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magup's review against another edition
4.0
Another lovely just-spooky-enough read by Simone St. James, perfect for a snug afternoon spent reading on the sofa--as long as you don't have to walk through any woods or spend time on a rooftop in the near future.
Very BBC Masterpiece, at least as cast and set-dressed in my mind as I read--full of gray skies, village gossip about the family in the big house, and the Great War looming in the lives of our characters. I enjoy St. James' writing style so much, I don't care about originality in the plot points or any unresolved questions about the supernatural elements, though I can imagine others weighing in on these crabbily--I'm just happy to be along for the story.
Very BBC Masterpiece, at least as cast and set-dressed in my mind as I read--full of gray skies, village gossip about the family in the big house, and the Great War looming in the lives of our characters. I enjoy St. James' writing style so much, I don't care about originality in the plot points or any unresolved questions about the supernatural elements, though I can imagine others weighing in on these crabbily--I'm just happy to be along for the story.
kelssa's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
chloecgambell's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
dr_kat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
leahguinn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
shanreads2bhappy's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I have read several Simone St. James books and while this one does have murder and the supernatural it is a slower pace and less intense. I think it could also fall under historical fiction which influenced the pace and intensity from her other more modern stories. I happen to enjoy all those things and found this to be an excellent story. If you’re looking for high intensity and a quick pace there are other Simone St. James books you may enjoy more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Violence, and War
lkedzie's review against another edition
4.0
It's like optimistic [b:Rebecca|17899948|Rebecca|Daphne du Maurier|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386605169l/17899948._SX50_.jpg|46663].
Our protagonist, widowed in the war and responsible for an insane mother, is hired by her husband's aunt to act as a secretary in her art help with fine art profiteering across the Continent. Returning to the family's estates in England, ghosts both literal and figurative start appearing, and soon the fate of the British Empire is at stake in a confluence of past and present, personal and political, dead and alive.
The book has a comfortable genrelessness. At first the protagonist comes off as a sort of subversion of a rom-com heroine, who resists all plot by being upfront and demanding the same of others, but instead it is the one weakness of the book, where her decisions can seem wholly arbitrary. But it happens with an intensity that feels like it is her personality. And as someone who is on record for preferring ambiguity in the supernatural, this is the way to do it otherwise. Yes, there is Weird going on. No, the reader No, we will waste no time about the weirdness of it.
This is one of those books that I want to consider weaker fiction, but that I enjoyed a lot, so I spent a lot of time thinking about why that is. And I think that the Rebecca thing is a bit of a guidpost, because it does feel like this book is in conscious repose to it, in concepts that are in it and scenes that pair. And what I think it is, is the sense of adventure to it. When I think of the Gothic and neo-Gothic books that I like the best, the heroines (and they basically all are) have pluck. They are more Psyche than Bluebeard's bride, and while they feel fear and dread, are in terror and at risk, their motives are something more, that thing that brought them into the mix, and that frisson from the roller coaster of melodrama gives the text more ooph, makes the fear more empathetic.
I liked the ending, not really a twist but a well-executed surprise, and layered further surprises on top. Some of the back of the book feels rushed, but it overall works, specifically in its not beating a red herring and ignoring the plot that is irrelevant in the interest of getting the whole of the story finished. And overall a fun read.
Our protagonist, widowed in the war and responsible for an insane mother, is hired by her husband's aunt to act as a secretary in her art help with fine art profiteering across the Continent. Returning to the family's estates in England, ghosts both literal and figurative start appearing, and soon the fate of the British Empire is at stake in a confluence of past and present, personal and political, dead and alive.
The book has a comfortable genrelessness. At first the protagonist comes off as a sort of subversion of a rom-com heroine, who resists all plot by being upfront and demanding the same of others, but instead it is the one weakness of the book, where her decisions can seem wholly arbitrary. But it happens with an intensity that feels like it is her personality. And as someone who is on record for preferring ambiguity in the supernatural, this is the way to do it otherwise. Yes, there is Weird going on. No, the reader
Spoiler
will not get an explanation for it. It just is.This is one of those books that I want to consider weaker fiction, but that I enjoyed a lot, so I spent a lot of time thinking about why that is. And I think that the Rebecca thing is a bit of a guidpost, because it does feel like this book is in conscious repose to it, in concepts that are in it and scenes that pair. And what I think it is, is the sense of adventure to it. When I think of the Gothic and neo-Gothic books that I like the best, the heroines (and they basically all are) have pluck. They are more Psyche than Bluebeard's bride, and while they feel fear and dread, are in terror and at risk, their motives are something more, that thing that brought them into the mix, and that frisson from the roller coaster of melodrama gives the text more ooph, makes the fear more empathetic.
I liked the ending, not really a twist but a well-executed surprise, and layered further surprises on top. Some of the back of the book feels rushed, but it overall works, specifically in its not beating a red herring and ignoring the plot that is irrelevant in the interest of getting the whole of the story finished. And overall a fun read.
lyndsey1900's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0