Product Description

In a remote farmhouse, the Moon family gathers for its traditional Christmas. Clover Moon, the farmer's wife, knows that her mother-in-law, Violet, regards her as an inadequate and unsuitable wife for her beloved only son. But would she actually go so far as to try and kill her?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #381285 in Books
• Published on: 2002-08-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

From the Back Cover
'Peace on earth and mercy mild...' But there's no mercy here. There is no telling how long the body has been down in the cellar, rising as the water level rises...

In a wintry seaside resort an old woman goes missing from her residential hotel for the elderly, the inappropriately named Happy Haven. And in a remote farmhouse not far away, the Moon family gathers for Christmas. Clover Moon, the farmer's wife, looks forward to the forthcoming festivities with quiet desperation and dread.

What terrible secrets from the past are coming back to haunt them? As gales and blizzards cut off the power and maroon the Christmas gathering, where did the body come from which is swept into the farmhouse cellar by the rising flood water? In Gillian White's dark and disturbing world, where nothing is quite as it seems, a mystery from the past becomes a terrifying ordeal in the present, and a traditional family Christmas turns into nightmare.

About the Author
Gillian White
Gillian White, a former journalist who comes from Liverpool, lives in Totnes, Devon, with her journalist husband and their two dogs. She has written twelve novels, several of which have been successfully adapted for television, and The Sleeper has recently been shown on BBC television with an all-star cast.

Customer Reviews

Creepy
This story is misleading! It begins (as most stories do) with a set situation when suddenly, the second chapter changes to one featuring a different sequence of events which appear entirely unconnected to the first. I must admit that this made me lose interest a little bit, but I kept on reading as I hate to give up so easily. I'm glad I did! The story unfolds and only very gradually (with tiny glimpses and clues) is the reader able to make connections between events and characters. Only then does the awful truth dawn! The story centres on Violet, a spiritualist medium, who spends Christmas every year with her son and his wife, Clover, whom Violet has never really liked. Strange events begin to take place when, in the middle of a bad snowstorm, the electricity goes off. Not least is the body discovered floating in the flooded cellar. Is it true that "Granny" (as Violet is known to her family) is trying to murder Clover whilst the lights are off? And what is the connection with Miss Bates, the missing resident of an old peoples' retirement home and the obnoxious Mr & Mrs Tarbuck who are the proprietors? And is Diana, Clover's best friend, really on the level, or is it Clover's husband she desires?
Gillian White has very cleverly made events seem, on the surface, to be very straightforward. However, as long-hidden, dark secrets unfold, it is quite clear that this is not the case. This serves to give the book a very creepy feel to it. I found that, once I had read the first couple of chapters, I was unable to put this book down as it was so enjoyably unnerving.

Great Story.
This was a brilliant book and made me sit on the edge of my seat all throughout the story. The end was unexpected. If you want to see what happens read the book!

Excellent read!
One of my favourite books by Miss White I think. The atmosphere is electric and I was gripped from page one.