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    A Place of Secrets: Intrigue, secrets and romance from the million-copy bestselling author of The Hidden Years
    Unavailable
    A Place of Secrets: Intrigue, secrets and romance from the million-copy bestselling author of The Hidden Years
    Unavailable
    A Place of Secrets: Intrigue, secrets and romance from the million-copy bestselling author of The Hidden Years
    Ebook504 pages9 hours

    A Place of Secrets: Intrigue, secrets and romance from the million-copy bestselling author of The Hidden Years

    By Rachel Hore

    3.5/5

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    Unavailable in your country

    Unavailable in your country

    About this ebook

    The stunning novel from the million-copy Sunday Times bestseller, a Richard & Judy Bookclub Pick.

    SECRETS FROM THE PAST, UNRAVELLING IN THE PRESENT… 

    The night before it all begins, Jude has the dream again . . .

    Can dreams be passed down through families? As a child Jude suffered a recurrent nightmare: running through a dark forest, crying for her mother. Now her six-year-old niece, Summer, is having the same dream, and Jude is frightened for her.

    A successful auctioneer, Jude is struggling to come to terms with the death of her husband. When she's asked to value a collection of scientific instruments and manuscripts belonging to Anthony Wickham, a lonely 18th century astronomer, she leaps at the chance to escape London for the untamed beauty of Norfolk, where she grew up.

    As Jude untangles Wickham's tragic story, she discovers threatening links to the present. What have Summer's nightmares to do with Starbrough folly, the eerie crumbling tower in the forest from which Wickham and his adopted daughter Esther once viewed the night sky? With the help of Euan, a local naturalist, Jude searches for answers in the wild, haunting splendour of the Norfolk woods.

    Dare she leave behind the sadness in her own life, and learn to love again?

    Praise for Rachel Hore's novels:
    ‘A tour de force. Rachel's Paris is rich, romantic, exotic and mysterious’ JUDY FINNIGAN
    ‘An elegiac tale of wartime love and secrets’ Telegraph
    ‘A richly emotional story, suspenseful and romantic, but unflinching in its portrayal of the dreadful reality and legacy of war’ Book of the Week, Sunday Mirror
    'Pitched perfectly for a holiday read' Guardian
    'Engrossing, pleasantly surprising and throughly readable' SANTA MONTEFIORE
    'A beautifully written and magical novel about life, love and family' CATHY KELLY
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster UK
    Release dateSep 2, 2010
    ISBN9781849831864
    Unavailable
    A Place of Secrets: Intrigue, secrets and romance from the million-copy bestselling author of The Hidden Years
    Author

    Rachel Hore

    Rachel Hore worked in London publishing for many years before moving with her family to Norwich, where she taught publishing and creative writing at the University of East Anglia until deciding to become a full-time writer. She is the Sunday Times (London) bestselling author of ten novels, including The Love Child. She is married to the writer D.J. Taylor and they have three sons. Visit her at RachelHore.co.uk and connect with her on Twitter @RachelHore.

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    Reviews for A Place of Secrets

