Book review – Mistletoe by Alison Littlewood

Leah thought Maitland Farm could give her a new life – but now old ghosts are dragging her into the past.

Following the tragic deaths of her husband and son, Leah is looking for a new life. Determined to bury her grief in hard work and desperate to escape Christmas and the reminders of what she has lost, she rushes through the purchase of a run-down Yorkshire farmhouse, arriving just as the snow shrouds her new home.

It might look like the loveliest Christmas card, but it’s soon clear it’s not just the house that needs renovation: the land is in bad heart, too. As Leah sets to work, she begins to see visions of the farm’s former occupants – and of the dark secrets that lie at the heart of Maitland Farm.

If Leah is to have a future, she must find a way to lay both her own past and theirs to rest – but the visions are becoming disturbingly real . . .

Jo Fletcher Books [Publication date 10.10.19]

First off thank you to Quercus/Jo Fletcher Books and Netgalley for the chance to review ‘Mistletoe’. Also the first blog tour I have been invited to – an exciting event in itself!

Alison Littlewood creates the right atmosphere, building the tension up slowly as Leah looks to rebuild her life in a farm with which she shares some family history. It keeps you on your toes too as Leah finds herself transported back into the past where events back then reverberate into the present.

Littlewood links the whole timeline of events to mistletoe and its appearance in folklore down the years. It is cleverly done and you do start to get into the characters quickly, aided by vivid descriptions of Christmas past and the gruesome event that led to the modern day haunting.

Ghost stories are an oft maligned genre, however with ‘Mistletoe’ Alison Littlewood has written a classic ghostly tale, perfect for a winter’s night read.

#MistletoeBook