Lady of Hay - Barbara Erskine

Jo Clifford, a successful journalist, is all set to debunk the idea of past-life regression in her next magazine series. But when she herself submits to a simple hypnotic session, she suddenly finds herself reliving the experiences of Matilda, Lady of Hay, the wife of a baron at the time of King John.

As she learns of Matilda's unhappy marriage, her love for the handsome Richard de Clare and the brutal threats of death at the hands of King John, it becomes clear that Jo's past and present are hopelessly entwined and that, eight hundred years on, history is about to repeat itself.

You can read another synopsis here.


Dealing with things like past life regression and reincarnation it's a given that I would enjoy the storyline but I couldn't help having a couple of niggles with the characters. If you don't trust someone's motives why let them hypnotise you? If someone keeps phoning and you don't want to speak to them why not hang up as soon as you realise who it is? Better still: ever hear of call filtering?

Tot up all the booze they consume between them and they're definitely exceeding their recommended daily allowances - they could float a flippin' cruise liner on it! LOL

Jo is supposed to be a modern, go-getting career woman, an incisive journalist, yet she occasionally dithers so badly it gets annoying. She's kicked Nick out of her flat yet lets him keep a key..... when he keeps letting himself in, assaults her and generally behaves like a psychotic stalker she still lets him keep the key, doesn't always bolt the door when she's in, doesn't change the locks, doesn't report him to the police or take out an injunction against him. Yes, I know it's only a book, a work of fiction....... but it rather spoilt that modern woman image the main character was supposed to have.

Putting those niggles aside I did enjoy the bulk of the book. The karmic payback for one character was satisfying and there was a happier ending........ though it did leave a bit of a question mark that left me wondering if it would stay happy or if history would end up repeating itself.

The book is registered with Book Crossing and has now been released into the wild at the Earth Energies Clinic on my local High Street. :0)