#BlogTour- Michael J. Malone- The Murmurs @michaelJmalone1 @orendabooks

On the first morning of her new job at Heartfield House, a care home for the elderly, Annie Jackson wakens from a terrifying dream. And when she arrives at the home, she knows that the first old man she meets is going to die. How she knows this is a terrifying mystery, but it is the start of horrifying premonitions and a rekindling of the curse that has trickled through generations of women in her family – a wicked gift known only as ‘the murmurs’. With its reappearance comes an old, forgotten fear that is about to grip Annie Jackson. And this time, it will never let go…

I think it’s fair to say that Michael J. Malone’s back catalogue of books cover a whole gamut of  themes, from gangland violence, to cyberstalking, to physical abuse, to edgy psychological thrillers, and all points in between. The Murmurs marks a wee change of direction, billed as a gothic thriller and supernatural mystery, and illustrating once again Malone’s versatility as a writer.

The story revolves around Annie Jackson, a young woman who is becoming increasingly unsettled by her uncanny knack of foreseeing people’s deaths, and also understandably keen to further examine her family history, to unearth why she is the conduit for these weird and disturbing premonitions. As she explores the family secrets, exposing a chain of deceit, abuse and manipulation, Annie navigates her way through long concealed lies to reveal the truth behind her lineage. Malone carefully frames this in counterpoint to a narrative by one of Annie’s relations in the 17th Century, which cleverly weaves in and out of the main plotline, shedding further light on Annie’s supernatural experiences in the present. As both narratives start to merge, and Annie encounters some startling revelations in her family history, the story winds its way towards a chilling, and potentially violent ending. Insert sinister sound effect here…

I think the most intriguing aspect of this book for me was the way that Malone consistently interweaves religion and spirituality/superstition throughout the book. From Annie’s childhood experiences of a suffocating and narrow minded church, to her mother’s entanglement with a charming, yet increasingly sinister pastor of said church, and the dishonesty and corruption of a new wave of religion suckering people on the internet. The evils of organised religion are counterbalanced beautifully with the potential evil of ‘the murmurs’ that Annie experiences, and how these have tormented other female relations in her family lineage. Malone puts across well the fear and confusion that Annie feels when these premonitions happen, and both the mental and physical effect she experiences, harnessing the readers’ empathy to her plight.

Our empathy is further aroused by the strained relationship she had with her mother, and how this anger was displaced onto her, quite frankly, lovely adoptive parents. The theme of family and loyalty is paramount in this story, and as Annie discovers more the sacrifices made in the past to ensure her future, Malone keeps us as blind-sighted as her for much of the book. Her relationship with her brother Lewis, is an interesting one too, as their involvement with a new age preacher, promises success for Lewis, but something entirely more sinister for Annie. This gives rise to a somewhat unbelievable murder storyline, that all gets a bit far-fetched towards the end of the book, but equally the narrative is shored up by the supernatural plotline, and Malone’s assured characterisation, so this is a minor quibble of the book overall. Generally I enjoyed The Murmurs, and it was interesting to see yet another string to Michael J. Malone’s writing bow, with this tale rooted in supernatural suspense, with a soupçon of gothic darkness.

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Michael Malone is a prize-winning poet and author who was born and brought up in the heart of Burns’ country. He has published over 200 poems in literary magazines throughout the UK, including New Writing Scotland, Poetry Scotland and Markings. Blood Tears, his bestselling debut novel won the Pitlochry Prize from the Scottish Association of Writers. His psychological thriller, A Suitable Lie, was a number-one bestseller, and the critically acclaimed House of Spines, After He Died, In the Absence of Miracles and A Song of Isolation soon followed suit. A former Regional Sales Manager (Faber & Faber) he has also worked as an IFA and a bookseller. Michael lives in Ayr.

(With thanks to Orenda Books for the ARC)

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