Amazon Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars An exciting read. A real page turner !!!!

Wow!!! A very well written book. A real page turner. I’m difficult to please, but this author really has a great talent! I was sorry when I turned the last page. Love, the past, ghosts of the past. The past and present intwined, As I’m certain they are. All the things I love to read about! Excellent – JoeRo

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating read.

Richard has cleverly combined the past and present into an intriguing mix of ghosts, love and religious persecution. ‘The Black Lion’ is set against a well-researched background of Sussex folk lore and is filled with excellent descriptive passages of places my local area. – J.N.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great story, well researched. A fascinating page turner.

I really loved the book. The story is excellent but far more than a thriller or a ghost tale. There is history and anything you need to refuse to put it down until you reach the end. – Sabina Gabrielli Carrara

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating book!

Richard certainly did a lot of research in to the writing of this fascinating and enjoyable book. I loved the mix between ancient and modern times. A very good read. – David

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book with a lot of history!

This story is a collection of ghost stories centered on Brighton. I love that they all seem to be inspired by real haunted locations. We get a bit of back ground about the location and a wonderful story about it. I was also very excited to learn all about Deryk Carver’s life and the circumstances surrounding his death, and his story was a wonderful way to tie it all together. I can’t wait for the next book! – Jeremy Frazier

5.0 out of 5 stars The history and present of Brighton intertwine in this beautiful historical romantic thriller

What a wonderfully written book!

Even though I have visited Brighton several times, this book makes me want to go back there, preferably to the past of Brighton’s 16th century. The author brings Brighton’s past to life in such a way that I could almost touch, taste, and smell it. The beautiful, exciting, mysterious, and romantic storylines, both from the past and present, slowly become intertwined in a mysterious way. . Very clearly, extensive historical research has taken place prior to writing. I look forward to the next book !! – Justine Dorhout

3.0 out of 5 stars Restless spirits of the past reach out to the living in present-day Brighton!

Anyone who loves Brighton and Hove will be drawn to this book, which uses the real-life story of Deryk Carver, one of seventeen Protestant martyrs burned at the stake at Lewes between 1555 and 1557, as the starting point for the exploration of a number of local ghost stories.

When Brighton solicitor Matt decides to buy and rent out Black Lion Cottage, Deryk’s former home situated in the oldest part of the city, he little knows that he’s involving himself, all unwittingly, in a love story nearly five hundred years in the making – Deryk’s love for fellow Protestant martyr John Launder, executed at Steyning days after himself.

Meanwhile, as the bookings come in, it seems that every guest staying at the Cottage has a lesson to learn, and a ghost to encounter, during their exploration of the city and surrounding areas. The injustices of times past, and the spirits of both perpetrators and victims, have not been laid to rest – and it falls to the living to listen to their stories, and bear witness to their final resolution.

As well as exploring the stories associated with famous Brighton & Hove landmarks such as the Royal Pavilion, the Regency Town House and Preston Manor, this book takes us out to Hangleton, Tide Mills near Newhaven, Chiddingly and of course Lewes and Steyning, where Deryk and John met their respective deaths; and threaded throughout are excerpts from Deryk’s own life story, told in the first person. Will the spirits of these two lovers, cruelly separated by death and searching for one another ever since, be finally reunited and able to find peace?

‘The Black Lion’ is the first of a planned series, ‘Spirits of the Past’, so Richard B Gough obviously has more to tell us … – Rosie B

Goodreads Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars It was amazing!

I read this in one sitting, so gripped was I by the collection of stories that cleverly mix present and past – bringing new life into Brighton and Sussex’s rich and fascinating history. Looking forward to next instalment. – Daren Kay