G.R. Pidgeon’s The Haunting of Hern Hall is a masterful blend of gothic horror and historical fiction, transporting readers to the misty, eerie English countryside in the aftermath of World War One. At its heart, this novel explores themes of loss, guilt, and redemption, all set against the chilling backdrop of Hern Hall, an estate steeped in tragedy and spectral whispers.

The story begins with disillusioned army chaplain John Elliot, a man deeply scarred by the horrors of the trenches. He arrives at Hern Hall to fulfill a solemn promise to his fallen comrade, Will Chiddingstone. From the moment John glimpses the face of a drowned child in the estate’s dark lake, it’s clear that Hern Hall is no ordinary residence. The atmosphere is thick with secrets, grief, and a lingering malevolence that seems to grow with every page.

The Chiddingstone family, grappling with their own immense losses, are vividly drawn characters. Lucy, Will’s blind sister, stands out as both enigmatic and ethereal, her presence adding a layer of intrigue to the story. The addition of Madame Blanche, a medium invited to communicate with the family’s lost sons, heightens the novel’s suspense and raises questions about the limits between life and death.

Pidgeon weaves a captivating tale filled with unsettling encounters, dark legends, and the oppressive weight of the past. The seances, shadowy tunnels, and ominous visions create a tension that builds to an unforgettable crescendo. The novel’s exploration of John’s shellshock and the collective grief of the Chiddingstone family lends emotional depth, making the haunting elements all the more impactful.

For fans of gothic literature like The Turn of the Screw or Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black, The Haunting of Hern Hall offers a richly atmospheric tale where the ghosts of the past refuse to rest. With its intricate storytelling and chilling revelations, this book is both a poignant exploration of post-war trauma and a gripping supernatural mystery. An exceptional read for anyone who loves their hauntings served with historical gravitas and emotional resonance.

John Elliot a former chaplain in WWI returns to Hern Hall to keep a promise to a dead comrade and hand over a parcel to his sister. He finds a very sad family Lord Chiddingstone trying to keep it together, his Lady who lives in a very tragic past and Lucy the blind daughter. All are troubled people overshadowed by an accident where the youngest son died in an accident. The mother blames the elder boy for the accident and ignores the existence of everyone else. A spiritualist lives on the premises, promising Lady C that the spirit of her son will appear to her.

When John arrives, he is like a breath of fresh air to both Lord C and Lucy but the spiritualist and Lady C seem antagonistic. Unraveling the secrets of years past and the “curse” that is supposed to affect the family was what John wanted to uncover, mainly to set Lucy free whom he is falling in love with.

Very atmospheric with threads of magic, the afterlife and what we do not know about death the story was spooky but held the readers interest throughout. It was not fast paced but followed a gentle rhythm.

Stayed up reading until the early morning so I could find out the ending. A gripping, unexpected, page-turner, and most of all Gothic. Diving into this I wasn't sure what to expect. Supernatural? PTSD? Hauntings? Creepy setting? The answer would be "All The Above". The author tied everything in at the end in a way that I wasn't expecting. If you are hesitant to read something with supernatural elements this is a great place to start and I highly recommend it. The publication date was November 12 so you don't have to wait to read this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for the opportunity to read the advanced copy.

A gripping supernatural page-turner with the spookiest of Gothic settings and characters.

After returning home from WWI, former chaplain John Elliot has seen too much suffering to believe in God anymore. Disillusioned and still recovering from his injuries, he visits Hern Hall to fulfill a promise to his late friend Will to deliver a mysterious package to Will's blind sister. John stumbles onto a supernatural mystery with a tragic family history, a grieving family in need of closure and the opportunity for redemption. There's a sweet gothic romance in the mix here as well.

This book had everything you want in a Gothic - ghosts, a medium, pagan rituals, a seance, spooky settings, tragic deaths, a curse and new beginnings. It kept me hooked from start to finish! John does a lot of soul-searching about the role of religion when dealing with death and grief. Through his journey of faith, we get a lot of thought-provoking ideology. Hern Hall is definitely a great addition to a Halloween TBR pile!

I found this book to be haunting in the sad way instead of the scary way. There was nothing here that I found truly creepy. Aside from that, this should have been listed as a Christian book because it was really very much about the consequences of losing faith and I found it grating. I was hoping for something creepy and maybe a little scary. No mystery or thriller here.

