The Haunter of the Moor

An Irish Ghost Story

By: Jeffrey Kosh

Narrated by: Timothy Kennedy

Patrick Conroy, a young American student of medicine in Dublin, decides to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the big city and spend a month in the quietude of the wild and beautiful Glencree Valley, County Wicklow. However, surrounded by local legends and myths, he is soon dragged into an ancient mystery that has haunted the village of Ballymoor for centuries. Set on the background of the tumultuous years preceding the War of Independence, and colored by Irish folklore, the Haunter of the Moor is a ghost story written in the style of Victorian Gothic novels.

©2016 Jeffrey Kosh (P)2016 Jeffrey Kosh

too many words

There was too much folktale review and back story for my liking. Not enough action for me.

A Gothic story in the tradition of H.P. Lovecraft

What made the experience of listening to The Haunter of the Moor the most enjoyable?

The narrator, Tim Kennedy, along with his voice acting, is wonderful. Each character is voiced individually and are easily recognizable. The accents are fun while remaining effective.

What other book might you compare The Haunter of the Moor to and why?

Jeffrey Kosh’s The Hunter of the Moor, harkens back to those grey spaces where H.P. Lovecraft and Alfred Hitchcock call home.

Who was the most memorable character of The Haunter of the Moor and why?

The Travelers as their motives and knowledge of local legends push the story along.

Any additional comments?

The stories follows an American medical student, from a wealthy family, to the Irish moors where he seeks a secluded place to study. Unfortunately, his lodgings and the surrounding area is inhabited by mysterious entities and standing stones, which draw him into unnatural occurrences.

The story is delivered via journal entries, akin to Bram Stoker’s Dracula, with which it shares an ominous mood. The writing is clean and distinctly English in its charm. The characters are unique and distinct, a pleasure to spend time with. The environments are richly described, so much so that mentioned landmarks and specific items do not become obvious plot points, which is far too common in modern literature. The setting feels real and the local culture is explored to such a degree that one can imagine it completely.

The author, Jeffrey Kosh, has an unquestionable mastery of the English language, making his first person journal based writing a pleasure. His pacing feels classical, even, and unrushed. If criticism were necessary, it could be said that the intricacy of his prose require active listening rather than leisurely listening. If one were not accustomed to, nor a lover of, classical literature one might find the pacing too slow to hold one’s attention.


If you like H.P. Lovecraft, Hitchcock, and Bram Stoker, then this work will be a welcomed addition to your audio library.

Gothic Horror

What did you love best about The Haunter of the Moor?

There are lots of sprinkled in bits of Irish folklore as told by the townsfolk

What does Timothy Kennedy bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator did an impressive job of voicing characters individually and maintaining the rhythm and cadence or the story. I'd love to listen to more of his work!

Any additional comments?

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for a non-biased review.

I was super excited at the concept of an Irish ghost story. It's very gothic in nature. At times it drags a bit but overall I am not unhappy that I spent the time on it. The last 3rd really picks up and you do end up feeling like it all gets tied together in the end. The narrator made the story enjoyable and there were lots of sprinklings of authentic Irish foklore in the book as well.

Finding the darkness in a strange place.

A surprising cheery beginning that leads you into a dark story.

I liked the reading. He story a old world perspective.

Nice Try for bother the Author and Narrator

What three words best describe Timothy Kennedy’s voice?

British attempted accents. The attempt at Irish and / or Traveler accents are painful. This must be an early attempt at narration. The mispronunciations of Irish place names is unforgivable.

Was The Haunter of the Moor worth the listening time?

Hard to say, The territory isn't new and a bit overdone. It certainly isn't memorable.

Any additional comments?

Seems to be an attempt to mix elements of Irish folklore with threads of Lovecraft with none of the charm of the former or dread of the latter. The writing seems to struggle to retain 19th century placement with modern language and expressions.
Nice try, but overall comes up short. Your mileage may vary.

The performance is fine, the story is cliche'

So the performance is just fine. The story is an admixture of bad Lovecraft elements and typical horror tropes. It's not bad, but I wouldn't spend money of a hard copy either.