Hill of Storms
The past isn't gone. It's waiting.
Alan Jones, a burnt-out television news producer, arrives at the historic Nickerson House on Cape Cod seeking nothing more than a brief escape from his high-pressure career. What he discovers instead will challenge everything he believes about reality itself.
On his first evening walk, Alan encounters the ghost of a young Frenchwoman running desperately across the beach-a haunting figure from 1789 who stops, looks directly at him, and whispers: "Mon amour... help me."
This simple, chilling plea draws Alan into a mystery spanning centuries. Nicole was a nursemaid who died protecting the heir to the French throne during the Revolution, after Captain Nickerson brought them to Cape Cod seeking refuge from Robespierre's assassins. But why does her ghost remain trapped in that moment of terror? Why does she recognize Alan across more than two centuries? And what connection might she have to Sally, the journalist researching Revolutionary France who's also staying at the Nickerson House?
As a powerful equinox storm approaches, Alan learns of the Hill of Storms-a sacred place where indigenous people once placed a carved stone marker, where a church later stood before burning down the night Nicole died, and where the boundaries between past and present grow dangerously thin. With the guidance of Lloyd, a weathered fisherman with hidden depths, and Rozelle, an enigmatic artist whose beach house seems to exist outside normal time, Alan uncovers a pattern repeating across centuries-a supernatural drama approaching its climax once more.
When a window opens between present and past during the height of the storm, Alan must make an impossible choice: step through into 1789 and attempt to change history itself, or watch as the woman he has impossibly fallen in love with across time remains trapped in an endless cycle of death and rebirth.
Hill of Storms weaves historical mystery, supernatural thriller, and metaphysical exploration into a haunting tale of love that transcends death itself. For on Cape Cod, at certain times and places, the past isn't simply remembered-it's experienced, confronted, and sometimes, transformed.
"A mesmerizing journey through time where love becomes the bridge between centuries. Readers who enjoyed Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife or Susanna Kearsley's time-slip novels will be captivated by this atmospheric supernatural thriller." - BookReview Monthly
Hill of Storms blends elements of:
- Historical fiction
- Supernatural mystery in atmospheric Cape Cod
- Time-slip narrative with metaphysical depth
- Romance that transcends ordinary boundaries of time and death
- Philosophical exploration of consciousness and reality
For readers who enjoy Deborah Harkness, Susanna Kearsley, and David Mitchell.
����️ About the Authors
Stephen Grass and Martin Cutler have collaborated on a variety of projects for film and television, with a shared passion for sharp dialogue, flawed heroes, and stories that move fast and cut deep. Their work blends corporate intrigue, black humor, and cinematic tension - drawing on decades of experience in writing, film, and business. Calculated Risk is their first published thriller.
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