Fabulous * TIMES *
This is a ghost story and while it is dark, atmospheric and full of death, what I loved was its life and colour. Setterfield is brilliant at character and setting and can make even a woollen mill fascinating and utterly riveting. A rags -to-riches tale with a spooky twist. -- Wendy Holden * DAILY MAIL *
Bellman & Black: A Ghost Story is the second book by Diane Setterfield, and what a talented writer she is. This is an extraordinary book that defies genre. Part of the beauty of it derives from the fact you're unsure whether it is a ghost story or not... The research is meticulous and yet the many facts are blended so easily into the narrative that the reader hardly notices just how much authentic information Setterfield manages to impart, a talent she shares with Hilary Mantel. * IRISH INDEPENDENT *
The Thirteenth Tale was a huge worldwide bestseller, and it has taken many years for a second novel from Diane Satterfield to be published. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely. Bellman & Black is a much finer novel: more mature, more accomplished, more wide ranging and multi-layered and much, much more than a simple ghost story. If there is any justice in the book world, it will achieve greater critical acclaim. * HISTORICAL NOVELIST SOCIETY *
If you want an original take on the gothic novel, pick up a copy of BELLMAN AND BLACK... The prose is precise, The place comes alive on the page although this is also an abstract world, like a fairytale. * BIG ISSUE *
A book that lingers after the last page is turned. * EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS *
Having read and loved Diane Setterfield's first novel, THE THIRTEENTH TALE, I had high expectations for BELLMAN & BLACK- expectations that Diane Setterfield more than exceeded! BELLMAN & BLACK is the sort of story that you can't put down once you start and yet you don't want it to end either... BELLMAN & BLACK is nothing short of mesmerizing! * FRESH FICTION *
This spine-tingling ghost story set in Victorian times is perfect for Halloween... Creepily compulsive. * PETERBOROUGH EVENING TELEGRAPH *
The book is full of beautifully illustrative imagery that conjure up some startling and unsettling scenes making this a perfect Halloween read... a masterpiece of storytelling. * THE SHELF *
A subtle and unsettling tale... a good read for the darkening nights. * OXFORD MAIL *
A dark, atmospheric and unusual Victorian take... The gradual unfolding of events, the shadowy, ghostlike figure of Black and the discovery of Bellman's destiny all rendered this an intriguing, mysterious and compulsive read. * THE LITTLE READER LIBRARY *
Deftly written with gorgeous language and phrasing, Diane Setterfield's newest novel, Bellman & Black, is sure to resonate with readers... Setterfield is a powerful storyteller who leads readers with a light hand to thoughts and feelings... Bellman & Black is not to be missed. * THE HIDING SPOT *
She's [Setterfield] come through with a corker, a second book arguably better than her first... If you loved her first book you should consider pre-ordering - or putting on hold at the library - Bellman & Black. Did this book take so long because she was going over it with a fine-toothed comb? Certainly seems like it. And it was worth the wait.
You will love it. YOU WILL. Easily one of the best books I've read this year.
* BLUE STALKING JOURNAL *
Seamless in its telling, this unusual story is utterly compelling. * GOOD BOOK GUIDE *