Firstly thank you Netgalley for this Aro

Wow what a creepy page turner of a book made me jump on quite a few places

This is a great creepy book! It's well written and moved at a good pace. The character development is really well done. I would recommend this! Special Thank You to G.R. Pidgeon,Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

When the son of the manor lord is killed during the war, a former chaplain who was his friend arrives at the home. Carrying news of his friend, and some items for the young man's sister, he is not sure what he is walking into.
There are secrets are hiding at Hern Hall, and a curse was laid years ago. There seems to be a way to break the curse, but there is one chance to do it, and it has to be done correctly.

Will this duo be able to break the curse, and find some peace?

What a great read! I truly enjoyed this book, and read it in one sitting! Dive into a book that is going to leave you speechless!

The Haunting of Hern Hall was a good supernatural mystery.

Chaplain John Elliot comes to Hern Hall a year after the end of WWI. He has come to the hall at the postmortem request of the heir of Hern Hall, William Chiddingstone, to bring a package to William’s sister. William was John’s friend and fellow soldier who died protecting John and another solider caught in no man’s land. Hern Hall is the home to William’s mother and father, Lord and Lady Chiddingstone and his sister Lucy. Lucy lost her sight in an accident on the same day their younger brother Albie died. There is a curse on the Chiddingstone bloodline that sees the younger son die in every generation. This generation sadly saw the death of both sons. John has lost his faith and has come to adjudicate William’s last request, he does not expect to find himself in the middle of a cursed family drama. John starts to see an evil looking bird like figure and starts to wonder if there is more to the curse than just legend. With the help of Lucy and the delightful Reverend Streatfield, and the assistance of Will beyond the grave, John hopes to end the curse and give relief to the Chiddingstone family and the myriad of men that never made it home from the horrors of WWI.

This was a creepy but enjoyable story. I liked all the characters except for Lady Chiddingstone and the medium Madame Blanche. The reverend was especially delightful. This was a great read and I look forward to more books by this author.

Thanks to Netgalley, Bloodhound Books and the author for the chance to read and review this ARC.

This book had a very pronounced Christian agenda that is not mentioned at all in the promotional materials. It's really more a redemption from a crisis of faith than a Gothic novel. There was also a real problem with all the female characters seeming to exist only in service to the male protagonist's story arc, rather than as characters with their own motivations. There is more to the Gothic genre than haunted houses and I don't think the author grasps that. The writing is coherent enough, I suppose.

Gloomy? Stormy? Walking around in the mist? Unexplained whispers? Occult? A CURSE?

This is what I love! The Haunting of Hern Hall is about a broken man, post WWI, fulfilling his promise to another soldier. It has all of the elements of a classic gothic novel and is written in a way that bring the pain of post-war to the surface. What is scarier - PTSD or a haunted home?

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book

This is definitely a five star read and had me hooked from page one. 'When three innocent children play a game that ends in fatal consequences, it sets in motion a series of events that will haunt their family forever…' This is a story that will reel you in and keep you reading, it is haunting, intriguing and the writing is strong and brings the story to light.

I really enjoyed this book for so many reasons and in so many ways. I had me from the start and kept me reading until the final page. The characters worked well and you could feel the emotion and atmosphere. A well written and well read book.

Thank you NetGalley adn Boldwood Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I am certainly the type of person who loves a good spooky book with some psychological trauma already affecting most of the people in the house. It just makes the events more eerie and unsettling as the reader since the narrator becomes unreliable between his PTSD and his survivors guilt and the family of a friend who died in war.

John was a chaplain when he was serving in the war, however after losing his best friend and getting injured, his faith is frayed. He made a promise to Will to deliver a package and plans to share stories but the house seems to have other ideas. John is visited by dark shapes in the night and feels creepy feelings throughout the house,

There are ancient legends to uncover, and traumatic events which haunt the family members. Everyone has their own personal ghosts to contend with in this novels so it is a good book to question whether it is the mind or the paranormal which is truly haunting the inhabitants. It's a very good gothic mystery, though I am not certain I call it a thriller as I am not certain there were enough thrilling moments for my personal taste. However, the vibe was fantastic for the spooky season or a fall read as the leaves fall from the trees and the fog rolls in.

