This book is a bit of a mixed bag. In the one hand, a lot of the prose is beautiful, poetic, and evocative, and the character building is pretty good. On the other hand, the attempts at building tension and suspense felt a bit clunky, and it felt like the author was just trying too hard.

Pacing is a bit of a problem, too - at half way through, it feels like it's about to reach its climax, but no, it keeps on and on, trying too hard, piling mishap on mishap, until.. it just ends. I persisted to the end, hoping for some sort of satisfying resolution, but no, no resolution - it just ends. ( )

This is my favourite of Barbara Erskine's books. The first I ever read and the best. I originally picked it up because I loved the idea of renting a cottage in the middle of nowhere to write a book, I couldn't put it down once the spooky things started happening. ( )

This book popped up as a recommendation based on some others in my library. I didn't know much about it, other than it took place in modern day England, and had something to do with ancient ghosts.

Well, that was enough for me. I picked it up and raced through it in about two days. It was entertaining for sure, and the writing was very atmospheric and tense. I enjoyed the backdrop of coastal East Anglia, and the premise of the newly single writer looking to get away to the wilderness and buckle down on her new book.

The relationships were a little problematic for me. Kate never displayed much chemistry with her ex or with Greg, and despite both men treating her rather badly she was still eager to take up with them again. I definitely would have liked her better with a little more agency.

The climax of the book started somewhere around the middle and grew from there until it kind of petered out and ended on a weak note. I saw what the author was going for, but it felt incomplete and unsatisfying.

All in all, I did enjoy it despite the aforementioned issues, and I will probably be picking up more of Erskine's books in the future. ( )

Kate Kennedy has broken up with her boyfriend and is left without a place to stay. She is in the middle of writing a book and decides to rent an isolated country cottage. Once there she is plagued by mysterious and supernatural events. Out of all of Erskine's books that I have read, I probably enjoyed this one the least. What I've enjoyed in the past was her characters in the present day and their connection or experience with historical characters. Although some of that was present here, it read more like a ghost story than an historical novel. ( )

http://tamaranth.blogspot.com/1994/03/midnight-is-lonely-place-barbara.html ( )