Christmas reads coming up soon, but just a few post-holiday reviews I really must share first – and first up, it’s a real pleasure to share my review of The Peculiar Incident at Thistlewick House, the latest book from Jenni Keer. Published by Boldwood Books on 11th October, it’s now available as an ebook (free via Kindle Unlimited), in paperback and hardcover, and as an audiobook: my thanks to the publishers for my advance reading copy (provided via netgalley).
First there were the light romances, and then came the quirky historical fiction – and since Jenni joined Boldwood Books, her books have just got better and better. No. 23 Burlington Square was one of my 2023 Books of the Year (and plenty of other people rather loved it too – over 100,000 copies sold!) – such a clever “what if” story with alternative timelines, and I really couldn’t have loved it more (you’ll find my full review here). At the Stroke of Midnight might have been even better – wonderful storytelling, so many twists and turns, and the most wonderful characters (you can read my review again here – and yes, of course it was on my 2024 Books of the Year list!). The Ravenswood Witch was a compelling story that chilled me to the core, but I loved every moment (you’ll find my review here). And her last book, The House of Lost Whispers might have been the best yet – a wonderful blend of historical fiction, a particularly authentic coming of age story, and a pitch perfect and moving romance (you’ll find my review here). And I really couldn’t wait to read her latest…
Where bones fall from the cliffs and secrets linger in the mist, a village haunted by the past refuses to give up its dead… 💫
As the bones start to fall, the spirits will rise…
Norfolk, England, 1895: When renowned spiritualist Edward Blackmore receives a desperate message from his cousin Barnabas, begging him to come to the coastal village of Thistlewick Tye, his first thought is to ignore the request. Despite his cousin’s insistence that his wife is possessed by a malevolent spirit, Edward has no time for the man who stole his inheritance.
Lured by the promise of money, along with a genuine concern for Barnabas’s wife – who he’d once loved – he reluctantly travels to at Thistlewick House, only to arrive too late. Emma is dead.
Barnabas suspects there are supernatural forces at play. But Edward is convinced murder is afoot. As he begins to investigate, he finds himself drawn into the lives of those in this isolated and unnerving village, especially the beguiling woman who gathers up the human bones falling from the rapidly eroding cliffs.
Then he discovers that a travelling circus completely disappeared in the area forty years previously and no one is willing to talk about it. Perhaps not everything at Thistlewick Tye is quite what it seems…
Edward Blackmore is much in demand for putting people in touch with the departed – a lucrative profession, although his talents may not be all they appear to be. But it’s been a way of recovering his losses since his rightful inheritance unexpectedly passed to his cousin Barnabas – who also married Emma, the only woman he once thought might make him want to reveal both his professional and personal secrets. So when Barnabas seeks his help after Emma’s death – and he discovers that she seemed to have been possessed by a malevolent spirit before she died – he’s initially reluctant, but decides to travel to their home (and his former home) at Thistlewick Tye in rural Norfolk. But things get stranger – it soon appears that she didn’t die by her own hand as everyone originally believed, but that she might have been murdered.
While Edward has his own tightly guarded secrets, so does Thistlewick Tye. It’s a close-knit community, where people’s behaviour seems to be being controlled by its religious leaders – its whole atmosphere is distinctly unsettling, and more than a little threatening. Walking below its cliffs, slowly eroding, Edward spots some buried bones being picked up by an eccentric woman who lives on the village’s fringes – and it soon becomes evident that there are many, and that they are human. And that gradually sets him on the trail of a travelling circus who pitched up at the village forty years earlier – a group of people who mysteriously and suddenly disappeared.
This really was such a wonderful read. Unlikeable at first, Edward finds redemption – and an unexpected measure of happiness – as he doggedly pursues the truth behind both Emma’s possession and the falling bones, uncovering the complex links between past and present. There are particularly well handled supernatural elements – disturbing, but not nightmare inducing – made to feel entirely believable. And then there are the insights into life with the travelling circus – wonderfully researched and perfectly drawn, the individuals who lived on society’s edges brought vividly to life in all their strangeness, along with a real sense of their caring and love for each other. And there are the many messages too – including the need to dig beneath the surface, not to jump to the more obvious conclusions, and not judging things (or people) by appearance.
The whole mystery is totally engrossing, filled with the most shocking and unexpected twists and turns – and as a reader I felt totally drawn in, barely drawing breath as the pieces slowly fell into place. And every single character in the book is so wonderfully drawn – and all the emotional touches are quite perfect. I really cared about the individuals and wanted to know the full story – however uncomfortable finding out might prove to be.
A totally captivating read, perfectly paced and quite unputdownable – one everyone should add to their reading list, and the best this superb author has ever written. I loved every moment…
About the author
Jenni Keer lives in the glorious Suffolk countryside with her four grown up children, three demanding cats, but just the one husband. She still pinches herself that she gets paid for making up stories and believes being an author really is the best job in the world. Much younger in her head than she is on paper, she adores any excuse for fancy-dress and is part of a disco formation dance team.
Her unique combination of romance and history, murder and mystery, is sprinkled with magical realism and peppered with jaw-dropping twists. Keer has written two contemporary rom coms and seven quirky historical novels. Her latest release, The Peculiar Incident at Thistlewick House, came out in October 2025. The first of her Victorian Sisters Trilogy is out in summer 2026.
The best-selling No. 23 Burlington Square (her 1920s sliding doors mystery) has now sold over 100,000 copies.
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Lovely review Anne.
Lovely book, Joanne!
Thank you so much, Ann! What a delight to stumble across this review today! As ever, I appreciate your time reading and reviewing, and am so glad you enjoyed Edward’s tale.
Jenni x
I’m sorry it took me so long, Jenni – what a wonderful read! xx