Books with author Jonathan Aycliffe

The English countryside post–World War II provides a chilling backdrop for an “abominably ominous . . . bloody good ghost story” (Tor.com). During the London Blitz, navy man Dominic Lancaster has been injured out of service. Convalescing at his crumbling family estate on the shores of Ullswater, he has only two companions to ease him through trauma and recovery: his deaf, ten-year-old sister, Octavia, and Rose, his private nurse. Then something more than friendship begins to flourish between Dominic and Rose. But Octavia seems to change as well. For the first time, she’s hearing things . . . the cries and whispers of children coming from the attic, and they’re far from inviting. As a brutal winter descends with a sinister force, and Octavia is felled by a mysterious illness, the sanctuary of Hallinghag House becomes a sinister trap. Now, when Dominic wakes up screaming it’s not from memories of war, but an omen of things to come.

January 1917, Cornwall. Following the death of his father in The Great War, Fifteen-year-old Simon Lysaght is sent to live with his Uncle, Sir David Trevelyan, who rules over the wickedly ancient family estate, Trevelyan Priors. Simon immediately latches on to his younger cousin, Tom, and together they explore the darker reaches of Trevelyan Priors, including the Shot Tower, where something terrible lurks, and a forbidden garden that seems lost in time. One afternoon, sounds of distant battlefield guns spoil a lovely picnic by the lakeside—an impossibility considering the distance to Flanders Fields. The thunderous guns signal the inescapable darkness that descends upon the family. Rich in atmosphere and populated with memorable characters—some noble, some nefarious, all haunted—A Garden Lost in Time proves that the traditional ghost story is alive and well and perfectly able to chill the blood. Jonathan Aycliffe’s half dozen horror novels are gilded in the grand old tradition of the English ghost story. It is a precious genre, well worth preserving and protecting from the teenification that continues to seep into the greater pool of horror fiction. Drenched in atmosphere and implication, the traditional ghost story was taken to artistic heights in the early part of the 20th century by the legendary M.R. James. His portrayal of the metaphysical shroud that lingers just beyond our vision, drawn to our fears and powered by our doubts, showed that the ordinary and mundane things that we do every day are in fact always on the edge of collapse. Although many other writers have trod the same misty ground since James, no one has done more to explore and extend the Jamesian legacy in modern times than Jonathan Aycliffe.

January 1917, Cornwall. Fifteen-year-old Simon Lysaght is sent, after the death of his father in France, to live with family at their estate house, Trevelyan Priors. His uncle, Sir David Trevelyan, is somewhat intimidating and Simon feels ill at ease in the large and forbidding house. On his first day Simon learns of the death of the eldest Trevelyan son in the war and the subsequent suicide of his fiancée, is warned never to wander the corridors of the house after dark by the younger Trevelyan son, crippled and bed-ridden William, and hears that a maid has jumped from a high window, killing her­self. It is not an auspicious start to his life under the Trevelyan's roof. Soon, however, his cousin Tom takes him under his wing and shows Simon the grounds and estate, including the still-functioning shot tower, a tall building which dominates the skyline. Exploring further one day after a heavy snow, the boys enter an enclosed garden, long abandoned and overgrown with dark avenues of trees and bushes and a for­mal fountain laid out in the centre. In the untouched snow, a set of footprints, with no discernible beginning or end. Who do they belong to, and how did they get there? Simon can see no answer, but is soon occupied by other, more urgent matters and the incident is pushed from his mind. Weeks later, however, he has reason to recall the strange sight when he encoun­ters a girl of his own age in the aban­doned garden. She tells him her name is Lily, a fisherman's daughter from nearby Porthmullion. They strike up a friend­ship, although for reasons he cannot fully explain to himself, Simon keeps his new acquaintance a secret. He is soon to find that Trevelyan Priors and its inhabitants all have much to hide and more to tell than he can yet guess at...

