Product Description
After a broken love affair, Kate Kennedy, a successful biographer, retires to a remote cottage on the wild Essex coast to work on her new book. When Alison, her landlord's daughter, uncovers a Roman site nearby, passions are unleashed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Her best novel
I read all novels by Barbara Erskine (but am not a lover of short stories, so I skipped those) and compared with Stephen King this book was even more scary.
Also I enjoyed the idea of a woman leaving civilization behind and living for a few months in a cottage on the Essex coast (wish there would be more books on that topic!).

I read the book when it was released in Germany many years ago and since then I read it two more times. In November 2008 I finally made my dream come true and did visit the Roman Museum in Colchester (the one mentioned in the book). It's definitely worth a trip!

Hope that Mrs. Erskine will write another book as thrilling as "Midnight is a lonely Place"!

Conflicted
What did I just read?
:
Oh yeah, Barbara Erskine.
:
Ummm, does anybody have an extra 6 reading hours to spare? I'd like to get them back if possible.

OK, refocus.

In this Barbara Erskine doosie, the murderous results of a Roman/Celtic love triangle over 19 centuries old (that's 1,900 years to those of you numerically challenged) is threatening to engulf our intrepid heroine Kate, her erstwhile poet boyfriend Jon, and the petulant, acts-like-a-14-year-old-but-is-really-27 year old landlord's son Greg. These three frankly irritating characters traipse through the marshy dunes of North Essex, England trying to figure out the curse, stop the ghosts from inhibiting the inside of their heads, and make it to the final lackluster pages of our book with their sanity and entrails intact.
****SPOILER ALERT***
They do.
***END SPOILER ALERT***
But at what cost to the gentle reader? That's the real curse.

OK, here's what Erskine does right:
- Sets mood
- Creates atmosphere
- Generates thrills & chills
- Includes a decent smattering of historical data (it's not as detailed as she's capable of, but it's there)

Here's what Erskine needs work on:
- Editing
- Editing
- Editing
- Some editing would be nice

Here's what Erskine should avoid:
- Relationships involving a man/men and a woman (aka: "romance").
Just....no. Don't do it, Barbara. It's painful to read and there's no reason to bog down a good spookie with a cast of immature characters masquerading as adults in love. I've found that the typical Erskine heroine is generally a decorative doormat in search of a ghost to rescue them from their romantic folly. The Erskine male normally has the emotional maturity of an Adam Sandler fan club president (which really makes it quite impressive that they can STILL manage to wipe their feet on said doormat heroine).

So why, you ask, do I read Erskine and write this (waaaaaaaay too long) review of a book 15 years old??

Because when Erskine is good, she can literally make the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.
Can cause me to jump when my refrigerator makes a funny gurgle.
Can force me to read her books only with another human being in the house.

I live for those moments in an Erskine book, and she delivers. Regardless of my frustration with her characters, regardless of my wasted time spent wandering the frozen Essex shoreline in search of a decent plot, and in spite of my book hurling spleen vented at the abrupt and lousy ending, I love it when a good Erskine sentence makes me glance surreptiously around the room in search of the shadow I thought I just saw out of the corner of my eye.

And that, my Amazon friend, is why I'll continue to read Barbara Erskine like a doormat girlfriend takes her petulant boyfriend back again and again.

A CHILLING AND IMAGINATIVE GHOST STORY...LEAVE THE LIGHTS ON...
This is a very well written and absorbing novel by a master story teller. It is highly descriptive and captures the reader in its thrall. It is a chilling and imaginative ghost story centered around a love triangle that existed approximately two thousand years ago and ultimately ended in murder. The murderer, Marcus, a Roman legionaire, is cursed by his wife, Claudia, after he has her lover, Nion, a druid priest, killed. Marcus then kills Claudia. It is this tragedy that now haunts the present.

When London based author, Kate Kennedy, breaks off with her selfish live in lover, she goes off to lick her wounds and nurse a broken heart in a cottage in a remote area of North Essex. The cottage, though cozy, begins to become a less than hospitable place, when unexplained sounds, scents, and traces of moist earth and sand begin to manifest themselves. Moreover, her landlord's son, Greg, and daughter, Allison, seem determined to have her leave the cottage.

Discovering that Allison has come across an archaeological site not far from the cottage, Kate goes to the site and finds an ancient Celtic ornament. She soon begins to hear voices in her mind and see visions of what cannot be. Ultimately, Greg, Allison, and Kate become trapped in the miasma of these ancient star crossed lovers who are determined to bring their long dormant conflict to resolution. The cost to those in the present is dear, as the reader will soon find out.

