The Great War took much more than lives. It robbed a generation of friends, lovers and futures. In Freddie Watson's case, it took his beloved brother and, at times, his peace of mind. Unable to cope with his grief, Freddie has spent much of the time since in a sanatorium. In the winter of 1928, still seeking resolution, Freddie is travelling through the French Pyrenees - another region that has seen too much bloodshed over the years. During a snowstorm, his car spins off the mountain road. Shaken, he stumbles into the woods, emerging by a tiny village. There he meets Fabrissa, a beautiful local woman, also mourning a lost generation. Over the course of one night, Fabrissa and Freddie share their stories of remembrance and loss. By the time dawn breaks, he will have stumbled across a tragic mystery that goes back through the centuries. By turns thrilling, poignant and haunting, this is a story of two lives touched by war and transformed by courage. [return][return][return]Shortish read, based 10 years after the Great War, when Freddie still hasnt recovered from the loss of his older brother in unknown circumstances whilst at the front.[return][return]It is a story about loss and memory, both for Freddie and his brother, and those in the area of France where he stops and who have a longer memory of all the people who have been lost over the centuries due to wars and battles. As ususal Mosse's work reflects an interest in the "memory of place"

Not your average ghost story. ( )

Corre el año 1928. Freddie Watson todavía lamenta la pérdida de su hermano, el cual falleció en la Gran Guerra. Mientras Freddie se adentra con su coche entre las montañas de los Pirineos franceses, sufre un accidente provocado por una fuerte tormenta de nieve. Freddie se refugia en un cercano pueblo abandonado, donde se encuentra con una hermosa y cautivadora mujer. Se pasan toda la noche charlando animadamente de amor, de pérdidas y de la guerra. Pero cuando amanece, Fabrissa ha desaparecido y Freddie se da cuenta de que porta una llave que abre un antiguo misterio que le arrastrará a la profundidad de las montañas, a una cueva en la que ese misterio ha permanecido oculto durante más de 700 años. Las tierras misteriosas y secretas que se extienden junto a la frontera de Francia y España no sólo sirven como telón de fondo de la novela, también han visto mucho derramamiento de sangre a lo largo de miles de años, son una parte del mundo en la que la prehistoria, la mitología y la historia se funden en la suerte de escenario vacío inspirador de Los fantasmas del invierno. Kate Mosse nos brinda además una historia de amor atmosférica y fascinante, con un tono de misterio, de especulación sobrenatural, de un tiempo fuera del tiempo. Los fantasmas del invierno se sitúa en esa tradición de escalofriantes historias de fantasmas para leer en las oscuras y frías noches de invierno.

This is the first book I've read by Kate Mosse and I will be reading more of her work. This is beautifully written, there is a real sense of place and atmosphere to the story. I read this over two days and it's unusual for me to get through a book this quickly. However, I was stopped from giving it the full 5 stars as I found myself wanting more from it: more supernatural events leading up to the climax maybe, or just a longer read. I also guessed the ending when I was not far into the book. But overall I really enjoyed the story. ( )

Writing is lyrical and the descriptions make the reader feel add though they are there. Great winter read, and a quick one at that! ( )