The second instalment of the fascinating black harvest trilogy. A little longer than the first although still a fast sharp read. Surprisingly the series continues to get darker, you simply cannot believe how awful the events become for this poor family. I will get to the third in the series as a priority to find the conclusion, I’m not expecting a happy ending. Highly recommended.

Book Two of The Black Harvest Trilogy continues to cause awe and wonder about what could possibly happen next on the Malumdon property. How could so many sad and unbelievably tragic events happen at one location and to people associated with that location? True, there are happy events, too, but the reader is often wondering when the next shoe will drop. I found myself saying, “Don’t do it, don’t do it,” on several occasions when a character contemplated planning or doing something that was sure to end in heartache or tragedy. The story, and storytelling, does not disappoint.

This trilogy should definitely be read in the correct order. The flow of events and people seemed easier to follow in Malumdon Cottage than in Book One: Where the Crows Watch, and for that I give it five stars. The trilogy is a total of 376 pages and could possibly be published as one volume instead of three, although it is nice to read and absorb each individual, short volume.

And, now, I’m into Book Three: Malumdon Farm. Thank you L C Williams and Wild Plum Press for giving me the opportunity to read this remarkable tale.

Malumdon Cottage is one of those rare stories where the setting feels as alive as any character. L.C. Williams blends history, folklore, and quiet dread into a narrative that lingers long after you’ve turned the final page.

The dual timeline works wonderfully here. The 1940s storyline is steeped in hardship, love, and the unspoken tensions of wartime rural life. There’s a slow‑burn sense of inevitability as small fractures widen into something tragic, and the emotional weight of that era is handled with real sensitivity.

Decades later, the new occupants bring a fresh perspective—but the cottage’s past refuses to stay politely in the background. I loved how the echoes of earlier events seep into the present in subtle, atmospheric ways. Nothing feels forced or overly dramatic; instead, the unease builds quietly, like a draft under a closed door.

What stands out most is the sense of place. The land, the cottage, the history—they’re all intertwined, and Williams captures that beautifully. It’s not a ghost story in the traditional sense, but it is a story about haunting: by memory, by guilt, by the weight of what came before.

As the second book in The Black Harvest Trilogy, it deepens the world without requiring prior knowledge, and it left me eager to see where the final instalment will lead.

A dark, evocative family saga that will appeal to readers who enjoy historical fiction with a whisper of the uncanny.

With thanks to LC Williams, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

Book 2 of 3 - Based on a true story set in rural England. The 3 stories tell of the farm and its family through the generations. A must read trilogy. Suggest to read in order.