing were all so good. It was also an emotional story because both Annie and her brother are searching for the truth about The Murmurs, but alongside that learn quite a lot about their own family. I must mention how all the characters in this book are very well-developed and each of them makes the story whole and are important in one way or another to the story.
Overall: This was my first book from Michael J. Malone but definitely won’t be the last. Beautifully written, with short yet captivating chapters full of suspense and tension. Mysterious and gothic atmosphere, family secrets, and paranormal murmurs all mixed in a perfect book. One of my favourite gothic thrillers that I have ever read.
September 21, 2023
I adored this book. I couldn’t wait to read it. Really spooky and scary, but the most terrifying part is when we go back in time to the ‘witches’ who were accused of witchcraft, forced to confess and then strangled before their bodies were thrown on the bonfire.
Annie Jackson comes from a line of women who have a ‘gift’ or is it a curse? She knows when someone is going to die and how. But when she tries to warn them, she is treated like a mad woman, even when she is only twelve years old. She can see the person dying, their faces turn into skulls, and she hears sounds and voices which are referred to as ‘the murmurs’.
On the first day of her new job in a nursing home (not the best place to avoid death premonitions), she sees an old man having a stroke on the bathroom floor and dying. Before she goes home, she tries to warn him, but he tells her to go away and leave him alone. It’s just the beginning of her terrifying dreams and visions. She can’t look at anyone, in case she sees their demise.
She tries to find out as much as she can about the family curse, but everyone seems to be keeping schtum. When she was still a child, her mother died in an accident, but Annie somehow survived. She remembers nothing about it and very little of her life beforehand. Then her father dies too and she and her twin brother go to live with a foster family.
As she starts to remember tiny snippets from her childhood, she discovers that her mother had two sisters – Sheila and Bridget – one of whom she met just once. She knew that Sheila was ill.
Her mother is very religious and they attend a church which is almost a cult. (Oh how I love this kind of thing as anyone who has read my reviews will know.) The local ‘pastor’ puts his hands on Annie’s head and tries to get rid of the devil inside her. It’s very creepy. Outside the church, an old woman whispers that Annie should be burnt at the stake. It’s all scary stuff with a gothic feel and a mixture of superstition and a hint of the supernatural.
We are interrupted during the story today, by flashbacks to the witches, episodes in Annie’s mother’s life and incidents of ‘the murmurs’ in Annie’s childhood. For instance she knew that a local girl would be involved in something terrible, but no-one will listen to her.
I’m going to say it again. I absolutely adored this book. It’s just up my street and I look forward to reading more about Annie in the future. I know this because it’s the first of the Annie Jackson Mysteries #1.
If I could offer Annie one word of advice it would be to accept what you see. You probably can’t prevent it anyway, without changing the future as well. While this would be devastating, it would surely be better than telling someone they are going to die and failing to prevent it. Or maybe not. Thank goodness I don’t have Annie’s gift.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
Annie Jackson comes from a line of women who have a ‘gift’ or is it a curse? She knows when someone is going to die and how. But when she tries to warn them, she is treated like a mad woman, even when she is only twelve years old. She can see the person dying, their faces turn into skulls, and she hears sounds and voices which are referred to as ‘the murmurs’.
On the first day of her new job in a nursing home (not the best place to avoid death premonitions), she sees an old man having a stroke on the bathroom floor and dying. Before she goes home, she tries to warn him, but he tells her to go away and leave him alone. It’s just the beginning of her terrifying dreams and visions. She can’t look at anyone, in case she sees their demise.
She tries to find out as much as she can about the family curse, but everyone seems to be keeping schtum. When she was still a child, her mother died in an accident, but Annie somehow survived. She remembers nothing about it and very little of her life beforehand. Then her father dies too and she and her twin brother go to live with a foster family.
As she starts to remember tiny snippets from her childhood, she discovers that her mother had two sisters – Sheila and Bridget – one of whom she met just once. She knew that Sheila was ill.
