Published by Bodley Head Childrens, part of Random House Children's Publishers UK
Format: Hardback
£10.99
Author:
Lindsey Barraclough
Format: Hardback
EAN: 9780370331966
£10.99
Available for dispatch within 1-2 working days
EAN: 9780370331966
Published: 7 Apr 2011
A chilling, beautiful debut novel inspired by a haunting folk song about murder, witchcraft and revenge.
Beware of Long Lankin, that lives in the moss . . .
When Cora and her little sister Mimi are sent to stay with their elderly aunt in the isolated village of Bryers Guerdon, they receive a less than warm welcome, and are desperate to go back to London. But Auntie Ida's life was devastated the last time two young girls were at Guerdon Hall, and now her nieces' arrival has reawoken an evil that has lain waiting for years.
A haunting voice in an empty room ... A strange, scarred man lurking in the graveyard ... A mysterious warning, scrawled on the walls of the abandoned church . . . Along with Roger and Peter, two young village boys, Cora must uncover the horrifying truth that has held Bryers Guerdon in its dark grip for centuries - before it is too late for Mimi.
Intensely atmospheric and truly compelling, this is a stunning debut.
Only registered users can recommend books. Please use the buttons below to either create a new account, or sign-in to an existing account.
Barraclough controls her narrative with authority, shifting voices and tenses to provide both perspective and the occasional welcome respite from tension . . . A good, old-fashioned literary horror tale for sophisticated readers
- Kirkus Reviews
The terror is as relentless as the ballad the story springs from . . . Chilling
- Observer
Such an impressive debut. Every element is spot on - from the elegant prose, through the realistic portrayal of various aspects of family life, the three-dimensional characters and the occasional comic set-piece, to the supernatural horror underpinning it, which is absolutely chilling. Highly recommended
- The Bookbag
A fabulous revisiting of the hoariest of old chestnuts
- The Telegraph
A real stunner of a debut: Long Lankin is a wonderful, imaginative slow burner of a thriller . . . Lindsey Barraclough's first novel is written with a style and intelligence that would put many an adult thriller to shame
- Young Post
Well written and well paced, with more than a sprinkling of hair-raising moments
- TES
The story, based on a traditional poem, moves to a chilling conclusion
- Irish Examiner
A devilishly spooky debut novel . . . Barraclough's style of creepiness owes more to the classic stories of MR James than today's gore merchants, and is all the better for it
- Wolverhampton Chronicle
Lindsey Barraclough was born in Essex. She worked as a music teacher and lives in London with her husband and their five children. Long Lankin is her first novel.