Those who live in silence hear them best . . .Dominic Lancaster hoped to prove himself to his family by excelling in the Navy during World War II. Instead he is wounded while serving as a gunner, and loses his leg. Still recovering from his wounds and the trauma of his amputation when the Blitz begins, Dominic finds himself shuffled off to the countryside by his family, along with his partially deaf sister, Octavia. The crumbling family estate on the shores of Ullswater is an old, much-neglected place that doesn’t seem to promise much in the way of happiness or recovery.Something more than a friendship begins to flourish between Dominic and his nurse Rose in the late autumn of that English countryside, as he struggles to come to terms with his new life as an amputee. Another thing that seems to be flourishing is Octavia’s hearing.As winter descends, sinister forces seem to be materializing around Octavia, who is hearing voices of children. After seeing things that no one else can see and hearing things that no one else can hear, Octavia is afflicted with a sickness that cannot be explained. With Octavia’s help, Dominic sets out to find the truth behind the voices that have haunted his sister. In doing so, he uncovers an even older, darker evil that threatens not only Octavia, but Rose and himself.Jonathan Aycliffe delivers a disturbingly tense ghost story set in the middle of World War II during England’s darkest hour, demonstrating that some fears are timeless . . .Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.

Dominic Lancaster hoped to prove himself to his family by excelling in the Navy during World War II. Instead he is wounded while serving as a gunner and loses his leg. Still recovering from his wounds and the trauma of his amputation when the Blitz begins, Dominic finds himself shuffled off to the countryside by his family, along with his partially deaf sister, Octavia. The crumbling family estate on the shores of Ullswater is an old, much-neglected place that doesn’t seem to promise much in the way of happiness or recovery.Something more than a friendship begins to flourish between Dominic and his nurse, Rose, in the late autumn of that English countryside, as he struggles to come to terms with his new life as an amputee. Another thing that seems to be flourishing is Octavia’s hearing.As winter descends, sinister forces seem to be materializing around Octavia, who is hearing voices of children. After seeing things that no one else can see and hearing things that no one else can hear, Octavia is afflicted with a sickness that cannot be explained. With Rose’s help, Dominic sets out to find the truth behind the voices that have haunted his sister. In doing so, he uncovers an even older, darker evil that threatens not only Octavia, but Rose and himself.Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.

Cornwall, 1917. After the death of his father, fifteen-year-old Simon Lysaght is sent to live with his uncle, Sir David Trevelyan, at their estate house, Trevelyan Priors. His uncle is an imposing man and Simon feels ill at ease in this large and forbidding house. On his first day he discovers there have been a number of family suicides and his cousin William, who is crippled and bed-ridden, warns him never to wander the corridors after dark. While exploring the grounds after a day of heavy snow, Simon discovers a track of fresh footprints in an enclosed garden, long abandoned and overgrows. Who do they belong to, and how did they get there? Simon can see no answer, until one day weeks later when he encounters a girl of his own age in the garden. They strike up a friendship, but doubts remain in Simon’s mind. And when he discovers a sinister secret in his uncle’s library, Simon is soon to find that Trevelyan Priors and its inhabitants have much to hide and more ! to tell than he can guess. A chilling, compelling page-turner, 'A Garden Lost in Time' is guaranteed to send shivers down your spine.

"Intelligent, literate and filled with fine research... echoes of Edgar Allan Poe..." THE SCOTSMAN Cornwall, 1917. Following the death of his father, fifteen-year-old Simon Lysaght is sent to live with his uncle Sir David Trevelyan at Trevelyan Priors. He soon discovers there have been a number of family suicides, and his crippled cousin William warns him never to wander the corridors after dark. Exploring after a day of heavy snow, Simon discovers fresh footprints in an enclosed and abandoned garden. Who do they belong to, and how did they get there? After an encounter with a mysterious girl called Lily, Simon realises that Trevelyan Priors and its inhabitants have much to hide...