new slain knight

The Haunted Ballads - Book 5 - New Slain Knight

2007

It's summer in England, and Ringan and Penny are planning a quiet vacation alone together. That changes when Ringan's niece, fourteen-year-old violin prodigy Rebecca Laine Eisler, needs adult supervision while her parents deal with a medical emergency abroad.

Penny suggests a musical holiday in Cornwall. That will give Becca experience playing in public, doing shows with Ringan and their host, pianist Gowan Camborne, and his band, the Tin Miners.

Something about Gowan's St. Ives house leaves the sensitive Penny uneasy. She hears voices, and has a horrifying vision through the eyes of a dying man. When she finds Becca sleepwalking, Penny learns from Gowan that, some years earlier, Gowan's emotionally unstable lover hanged herself in the house.

But after Becca has a seizure during a live performance of a seemingly harmless song, Penny and Ringan realise that a much older tragedy hangs over Gowan and his family. And, if they can't find the truth, they may lose Becca.

"...enthralling...The need to learn the truth behind a 500-year-old crime before another death occurs today gives Penny, Ringan and their friends a major challenge and provides Grabien's fans with another chilling psychic puzzler."
Publishers Weekly

"Even those who don't believe in ghosts will enjoy this illuminating window into the past, complete with musical and historical tidbits."
Kirkus Reviews

"Grabien once again creates a fascinating thriller by blending traditional folk music and lore with elements of the supernatural. It will appeal to fans of ghost stories as well as to mystery readers."
Booklist

"Fifth in Grabien's Haunted Ballad series, this novel combines folklore, mystery and a ghost story into a first-rate tale. The Cornwall folklore is interesting, and the mystery keeps you on your toes, but it's the ghost aspect that will have you looking over your shoulder far into the night."
Romantic Times, four-star review

"Quite possibly one of the finest ghost stories ever told."
Cat Eldridge, Green Man Review

"Atmospheric, richly detailed, and provocative, New Slain Knight combines music, the supernatural, suspense, and ancient mysticism into a beguiling adventure. Not one to offer up your typical whodunit for conventional mystery readers, author Deborah Grabien has once again produced a unique thriller that is overflowing with musical and historical treasures."
BookLoons

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