The Coffin Path by Katherine Clements

As we are still in the winter months The Coffin Path by Katherine Clements is just the perfect ghost story for those chilly dark evenings set in the 17^th century among the bleak and dark Yorkshire moors.

The year is 1674 and the focus is an isolated Manor House and farm on the misty and eerie Yorkshire Moors. Scarcross Hall is the manor house and the coffin path that leads to the house. They say the manor house is haunted and that there is something evil that lurks there.

The story follows Mercy Booth; she is not at all bothered about the stories of hauntings. Scarcross Hall is owned by her elderly father and the property is now pretty dilapidated, but she knows that one day her father will die and that Scarcross Hall will belong to her. Enter the story a man by the name of Ellis Ferriby who now will work as a farm hand and now the story takes on a whole new twist. The narration moves between the two people. Events now start to take effect on the main characters and also those around them. Mercy starts to feel rather uneasy at the home. Strange noises and also creaks coming from her home. Her father’s health has declined. Many stories of the house being cursed, could this now be true and will this now start to affect her and what of the farm workers. Now as winter sets in and the bad weather mutilated sheep start to appear on the farm. Strange goings on with some of the staff at Scarcross Hall and items that just seem to mysteriously disappear. What are those strange creepy sounds coming from deep within the Hall?

There is something about Ellis and he is hiding his true reason for being there, and now Mercy is beginning to think that everything that is going on is her punishment. Who really is Ellis and what does he want from Scarcross Hall? The pace continues and then your pulse rate quickens.

A true gothic ghost story that is superbly told by Kathrine Clements that is rich in historical terms. Both the main characters are interesting and you have the feeling that there could be something between them but then the ending comes along. A chilling and engrossing creepy tale that I really enjoyed. Perfect Winter reading.

384 Pages

My thanks to Caitlin Raynor for the review copy of The Coffin Path.

The Coffin Path by Katherine Clements is published by Headline and was published on 8^th February 2018 and is available through Waterstones, Amazon and all good bookshops