Series: Kindred Spirits
Genre: Paranormal Historical Fiction
Release Date: 8th June 2018
Publisher: Crooked Cat Books
On hallowed ground…
With over three thousand burials and memorials, including seventeen monarchs, life for the ghostly community of Westminster Abbey was never going to be a quiet one. Add in some fiery Tudor tempers, and several centuries-old feuds, and things can only go one way: chaotic.
Against the backdrop of England’s most important church, though, it isn't all tempers and tantrums. Poets' Corner hosts poetry battles and writing workshops, and close friendships form across the ages.
With the arrival of Mary Queen of Scots, however, battle ensues. Will Queens Mary I and Elizabeth I ever find their common ground, and lasting peace?
The bestselling Kindred Spirits series continues within the ancient walls of Westminster Abbey.
Queen Elizabeth I of England was sulking. And not quietly, as the rest of the Abbey’s residents would have preferred. Despite her advancing years, she could still flounce in style, and was keen to ensure everyone knew what was annoying her this time.
“It’s so boring here!” she exclaimed, dropping gracelessly into one of the choir stalls. “Nothing ever happens.”
“She’s been to the Tower again,” whispered Catherine Knollys to her brother, but not quite quietly enough, as the queen’s friends and cousins wandered over to see what specifically had been troubling her this time.
“Yes, yes, I have. At least things happen there.”
“Our Uncle George still as entertaining as ever then?” Henry Carey tried to divert his cousin’s attention, but only made it worse.
“Naturally. He was haunting the barrel of Malmsey with Clarence, and it was hilarious, as usual. Scaring people out of their skins. That’s what we ghosts should be doing, not just loitering about discussing experiments.” She glared at where Charles Darwin and Robert Stephenson were once again in deep conversation, sitting out of the way of the early tourists starting to make their way through the great church. Without a word, Darwin glared at her, then shifted in his seat turning his back against her, much to Elizabeth’s disgust.
“We do plenty of haunting, Cousin. It’s just that, well, you know the Abbey’s never really lent itself to that.”
“No, Catherine – everyone has simply become too old and too dull over the centuries. And too weak to stand up to my wretched great-grandmother. It’s all her fault.”
Catherine and Henry shot nervous glances at each other. When Elizabeth was in one of these moods, little could be done to stop her. Even her beloved Dudley had retreated back to Warwick after witnessing one of her angrier days. Before either could speak again, their cousin had moved on, stomping through the Abbey until she found the memorial to William Pulteney, the Earl of Bath.
As though knowing what was expected, the book in the centre of the statue flicked pages in silence. It wasn’t good enough.
“See? See that? A page of a statue’s book turning. Over three thousand of us in here, seventeen monarchs, no less, as the guidebooks tell us, and that’s the best we can come up with?” Queen Elizabeth spun on her heel, turning back to the siblings. “At the Tower they have my mother removing her severed head, with my step-mother and my aunt alongside her. They have a young, robust King, leading the way forward. They have wailings and chain-rattlings and, well, everything. We have a statue, turning its page.”
By now, a crowd had grown around the Queen, noting, not for the first time, how similar she was to her great-grandmother when her temper really took hold. Fiery Tudor blood indeed.
“We’ve talked about this, Elizabeth.” The chattering and ranting was broken by the only voice which ever had any control over the wayward Queen.
“Now she’s in trouble,” Mary-Eleanor smirked to her companion, only to receive a regal nudge in the ribs from Anne of Cleves.
Edward the Confessor moved slowly through the group, not troubling himself with meeting anyone’s eyes, but knowing they would move for him. They always did.
“We do not waste our time with such infantile behaviour here, Elizabeth, as well you know. We have held meetings.”
“Then we should hold more,” Elizabeth protested. “Otherwise, what is the point of us being ghosts?”
“Spirits,” the Confessor corrected her. “We use ‘spirits’ here. I don’t like ‘ghosts’.”
“Either way, we should be haunting. Surely even just a couple of calm visitations. You’ve never had a problem with Father Benedictus.”
“The good Father has his reasons for still being here. And he does the people he talks to no harm whatsoever. The souls of the Tower are troubled; they know no better than to disturb the peace of the living. Those of us here, we are not of the same ilk.” He glanced at Mary-Eleanor, knowing that of all those present, she would be the second most likely to argue with him. But instead she lowered her head in a slow, graceful nod, not uttering a word.
“I trust this matter is dealt with.” The Confessor ended the conversation and headed back to his shrine.
“It’s so boring here!” she exclaimed, dropping gracelessly into one of the choir stalls. “Nothing ever happens.”
“She’s been to the Tower again,” whispered Catherine Knollys to her brother, but not quite quietly enough, as the queen’s friends and cousins wandered over to see what specifically had been troubling her this time.
“Yes, yes, I have. At least things happen there.”
“Our Uncle George still as entertaining as ever then?” Henry Carey tried to divert his cousin’s attention, but only made it worse.
“Naturally. He was haunting the barrel of Malmsey with Clarence, and it was hilarious, as usual. Scaring people out of their skins. That’s what we ghosts should be doing, not just loitering about discussing experiments.” She glared at where Charles Darwin and Robert Stephenson were once again in deep conversation, sitting out of the way of the early tourists starting to make their way through the great church. Without a word, Darwin glared at her, then shifted in his seat turning his back against her, much to Elizabeth’s disgust.
