Just meh. This book reminded me of an episode of Scooby Doo. It just didn’t do it for me. With ghosts, a witch, missing jewel and autistic character perhaps the author tried to hard.

In the Lonely Hours written by Shannon Morgan and narrated by Siobhan Waring.

Edwina Nunn (Edie), inherits the Maundrell castle. She and her teenage daughter, Neve, visit and are pulled into stories of the past thanks to the ghosts still haunting the castle. There is a mystery about the Maundrell Red, a priceless diamond that disappeared decades earlier, but is rumored to still be on the island.

The story took place in 2 time periods. This was one very dysfunctional family. The matriarch, Bitsie, was a truly cruel woman, who did unspeakable things to her family. There were some loving relationships and others not so much. There were plenty of twists that kept the story interesting. The ending had me holding my breath.

Thank you to the author, Tantor Audio, and NetGalley for the Advanced Listener Copy (ALC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

I love a good gothic setting and In the Lonely Hours gets 5 stars for setting. My PERSONAL connection with the story is where I struggled a bit, however some of the characters and the setting made this book better for me. I loved the neuro-non-typical character of Mungo and his sweet relationship with his sister. The book really made me sad to think about how neuro-divergent people have historically been treated. The grandmother of the origin family in this book was a bit over-the-top evil with little explanation as to why she was the way she was. The modern day story was almost unnecessary in my mind, but I did love the relationship between mother and daughter in that storyline. Would recommend to anyone who, like me, is always on the lookout for a new gothic novel!

In the Lonely Hours is a multi-layered book that blends dysfunctional family drama with historical fiction, with a bit of Scottish folklore thrown into the mix. I really enjoy listening to gothic novels and this one did not disappoint! Like many other gothic novels there is usually an explanation for what appears to be paranormal, and this one was no different (albeit there were a few "real" ghosts as well). However, what sets this story apart from other historical gothic novels is that it features a present day orphan (Edwina Nunn) who is now a grown woman with a teenager. The story switches back and forth between the past - early 1960's - and present day. The family's history is truly heart wrenching, with a matriarch who ruled with an iron-fist and who was obsessed with a blood diamond.

The story begins with Edwina who is struggling with the recent death of her husband, when she learns that she was left a family estate in Scotland. How did the lawyers track her down when she was orphaned as a baby all those years ago? You will find answers to this question, along with many others in this extremely intriguing story. One aspect that I really appreciated was that the author brought the story full circle with Edwina finding out where she came from and why she was given away.

I was lucky enough to listen to the audiobook version of the story by the incomparable Siobhan Waring. She is one of my favorite narrators because she develops differing voices for all the characters, including a variety of accents. She was simply sublime in narrating this audiobook!

In the Lonely Hours by Shannon Morgan was an atmospheric gothic novel. It took place on an isolated Scottish island in a vast and spooky castle. Shannon Morgan was a new author for me. I enjoyed her vivid descriptions of the landscape surrounding the castle including the caves, deep wells, hiding places and the vast fields, plus the ghostly inhabitants that occupied the castle and her choice of characters, both alive and ghostlike. Shannon Morgan’s storytelling had me captivated right from the start. In the Lonely Hours was told in alternating timelines that switched between past and present. I listened to the audiobook that was well narrated by Siobhan Waring. Gothic novels are not my usual genre but this one worked for me. It had just the right balance of ghostly encounters and sightings, Scottish folklore and historical fiction elements.

Edwina Nunn or Edie for short started her life in an orphanage before she was adopted. Now in her late forties, Edie had recently become a widow and was trying to adjust to her new situation in life. Edie had always wondered about who her biological parents were. Then one day, Edie received a letter from a family member that she had never heard of. The letter informed Edie that she had inherited the Maundrell Castle that was situated on a remote Scottish Island. Supposedly, according to the contents of the letter, Edie was the only remaining member of the Maundrell family so possession of the castle was passed on to her. Edie’s fifteen year old daughter, Neve, became overly excited about the prospect of owning a real castle. She did her best to convince her mother into staying at the castle so that they could discover its history. From the locals, Edie and Neve learned about the Maundrell family members and about the legend of the Maundrell Red, a very valuable red diamond that had been in the family for generations but was now missing and no one knew what happened to it. As legend had it, possession of the Maundrell Red had only brought tragedy to the members of the Maundrell family. Despite the chilling atmosphere of the castle, the sightings of ghosts of long ago family members and unexpected and mysterious sounds, Edie and Neve were determined to stay. Edie wanted to uncover who her mother had been and why she ended up in an orphanage and Neve was determined to find the missing Maundrell Red or at the very least discover where it had been hidden. What would Edie and Neve uncover? Would the Maundrell family ghosts scare Edie and Neve away or trust them with their long buried secrets?

I enjoyed listening to the audiobook of In the Lonely Hours by Shannon Morgan. It was fast paced and had several twists and turns. It kept me guessing until the very end. In the Lonely Hours was about mother/daughter relationships, secrets, family, love, greed, harmful decisions, tragedy, revenge and deceptions. In the future, I will look forward to reading more books by Shannon Morgan. I recommend this book highly.

