A young woman starts experiencing terrifying premonitions of people dying, as it becomes clear that a family curse known only as The Murmurs has begun, and a long-forgotten crime is about to be unearthed…
On the first morning of her new job at Heartfield House, a care home for the elderly, Annie Jackson wakens from a terrifying dream. And when she arrives at the home, she knows that the first old man she meets is going to die.
How she knows this is a terrifying mystery, but it is the start of horrifying premonitions … a rekindling of the curse that has trickled through generations of women in her family – a wicked gift known only as 'the murmurs'…
With its reappearance comes an old, forgotten fear that is about to grip Annie Jackson.
And this time, it will never let go…
A compulsive gothic thriller and a spellbinding supernatural mystery about secrets and small communities, about faith, courage and self-preservation, The Murmurs is a startling and compulsive read from one of Scotland's finest authors.
The Murmurs is published by Orenda Books and out on 14th September 2023.
Wow, this is some story! I've read a couple of Michael's previous books, A Song of Isolation and Quicksand of Memory (there are lots more I need to catch up on), so I knew what a great wordsmith he is, and The Murmurs is just as beautifully written.
Annie has been drifting a bit but has a new job in a care home. However, her first day doesn't quite go to plan as she sees an awful vision when talking to one of the residents and suddenly knows that he is going to die, and how. Unsurprisingly, this unnerves her as she worries it'll happen with everyone. Around the same time she starts to hear voices, murmuring voices, and as she was already having bad dreams, she finds herself completely lost and overwhelmed. She turns to her main support and biggest cheerleader, her brother Lewis, and starts to recall memories that she lost following a childhood trauma. And together, she and Lewis begin to unravel long buried secrets...
I loved Annie. When we meet her she's a bit aimless, hasn't really discovered what she wants to do with her life. But we journey with her through ups and downs, see her at her worst and at her strongest. She's a beautifully written character and you can't help but root for her, and feel for her as she faces so much. Lewis is great too. A supportive and understanding brother but one who has his own secrets too. There is a small main cast with Annie at the centre. One other character who stood out for me was Sister Teresa. A good woman, trying to do the right thing but, again, holding on to secrets.
Annie's nightmares, visions and the murmurs themselves are described in detail and some of it is really quite dark and chilling. They seem so real. And the scene setting is brilliant. I can't say too much about the plot as so much is revealed, bit by bit, as we follow the story and also learn about Annie's mother. The siblings learn so much about their own family and community.
The Murmurs is an immersive and emotional read. Secret after awful secret is revealed. Often hard hitting, the description of the effects of the curse are beautifully written. And Annie is a brilliant, vulnerable and resilient protagonist. A tale of family, faith and untold truths. Such a great read.
The Author
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throughout the UK, including New Writing Scotland, Poetry Scotland and Markings. Blood Tears, his bestselling debut novel won the Pitlochry Prize from the Scottish Association of Writers. His dark psychological thriller, A Suitable Lie, was a number-one bestseller, and is currently in production for the screen, and five powerful standalone thrillers followed suit. A former Regional Sales Manager (Faber & Faber) he has also worked as an IFA and a bookseller. Michael lives in Ayr, where he also works as a hypnotherapist.
Thanks for the blog tour support x
ReplyDeleteAlways a pleasure. xx
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