Morgan Delaney

Dark, strange and fantastic fiction

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Want to read my secret emails (including The September House review)?

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If you’ve ever wondered what I write about in my emails to my readers, you’re in luck!

Today, I’m offering you a sneak peek inside a recent email.

It includes my review of The September House, as well as some information about songs and bananas which very few people know:

“Hey there,

we’re home after a successful holiday.

Doubly successful.

Because it broadened my mind, and helped reduce the likelihood of me
being executed for cheekiness.

That’s right.

Do you know “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” by Harry Belafonte?

We had it on a record of children’s “comedy” songs growing up.

It’s been stuck in my head ever since, along with the Shake n’ Vac song, the Quinnsworth supermarkets jingle, and Dooby Duck’s “Dooby Dooby Dooby Dooby Dooby Quack Quack”.

These are still randomly triggered on a regular basis, but “Day-O” is the dangerous one.

Because ever since I heard of the Taliban, I’ve been singing “Come Mr Taliban, tally my bananas”.

They wouldn’t like that.

Now the danger has passed.

On our last night in Armenia, we stayed at Dilijan, and I’ve already caught myself singing, “Come, Mr Dilijan, dilly my bananas.”

(Our neighbours must be delighted we’re back!)

But nothing beats coming home as the protagonist of The September House knows.

Margaret and Hal find their dream home. It’s haunted, but mostly in September.

Margaret is determined to stay and has worked out rules to deal with the ghosts.

But when Hal disappears, she has to break the most important one to find him:

Don’t go in the basement.

Even the ghosts are terrified of the basement…

If you’re in the mood for a haunted house story that finally brings something new to the genre, then The September House by Carissa Orlando is for you.

I really enjoyed how it mashed up several genres into a satisfying and entertaining whole. It starts almost like a cozy mystery, before veering into horror and thriller territory.

Really well written, and Margaret is a great character to explore a haunted house with.

Her ambivalence about finding her husband is only part of her charm…

Find out more here!

Chat soon!

Morgan”

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