The Haunting of Hern Hall by G.R. Pidgeon was an excellent dark gothic historical mystery and a perfect read for this time of year, sitting in your comfy chair snugged under a blanket sitting by the fire reading this book. It was an excellent book from start to finish and I really enjoyed reading it.

A very creepy read, and set in post War 1 in England, three innocent children played a game and the consequences still haunt their family. People are just getting over the horror on the first world war and disillusioned army chaplain John Elliot arrives at Hern Hall, this is an isolated estate in the English countryside. John has made a promise to his friend called Will, who died in the trenches while saving John’s life. This is a promise he’s determined to keep.

When John meets Will’s sister Lucy, who is beautiful, blind, and is a mysterious young woman, she introduces him to Will’s grieving parents, Lord and Lady Chiddingstone. But this old house, shrouded by mist, seems to be tormented by some tragic past . . . . . . .

After being invited to stay at Hern Hall, he has a series of unsettling and eerie encounters, which he can not explain! even attending a séance conducted by the infamous Madame Blanche, a spiritualist medium who Lady Chiddingstone hopes can communicate with her dead sons.

John becomes closer to all the family, and he uncovers more about their traumatic history, and finds out some disturbing secrets that are hiding in the walls and tunnels of their great house.

Is the family cursed as an ancient legend tells? and why?

WoW this book was brilliant and so creepy. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you Netgalley & Bloodhound Books for an eARC ♥️

This book masterfully blended mystery and creepy vibes, hooking me from page one. If you're a fan of classic horror, you'll devour this.

The story's got it all:🤩

🔥*A Haunting Setting*
Hern Hall's tragic history and eerie atmosphere will chill you to the bone.

🔥*Unsettling Plot Twists*
Strange occurrences and child involvement make this a deeply disturbing read.

🔥*Complex Characters*
John, a disillusioned army chaplain, captivated me. His openness to séances and spiritualism added incredible depth.

🔥*Author's Craft*
G .R . Pidgeon vivid descriptions bring Hern Hall to life, making it a character in its own right. I was on edge, racing through pages.

*Why You'll Love It*♥️
🔥- Atmospheric tension that'll keep you guessing
🔥- Vivid descriptions transporting you to Hern Hall
🔥- Compelling characters to root for

Rating: 5/5 stars

A must-read for horror and mystery enthusiasts!♥️🔥

A stunningly eerie and co, compelling gothic novel. John returns to the UK after WWI with a loss of faith and trauma from his experiences, he finds himself at Hern Hall, the family seat of a lost colleague. The author creates a wonderfully unnerving sense of tension throughput the book and conveys grief, sadness and despair very well. The characters are well-drawn and the plot unfolds beautifully. This is a novel to curl up with on a cold winter night. an excellent read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and G.R. Pidgeon for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Haunting of Hern Hall coming out November 12, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I really loved the time period of the book being after WWI. John was a really complex character, dealing with the aftermath of the war and PTSD. The setting at the gothic hall was perfect. I loved the spooky vibes of the book. There were definitely some interesting characters. I really enjoyed Lucy and John’s interactions. I would definitely read more books by this author.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys gothic tales!

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own

Keep reading. That is my recommendation to readers who think this story is not for them after the first few chapters. Because of a Gothic Thriller is your genre of choice or even if it's not, I can say you will likely enjoy it a lot. It is a slower pace then I like,but it suites the book

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It's clear the author invested a tremendous amount of research into crafting this story. The plot is intricately woven and thoughtfully developed, and I can’t praise it enough. I particularly loved Lucy, especially the way her blindness shaped her character and the unexpected love she finds, despite believing she would be alone for the rest of her life. The dynamic between her and her mother was also deeply affecting, though heartbreaking.

That said, I did feel that the author occasionally used overly complex language to express simple ideas. While some of this can be attributed to the time period in which the story is set, at times it felt a bit unnecessary and made the reading experience harder.

I also loved the final chapter and epilogue, but I felt there could have been one more chapter in between to provide a more satisfying resolution for John and Lucy. Still, overall, it’s a fantastic, mildly spooky read that I highly recommend!

I absolutely adored this book. Creepy and gothic in tone but ultimately uplifting and positive. The epilogue was especially positive although history tells us that optimism was misplaced. Full of brilliantly written characters and a sort of happy ending. Buy this now !