This is a book about a curse, cast by a vindictive witch, on the Malenfer family generations ago. Far be it from me to say that she didn’t have her reasons, for she certainly did; however, this book isn’t one dimensional in that it doesn't focus on just the curse. This book is also a war story, a ghost story, and a love story. Completing this book is a complement of elements: a threatening mystery, the witch, an ancestral curse, a creepy graveyard, hidden rooms, an angry mob, murders, greed, revenge, regret, but above all, a story of redemption and renewal, with a wicked twist. This, to me, is a true Gothic novel, complex in plot, with quite a few subplots branching out that leave you guessing until the very end…”WHODUNNIT?”
The descriptions of the people and places are very vivid, yet subtle. The author didn’t get carried away. His characters are superbly written to fit into this story. There isn’t one that is extraneous; everyone has a purpose to fulfill. Not one of them feels "innocent" throughout the book. They all feel like they are slightly off, some downright nefarious, and therein lies the twist. The two main actors in this tale have such dimension, without a lot of fluff. Dermot is haunted by what he did and saw during WWII and is especially distraught over the death of his friend. Arthur, who happens to be a ghost, is haunted by the loss of his family to the curse and enlists Dermot to try and make sure it doesn’t happen again. What you don’t get at first is that Dermot is actually haunted by not only the war, but with the guilt he feels about how Arthur died. Imagine his surprise when he is in a café drinking away his pain, and Arthur walks by. And thus it begins…
There is so much I want to say about this one. I hesitate because I don’t want to write a spoiler. So much happens in this book that it is also difficult to focus on one aspect of the story. Contrary to what you would think with this many side stories, it is not a jumbled mess. I love the way each component fits into the other. It just feels complete to me. All the story lines are wrapped up at the end, leaving you feeling satisfied. I saw a description in a review recently that this was sort of a ghostly French Downton Abbey. I would go a little further and say a French Downton Abbey that meets the creepiness of The Woman in Black.
If you are looking for an engaging, seat of your pants, gothic ghostly creeper of a story for Halloween, this is it!

XOXO
~Michele
Book Geeks Unite! ( )

A story set in France at the end of the first World War.
More than a supernatural story, it centres on something that happened in 1794.
It is about a "curse" or a terrible secret that plagues the Malenfer family.
I will be interested in reading more from this author. ( )

Iain McChesney has a little bit of everything contained all in one mystery. There is war trauma, friendship beyond the grave, ghosts, a curse, intrigue and a mystery that had me guessing till the end.

Dermot Ward and Arthur Malenfer served in the Great War together. Unfortunately Arthur dies but he comes back to convince Dermot to right a wrong that he has done to twins he had before his enlistment. In order to do this Dermot must go to Arthur's home, find the hidden birth certificates and present them to 'Madame', Arthur's mother who is the Grande Dame of the estate.

There is a curse on the Malenfer family dating back a hundred years - - no one lives to old age. Michel the 16 year old son who was to inherit the estates dies of the Spanish Flu or does he? Then one of the twins after learning of his new status as a Malenfer dies a horrible death. Is it the curse? or Is there something else at play here. Arthur is not the only ghost on the estate. The ghost of the young girl who was hung 100 years before is also roaming the estate. It is said that she is seen prior to a Malenfer dying.

Murder at Malenfer is a great read. The story just keeps evolving to the point I had several suspects by the middle of the book only to find out I was wrong on every count. I find that is the sign of a tremendous mystery - one the reader can't figure out.

I received this book free for review purposes. ( )

One hundred years prior, the Malenfer family was cursed by a woman known as the Beauvias Witch.
" A curse that is born in blood! Know that your name will shrivel and die, that your brood shall know no rest."

Since that time no male Malenfer has been able to live out a full life. Now, in the midst of World War I, Arthur Malenfer finds himself trapped within a tunnel with Dermot Ward. Arthur and Dermot claw their way out, only to enter a siege. Arthur is shot, and Dermot stays by his side to the end; knowing that he may not make it, Arthur divulges a secret to Dermot that may help his family now that one more Malenfer male is dying.

After being discharged, Dermot finds his way to Paris and drowns himself in absinthe. He thinks he sees his dead friend Arthur lurking about. Arthur has returned to make sure Dermot tells his family the secret he has kept. Dermot finds his way to Malenfer Manor to find himself implanted with a two widowed Malenfers and the young and beautiful Simonne Malenfer who are all grieving the death of Arthur's brother, the youngest Malenfer. Dermot must decide how to tell his ghostly friend;s secret and see if he can find out the reality of the curse.

This was a great historical mystery with a paranormal twist. It is not simply about a curse, but about the tragedies of war, the mistakes of our past, greed and romance. As a ghost, Arthur Malenfer was my favorite character. Through flashbacks of the War, we get to know him while he was alive, but after he passes, he has a clear purpose and deals with being a ghost in a humorous way. "Arthur found that his education and experience had prepared him very poorly for life in the afterlife. He knew very little about being a ghost." Dermot's character also grew on me, we meet him as a drunk, but we get to know his courageous efforts in the War and his determination to carry out his promise to Arthur (even though he is a ghost). All of Dermot's reactions through his quite unbelievable experiences are great and in the end, he manages to be the only one to see things as they really are. I also enjoyed the writing style, I found this novel to be fast-paced and gripping. Even though there were a lot of different elements going on in the story, I was not lost or confused. The descriptions were also fantastic, I loved Dermot's first impression of Malenfer Manor: " The house was grand because it shrank you. Inside its walls you were pressed and squeezed and made a little smaller. The place was somehow diminishing, and in so doing it became that much larger."

This was a solid read for me that included that right mix of elements to make in interesting and unique.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ( )

**I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

From the beginning I was glued to this story until I finished it. The paranormal activity was realistic* and could be true happenings. There were some humorous parts such as a ghost changing his clothes. It is a hard book to review because you don't want to give away too much. Suffice it to say I highly recommend this well written and great characters story.
I will keep my eyes open for this author and his future works.. ( )