The Standing Stone on the Moor by Allie Creswell
Welcome to the Coffee Pot Blog Tour for Allie Creswell’s latest book in the Talbot Series! You can see my review in a previous post!
Book
Title: The Standing Stone on the Moor
Series:
Talbot Saga Book #3 (can be read as a standalone)
Author:
Allie Cresswell
Publication
Date: 20th June 2025
Publisher:
Allie Cresswell Limited
Pages:
531
Genre:
Historical Romance
Any
Triggers: n/a
Blurb:
Yorkshire,
1845.
Folklore whispers that they used to burn witches at the standing stone on
the moor. When the wind is easterly, it wails a strange lament. History
declares it was placed as a marker, visible for miles—a signpost for the lost,
directing them towards home.
Forced
from their homeland by the potato famine, a group of itinerant Irish refugees
sets up camp by the stone. They are met with suspicion by the locals, branded
as ‘thieves and ne’er-do-wells.’ Only Beth Harlish takes pity on them, and
finds herself instantly attracted to Ruairi, their charismatic leader.
Beth is the steward of nearby manor Tall Chimneys—a thankless task as the
owners never visit. An educated young woman, Beth feels restless, like she
doesn’t belong. But somehow ‘home’—the old house, the moor and the standing
stone—exerts an uncanny magnetism. Thus Ruairi’s great sacrifice—deserting his
beloved Irish homestead to save his family—resonates strongly with her.
Could she leave her home to be with him? Will he even ask her
to?
As she struggles with her feelings, things take a sinister turn. The peaceable
village is threatened by shrouded men crossing the moor at night, smuggling
contraband from the coast. Worse, the exotic dancing of a sultry-eyed
Irishwoman has local men in a feverish grip. Their womenfolk begin to mutter
about spells and witchcraft. And burning.
The Irish refugees must move on, and quickly. Will Beth choose an itinerant
life with Ruairi? Or will the power of ‘home’ be too strong?
Buy
Links:
Universal
Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/b5P5pG
Author’s
Website: www.allie-Cresswell.com
My Review:
It’s 1845 and the industrial revolution is in full swing but in remote Moorside in Yorkshire, time moves at a slower pace. Beth Harlish lives with her brother Frank in the gatehouse of a grand home, Tall Chimneys. They work as caretakers of the estate, which no one visits. Moorside is a small but tightknit but socially stratified community. The upper crust is sometimes forced to socialize with their lesser or have no one to talk to or about.
The potato famine in Ireland has displaced millions of people and some have landed in Ruth’s neighborhood. A ragtag group led by the handsome and charismatic Irishman, Ruairi. Beth is attracted to him, but another man has his eye on her offering her a safe but less interesting life.
The coming of the Irish cause problems for Beth and her brother, testing their love and loyalty to each other. What life will Beth choose?
This is the fourth book I’ve read by author Allie Cresswell, and I’ve enjoyed them all. She has a knack for building complex characters and intricate relationships with lots of drama and plots that resonate within their historical timeline.
The Standing Stone on the Moor is a wonderful tale, rich with characters, that pulls you into life on the moors. You can almost picture the heathered hillsides and feel the wind tug your hair. I enjoyed the description of the coal mining operation and the dangers posed by such work. She did such a great job of bring the 19th century to life.
Author Bio:
Allie has been writing fiction
since she could hold a pencil. She has a BA and an MA in English Literature,
specialising in the classics of the nineteenth century.
She has been a print-buyer, a pub
landlady, a bookkeeper and the owner of a group of boutique holiday cottage but
nowadays she writes full time.
She has two grownup children,
five grandchildren and two cockapoos but just one husband, Tim. They live in
the remote northwest of the UK.
The Standing Stone on the Moor is her
sixteenth novel.
Author Links:
Website:
https://www.allie-cresswell.com/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/alliecresswell
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allienovelist/
Threads:
https://www.threads.com/@allienovelist
Book
Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/allie-cresswell
Amazon
Author Page: https://amzn.to/3GAaPXw
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6457033.Allie_Cresswell
Thank you so much for hosting Allie Cresswell today, with her intriguing novel, The Standing Stone on the Moor.
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Cathie xo
The Coffee Pot Book Club