Showing results by author "Catriona Ward" in All Categories

From Dickens's A Christmas Carol to the ghost stories of M.R. James, the tradition of a haunted tale at Christmas has flourished across the centuries. The twelve stories of The Winter Spirits are all centred around Christmas or Advent, boldly and playfully re-imagining a beloved tradition for a modern audience. Taking you from a haunted Tuscan villa to a remote Scottish island with a dark secret, and drawing inspiration from festive traditions from all around the globe, these vibrant haunted stories are your ultimate companion for frosty nights.

In 1910, eleven-year-old Iris Villarca lives with her father at Rawblood, a lonely house on Dartmoor. Iris and her father are the last of their name. The Villarcas always die young, bloodily. Iris believes it's because of a congenital disease which means she must isolate herself from the world. But one sunlit autumn day, beside her mother's grave, she forces the truth from her father: the disease is biologically impossible. A lie to cover a darker secret.

2045, the Arctic Circle. A crew of six aboard the research vessel, The Nox, embark upon a voyage through the melting ice and Arctic dark in search of the last of the polar bears. The mission represents a ray of hope in a world ravaged by climate change, but it quickly becomes clear that some on board are in search of more than bears. Isolation and the disorientation of 24/7 darkness soon have the group losing their grip on reality – accidents, nightmares, or hauntings – no one can be sure, but the voyage seems cursed.

In a windswept cottage overlooking the sea, Wilder Harlow begins the last book he will ever write. It is the story of his childhood companions and the killer that stalked their small New England town. Of the body they found, the horror of that discovery echoing down the decades. And of Sky, Wilder's one-time friend, who stole his unfinished memoir and turned it into a lurid bestselling novel, Looking Glass Sound. This book will be Wilder's revenge on Sky, a man who betrayed his trust and died without ever telling him why.

Rob fears for her daughters. For Callie, who collects tiny bones and whispers to imaginary friends. For Annie, because she fears what Callie might do to her. Rob sees a darkness in Callie, one that reminds her of the family she left behind. She decides to take Callie back to her childhood home, to Sundial, deep in the Mojave Desert. And there she will have to make a terrible choice.

This is the story of a murderer. A stolen child. Revenge. This is the story of Ted, who lives with his daughter, Lauren, and his cat, Olivia, in an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. All these things are true. And yet some of them are lies. You think you know what's inside the last house on Needless Street. You think you've come across this story before. In the dark forest at the end of Needless Street, something lies buried. But it's not what you think.

Eve and Dinah are everything to one another, never parted day or night. They are raised among the Children, a commune of strays and orphans ruled by Uncle, the mysterious patriarch. All they know is the grey Isle of Altnaharra which sits in the black sea off the wildest coast of Scotland. Eve loves the free, savage life of the Isle and longs to inherit Uncle's vision. She is untroubled save by her dreams of soft arms and a woman singing. Dinah longs for something other.

Die Tradition, zur kalten Jahreszeit Spukgeschichten zu lesen, hat sich über die Jahrhunderte hinweg bewährt. Denn was gibt es Schöneres, als es sich an langen, dunklen Winterabenden mit Geistergeschichten gemütlich zu machen? Wenn die Dunkelheit hereinbricht und der Nebel aufsteigt, zünden Sie sich also eine Kerze an und lassen Sie sich von diesen gespenstischen Erzählungen in den Bann ziehen.

Dies ist die Geschichte von Ted, der mit seiner Tochter Lauren und der Katze Olivia in einem gewöhnlichen Haus am Ende einer gewöhnlichen Straße lebt. Lulu, die kleine Schwester von Dee, ist vor Jahren auf mysteriöse Weise verschwunden. Man glaubt, dass sie ermordet wurde. Als Hauptverdächtiger galt damals der Einzelgänger Ted – ein eigenartiger Mann, der an einer Entwicklungsstörung leidet. Die Anschuldigung eines solch abscheulichen Verbrechens haben sich zudem äußerst nachteilig auf sein Leben ausgewirkt.

Nel bosco in fondo a Needless Street non abitano solo animali ma anche senso di colpa, crudeltà e dolore. Smarrircisi è fin troppo facile, perché tutti siamo vittime ma anche carnefici. Questa è la storia di un assassino, di una bambina scomparsa e di una vendetta. Questa è la storia di Ted, che vive con sua figlia Lauren e la gatta Olivia in una casa normale alla fine di una strada normale. Tutte queste cose sono vere. Eppure, alcune sono bugie. Pensi di sapere cosa c'è dentro l'ultima casa in fondo a Needless Street. Pensi di aver già letto questa storia. Ma è qui che ti sbagli.

Une petite fille disparaît. Un homme solitaire et différent est suspecté. Quels secrets recèle l'étrange maison de Needless Street ? À travers cette lecture multivoix, explorez les tréfonds de l'âme humaine. Dans l'impasse de Needless Street, à la lisière des ombres de la forêt, se dresse une maison. Isolée, solitaire, à l'image de ses habitants qui vivent à moitié reclus derrière ses murs. Parfois y résonnent les rires d'une petite fille, parfois ce sont les miaulements d'un chat. Parfois on aperçoit le propriétaire, Ted Bannerman, arpentant le jardin de sa démarche craintive et nerveuse.

Fenomenale, duistere spanning voor de fans van Thomas Olde Heuvelt, J.D. Barker en Gillian Flynn – uitgeroepen tot thriller van de maand in The Times, The Observer én The Guardian. Ted Bannerman woont in het laatste huis aan de bosrand. Het is er wat eenzaam: zijn dochter Lauren is er niet altijd en verder heeft hij alleen zijn kat Olivia. Het is er ook wat bedrukkend, met de dichtgetimmerde ramen en de spiegels die Ted heeft moeten weghalen toen hij zichzelf er niet meer recht in kon aankijken.

Rob leeft in angst. Angst voor haar oudste dochter Callie, die dierenbotten verzamelt en fluistert tegen denkbeeldige vrienden. En angst voor haar jongste dochter Annie, omdat ze bang is voor wat Callie haar zal aandoen. Rob ziet een duisternis in Callie, een die haar doet denken aan de familie die ze achterliet. Ze besluit haar oudste dochter mee te nemen naar haar ouderlijk huis, dat de naam 'Zonnewijzer' draagt, diep in de Mojave-woestijn. En daar zal ze een vreselijke keuze moeten maken.