Book Blurb:
Has Catherine Lacey been kidnapped by human hands or has the ghost of Lacey Hall ridden away with her?
1879 Sophie, Catherine’s sister, can’t answer that question. Catherine disappeared overnight. Sophie knows that Catherine had fallen in love with the ghost of the first Sir Giles Lacey, who in 1676 had won Lacey Hall in a card game. Not content with his windfall, he reclaimed land from the village to build a lake. The story goes he was murdered for it.
2019 Australian Kate Dalton reads her three times great-grandmother Sophie’s letter and travels to England to discover if Catherine had been murdered, kidnapped or whisked away by a ghost. At first, Kate isn’t welcomed at Lacey Hall, particularly by its owner. She is warned to stay away from Old Widcombe Woods and the dilapidated cottage in its midst. The woods were cursed many years ago. Then Kate sees the ghost rider. The old tale claims that every night he rides up to the house and then disappears into the lake, his destiny sealed for eternity. Kate is determined to see him up close but the present Sir Giles prevents her from going outside to him. At every turn, Kate is foiled.
Then Kate sees a second ghost.
After a series of accidents find Kate with head injuries and more, she starts to wonder if they are mishaps or does someone want to prevent her from discovering what happened to Catherine and, ultimately, from uncovering a mystery that has its seed planted by the first Sir Giles.
Kate doesn’t see the final danger approaching.
Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/theghostrider
Author Bio:
Award Winning Author Ellen Read is the author of The Dragon Sleeps, The Inca’s Curse, The Amber Trap and Gold Book Award book -The Feathered Nest - historical murder mystery romance novels, Die For Love - a ghost story, and Love The Gift and When Jacarandas Bloom - eBook Novellas.
Ellen was born in Queensland, Australia.
She loves to read fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. She particularly loves history and stories of ancient myths and legends. Authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, Agatha Christie, and Victoria Holt, the latter of whom wrote gothic mystery/romances, have influenced her own work.
Other interests include photography, painting, music and musical theatre, and dance. Ellen was a ballroom dancing teacher for many years and has also worked in Performing Arts administration.
Die For Love
A suspenseful, macabre ghost story, throwing you from past to present, with a mystery well worth figuring out. Superbly written and thought out, plot twist thrills and chills. This is definitely a page turner and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Pauline Reid
Editorial Review:
The Ghost Rider by Ellen Read takes the reader back in time to the estate of Lacey Hall in the late 1800s through letters found in 2019. When Kate comes across her great great great grandmother Sophie’s letters after moving home to England with her parents, she has no idea that she is about to be plunged into a family mystery that has gone unsolved for many years. In 1879, Sophie’s sister, Catherine, went missing. Sophie believes that she has fallen in love with a ghost and that might be the cause of her disappearance. While Sophie is unable to solve the mystery of Catherine’s disappearance, Kate is determined to try over one hundred and forty years later. Kate sets out in England to try to uncover the disappearance that still haunts her family but Kate’s plan will put her in danger that she doesn’t see coming. A gripping narrative with elements of thrillers and ghost stories and a touch of romance, The Ghost Rider will have readers desperate to find out more.
“On the night Sophie first saw the rider, she felt fear cut a cold track down her spine. She watched as Catherine turned to him, seemingly unafraid. He dismounted and walked his horse closer to Catherine. A full cloak swung about him, but otherwise the wide brimmed hat he wore, and the darkness of the night shrouded his appearance and features.”
The Ghost Rider is extremely well-written and well-developed. The true gem in this book is the beautiful imagery presented by the author. From wildflowers in the fields to creaky old houses, the reader feels as if they are right in the middle of the story with the vivid descriptions presented by the author throughout the book. Foreshadowing is also a strong point in the novel and creates a sense of eeriness that works well in a historical mystery and ghost story such as this one. It is perfectly creepy and will delight those readers that love to feel that chill ripple up their spines while staying on the edge of their seats waiting to find out what happens next. In addition to phenomenal writing, the characters are also extremely well-developed. Readers should have no problem connecting with Kate and Sophie, in particular.
“The morning air had a lightness and sweetness to it. As she moved away from the hotel, Kate smelled floral fragrances—she’d be keen to identify some of the flowers. She walked across the street to St Andrew’s Church. A sign listing worship times stood set back from the door and large oak trees provided shade to part of the cemetery. Kate saw dates on some headstones going back to the middle ages. The weight of history made Kate halt and ponder.”
As a historical fiction book, the setting is very well done. Lacey Hall captures the essence of a Victorian style estate set in the countryside of England in the 1800s. It is clear that the author has spent some time researching these estates and what it was like to live at one of these homes during this time period. While the entire book is not set in the past, the author still incorporates enough of that distinct historical quality that so many historical fiction fans love and enjoy.
The book is incredibly well written and is free of grammatical errors. It has been expertly proofread and edited so readers will be able to easily follow and understand the book. The plot also develops in a logical way. Some readers often struggle with alternating timelines such as the switch from 2019 to 1879 in this book. However, Ellen Read did a fantastic job making those transitions between timelines as smooth as possible and most readers should easily adapt to this style. The alternating timelines are a necessary literary element in this novel for the plot to play out nicely as a mystery and to keep readers invested in the story.
“Kate was left feeling as if she had just watched a film that had stopped before the end scenes played out. If only they’d answered that last question.”
The intended audience for The Ghost Rider is readers who enjoy creepy ghost stories with a blend of historical fiction and romance. The setting of Lacey Hall in the 1800s parallels perfectly with Kate’s experience with the estate in 2019. Read has done an outstanding job creating a fictional place that is relevant and timeline appropriate in both years that the estate is featured. She is also true to the timelines in her depictions of her characters. Whether the chapter is set in 1879 or 2019, there are clear behavioral distinctions that are made for each character through their thoughts, word choice, behaviors, and more that are true to the time period in which each character is being represented. This adds to the historical fiction quality of The Ghost Riders as well.
“Within a minute, the rider appeared. He was dressed in the garb of a Cavalier, his wide hat shading his face from Kate’s view. However, Raymond strode forward. He raised the shotgun and pointed it at the rider, who was still some distance away.
The rider instantly turned his horse around and galloped away, back to Old Widcombe Woods, as far as Kate could make out.”
The Ghost Rider comes highly recommended for those with an interest in ghost stories, romance, and mysteries featuring historical estates and characters. Read’s writing caters to those who enjoy spooky stories as well as those who love historical fiction and romance. She is able to expertly combine these genres in a very unique way that is not seen often to create a book that many readers will enjoy and much of this is done through the historical setting of Lacey Hall.
All in all, The Ghost Rider by Ellen Read is a well written historical fiction, mystery, and romance novel that readers who love the creepiness of a ghost story blended with the setting of a historical fiction novel with a touch of romance. Read is a master at blending genres and styles and has done it beautifully in The Ghost Rider. Readers will enjoy the fast paced plot that will leave them on the edge of their seats trying to figure out what is happening and what Kate will discover next. The Ghost Rider is a fantastic choice for historical fiction fans that need a little bit of suspense, tension, and romance.
*****
“The Ghost Rider” by Ellen Read receives 4.5 stars from The Historical Fiction Company