When sixteen-year-old Charlotte Goolsby first encounters the mysterious little boy playing in the cemetery, she assumes he belongs to the minister’s family. However, as sightings of the little boy continue and seemingly go unnoticed by the rest of Keesbury’s residents, Charlotte is forced to confront everything she once believed about life and death.

Charlotte finds herself confiding her fears to her father’s shipwright apprentice, Rees Pendleton, the eldest son of the village’s most prominent family. Whilst Rees’ mother disapproves of their growing relationship, it will be the arrival of the reclusive uncle with his own secrets who may threaten not only the Pendleton’s future but Charlotte’s as well.

Charlotte and Rees will discover that all is not what it may seem in their quiet, seaside village of Keesbury. Some of the residents are keeping secrets – horrific and deadly secrets.

The Haunting of Noyo Bay beckons back to the age of the ever-popular gothic horror and suspense novels of the 1970s. Set in the mid-1800s, against the backdrop of one of northern California’s emerging seaside villages, readers will be transported back in time.

My Review

Can a child really be evil? You may think so after reading The Haunting of Noyo Bay. The minister’s young son often played too near the dangerous cliffs until one day the inevitable happened. The minister is away at the moment, leaving his poor wife to grieve alone. So who is the little boy that hangs around the cemetery? He looks like a ragamuffin, giggling and making rude gestures. Has the minister’s wife taken in an orphan? And why does no-one else ever see him?

Sixteen-year-old Charlotte Goolsby sees him and to be honest, finds his presence unnerving, especially as the minister’s wife claims not to know who he is.

Charlotte confides in her father’s shipwright apprentice, seventeen-year-old Rees Pendleton, the eldest son of Keesbury’s most prominent family. They have become friends, but their growing attachment is bothering Rees’s mother Constance, while being actively encouraged by Charlotte’s mother Caroline. What a catch Rees would be, but others think he should marry within his own class.

There are two stories unfolding here. One is the ghost story, the true horror of which does not really unfold until the end. The other is the relationship between Charlotte and Rees, who to my mind seemed very young to fall so deeply in love. But this was a different era and girls were married off as soon as possible to avoid becoming old spinsters by the age of twenty-one!

This is the first time I have ever listened to a book on Audible and I really enjoyed it. I have had to walk a lot in the past few days, so Charlotte and Rees have kept me company. Of course much of the enjoyment is dependent on who is narrating the book – I have tried a couple of times before but the voice often grates on me and I give up – but this one was perfect, though some of the American pronunciations took some getting used to, like plait being pronounced like plate.

Creepy, spooky and atmospheric, a great book for anyone who enjoys a Gothic horror mystery.

About the Author

L.B. grew up in a one stop-light town in central Idaho. After earning a Bachelor of Art’s degree in cultural anthropology from California State University-Chico, she uprooted herself to begin a new life in Washington, D.C., where she began a varied career in professional communications in private business and education.

“I’ve always had a passion for photography, travel, writing, and history. I am thrilled to now be creating works of fiction that allow me to share these passions with others. One of my favorite parts of the writing process is the historical research required to bring authenticity to my characters’ lives.”

This is her fifth book and the second in her standalone series: Tales from the Parlor Room–a collection of gothic and ghostly tales. She currently resides in Virginia where she enjoys cemetery walks, visiting abandoned and haunted places and working on more ghostly tales.

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Buy Links – https://geni.us/V40E

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61276895-as-the-moon-fell-down