“We do plenty of haunting, Cousin. It’s just that, well, you know the Abbey’s never really lent itself to that.”
“No, Catherine – everyone has simply become too old and too dull over the centuries. And too weak to stand up to my wretched great-grandmother. It’s all her fault.”
Catherine and Henry shot nervous glances at each other. When Elizabeth was in one of these moods, little could be done to stop her. Even her beloved Dudley had retreated back to Warwick after witnessing one of her angrier days. Before either could speak again, their cousin had moved on, stomping through the Abbey until she found the memorial to William Pulteney, the Earl of Bath.
As though knowing what was expected, the book in the centre of the statue flicked pages in silence. It wasn’t good enough.
“See? See that? A page of a statue’s book turning. Over three thousand of us in here, seventeen monarchs, no less, as the guidebooks tell us, and that’s the best we can come up with?” Queen Elizabeth spun on her heel, turning back to the siblings. “At the Tower they have my mother removing her severed head, with my step-mother and my aunt alongside her. They have a young, robust King, leading the way forward. They have wailings and chain-rattlings and, well, everything. We have a statue, turning its page.”
By now, a crowd had grown around the Queen, noting, not for the first time, how similar she was to her great-grandmother when her temper really took hold. Fiery Tudor blood indeed.
“We’ve talked about this, Elizabeth.” The chattering and ranting was broken by the only voice which ever had any control over the wayward Queen.
“Now she’s in trouble,” Mary-Eleanor smirked to her companion, only to receive a regal nudge in the ribs from Anne of Cleves.
Edward the Confessor moved slowly through the group, not troubling himself with meeting anyone’s eyes, but knowing they would move for him. They always did.
“We do not waste our time with such infantile behaviour here, Elizabeth, as well you know. We have held meetings.”
“Then we should hold more,” Elizabeth protested. “Otherwise, what is the point of us being ghosts?”
“Spirits,” the Confessor corrected her. “We use ‘spirits’ here. I don’t like ‘ghosts’.”
“Either way, we should be haunting. Surely even just a couple of calm visitations. You’ve never had a problem with Father Benedictus.”
“The good Father has his reasons for still being here. And he does the people he talks to no harm whatsoever. The souls of the Tower are troubled; they know no better than to disturb the peace of the living. Those of us here, we are not of the same ilk.” He glanced at Mary-Eleanor, knowing that of all those present, she would be the second most likely to argue with him. But instead she lowered her head in a slow, graceful nod, not uttering a word.
“I trust this matter is dealt with.” The Confessor ended the conversation and headed back to his shrine.
My Review: 4*
Kindred Spirits: Westminster Abby was a fun book to read. I do have to admit it felt like I started in the middle of a story though. There was no lead in to the story or background. Even the Prologue started mid story. That being said it was not hard to fall into the story.
With well over 4000 people being buried at Westminster Abby and a lot of them being Royalty there just has to be a lot of Ghosts. The book brings a lot of those ghosts out of their tombs for us to enjoy. We get to meet Kings and Queens, Prince's and Princesses, Poets, and more famous people.
The story is fun because you gt to read Queen's acting like spoiled toddlers, Shakespeare laughing and enjoying himself and so much more. You also get a small history lesson as well.
I personally love Ghost stories and history. Jennifer C. Wilson has done a great job bringing us both in the pages of this book.
I received this book as part of a Book tour from Brook Cottage Books. The thoughts are my own though.
Kindred Spirits: Westminster Abby was a fun book to read. I do have to admit it felt like I started in the middle of a story though. There was no lead in to the story or background. Even the Prologue started mid story. That being said it was not hard to fall into the story.
With well over 4000 people being buried at Westminster Abby and a lot of them being Royalty there just has to be a lot of Ghosts. The book brings a lot of those ghosts out of their tombs for us to enjoy. We get to meet Kings and Queens, Prince's and Princesses, Poets, and more famous people.
The story is fun because you gt to read Queen's acting like spoiled toddlers, Shakespeare laughing and enjoying himself and so much more. You also get a small history lesson as well.
I personally love Ghost stories and history. Jennifer C. Wilson has done a great job bringing us both in the pages of this book.
I received this book as part of a Book tour from Brook Cottage Books. The thoughts are my own though.
BUY LINKS KINDRED SPIRITS WESTMINSTER ABBEY
AMAZON UK: https://goo.gl/ye2v13
AMAZON US: https://goo.gl/A97Bf7
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BUY ALL THREE BOOKS IN THE SERIES!
AMAZON: https://goo.gl/LMhv7J
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jennifer is a marine biologist by training, who developed an equal passion for history whilst stalking Mary, Queen of Scots of childhood holidays (she since moved on to Richard III). She completed her BSc and MSc at the University of Hull, and has worked as a marine environmental consultant since graduating.
Enrolling on an adult education workshop on her return to the north-east reignited Jennifer’s pastime of creative writing, and she has been filling notebooks ever since. In 2014, Jennifer won the Story Tyne short story competition, and also continues to work on developing her poetic voice, reading at a number of events, and with several pieces available online. Her Kindred Spirits novels are published by Crooked Cat Books. In October 2017, she celebrated Richard III’s birthday by releasing her first timeslip novella, The Last Plantagenet.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifercwilsonwriter/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/inkjunkie1984
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14551510.Jennifer_C_Wilson
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jennifer-Wilson/e/B018UBP1ZO/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifercwilsonwriter/
Blog: https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/
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Great review and this book sounds like fun.
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