The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse

This is a beautifully written story and I found it very easy to read. The chapters are fairly short and it didn't take long to get through it. This book isn't what I would call a page turner but it was a thoroughly enjoyable tale and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys books with a ghostly theme.

The story is set in the winter of 1928 in the South-West of France. Freddie Watson has gone there for a holiday in the hope that it will help him get over the death of his older brother George who was killed several years earlier in the Great War. Whilst driving in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, Freddie encounters a severe snowstorm and when his car skids off the road he is forced to take refuge in the village of Nulle for several days. Whilst the villagers are friendly enough Freddie feels that all is not quite as it should be. Who is the beautiful but mysterious Fabrissa and what exactly happened that night at La Fete de Saint-Etienne? More importantly will Freddie be able to unlock the 700 year old secret hidden deep within a cave in the mountains, high above the village?

This book is beautifully written and the author's descriptive narrative makes it easy to imagine Freddie's surroundings, thoughts and feelings. I found the characters very easy to get along with and had no problem empathising with Freddie. Although this is a ghost story, if you are looking for something to scare you to death then this is not the book for you. It is more a tale of gentle haunting, personal growth and laying the past to rest.

I highly recommend this book. It is moving, touching and historically interesting. At the back of the book Mosse has included author notes and reading group notes which give a bit more of the background of the story. If you enjoy light ghost stories then this book is definitely worth reading.

D x

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