    3.5/5

    138 ratings28 reviews

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    • 4/5
      First Line: The night before it all begins, Jude has the dream again.Auction house appraiser Jude Gower answers the telephone one afternoon at Beecham's Auctioneers in Mayfair and finds herself embarking on a dream job. At Starbrough Hall in Norfolk, England, she is to examine and price the manuscripts and instruments of an eighteenth-century astronomer. She is welcomed by Chantal Wickham, and since both have lost their husbands, Jude feels close to the older woman almost immediately. Hard times are forcing the Wickhams to sell the astronomer's works; they've already sold most of their land and the old tower that was built as an observatory by Anthony Wickham, the astronomer. It was in the tower that Anthony Wickham and his daughter, Esther, made their most amazing discoveries.Although Jude has spent most of her life in London, her family once lived in the neighborhood of Starbrough Hall, and she feels at home there. She meets Euan, a well-known writer and naturalist, and spends as much time as she can with her sister and six-year-old niece-- who's having disturbing dreams... the same dreams that Jude had as a child. The further Jude delves into the life of Esther Wickham, the more she begins to wonder if these dreams are passed down from generation to generation. Can she possibly find the answers she needs to make the dreams stop before someone is hurt?A Place of Secrets fleshes out the standard romantic suspense skeleton very well. Jude is a widow who's spent the past few years putting her dead husband on a pedestal. No man she's met can measure up to her memories. Euan is the perfect hero: handsome, articulate, talented... and jealously guarded by Jude's sister. Since the sisters haven't gotten along for most of their lives, Jude tries to steer clear of Euan to keep the peace. It's rather easy because the fascinating part of this book is all about Esther Wickham, a foundling who became a willing apprentice to a gifted amateur astronomer. Jude is every bit as mesmerized by Esther as the reader.There is much said about dreams repeating themselves through the generations, but there's very little, if any, real paranormal activity going on at Starbrough Hall. The story has everything to do with how secrets fester the longer they remain hidden, with how the facts can be distorted and misinterpreted throughout the centuries. Jude proves to be an excellent detective as she catalogs the treasures that are soon to be sold. The more she learns about Esther, the more she is compelled to search for every single detail that exists. Esther is the stand-out character in this book, and she doesn't speak in dreams. She speaks the only way she can: through the documents and objects that were left behind.Unraveling the pieces of the story and laying bare all the hidden details became my focus as I read A Place of Secrets. It was a difficult book to put down, and I find that the character of Esther haunts me still.
    • 5/5
      This book had a complex storyline and it takes great skill to weave the threads of the book separately then coming together to bring the story to conclusion.The central character is Jude, who works at a London auctioneers house and by chance answers a ringing telephone in her office. The caller wants a valuation on a fascinating collection of early astronomical books and equipment which have been passed down through his family. On establishing that the seller is living in Jude's home town , where her Grandmother, sister and niece still live Jude agrees to go and visit the seller for an assessment. Once she has arrived in Norfolk she sees the collection is a fine example of 18th Century history and immediately sets about assessing the collection, and Jude stumbles across a set of journals of the astronomer Anthony Wickham and his daughter Ester. She asks the mother of the seller if there is any more details on the family, only to be told that Wickham did not have any children. Jude is immediately curious.Meanwhile, she sees her sister and niece and is suddenly aware that her niece is having dreams. Dreams that she too experienced as a child. Was this a coincidence? The seller of the collection then confirms that he is definitely going to sell the collection and Jude is then thrust into the world of the Wickhams. There is an Folly in the grounds and Jude is intrigued. In the forest surrounding the property she meets Euan, who by chance lives in the cottage her Grandmother lived in and we start to see the gentle threads of the complex story forming. Ester's journal is in some parts a summary of her early life, found as a young child by Wickham she is adopted as his heir, but later on we see that, after Wickham's death his wishes are not carried out. Over the course of a little more than 450 pages Rachel Hore weaves a complex story in which the lives of the Wickhams and Jude's family are connected, added to that are connections to other characters who do not appear until later in the book.This book has been painstakingly written, and although a work fiction there has been research undertaken using the methods available as if the storyline were real. Certainly my best read of the year so far and I am looking forward to more from this author.
    • 3/5
