James Warden

The Haunting of Thornham Staithe James Warden

A series of hauntings in a Norfolk town, apparently unrelated, attract little attention until the first death occurs. Even then, it is difficult to link the death, which has not been witnessed by any of the townspeople, to the hauntings in any sensible way. Life goes on until further deaths occur, once again unwitnessed. No one is ready to commit themselves to a point of view and, therefore, a plan of action, because no one wants to be seen to believe in ghosts.

Eventually, after the publican's psychic supper has created terror in the medium, two ghost hunters (who prefer to call themselves 'paranormal investigators') are called in by the vicar and events take a turn for the worst: several villagers are threatened, a stranger plays his hand with disastrous consequences, the doctor's wife returns from the dead and the village historian (perhaps the only person who has any chance of understanding the connection between the hauntings) is driven to the edge of sanity.

The vicar, who has been a central figure all along, decides he must act with or without his bishop's permission or even his wife's agreement, and decides to call upon the help of an old priest, once the Deliverance Minister of his diocese.