Long Lankin

by Lindsey Barraclough

A chilling, beautiful debut novel inspired by a haunting folk song about murder, witchcraft and revenge. Beware of Long Lankin, that lives in the moss ...When Cora and her little sister Mimi are sent to stay with their elderly aunt in the isolated village of Bryers Guerdon, they receive a less than warm welcome, and are desperate to go back to London. But Auntie Ida's life was devastated the last time two young girls were at Guerdon Hall, and now her nieces' arrival has reawoken an evil that has lain waiting for years. A haunting voice in an empty room ...A strange, scarred man lurking in the graveyard ...A mysterious warning, scrawled on the walls of the abandoned church ...Along with Roger and Peter, two young village boys, Cora must uncover the horrifying truth that has held Bryers Guerdon in its dark grip for centuries - before it is too late for Mimi. Intensely atmospheric and truly compelling, this is a stunning debut.

• ISBN10: 0370331966
• ISBN13: 9780370331966
• Publish Date: 7 April 2011
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 10 August 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Penguin Random House Children's UK
• Imprint: Bodley Head Children's Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 464
• Language: English

Reviews

[cornerfolds]

Read more of my reviews at Cornerfolds.com!

Everything sucks this year!

I heard of Long Lankin while reading reviews for And the Trees Crept In, a book I had high expectations for and was hugely disappointed by. This was supposed to be the better version of that, so I was ready for an amazing, terrifying read!

Honestly, I don't remember how far I made into Long Lankin, but a valiant attempt was made. The book begins when Cora and Mimi are sent to live with their aunt where they're unwanted. They make an attempt to enjoy their time with Auntie Ida while conforming to her strict rules and making friends with a couple local boys. They, of course, get into trouble and things supposedly start getting creepy...

I couldn't find the creep. Horror books need to be good and terrifying if I'm going to enjoy them and, despite the synopsis and the reviews, I just couldn't get into this. It dragged and, while it was atmospheric, it wasn't in a frightening way. Ultimately, I was way too bored and uninvested to make it to the end of Cora and Mimi's story. Coming in at 464 pages, this book is much more of a best than it needs to be.