Be warned. This is a scary book.

Her best book bar none
This book gave me goosebumps! The storyline is compelling and the characters believable even in the unbelievable situations... you just believe it could be happening. I lent this book to my mum and got her hooked on Barbara Erskine as well. Can't wait for the follow up featuring Kate Kennedy - Daughters of Fire, which is due out in late 2005.

Whilst you're waiting, if you want to read something similar, try MASTER OF THE SCROLLS by Benjamin Ford. Well worth a read!

3.5 stars-not bad, not great, but a little bit more than ok
I feel I took a risk in reading this book. I had loved Barbara Erskine up until reading On the Edge of Darkness, which was very disappointing. But this book was a pleasant surprise.

After breaking up with her boyfriends Kate needs an inexpensive place to stay and write her new book on the poet Byron. So she rents a small cottage in northern England from a family who needs the money because the father (Roger) is dying of cancer. The elder son of the family, Greg, is pissed about the renting of the cottage-where he previously lived and painted. The daughter, Allison, has recently discovered a roman burial site on the beach that is about to be washed away by the tide that she thinks she'll excavate. But then creepy things start to happen.

This book is much more action packed than past books of Erskine's. The middle two hundred pages are non stop creepy action, and quite enjoyable. The ending however, was not so hot. It was very abrupt and kind of a let down from all that led up to it.

So this book rates a solid 3.5 stars. I wouldn't advise reading it for your first Erskine book, but if you enjoyed her other books you'll like this one.
... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Christopher Lee, Adrian Paul, Tom Conti, Stephen Storace, Ida Lupino, Peter Capaldi, Alfred Molina, Cherie Lunghi, Max Minghella, Ken Stott, Victor Spinetti, Claire Forlani, Tamzin Outhwaite, Michael Greco, Daniela Nardini, Thaila Zucchi, Gia Scala, Linda Lusardi, Cliff Parisi, Vincent Riotta, Nina Conti, Lucia Elizabeth Vestris, Enzo Squillino, Jr., Gloria Paul, George Rossi, Nathalie Lunghi. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 137. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ (born 27 May 1922) is an English actor and musician. Lee initially portrayed villains and became famous for his role as Count Dracula in a string of Hammer Horror films. Other notable roles include Lord Summerisle in The Wicker Man (1973), Francisco Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Count Dooku in the Star Wars series, and Saruman in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. Lee considers his most important role to have been his portrayal of Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the biopic Jinnah (1998). Lee has performed roles in 266 films since 1948, and was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2009. Lee was born in Belgravia, Westminster, England, as the son of Lieutenant-Colonel Geoffrey Trollope Lee of the 60th King's Royal Rifle Corps and his wife Contessa Estelle Marie (née Carandini di Sarzano). Lee's mother was a famous Edwardian beauty who was painted by Sir John Lavery as well as by Oswald Birley and Olive Snell and sculpted by Clare F. Sheridan. Lee's maternal great-grandfather had been an Italian political refugee. His parents separated when he was very young, and his mother took him and his sister to Switzerland. After enrolling in Miss Fisher's Academy in Wengen, he played his first villainous role as Rumpelstiltskin. The family ret...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=53494 ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Nick Hancock, Sandi Toksvig, Cherie Lunghi, Olivia Colman, Leah Manning, Jan Ravens, Julie Covington, Tamzin Merchant, Anthony R. M. Little, Pav Akhtar. Excerpt:Anthony Richard Morell Little MA (Cantab) (born 1954), also known as Tony Little , is a British teacher who was head master of Chigwell School and Oakham School before becoming head master of Eton College in 2002. Education Little was educated at Eton College and Cambridge University . He gained an upper second class honours degree in English language and literature at Corpus Christi College (University of Cambridge ) , where he was a choral scholar , then a Postgraduate Certificate in Education at Homerton . Outline of career Other appointments Family Little is the son of Edward and Margaret Little. In 1978, he married Jennifer Anne Greenwood, and they have one daughter. Quotations References (URLs online) Websites (URLs online) Academic offices A hyperlinked version of this chapter is at Cherie Lunghi Cherie Lunghi (born 4 April 1952) is a British film, television and theatre actress. She is probably best kn... ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Alumni of Homerton College, Cambridge, Nick Hancock, Homerton College Boat Club, Sandi Toksvig, Cherie Lunghi, Olivia Colman, Leah Manning, Jan Ravens, Julie Covington, Tamzin Merchant, Anthony R. M. Little, Pav Akhtar, Hills Road, Cambridge. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 71. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Homerton College Boat Club (or HCBC as it is often abbreviated) is the rowing club for members of Homerton College, University of Cambridge. Their blade colours are white with a single royal blue band. Homerton College Boat Club first competed in the women's Lent and May Bumps in 1978, four years after the women's bumps divisions commenced in the Mays, and two years after women's racing began in the Lents. The highest position attained to date is second in the Lents first division in 1986. In the May Bumps, the highest position was 5th in the first division in 1985. There were many Homerton women represented in CUWBC in the 1980s and 1990s, under the guidance of veteran GB coaches Roger Silk and Ron Needs. A notable fact is that one HCBC Women's crew won their oars in the 80s whilst being coached by a certain (not yet then Sir) Steve Redgrave, although the exact details are currently unknown. Homerton College, until recent years, had a very high female to male ratio and this in turn was reflected at the boat club. The women's side of the club have three eights, called 'Sarah-Ann', 'Percy' and 'Cyril', the latter being one of the first 'Burgashell' boats ever to be produced. After a number of lean years in the early 2000s, Homerton Women's 1st VIII are back on the rise up the bumps charts, and in 2007, achieved their first overbump in May Bumps since the women's divisions started rowing in VIIIs rather than IVs. They have consistently risen in the May Bumps charts ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=3743994 ... Read more

