‘Said my Lord to my Lady,

As he mounted his horse,

“Beware of Long Lankin

That lives in the moss.”

 Oh my word, this novel will cause a stir. Make sure the doors are bolted and the windows pinned shut. This is a dark and very creepy debut from former teacher, Lindsey Barraclough. Cora and her little sister Mimi, are packed off to stay with their great Aunt in the isolated village of Bryers Guerdon. Their arrival seems to awaken a very old evil that haunts the woods and the church.

An empty room in Guerdon Hall echoes with a haunting voice, words are scrawled on the stonework of the old church and a ghostly figure creeps around the graveyard.  Something is waiting. Something is after little Mimi. Cave Bestiam.

It pursues Cora and Mimi and the two village boys, Roger and Pete with whom they make friends. Long Lankin draws deeply on English country folklore and twists it into an atmospheric novel of witchcraft and supernatural revenge.

Those who know the internet phenomenon of the Slender Man will find a familiar nightmare lurking in these pages. Have a look at the front cover illustration – no, have really good look at it. A great read, if you like a chilling novel.

The novel is aimed at children, I’d suggest 10+, but most of the friends I have recommended this to are adults and old enough not to be scared of shadows. This will become a favourite in its genre, along with Gaiman’s Graveyard Book and Irish writer Landy’s Skulduggery Pleasant.