The Lost Village – Neil Spring
The remote village of Imber – remote, lost and abandoned. The outside world hasn’t been let in since soldiers forced the inhabitants out, much to their contempt.
But now, a dark secret threatens all who venture near. Everyone is in danger, and only Harry Price can help. Reluctantly reunited with his former assistant Sarah Grey, he must unlock the mystery of Imber, and unsurface the secrets someone thought were long buried. But will Sarah’s involvement be the undoing of them both?
My thanks to Quercus Books for my review copy which I received through Netgalley
Last year I reviewed The Ghost Hunters which introduced us to Harry Price and Sarah Gray. Harry investigated paranormal activities and spent most of his time debunking frauds and opportunists. He and Sarah were invited to Borley Rectory (England’s most haunted house) and, if you have not read The Ghost Hunters, then you can find out in that book what occurred.
If you have read The Ghost Hunters then it may help to understand that The Lost Village takes place during events in The Ghost Hunters. There are some spoilers over how Sarah and Price’s friendship has twisted through the time they have known each other but both books are easily enjoyed as stand-alone tales.
The Lost Village in the title is Imber. A village standing on Salisbury Plain and a settlement which was cleared by order of the British Army to allow them to use Salisbury Plain for their operations. As it would not be safe for the Imber residents to remain in their homes they were made to leave – relocated against their will – and are only permitted to return one day each year.
The annual “return” day is fast approaching but the army are worried about the safety of the residents as there are strange things taking place in Imber. Things which they cannot rationally explain. Sarah Gray is approached to visit Imber by an old acquaintance, she is asked to persuade Harry Price to visit the village with her…his skills are required.
Neil Spring is rather excellent at building up the tension in his story telling and I found The Lost Village atmospheric and frequently chilling. Good supernatural thrillers have been too thin on the ground of late but I’d highly recommend Neil Spring’s books; he hits the perfect balance of great story and creepy chills.
The Lost Village is published by Quercus and is available in paperback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Village-Haunting-Page-Turner-Hunters-ebook/dp/B06XYGXD75/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8