Product Description
Jo Clifford, a successful journalist, is all set to debunk hypnosis and nonsense of past-life regression in her next magazine series, until she submits to a simple hypnotic session and finds herself reliving the experiences of Matilda, Lady of Hay, the wife of a baron at the time of King John. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (38)

Excellent novel - Lady of Hay
If you're in the mood for an epic drama involving hypnosis and past-life regression during modern times, faced against historical Welsh fiction, then Barbara Erskine's Lady of Hay is definitely the book to read. What an extraordinary novel!

Lady of Hay is the story of Jo Clifford, a head-strong journalist who falls prey to being an easy subject for past-life regression within hypnosis, or even reincarnation. When Jo is under hypnosis, she lives the life of Matilda de Braose; a woman head-strong in her OWN time during the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Not only does Jo bring components of Matilda back to present time (scars and bruises for example), but we also begin to learn that her present-day lover Nick and his brother Sam are also present-day men that knew Matilda. WHAT?! you may ask?

Lady of Hay is abundantly full of intrigue, suspense, and violence, and is good enough to keep your interest despite its length of over 700 pages. Lady of Hay will pull you in; and its combination of past and present events are distributed evenly and tastefully throughout the book. We become frustrated that Jo is forever drawn to Nick, whose past-life character continues to hurt her, and we also become emotional when dealing with Matilda's life woes and hardships. The only aspect of the book I disagree with is Jo's weakness in regards to Nick. I figured a strong, intelligent woman would not keep succumbing to Nick's advances. The redundancy of Jo constantly returning to Nick becomes annoying as we reach the end.

Although the novel was written in 1986, Lady of Hay is still very much a classic. The dialogue between the present-day characters is a little time-sensitive and old-fashioned, but it does not deter from the storyline and the joyful experience of the book.

Lady of Hay is Barbara Erskine's debut novel, and I am disappointed that I did not learn about the author sooner. Barbara Erskine is now very prolific in historical fiction featuring Wales, and her latest title is called Time's Legacy. I plan on adding all of Erskine's novels to my wish list for future reading!

Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine
This is a wonderful book, full of mystery about the past and the present.I recommend it for anyone who likes historical romantic fiction.

Great Book
This book was in excellent condition and the book is a great read!I am very pleased with this merchandise.Thanks.

Loved this book!
I've read this book 3 times since it was first published in the 1980's. This one of my favorite novels of all time. Prepare yourself for a wonderful, spiritual, hypnotic journey into the previous lifetime of a journalist named Jo. Whether you believe in reincarnation or not, this novel will certainly arouse your suspicions. Strongly recommended, Enjoy!

well done but gruesome
The plot has been described by other reviewers.The one point I want to add is that the behavior of the medieval characters is extremely brutal. Although in that way, the story is much more true to the past than most historical novels, if you are sensitive (as I am) you may find the descriptions disturbing.In any event, not something to read while you are feeling blue. ... Read more