Her mother is very religious and they attend a church which is almost a cult. (Oh how I love this kind of thing as anyone who has read my reviews will know.) The local ‘pastor’ puts his hands on Annie’s head and tries to get rid of the devil inside her. It’s very creepy. Outside the church, an old woman whispers that Annie should be burnt at the stake. It’s all scary stuff with a gothic feel and a mixture of superstition and a hint of the supernatural.
We are interrupted during the story today, by flashbacks to the witches, episodes in Annie’s mother’s life and incidents of ‘the murmurs’ in Annie’s childhood. For instance she knew that a local girl would be involved in something terrible, but no-one will listen to her.
I’m going to say it again. I absolutely adored this book. It’s just up my street and I look forward to reading more about Annie in the future. I know this because it’s the first of the Annie Jackson Mysteries #1.
If I could offer Annie one word of advice it would be to accept what you see. You probably can’t prevent it anyway, without changing the future as well. While this would be devastating, it would surely be better than telling someone they are going to die and failing to prevent it. Or maybe not. Thank goodness I don’t have Annie’s gift.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
February 27, 2024
I always look forward to finding out that Michael J Malone has another book out as I know that the moment I start reading it then I am not going to want to put it down as there is always something about his characters and the setting that keeps you hooked from start to finish.
Annie Jackson has a gift or more precisely a curse. She can tell if someone she meets is about to die. The first she really knows of this is when she starts her first day in a care home and she has a premonition about the first elderly man she meets. What she soon comes to realise is that this is not the first time it has happened, but a lot of her past is locked in memories she can’t access at least not at the moment. As she digs into her past and reconnects with people she once knew she hopes that she will find answers and the nightmare will end.
From the start you can’t help but feel for Annie, she has already seen tragedy in her life with the loss of both parents. She does have the support of her twin brother Lewis and her fathers’ friends who took them both in when they had no one else but despite all that you know that even they don’t truly understand what she is going through. At times she can come across as standoffish, but I think that is just a self-preservation tactic as she just doesn’t know how people will react to her.
Unravelling Annies story via a dual timeline gives a true insight into her life and her complicated relationship with her mother. Annie had always believed that her mother was ashamed of her and had even wondered if her mother had meant to do her harm, but the secrets of the past are slowly revealed and there are clearly some surprises that both shock her and explain some of her dreams and vague memories.
This is so much more than your basic mystery as the story heads to its conclusion with more that one twist and turn along the way and an ending I was not quite expecting but does leave you with a feeling of hope. As this is billed as the first in the Annie Jackson Mysteries I can guarantee I will be stalking all good book retailers waiting not so patiently for the next one as I cant wait to see how Annie is living with her gift and what it means for her.
Annie Jackson has a gift or more precisely a curse. She can tell if someone she meets is about to die. The first she really knows of this is when she starts her first day in a care home and she has a premonition about the first elderly man she meets. What she soon comes to realise is that this is not the first time it has happened, but a lot of her past is locked in memories she can’t access at least not at the moment. As she digs into her past and reconnects with people she once knew she hopes that she will find answers and the nightmare will end.
From the start you can’t help but feel for Annie, she has already seen tragedy in her life with the loss of both parents. She does have the support of her twin brother Lewis and her fathers’ friends who took them both in when they had no one else but despite all that you know that even they don’t truly understand what she is going through. At times she can come across as standoffish, but I think that is just a self-preservation tactic as she just doesn’t know how people will react to her.
Unravelling Annies story via a dual timeline gives a true insight into her life and her complicated relationship with her mother. Annie had always believed that her mother was ashamed of her and had even wondered if her mother had meant to do her harm, but the secrets of the past are slowly revealed and there are clearly some surprises that both shock her and explain some of her dreams and vague memories.
This is so much more than your basic mystery as the story heads to its conclusion with more that one twist and turn along the way and an ending I was not quite expecting but does leave you with a feeling of hope. As this is billed as the first in the Annie Jackson Mysteries I can guarantee I will be stalking all good book retailers waiting not so patiently for the next one as I cant wait to see how Annie is living with her gift and what it means for her.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews