My thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for this ARC of The Secret of Cold Hill, the sequel to The House on Cold Hill that I read four years ago. So, four years have passed; Cold Hill Manor has been demolished and a development of luxury homes now stand on the site. Jason and Emily Danes have purchased 47 Lakeview Drive, Cold Hill Park and are excited to move in. Jason is a successful artist and Emily runs a catering business. The perfect couple. The house opposite is occupied by Maurice and Claudette Penze-Weedell (I am convinced this couple are based on Hyacinth and Richard Bucket!). Spendthrift Claudette and hen-pecked Richard, seemingly desperate to befriend the Danes...

And then unexplained events start to occur on both sides of the road. The 'things that go bump in the night' are back! With a vengeance... Peter James does this so well. He knows how to rack up the tension and, with a different slant, he adds the phenomenon of timeslip.... Get your head around that for complete enjoyment!

It's another pot-pourri of paranormal activity from Mr James with a very clever ending.

I loved the Roy Grace series by Peter James so was looking forward to reading a different book by him. It was a really good creepy ghost story and nothing like the Roy Grace books at all. Perfect for a night wrapped up in front of the fire. I am just glad I don’t live alone as not sure I would be able to get to sleep!!! I didn’t realise this was the second in the series so will definitely read the first book but it worked great as a stand-alone. Look forward to reading more of Peter James books.

I love Peter James novels and this one is a pure old schoo ghost story, centering around a new housing estate and its inhabitents, its hard to explain the novel without giving to much away so all I will say if you like a ghost story, sat around a roaring fire then this is the book for you.

If you are expecting classic Peter James you’ll be disappointed. This is not a murder mystery although there is certainly a mystery involved.
Jason, an up and coming artist and his wife Emily move into their new house on a new upmarket estate near Brighton. Things seem to go wrong from the start, the temperature in the house fluctuates, they hear strange noises and think they see other people there. The locals are less than welcoming and are quick to point out that no one on the previous large house on which the estate was built reached the age of forty.
It’s a well told story but I prefer something closer to reality, it’s a but a bit too far fetched for me.

A decent ghost tale for those cold, winter evenings.

A young couple buy a newly built house, opposite a strange, older couple. Then strange things happen.

I wasn’t massively gripped by the tale, although, it’s well put together, as you’d expect from this prolific author.

A good Christmas stocking filler.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and author for the opportunity to preview.

It’s been four years since I read Cold hill and my god did I love it, so you can imagine my excitement when I received an ARC copy of this beauty. Jumping straight to the top of my book mountain it was certainly worth it..

Peter James bring us another nail biting, incredibly creepy story. When we go back to Cold Hill! The story is set in December with chapters counting down to Christmas. But I honestly think this book is perfect for Halloween.Things have changed since we last visited Cold Hill the house has burnt down and an estate of modern homes has been built. Jason and Emily have moved in and that’s just for starters.

I devoured it in one sitting. I simply couldn’t put it down. The author has weaved a story that, not only will it make your hairs stand up on end. But also also full of mystery. Taking the reader on a roller coaster journey.It is full of OMG moments that will leave you shocked to the core and will totally freak the hell out of you.

Like all of Peter’s novels it is a fast paced easy read and totally addictive. Making you question what’s going on and scared to look over my shoulder. The trees blowing outside my window did not help matters lol It sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it.

I was captivated by Jason and his art work, having been to art college myself I could relate to him and love the whole lets paint a picture in the studio. I really felt like I was there with him. BUT rather him than me……This book is creepier than creepy and not to be read in the dark!

I am a massive fan of ghost stories and this one ticked all the boxes for me. I bloody loved it! I have to say this would make a brilliant film

Massive thank you to Pan Macmillan for a copy. All thoughts are my own and are not biased in anyway.

A Truly Spooky Thriller, as good as they get:
The Danes move into their brand new dream home in mid-December, with Christmas just days away. Their new home is on the Cold Hill Estate: a small development of 130 houses, only two of which are finished and occupied, built within the grounds of the old Cold Hill House and close to a picturesque village.
Jason Danes is a talented local painter, his wife, Emily, a self-employed caterer. Both are very level-headed. The Danes have bought the prime property on the development, possessing a view second to none and promising Jason artistic inspiration and Emily space to cater at home. Meanwhile, across the road at number 36 Lakeview Crescent, live the only other residents on the Estate: Maurice and Claudette Penze-Weedell (not a surname you can forget in a hurry). The two families are like chalk and cheese which is to introduce light-hearted entertainment as the reader progresses through the novel.
The Development contains houses built for the digital era: boasting central command centres which operate the home electrics in accordance with vocal instructions and other state of the art technology. During the day, on the lead up to Christmas, builders are at work on the Estate finishing other, much sought after, residences.
At the start of the novel we learn from Paul Jordan, the estate agent, that Phase 1 of the Development, boasting lake and rural views, is based on the curtilage of the original mansion house of Cold Hill. What Jordan fails to mention is that the old house had history.
And It is against this background that Peter James sets this engrossing chiller of a novel. He wrote an earlier novel "The House on Cold Hill" which is based in the same estate but "The Secret of Cold Hill" can be read as a standalone thriller.
Right from Day 1 strange things happen to both Jason and Emily Danes. And although Jason always has a logical explanation, an element of doubt remains. Visitors appear who shouldn't. The command centre has a mind of its own. (Reminiscent of Alexa who often kicks in with a comment when you least expect it.) All very strange.
The novel picks up in pace as you read, reaching a dramatic and spooky climax. This is a ghost story for the digital era.
Boasting great characters (Claudette Penze-Weedell), written with great wit and boasting a superlative spooky plot, this would make a great Christmas present. If you can wait that long to read it.
Well deserving of all the plaudits the novel has received I would definitely recommend this novel: it's a great read.

this is the follow on book to The House on Cold Hill and whilst I enjoyed the first book and the subsequent stage play I think I enjoyed this even more.
The old house has been destroyed and replaced with a modern housing estate with every up to date gadget going. Young artist Jason Danes and his wife Emily move into their. new home full of optimism. Their retired neighbours Maurice and Claudette Penze-Wendell are the only other residents on the new estate, or are they?
As strange things begin to happen and local residents reveal the stories from the past it becomes apparent that the couples are far from alone.
I don’t normally like ghost stories but I love Peter James books and this one is so eerie I found myself suitably scared, which I don’t normally feel. Such is his storytelling and description that you really get immersed in the characters and the atmosphere. You can vividly picture the people and the place which is the authors great talent.
I really enjoyed this and read it very quickly which is always the sign of a good book. If you want a few scares this book has come out at the perfect time for a great Halloween read!

Interesting old fashioned ghost story that keeps throwing surprise developments at the reader. Just when you think an answer or remedy to the weird events surrounding a young couple in a new property another crisis lands. With an exorcism performed by two clerics to nasty locals who hate interlopers to a history of the mansion that once stood on the estate this yarn fizzes along splendidly. Best read in a sunny room this is great fun!

Wow this is a fantastic book. Well written, spine tingling and disconcerting. I have been totally put off moving into a voice command house.

Loved this from start to finish and the goosebumps have only just started to fade from my arms.

It's the first novel I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
It was an excellent read, creepy, gripping and entertaining.
I appreciated every moment of this book and was hooked since the first pages. I was always scared and it was a good thing in a horror novel.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Having read The House on Cold Hill, I was highly anticipating the release of The Secret of Cold Hill and delighted to have been gifted an e-arc for review.

Cold Hill House is now gone, having burnt to the ground and on the site is a new development of exclusive houses at various stages of construction and completion. The first two couples to move in are Jason and Emily Danes, an artist on the up and his wife, a catering business owner, and Maurice and Claudette Penze-Weedel, a retired couple in their mid 50's. Both couples are living their dream of a new life in the country, in their new homes which have every state of the art mod-con.

Only they are not alone in their new homes. Previous residents from Cold Hill House have not left and resent new people moving in to their habitat.

The House on Cold Hill is one of my favourite reads and this sequel is just as good. I read it in two sittings. It has all the spooky dread, tension and inevitability that is needed in a good ghost story. It is easy reading and is a close enough story to the original without feeling repetitive, rather it is a continuation in the story that is Cold Hill. I loved the "time warping" which is pretty mind bending and also reading about the previous characters from the first book. While the main story centres on Jason and Emily's house, the Penze-Weedels are great caricature characters, with Claudette reminding me of Hyacinth Bucket from Keeping Up Appearances, a UK TV programme from the early 90's.

I really enjoyed this second book in what is hopefully now a series or at the very least a trilogy. I would love to see a good twisty conclusion to the spooky goings on at Cold Hill! 5/5*

I was given the opportunity to read this book a few days before its official release. I had read several Peter James books with Roy Grace as lead character so I expected a crime thriller.
But this book (OK I know you should not start a sentence with a conjunction but...) is nothing like Roy Grace and I mean nothing like. I've not read more recent books by Peter James so not sure if any others have moved away from the crime thriller genre.
As I progressed through the book I needed to check if it was the Peter James book and yes it definitely was. It felt like I was reading Stephen King, watching Poltergeist x and Beetlejuice films all at the same time.
It is superbly written and build and builds. On reaching 80% completion I found myself both unable to put it down and yet having to keep stopping to try and understand what had happened/not happened.
My recommendation to any reader of this review is 'whatever you do, don't miss this book'
However, the most difficult aspect as I see it is coming up with an ending/reason to match the first 99% of the book. The ending from Peter James didn't quite have the 'wow - unexpected/brilliant' feel for me but nevertheless I think it would be almost impossible to find 'the killer ending'
Not to be missed

I enjoyed this book, though I had initially picked it up thinking it was a usual Peter James detective novel. Here, the author changes and writes a ghost story. This is the second in the Cold Hill series, I hadn't read the first book and it works equally well as a stand alone novel. The main characters are realistic, and the book is chillingly atmospheric throughout. This is a good read.

Tinglingly Tense, Magnificently Menacing.....
Cold Hill is about to welcome some very new inhabitants. Cold Hill Park is now an on going development of new modern homes with a few homes ready to welcome their new owners ....but are the owners ready for those homes? A gloriously atmospheric, tinglingly tense and magnificently menacing tale of ghosts and ghouls and things that go bump in the night. Well penned with some very enjoyable character development and dialogue. A worthy sequel to 'The House on Cold Hill ' although this can easily be read as a standalone. A perfect read for the time of year and a suitably chilling tale for a night in next to a roaring fire. Enjoy!

I absolutely love a good ghost story and this one was brilliant. I was unaware that there was a prequel but this book certainly works well as a stand-alone. It's spine chilling and scary and I'm glad that I don't live alone, it had me glued to my kindle and I read it in two sittings.

Are you ready to go back to Cold Hill house?

In this update, the old house has been demolished and a new housing estate has been built on its place. Much of Cold Hill Park is still a construction site, but the first two families move into their new houses. One couple move in wanting a new life together and the other are planning their retirement.  There's still a lot of building work going on around them, but the new couples think this is going to be ideal once the work is  done, and it's going to be done soon, right? But what's that shadow in the house opposite? Surely that house is still empty? But there was someone at the window.....?

Just who is living in this new housing estate and who has always lived there? This is  a creepy read based on the fact that once a house of horror is demolished, you're left wondering what effect that has what is later built on the same site?

A creepy read

I do love a good ghost story and this has it all. The story follows very closely to the original Cold Hill and I would have liked a few more twists and a different less predictable ending.

Enjoyable but not a patch on Perfect People which has the best ending ever.

3-4 stars
The central characters in this story are artist Jason Danes and his chef wife Emily and Claudette and Maurice Penze-Weedell. The Danes are very likeable and very much in love. The Penze-Weedell’s are totally ghastly and almost like caricatures. Claudette is a snob but thinks Prosecco is better than champagne (so definitely NOT!!!) and Maurice is given to trite and hackneyed expressions. He is more likeable than her as he tries to keep her happy with never ending spending at the garden centre. I did like the mild and gentle humour that Peter James uses to poke a bit of fun at these two for example, with their rather tacky ornaments and over the top Christmas decorations. I suspect he enjoyed creating those characters!

Both couples have moved in to the new and ongoing development on the site of an older house at Cold Hill near Lewes in Sussex when a number of spooky events happen to both couples. The Danes try to convince themselves that it’s their over active imagination or the stress of moving into their new house but things get weirder and weirder and take a very unsettling turn. At times it gets a bit repetitive as Jason turns over the events in his mind trying to make some sense of them and I found myself loosing a bit of focus from time to time. It’s the explanation of the events towards the end that nearly pushes this book to 4 stars as it was very good and a bit of a surprise. I like the ending and it left me with a wry smile at the estate agents comment to potential new buyers on the estate.

This is the second of the Cold Hill series. I haven’t read the first one but found it didn’t matter in the slightest. Overall, this is a fun, quick read. I wouldn’t describe it as creepy more ghostly with a sequence of strange and unsettling events. This could be something to read on Halloween or around Christmas as that is the time frame.

The Secret of Cold Hill takes Peter James away from his most famous detective DS Roy Grace and lets him explore the supernatural instead.
The novel starts off well with the odd ghostly goings on but mimics a little S K Tremayne’s The Assistant, in so far as a maverick electronic control assistant seems to be behind the spooky surprises. Then we go into occult overdrive as time and space slips, reality changing from each character’s perspective. It reminded me of James Herbert and one of his novels where the central characters were the ghosts although they did not know it.
Both Peter and I have had strange experiences, mine was a haunted cottage where footsteps, peripheral shadows and physical brushing past of an entity went on. I think his was a sighting in a window of an abandoned building.
I would have preferred the less is more approach to this novel with a greater emphasis on slowly building tension.