S.J.I. Holliday

An unsettling psychological journey that goes to prove every parent right – Never talk to strangers!

Carrie and Violet, two very different women, each traveling alone, both for very different reasons, both with one thing in common. Neither wants to remain alone as they board the Trans-Siberian Express.

Thrown together by chance, traveling forward on their journey together by choice, the story follows the pair of women as they venture on to the train as they continue on the journey Carrie had all planned for her and her best friend.

Told from alternative perspectives of Carrie and Violet and emails between Carrie and her friend who missed out on the trip of a life time due to a broken leg, this is a slow paced read, but one packed with a profound, subtle rise in tension page by page as secrets are revealed, their true characters come to light as the two strangers get closer and each women’s own agenda reveals its self.

You may think that you know where this story is heading but as things start to turn form drunken revelry to dangerously toxic the craftsmanship of the writing and the ingenuity of the plot will have you hurtling through the pages as fast as the Trans-Siberian Express hurtles the women across the country.
If you are a fan of psychological and nerve tingling intrigue reads you are in for a real treat with this one!… (mais)

This review first appeared on scifiandscary.com

‘The Lingering’ is a taut, well written and thoroughly enjoyable blend of ghost story and mystery. It never reaches the terrifying heights of something like Susan Hill’s classic ‘The Woman in Black’, but it is satisfyingly creepy and full of unsettling imagery and ideas.
Like many ghost stories it has an isolated setting, in this case a new age retreat, Rosalind House, in the Cambridgeshire countryside. Naturally the building has a macabre past, having previously been a mental asylum where unspeakable things happened. On top of that the land it is built on was used for witch trials in centuries past. Throw in the fact that the couple the story focuses around (Jack and Ali) have dark secrets of their own, and everything is set up for a nicely horrifying tale.
One of the strengths of SJI Holliday’s book is how well plotted and paced it is. It starts with the couple arriving at the retreat and tensions are quickly revealed, between Jack and Ali and between the pair and the other residents of Rosalind House. Holliday populates the book with a small but believable cast of supporting characters including Smeaton, the retreat’s director, and Angela, a hippy/ghost hunter. The story is laid out in alternating chapters told from different characters’ points of view, a technique which seems hugely popular at the moment and can grate, but works well here. The presence of credible characters makes the fantastic elements of the plot easier to take and I found myself wrapped up in the plot, even thought there isn’t an obvious protagonist to root for.
It’s clear from the start that there are supernatural shenanigans at Rosalind House, and Holliday handles them well, teasing out the details with a series of ghostly sightings and the gradual reveal of past crimes. Running alongside this we slowly learn the secrets of Jack and Ali’s past. These are, if anything, even more shocking than Rosalind House’s back story, and evidence that Holliday has an joyously dark imagination.
Added to that we have the fact that the story takes an unexpected and creative turn half way through, setting things up nicely for a conclusion that is both compelling and emotionally satisfying. ‘The Lingering’ not be a classic of the genre, but it is a solidly entertaining entry that I think anyone with a fondness for ghost stories will enjoy. The mystery elements are well handled and the slow reveal is brilliantly tantalising. Before I’d even finished it I’d bought four more of Holliday’s books and I’m very much looking forward to reading them (Disclaimer: I have TERRIBLE impulse control when it comes to buying books).
… (mais)

I first heard of Susi Holliday when she appeared on a panel at Newcastle Noir 2019; I immediately added her to my list of authors I wanted to read and Violet is the first SJI Holliday book that I have read. It's not a creepy ghosty book of the style that made me sit up and take notice of this author, but it's spine-tingly chilling in its own very different way.

What a multi-faceted character Susi Holliday has created in Violet. Violet is like a spark in a firework factory; you really don't want to encounter one! There's a definite dark undercurrent and an air of mystery about what her endgame is but it's clear that there's something not quite right about her. I really feared for Carrie's safety when Violet tagged along on Carrie's spare train ticket and couldn't help but feel that Violet was a bad influence on Carrie. I had no idea how this would all turn out, but I suspected it would turn out badly for Carrie.

I loved the inclusion of email exchanges between Carrie and her friend Laura, who would have travelled with her if she hadn't broken her leg just before they were due to set off. It really gives an insight into Carrie's thoughts and feelings and it's also interesting to read how we often put a positive spin on things and choose what we tell people.

What a blindingly good page-turner Violet is! I was totally hooked by Violet's story and the darkness within her; I think if you cut her she'd be black inside. Of course, things are never what they seem and SJI Holliday has quite a few surprises in store for the reader. Is Violet deluded, psychotic, dangerous or all of the above? You'll just have to read the book to find out.

Violet is a dark and disturbing page-turner that had me on the edge of my seat; it's not just a cracker of a book it's a real firecracker! It's an unusual and outstanding book and I'm off to shop for more SJI Holliday books right now!

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.… (mais)