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The Haunting of Highdown Hall

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The Haunting of Highdown Hall

By: Shani Struthers
Narrated by: Sheila Dearden
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About this listen

Psychic Surveys: Book 1: The Haunting of Highdown Hall

"Good morning, Psychic Surveys. How can I help?"

The latest in a long line of psychically-gifted females, Ruby Davis can see through the veil that separates this world and the next, helping grounded souls to move towards the light - or 'home', as Ruby calls it. Not just a job for Ruby, it's a crusade and one she wants to bring to the High Street. Psychic Surveys is born.

Based in Lewes, East Sussex, Ruby and her team of freelance psychics have been kept busy. Specializing in domestic cases, their solid reputation is spreading - it's not just the dead that can rest in peace but the living too. All is threatened when Ruby receives a call from the irate new owner of Highdown Hall. Film star Cynthia Hart is still in residence, despite having died in 1958.

Winter deepens and so does the mystery surrounding Cynthia. She insists the devil is blocking her path to the light long after Psychic Surveys have 'disproved' it. Investigating her apparently unblemished background, Ruby is pulled further and further into Cynthia's world and the darkness that now inhabits it.

©2014 Crooked Cat Publishing (P)2017 Shani Struthers Ghosts Horror Mystery Supernatural Thriller & Suspense Traditional Detectives Scary Paranormal Detective Psychic Haunted Fiction
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I hadn’t read this book, so I was extremely excited about listening to it. I wasn’t disappointed!
We are introduced to the team at psychic surveys. People, each with a unique gift that they put to good use by helping spirits move on. Find out what is holding them back and guiding them towards the light.
I like that as the main storyline unfolds, we are still given insights and backgrounds into each member of the team. It made me feel more of a connection to and empathy with the characters. They are so well written and with a good depth of personality you can’t help but feel as if you know them already. As a reader I found I was mentally urging them forwards and wanting them to do well and get to the bottom of the current case. (Although, I did feel like the person wanting his house cleansed actually maybe deserved a bit of haunting...)
The main story takes place around the Haunting of Highdown Hall (stating the obvious). Cynthia, an award winning actress in the sixties had her life cut tragically short at the age of 31. Not quite understanding what happened and afraid of the shadow lurking in the darkness, Cynthia is trapped. 54 years after her death, the current owner of Highdown Hall has had enough. He wants his house back. Calling in the psychic surveys team, he demands they get rid of her. He has no time or patience for this nonsense ( you see why I personally think he deserves a bit of a haunting).
They take on the case and with it uncover a tale of tragedy, love & heartbreak. Discovering long buried secrets that hold the key to allow Cynthia to finally move on, will it work? Can they prove it to her after so long? And who IS the shadow hiding in the darkness?
A fabulously written novel, that has everything you could want. Lovely characters that leave you wanting more, to get to know them better. A storyline that is full of surprises and a writing style that is flowing and engaging. Filled with emotion & it’s own sense of humour,it’s a book I’d highly recommend. The narrator does it justice and more importantly is a voice you can listen too. I already have the second book in the series, which I am now going off to listen too.

Wow....just Wow!

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I listened to this book in its entirety whilst cooking and cycling to and from work, but wow did it drag. The whole book is saccharine - everything is about light and love and although the main character doesn't want to come across as too "spiritual" in her website, that's exactly what this book captures: the worst stereotypes of the new age and spiritual movements.

For some reason, the author felt compelled to tell us about incredibly boring aspects of the main character's life - clothes, coffee, television preferences - and none of these added anything to the story or any depth to the character, either. The writing felt like a teenager's attempt to write an overly long essay - lots of "he expelled, she pondered, he commented, she exclaimed" - and I constantly felt as if the author had written the book with a thesaurus to hand, to find alternative ways of saying something simple;

As for the characters, only the ghost dog and one of the psychics, Theo, held any interest for me.

The story itself wasn't bad, but the execution wasn't for me.

I'm sad to say that the narration didn't appeal to me either. It was rather slow and lacking in emotion, and the accents fell flat for me.

Overall, not terrible if you need some background noise, but if you want a stimulating read /listen, this book isn't what I'd recommend.

Plodding - not thrilling!

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Hadn't heard about the Psychic Surveys series but i loved this book so much i consequently listened to the next 4 in quick succession. Interesting storyline based on a great concept - a high street psychic business. All the main characters are intriguing and you feel you really get to know them. The narration is wonderful as well, Sheila Dierdon is excellent. Well worth a credit and i'll be damned if this doesn't lead to you reading the next books in the Psychic Surveys series!

Excellent Story, Well Narrated

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This is my second Shani Struthers book, and I enjoyed it just as much as the first. I’m a sucker for supernatural, ghostly tales, and Highdown Hall delivers with its haunting by the ghost of a famous film star. Ruby and her team of psychics are tasked with clearing the house of the spectral presence in this lighthearted “horror” story, which also has a touch of romance. The characters are well-developed, and I enjoy the author’s engaging writing style. I especially loved Jed, the ghost dog, and hope he makes a return in future books.

Lighthearted supernatural tale

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Gripping listen. Really catches the attention of the listener and you just have to listen on. If supernatural thriller is your thing I would highly recommend.

Psychic surveys, wow

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