Echoes of Home: A Ghost Story by M.L. Rayner

After accepting a generous opportunity to start afresh, Leslie Wills, a young man from Stoke-on-Trent, eagerly begins his long-distance journey to the Scottish Highlands of Elphin, a settled village that sits huddled amongst the dominating mountains. Its people are welcoming, and the beauty of the land is great. But deep within its Highland paths, a location rests hidden from the public’s eye. A location which entices you to learn the truth of its troubled past. But once you bear witness to its sights and sounds, its presences will never allow you to forget.

Uncover the truth, Journeying back to a forgotten time. With a plot full of secrets and suspicion that will leave you longing for answers.

It took me awhile to realize that the author was intentionally writing in the style of writers like Poe, or at least in the style of that time. Which is why I feel that the story would have been better served as a short story. There’s too much description, which seems like filler…just like the writers of the 19th century did.

Still, once I got past that, I began to enjoy the story. There are lots of secrets, some of which are never answered, though most are and the ones that aren’t are minor. And while Wills can be rather foolhardy at times, doing things I’d never do considering what he’s seen, I did come to care as to what happens to him.

This is the author’s first book. I’m looking forward to more.





( TBR Book Links 1-30 )

31. Echoes of Home: A Ghost Story by M.L. Rayner










I Read Horror Year-Round List

*Winter Theme, or winter appearance on the cover (snow, ice, etc.) - Ararat by Christopher Golden

*Ghosts or spirits - The Family Plot by Cherie Priest

*Psychological

*Monster or Monsters - Snowblind by Christopher Golden

*A body of water (featured in story, on cover, or in title) - Duma Key by Stephen King

*Really scary book cover - The Breach by M.T. Hill

*Woman on cover - Later by Stephen King

*Written by a woman

*Written by a best-selling horror author - If It Bleeds by Stephen King

*Written by an indie author - Echoes of Home by M.L. Rayner

*Historical horror (must be an historical novel written by a contemporary author)

*Folk horror