Thank you to Tantor Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of In The Lonely Hours by Shannon Morgan through Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this author's previous book, Her Little Flowers, so I was looking forward to this book! The author uses descriptive language to transport readers to a shadowy, mysterious island in Scotland, as Edie and her daughter Neve visit the haunted castle they just discovered they inherited from a family they never knew. The book explores topics of toxic family relationships, adoption, disability, generational trauma and homophobia as the Maundrell family mysteries are uncovered through exploring the island and castle, ghostly encounters and researching their remaining documents and libraries. Although I was a bit disappointed this story does't feature a romance as her previous book, the ending wrapped up the mysteries and came to a satisfying conclusion. I especially liked the author's notes, describing her inspirations for the story.
I both read the book and listened to the audiobook. The audio version's narrator had a very expressive and pleasant voice, with excellent transitions between accents (Scottish, American and English) as well as distinct character voices.

Note: My expanded review is now live on TikTok. I also added the link to my listening notes post.
My personal rating is 4.5 stars. Spoiler-free review:
In the Lonely Hours stands out as the best new Gothic I’ve experienced this year. This is gorgeous. The immersive, multilayered story within a story follows sympathetic, vulnerable characters. The contemporary storyline features a midlife woman coping with widowhood and a teenage daughter, providing a refreshing point of view. The vivid setting and characters in Scotland pair wonderfully with the narrator's expressive talents and accents.

The underlying horror woven with history, folklore, and tense relationships kept me curious to follow the many threads. I had challenges with the beginning and ending, yet the talent, writing quality, and richly imagined tale kept me listening for hours at a time. The gritty, yet heart-filled mother-daughter relationship alternated with disturbing family dynamics of the past was powerful. I enjoyed the creepy atmosphere and exploring the castle. The dark and scary scenes hit hard.

Morgan delves into emotional and psychological complexity, yet it’s a fun book with ghosts and legends that works as escapism–for those of us comfortable with dark material and detailed horror. I found the author's handling of evil particularly appealing.

This audiobook is an excellent production from RBBooks’ Tantor Media division. The narrator, Siobahn Waring, gives a mesmerizing performance complete with eerie sound effects. Bravo.Highly recommended for readers who enjoy Gothics, Horror, supernatural suspense, or dark paranormal mysteries. It’s worth listening to this one on a day when you’re free to give it your full attention.

Thank you RBMedia / Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook ARC for consideration. These are my unbiased opinions.

It's sadly a DNF for me, I just couldn't get into it. I love a gothic thriller but I never really connected or got invested like I wanted to. There were a lot of characters and the pacing was a little slow for my tastes. The narrator was a perfect choice for the voice of the story and I thought it was done really well, so my rating only really reflects the book itself.

A mother and daughter find themselves surrounded by ghostly spirits and endangered by a family curse when they take possession of a Scottish castle that the mother, who was given up at birth, inherited from her long-lost family.

This novel brings the best of Scottish folklore, mystery, and horror with every page. I enjoyed the characters, some mortal and some immortal, and the setting. The story kept me guessing until the end!

The audiobook narrator is gifted but a bit hard for non-Scottish ears to understand at times. This would be a great Halloween read/listen, especially because it takes place around that time of year.

For the record, I quite liked this. But it wasn’t the spooky, atmospheric family thriller I was anticipating. There is zero tension or suspense. Instead it’s an ongoing meditation of a sins of the father approach to child rearing and how you break that cycle, where ghosts – which are completely accepted as fact and never doubted – turn up convenient to provide exposition. A good ghost story has an external supernatural conflict which mirrors and shines a light on the internal emotional conflict of the characters. That supernatural plot may never be explained or even accepted (except by the reader) but it adds a depth and richness to the story. This is not under that definition a good ghost story. It’s also very ‘told’ – which in this instance did not care for. Had potential but fell flat.

I liked the middle of this book. The beginning was a real slog and I felt the ending was a bit flat.

It had some really epic spooky undertones that had goosebumps up the back of my neck and I loved the plot but I didn't much care for the characters. They felt boring and maybe that was the point to keep you engrossed in the story but it didn't work for me.

The descriptive writing was great and the narrator was good but it just had some elements missing to be a really solid book

3 stars

If you love ghost stories and gothic settings then you’ll love this book. I mean, what can go wrong with a dysfunctional family and an inherited Scotland castle. On a small island in Scotland lies Maundrell castle, owned by its wealthy namesake family for centuries. Until now. Edwina Nunn is shocked to learn a relative she never heard of has bequeathed the castle and its land to her. What awaits Edie and her teenage daughter, Neve, is even more startling, for the castle is home to a multitude of ghosts.There is a strange beauty in the austere architecture and the eerie, bloody waters of Loch na Scáthanna, the Lake of Shadows. Edwina and Neve are drawn to the legends shrouding the island and the mystery of the Maundrell Red—a priceless diamond that disappeared decades before.Is the gem really cursed, and the cause of the family tragedies that have all occurred on Samhain—Scottish Halloween? As Samhain approaches once more, Edie and Neve race to peel back the dark secrets entwining the living and the dead—a twisted story of bitter cruelty and hidden love—or they will become another Maundrell tragedy trapped in the lonely hours . . .

