Money for Old Bones

From the Publisher

Lorne Turner needs a break, so when he’s offered the job of security guard and handyman at an old rectory in the Lyn Valley he takes it.
He thought he’d gain a little space and perspective. A little quiet from the noise in his head, from his demons, from his beast. Sadly, The Rectory doesn’t provide the haven he needs.
As the rain falls, waters rise, and old graves move.
The grave of a witch, who cursed the village. The grave of a soldier, who tried to escape the Hanging Judge after the Monmouth Rebellion. The grave of a priest, broken by love and grief.
When the whispering of Exmoor’s dead turns into a scream, Lorne has to act.
The original families of Scob must face their debt.
Lorne, Ella, Willow, and Heather need to find a way to balance the scales before more lives are lost.
Can they survive the haunting misery of the old bones? Can they save each other from the beckoning darkness?
And the rain. Always the rain.

The Book Blogger Review

This is the second instalment in the Lorne Turner Mysteries. These stories are supernatural thrillers with a heavy dose of mystery in there as well. The beauty of this book is, you don’t have to read book one to enjoy it. There are references to the first book, and the character development is clear from book one, but they are standalone mysteries.
The geography and weather are just as important to this book as the first. Nature becomes a character in each of these books, and in this one, it’s the rain and the rising floodwater. You can feel the mud oozing around Lorne’s boots as he does battle with property developer, Felix Prescott. The village of Scob is also a character, its narrow valley and crowding trees lending a hand to the ever-building tension.
The writing is swift, the plot twisting enough to keep the reader guessing, but it never slips out of control. Unlike some horror or occult type books, Talon keeps the supernatural element present but not dominant. Talon also keeps Lorne’s PTSD on the edge of ‘is he mad or is he possessed?’ It’s a well-balanced narrative construct.
Ultimately, this is a well-written, fast-paced, occult thriller in the British style. There is humour, darkness, some great character interactions and it is fun to read. You can’t go wrong by reading Joe Talon’s books, they are highly recommended.