Michelle Herbert reviews The Plague Stones by James Brogden…
The Plague Stones is a haunting story with a dark history, that reaches into the class divisions of the present day. The story switches between different characters’ perspectives, although the main focus is on Trish and her family, and there is a large cast of characters that they interact with. This does mean that some characters are less well rounded than others.
At the beginning of the book Trish and her husband Peter are struggling to make ends meet. After a break-in that leaves their 14-year-old son Toby beaten, Trish finds out that she has inherited a property called Stone Cottage. Stone Cottage comes with a lot of history, and Trish is told by the Trustees of Haleswell Village Trust that she is now the custodian of the old boundary stone in her garden and would need to take part in some of the village events. Although the trustees do not tell her everything that is expected of her.
I found that chapters told from Toby’s perspective were quite frustrating as he acts exactly how a teenager would, especially after he is attacked. Toby becomes withdrawn and secretive as he starts to see impossible things around the cottage. Then again this whole book is about secrets and how far people are willing to go to keep their secrets safe, even at the cost of harming others. All Trish, Peter and Toby want to do is keep each other safe, but their lack of communication puts them all in danger.
The narrative then switches to that of a new character named Hester, Hester’s chapters are set in 1349. Plague is moving through the country, but the hamlet that Hester lives in has so far not been affected. This part of the story is quite a slow burn, as the truth about how the supernatural terrors happening in the present came to be and how it relates to Hester and her family.
In the present day, we soon start to work out that the trustees are not only hiding a centuries-old secret, but there are also more current issues being hidden. Toby soon meets people who the trustees deem to be on the wrong side of the tracks. Peter also sees how the Trust isn’t exactly as altruistic as they make themselves out to be.
The Plague Stones is very atmospheric and can be quite grim at times. The supernatural hauntings and revelations mix current real-life issues that affect a large community of people, while also giving a historic context for some of these happens, which gives a good juxtaposition between the two. Especially as those in a position of power justify their ethos by looking out for the few at the cost of the many. The book has a sense of urgency that keeps you gripped right to the very end.
Michelle Herbert
Originally published March 9, 2020. Updated March 8, 2020.
