Since returning from war Mike had been haunted by PTSD, but something else is plaguing him now, and it started in his dreams. Unusual visions haunt his sleep of clogs and miners, lights and death and someone warning him to leave. Then came the strange knocking. Unsure if he is going mad he turns to the only professional unlikely to see him locked away, a psychic medium. Danielle vows to help him, but when his presence stirs things in her already complicated life she must decide whether to pursue the truth, or save herself from falling deeper into the world of supernatural that had plagued her from a young age. Some truths must be uncovered, but maybe some should also stay buried.
The Old Coal Miner’s Lamp is a gripping and educational read by Vicky Peplow. There is so much to enjoy about this book. Firstly, you have Mike’s gripping story as he tried to discover the truth behind what is haunting him, but it doesn’t stop there, Billy, having lost his life in the mines many years before, takes the reader on a fascinating ride through history teaching us about the past of the mining industry, the dangers, and the unique comradery between miners and how the industry changes as he ushers the souls of the dead to their afterlife. This book will tug on your heart strings as death, romance, loss, and love become all-enduring. While following two separate tales, the two are closely woven. I grew up next to a colliery (Hem Heath in Staffordshire), and many of my friends father’s worked in the mines, so when I saw mention of things I had heard about, including strikes, dangers, unions, it brought back a lot of childhood memories for me. Well written, enjoyable, and well paced, a perfect afternoon read.
K.J's Athenaeum 