This book was filled with suspense, family drama, heartbreak and a dash of spookiness to keep you on the edge of your seat! The author does a great job spinning a web of deceit and anger within one family. Told between two different timelines, the story unfolds about how families hold onto revenge and anger for so long. This book keeps you guessing until the very end and has several mysteries for the reader to unpack.
Recommend reading during the day light!

An unusual book, this novel blends some light horror with a murder mystery. I wanted more character development but understand that this is not usually the primary focus of a murder mystery. Edie and Neve were interesting characters but I didn’t get enough information to really understand them completely. Edie’s motivation to find out about her birth story was clear but Neve seemed a little “all over the place” - maybe typical teenager. The secondary living characters were just too obscure for me and I’m not sure all of them were necessary. Now the ghosts are a different story. While that part of the book is maybe a little weird (especially how Edie and Neve reacted to them), they were some interesting characters! I couldn’t help but love Mungo, the harmless autistic child-like spirit and of course, most of the ghosts were essential in solving the mystery. So, overall, I enjoyed the creativity of this book even though the “horror” was a bit cheesy. The narrator was very good. Her accents were done well and it was easy to distinguish the different characters.

The opening of this book grabbed me and I was mesmerized. Ghosts, a witch, a gothic mansion, and a story of a lost, priceless gem all fall into the shocked hands of a single mom and her teenage daughter who bravely seek to unravel the mystery of the ghosts, the family history, and the weird little island they are trapped on due to weather, and maybe a little sabotage. Neve was a great character, and I liked how open-minded she was to the frightening and traumatic situation they were in with a more benevolent ghost than you might guess, and how much her skeptical mother trusted her. The history was extremely sad and present was extremely dangerous for them with no one to trust and no way off the island, but the ending was satisfying and thoroughly enjoyed this genuine gothic ghost story.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version. I enjoyed this book, I didn't love it. But it is kind of a mystery. It was a bit unrealistic. I was looking forward to a good ghost story type book, but this one was just a bit over reached. The narrator did a good job.

Phew, this book was a long one and I’m giving it a solid 3.5 stars. My biggest draw back is that I was not quite prepared for the amount of characters. I was granted the ARC of the audiobook and the narrator was truly wondering but It was difficult to navigate the family tree, I felt like I needed constant reminders of who was who.

The concept of the book was great… Woman and her teenage daughter inherit a castle she never knew existed since she was raised as an orphan only to find it haunted with ghosts. Are the ghosts real? What are their stories? And why did so many pass away on the same date in history?

I wasn’t really prepared for the ending and felt like a few of the conclusion elements came from left field
and for that I also left off stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publish for the advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you RBmedia & NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audio book.
I can probably count less than 10 books I have read that included a prevalence of paranormal activities.
So, it's really not my cup of tea. But the setting pulled me in, and the storyline kept me hooked.
I think I compare this to the author Jennifer McMahon's books but taken up a notch with the fantastic setting and narration.

I really liked everything about this book, setting, characters, storyline and mostly the narration.
Siobhan Waring (Narrator) did a fantastic job defining each character, and when Mungo spoke, just the sweetest.

I recommend this to any reader, but for my ghosty loving friends, you will love this.

When Evie inherits a Scottish castle from a family member she didn't know existed, both she and her teenage daughter Niamh move in and set up housekeeping - with the ghosts who also inhabit the place. A modern-gothic book, rather than a thriller and at least one of the ghosts is referred to more than once as "a gentle soul". Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC/audiobook.

This story is told in dual timelines, one set in the 1960s and one in the present day. In both timelines, the atmosphere of dread, sorrow, and fear was quite strong. I enjoyed both timelines for the first quarter/third of the book. I continued to enjoy the historic timeline throughout the whole book and was completely engaged with the characters and events that were presented. There was a large focus on family relationships, greed, and what drives people to behave in certain ways which made for some wonderful character development.

In the present timeline, the atmosphere did dwindle near the middle of the book and didn’t really pick up until much closer to the end. This was largely due to how repetitive things became. The characters were searching for information, and the author was trying to pace their discovering it with the reveals in the past timeline, which meant that we got a lot of repetitive and uninteresting searching in the present. The haunting aspect also became repetitive during this timeline, losing much of the tension and atmosphere that was so strong at the beginning. It would have made a big difference if the author had chosen to switch things up a little bit, escalate some aspects, or get to the reveals/action in the present timeline in a more succinct manner.

Despite that, this was still a good mystery with a solid atmosphere that I enjoyed overall. I certainly wouldn’t call this a work of horror, but it was a good gothic paranormal mystery. My thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.