Roberta Writes – Halloween Book Festival: Ravens Gathering by Graeme Cumming

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What Amazon says

As she let her gaze drift around her, she saw that there were more birds. Perhaps a dozen or so, perched among the trees that stood on the edge of the clearing. And yet more were arriving, swooping down through the gap overhead and landing on branches that overlooked them. The birds weren’t threatening, yet the sight of them all coming together in this dark and isolated spot was unnerving. Tanya reached a hand out towards Martin, and was relieved to feel him take it. She felt him move in behind her. After the uncertainty she’d experienced with him in a similar position only a few moments ago, she recognised the irony of her reaction. His closeness offered security.

“You know what they are, don’t you?”

A stranger’s arrival in a small village coincides with a tragic accident. For the Gates family in particular it’s more than a coincidence, but their unease increases following a brutal attack. As tensions rise, a dark past returns to haunt them and others, while newcomers to the village are drawn into a mystery with terrifying consequences. And no one can explain why the ravens are gathering.

Ravens Gathering twists and turns as the truth is gradually exposed in a gripping thriller with a supernatural edge to it.

My review

Martin Gates suffers from a recurring nightmare. In the dream his 8-year old self is awoken by the call of the drums. He follows the sound to a clearing in the woods in his home village where he is confronted by a horrific and traumatic sight. Unfortunately, Martin is never able to identify the source of his horror. He has experienced the dreams, on and off, throughout his life but recently they have become more and more frequent. Martin feels he is being called back to his home village.
Martin travels home and is not given a hero’s welcome by either the people of the village or his own family. In fact, he is actively rejected by his family who do not want to see him. His unexpected arrival coincides with a terrible accident by a physically disabled member of the community and he becomes a suspect in the case.

Martin meets Tanya, the attractive but bored and resentful wife of an older man who bought one of the local farms and is building houses to sell on the land. Tanya invites Martin to stay in their guest accommodation. Martin’s presence in their home has the unfortunate result of drawing the unhappy couple into his investigation into the source of his dreams and the reason he felt compelled to return to his home town.

Martin is not the only recent arrival in the village. Someone far more evil has arrived and he is determined to carry out his own agenda and make the villagers suffer as much as possible.

I loved this book of just over 500 pages. I thought this was a well-written, entertaining and unique storyline and I was impressed that I did not get bored or skip pages throughout my reading of this book.

Martin is an interesting character and the author certainly leads the readers on a bit of a song and dance before revealing Martin’s more admirable character traits. I grew to like Martin more and more as the book progressed. Tanya was a spoiled and silly woman but, when the chips were down, she responded most sensibly and showed loyalty and love for her estranged husband.

This book is not for people who are sensitive as there are parts of this story that are very brutal and almost depraved. All in, I thought this was an excellent read and would recommend this book to readers who enjoy a good horror story.

Purchase Ravens Gathering from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Ravens-Gathering-Graeme-Cumming-ebook/dp/B00AGIDQA2

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Published by robertawrites235681907

I am a writer of young adult fiction and poetry

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44 thoughts on “Roberta Writes – Halloween Book Festival: Ravens Gathering by Graeme Cumming”

      1. Thanks Robbie- we are both fine, if a bit doddery…Luckily, Eric has a retentive memory, does many crosswords or reads most days (apart from cooking and shopping!) I cooked for 47 years, and as soon as we retired, he chose to take over as he hates being bored. I miss it in a way, but write and read a lot, apart from washing and housework. When I think about the hotel we ran, I can’t believe how we ran it, day in and out for many months and years, without a break! We both loved it, but had the energy then!! I know how hard you work so keep well and enjoy! You are one, gjfted woman… Love Joy xx

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        1. Hello, Joy, thank you for your lovely update. There is definitely a time and place for certainly things in life like having babies and running hotels. It is great that Eric cooks and you can always help out from time to time. I appreciate your lovely compliment. Hugs.

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  6. We have flocks of ravens (black birds?) in our neighborhood. They fill the trees and the skies and can be intimidating if I think of Hitchcock’s The Birds. I don’t need another book to strike fear in my heart about these huge birds the size of my forearm–and 500 pages? That’s a commitment. I loved your review, though.

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