I’m so excited to be kicking off the Blog Tour for the second of John Bowen’s ‘Where The Dead Walk’ books! This one’s titled ‘Crow’s Cottage’, named for the place of interest that the TV crew is invited to investigate. Steeped in mystery and a history of occult activity, the team are thrown into an investigation that dates back approximately 30 years, involving a party, music producers, models, and magicians.
I loved the first book in this series – it was like Scooby Doo, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys for adults! But what makes it all readable and feasible (especially for those of us who have fondness for books with a supernatural tinge to them), is that the author includes factual historical background – whether it’s folklore, legend or myth, it’s fascinating and adds to the credibility of the storyline, giving it more substance.
I was surprised, and perhaps a little disappointed that the two main characters from the first book, Kate and Henry didn’t feature here (they get a minor mention in the beginning), but I loved feisty new co-presenter Chloe who comes with her own challenging backstory, and I simply adore Charles, the show’s medium who now plays a much more prominent role. It was great to see to complex Eamonn also returning for a cameo role. Bowen builds a strong team here not only in the support that they show for each other but in the solid characters he’s created in them.
If I had one complaint, it might be that there are too many peripheral characters. I struggled to keep up with who was who, especially when it came to all the info that the team were investigating. So many people involved and I started to lose track of them all.
Bowen certainly does have a way with words though, and his turn of phrase is quite amusing, especially as he tends to throw it in every now and then, catching the reader quite unaware … one of my favourites: “The edifice was sprawling and cold as a penguin’s pantry.” Every now and then there’s a hilarious little comment that is literally laugh out loud funny!
He’s also, if I’m not mistaken, taken a very tongue in cheek look at the eighties (but I’m going to assume that his comment about this being the decade that tried to kill music, was a joke, right?). Some of his characters may, or may not be loosely based on some individuals who were quite prominent in the media industry at the time. I’ll leave it to your imagination to guess who they might be!
This is a really great 4-star read. Are you a believer in the paranormal? Yes … no? Whether you are or not, John Bowen provides some interesting facts and an excellent crime story.
Thank you to Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers for inviting me on the Blog Tour. You can follow the tour and see what other great bloggers have to say about Crow’s Cottage, right here …
Jan's Book Buzz 
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