by S. E. England
Narrator: Henrietta Meire
Length: 7 hours and 56 minutes
Genres: Horror
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Narration: 5 cups
Ellie Blake is recovering from a mental breakdown. Deciding to move back to her northern roots, she and her psychiatrist husband buy Tanners Dell at auction - an old water mill in the moorland village of Bridesmoor.
However, there is disquiet in the village. Tanners Dell has a terrible secret, one so well guarded no one speaks its name. But in her search for meaning and very much alone, Ellie is drawn to traditional witchcraft and determined to pursue it. All her life she has been cowed. All her life she has apologised for her very existence. And witchcraft has opened a door she could never have imagined. Imbued with power and overawed with its magick, for the first time she feels she has come home, truly knows who she is.
Tanners Dell though, with its centuries old demonic history...well, it's a dangerous place for a novice...
The Owlmen: If They See You They Will Come For You by S. E. England was an atmospheric tale that will keep its audience on edge. Narrated by Henrietta Meire I quickly found myself caught up in Ellie Blake’s story as it unfolds just outside the moorland village of Bridesmoor.
After suffering a mental breakdown, Ellie and her psychiatrist husband purchase Tanners Dell at auction. It’s an old water-mill in the moorland village of Bridesmoor, close to her ancestral roots. While he works in the nearby village, she deals with the contractors as they renovate their new home.
The tale is atmospheric and full of creeptastic suspense that sent shivers down my spine. While, admittedly I didn’t warm up to the characters, I did quickly slip into the tale with its secrets and ominous tones. Tanners Dell has a strange and disturbing history. Ellie spends long hours at home alone and as the renovations continue, some macabre events occur. The house, mill and lands have a demonic history that will have the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end. To gain control, Ellie soon dabbles in witchcraft and for the first time feels a sense of rightness. Changes in her husband’s behavior compounded the situation and ramped up the fear factor.
The author spun a clever tale with twists, truths and chills that kept me listening into the wee hours. In the end, I came to care for Ellie and some secondary characters. Tanners Dell and the neighboring woods became a living, breathing personality and is a place I am quite content never to lay eyes upon! I really enjoyed the author’s ability to conjure fear without the use of blood or gore. Throughout the story she wove in a mystery and treated us to other POVs. All worked brilliantly to create a plausible, yet terrifying tale. I cannot mention more for fear of spoilers, but know this is a tightly woven well-constructed plot that has me adding England to my must read list.
This was my first listen to Henrietta Meire and her tone, accent and grasp of Ellie were superb. Her narration only heightened the already macabre tale.
I later discovered, that while this is a standalone, it takes place in the same area as the Father of Lies trilogy and in fact some figures appear from those books. I for one will go back to read/listen. Horror at its finest, The Owlmen is one I would happily recommend to fans who enjoy an atmospheric tale.
The Owlmen by S. E. England was an atmospheric tale that will keep its audience on edge. Narrated by Henrietta Meire I quickly found myself caught up in #horror story. #loveaudiobooks Share on X
About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
MarthaE
An old creepy town doesn’t sound like a good place for someone getting over a breakdown. I’m not a huge fan of true horror but this sounds creepy interesting. I’ll look closer at it – maybe for the fest. Thanks for sharing.
Kimberly
Great fest read!
Laura Thomas
Sounds creeptastic,! I’ll be adding this to my fall list.
Kimberly
It had some hair raising elements 🙂
sherry fundin
Love that cover and it seems to go very well with the creepy story. 🙂
Kimberly
Yes, i agree it ties in well.
Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms
You kinda had the hair on the back of my neck standing on end while reading your review! LOL I’d like to say I’ll give this a listen but I think this one might be better read for me…otherwise I might freak out too much! 😀
Kimberly
It was creepy and the narration added to that.
sjhigbee
This sounds ideal for horror fans – not so much for a cowardy custard like me! I’m glad you enjoyed it, it sounds as if this one is really well done.
Kimberly
While it is scary, I think you might be surprised. Maye reading would be better though.
Lindsi
Your review gave me goosebumps, and the cover is eerie! I don’t think it would be something I could listen to at night, because hearing the audio always intensifies my emotions. Lovely review!
Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear?
Kimberly
Awe come on Lindsi..this is perfect for a dark ride in the country!
Lindsi
Maybe in October… I’ll read a few scary books around Halloween just for fun!
Melliane
the atmosphere sounds intriguing there and I confess that it makes me curious
Kimberly
I am glad I piqued your interest.
Sophia Rose
Probably a bit too much for me, but man, I love how you describe the atmospheric thriller part.
Kimberly
Really? I never realized you shied away from horror.
Stormi Johnson
Since this is in Father of Lies world I need to finish up those before I dive into this that is good to know since I have it. I have listened to Father of Lies which was very weird and messed up and creepy but never finished with the series. So I will do that then listen to this one. 🙂 Great review!
Kimberly
Yes, I would like to listen to those, although this works on its own.
ShootingStarsMag
Ooh – sounds perfect for the upcoming season. I love when authors can creep you out/scare you without using blood/gore. It shows a skill in writing, I think.
-Lauren
Kimberly
Yes, it had this wonderful build up and you could hear your own heartbeat.
Debbie Haupt
Okay yikes, just yikes.
Kimberly
Yes, you kind of feel like you can see something out of the corner of your eye and every noise makes you jump!
Ailyn Koay
great start to the fraterfest! i admit i am intrigued despite the word demonic
Kimberly
This would be a good one for the thon 🙂
Nick
Just your review for this book made it all sorts of creepy, Kim. It sounds like a fabulous and atmospheric read. I can imagine it being hard to put down with the twists and turns.
Kimberly
Hehe…It was quite creepy and unsettling