THE LINGERING

Married couple Jack and Ali Gardiner move to a self-sufficient spiritual commune in the English Fens, desperate for fresh start. The local village is known for the witches who once resided there and Rosalind House, where the commune has been established, is a former psychiatric home, with a disturbing history.

When Jack and Ali arrive, a chain of unexpected and unexplained events is set off, and it becomes clear that they are not all that they seem. As the residents become twitchy, and the villagers suspicious, events from the past come back to haunt them, and someone is seeking retribution…

At once an unnerving mystery, a chilling thriller and a dark and superbly wrought ghost story, The Lingering is an exceptionally plotted, terrifying and tantalisingly twisted novel by one of the most exciting authors in the genre.

 

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What people are saying about The Lingering

‘The Lingering saunters from creepy to genuinely terrifying, beguiling you to keep reading. Talk about coercion – I was completely unable to put it down’ Elizabeth Haynes

‘Deliciously dark and twisted … Add it to your wish list now if you like being scared silly!’ Mark Edwards

‘The Lingering is brilliantly chilling and perfectly paced. Ghosts, witchcraft, murder and manipulation’ Anna Mazzola

‘An outstanding work of modern gothic which perfectly captures the ghosted isolation of the fens and the more tangible terrors of a remote commune, where historical abuses meet contemporary horrors. In the new wave of gothic novels The Lingering is a stand out triumph’ Eva Dolan

‘An unsettling tale of hauntings, both real and metaphorical, that lingers in the mind long after the reader turns the final page. A top-notch supernatural thriller’ Mason Cross

‘One of the most original ghost stores I have ever read, The Lingering pays homage to classic spooky tales and completely subverts them at the same time. Highly recommended’ Cass Green

‘If you like your books with a dark gothic undercurrent, the creepy unease of SJI Holliday’s The Lingering is going to delight you. A perfect twisted read for those long winter nights’ Amanda Jennings

‘The Lingering is a gripping read, full of creeping menace and insidious dread, perfectly paced and guaranteed to cause you sleepless nights for all the right reasons. Fans of Susan Hill and Andrew Taylor, take note. One of my favourite authors’ David Mark

‘The Lingering is Susi’s best book to date. Creepy, unsettling and all-consuming, Holliday tackles fascinating psychological issues in a narrative that will stay with you for a long time after the last page.  I devoured this book in a weekend – loved it’ Jenny Blackhurst

‘A fascinating fusion of murder mystery and ghost story. Blood-chilling from beginning to end’ Paul Finch

‘The Lingering cements Holliday’s position as one of the most gifted and entertaining psychological thriller writers in the business. It’s simply superb’ Steve Cavanagh

‘A relentlessly unnerving mystery – like shuffling footsteps from a long-locked attic’ Matt Wesolowski

‏‘All kinds of awesome. Perfect modern-day Hitchcockian suspense!’ Steph Broadribb

‘I was lulled by the stunning prose and then BAM, shit myself. A serious spine-chiller from an exceptional talent. Chris Whitaker

‘What a great read! A fascinating premise, strong writing and creepy AF. Loved it!’ Michael J Malone

‘This book unnerved me right from the start. Haunting and chilling to the very last page. Not your average ghost-thriller.  It lingers in the mind long after you’ve finished reading. For all sorts of reasons’ June Taylor

‘Eerie and unsettling, with a bittersweet beauty that won’t let go’ Fergus McNeill

‘Tense, chilling and with a creeping sense of unease, The Lingering will linger long after you finish the final chapter. Brilliant stuff from SJI Holliday and another hit from Orenda Books – bravo!’ Neil Broadfoot

‘Ooh, spooky, compelling and chilling, I couldn’t put it down!’ Jane Isaac

‘A brilliantly creepy story with a vivid setting, stunning twists and surprising, unsettling characters who will stay with you long after the book is finished. The best ghost story I’ve read in years’ Louise Voss

‘A story that gets under your skin – and stays there’ Quentin Bates

‘Loved The Lingering by S.J.I. Holliday. Quietly unsettling quickly builds to full-blown chills as the tragic past of Rosalind House and the secrets of newcomers Jack and Ali are revealed. A beautifully-written thriller/ghost story, this dark delight is the perfect winter read’ Lisa Gray

‘I Could NOT Put It Down. It’s brilliant – Like Stephen King meets Thomas Harris. The Claustrophobia, the tension, and the sense that there was worse to come were brilliantly maintained. Bravo!’ Derek Farrell

‘The creepiest book I’ve read in a long time! Witches, ghosts and an old psychiatric home make for a brilliant spine-tingling read!’ Laura McCormick

‘God, this was creepy. I felt like a thirteen-year-old reading Rosemary’s Baby under the covers again. I loved it. LOVED it’ Louise Beech

‘SJI Holliday is the Queen of creepy storytelling and keeps the pathos going throughout the novel’ TripFiction

‘Just finished The Lingering by SJI Holliday Finally a fresh and unsettling story! Loved each creepy page of it, though there might have been a tear or two at the end…’ Nic Parker

‘Beautifully written and perfectly plotted; The Lingering is a book that will stay with me for a very long time. The tension is almost unbearable at times. It’s nerve-shredding and genuinely chilling’ Random Things through My Letterbox

‘The Lingering is a brilliantly chilling tale and that Susi Holliday is on top, top form delivering a story which feels like an instant classic. Get your copy ordered early for this one – dark as the blackest night and wonderfully disturbing. Captivating reading and a 5-star shoe-in’ Grab This Book

‘Strange occurrences are putting everyone on edge in a book you’ll want to read with all the lights on’ Crime Fiction Lover

‘Creepy and disturbing in equal measure. I’ve really enjoyed her other books but this takes things to a new level for me … It’s deliciously gothic, supernatural whilst focusing on a dark relationship with an added coercive edge’ The Book Trail

‘The Lingering is a dark, creepy story delving into the true nature of evil. Is it born, taught or guided? Nature or nurture? And can you ever escape from your past mistakes? Susi Holliday has created a brilliant combination of psychological thriller and ghostly mystery – a ‘chiller thriller’ or ‘ghostly noir’’ Off-The-Shelf Books

‘A beautiful array of characters … five stars!’ Donna Hines, GoodReads

‘The Lingering is an atmospheric chiller of a book, full of secrets and shadows. The house at the heart of this spine-tingling story looms as large as its impressive cast of characters. Holliday’s evocative writing is reminiscent of early James Herbert.‘ Fiona Cummins

‘The Lingering creeps around you like a vine, holding on tightly until the bitter-sweet end.’ Lucy Dawson

‘Even in broad daylight, this story had my shackles raised and my spine tinging. An intriguingly plotted tale of the nature of evil, and its role in the afterlife, I don’t expect I’ll have a good night’s sleep for quite a while.’ Liz Nugent