      This is the story of Jude, a thirty-something widow, who works for a London firm of auctioneers. One day she takes a telephone call which leads to some work at Starbrough Hall in Norfolk valuing a collection of eighteenth century astronomy equipment, books and journals. Jude's family also comes from the area and the history of her family becomes intertwined with the writings of the enigmatic Esther in the journals. This novel follows Jude and her quest to unravel the mysteries uncovered by her work - who is Esther and what became of her? what happened to Gran's gypsy friend, Tamsin? and why is Jude's niece, Summer, having nightmares? It all centres around a folly built by the former owner of Starbrough Hall, Anthony Wickham, as a venue for his stargazing.In many ways I loved this book. I felt the underlying story worked well. It was a little slow-paced but the story was engaging and I felt compelled to read on to find out how things fell into place. There were some interesting sub-plots too such as Jude's somewhat dysfunctional family - it was refreshing to see the tension between Jude and her sister, Claire. I have a somewhat confusing friendly-frosty relationship with my own older sister so I was pleased for a complex sibling relationship to be portrayed rather than the best friend lovey-dovey sisterly relationships you normally get in books. Of course there is a love interest for Jude too - she is struggling to get over the tragic death of her young husband and it takes someone special to help her move on.However... this book was totally spoilt by weak writing and poor editing. Part three was particularly tedious with the mystery unfolding far too conveniently and everyone ending up related to everyone else. It also dragged on far too long, the family reunion in the Hall was painful to read - did Valerie really need to turn up, the author could easily have left her in Spain with no impact on the rest of the story? Then, when we'd got to the bottom of it all and the romance was off and running, the book kept on going with the exhibition at Madingsfield. Any gaps in the story which couldn't be filled in through academic research were revealed through Jude's own dreams - a lazy tool for writing I think.There was a lot of dialogue which was often twee and unconvincing. Jude was Little Miss Perfect, whilst everyone else had their faults she always knew the right thing to do and the right thing to say. No wonder her sister found her annoying! There were also moments in the book that just didn't ring true - for example, here are some quotes from when Jude first hears about Starbrough Hall:"Where on earth was Starbrough Hall though?"... "Jude flipped to a fresh page on her notepad and wrote 'Starbrough Hall' at the top in neat capitals, then stared at the words, trying to understand why they tugged at her memory."Well, it just happens to be the manor house in the area where Jude's family has lived for generations! Surely she'd have known that immediately. It might have been a good opportunity for the author to introduce her much-loved phrase "Oh, what a coincidence".This brings me to a pattern that is emerging when I read books written by authors who have worked in publishing. They invariably seem to be poorly edited - are these people beyond reproach? Other examples I am thinking of are 'Labyrinth' by Kate Mosse and 'Hunting Unicorns' by Bella Pollen. Both were good stories that could have been so much better with some assertive editing.Finally I can't let this go without a special mention for the proofreader. The Kindle edition at least was riddled with errors - whole passages went by with commas and full stops either missing or misplaced. Quite often speech marks were missing at the beginning of sentences so that you don't realise that someone is speaking until later on in the sentence. But most irritating of all is the use of the word 'discover' as a noun. It is not a noun, it is a verb , to discover. The correct singular of the word 'discoveries' is 'discovery'. Similarly, you don't look up a telephone number in a 'director' you use a 'directory'. Proofreading like that is unforgiveable.On balance I enjoyed the book and the story but I feel it is completely let down by the unprofessional publishing.
    • 2/5
      Interesting premise dealing with astronomy, family secrets, strange goings on in town, a fascinating house, and a book collection with a bit of a love story tied in. The heroine, on top of dealing with the above, also must get over the death of her husband and realize she's in love with the idea of being in love, but not necessarily in love with the current man she's with...Really, though, I found it way too slow and it took too long to get to the point. It didn't do anything for me. I found myself setting it aside constantly for something else and discovered I never particularly wanted to go back to it. It didn't grab or hold me.
    • 4/5
      I liked it, but some things just seemed kind of forced. I'm glad I read it, though, and I enjoyed it.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this story within a story going from past to present. Jude was working at an auction house. She goes back to her family's roots and unravela the mystery of Starbrough Hall and the folly together with the mystery of the unexplained nightmares that she shares with her 7 year old niece. This novel comes together nicely and solves a long ago mystery.
    • 4/5
      I won this book through the Early Review program and I truly loved this book. The author was able to weave a wonderful story that kept me turning pages from beginning to end. The relationships that are born either before, through or from the story gave insight into the characters and allowed me to become invested in the characters and the story. The present/past aspect was well written and never seemed out of place within the story. The only part that I felt a bit lacking was the ending. I am not sure what I would have changed exactly but I found it to be a bit lame. Maybe that isn't the best word that I could use but it is the only one that comes to mind other than yawning. Maybe a bit more pizazz in the ending. Otherwise I really loved this story. I believe anyone that enjoys historical fiction or cozy mysteries would enjoy this book. Judith "Jude" Gower is an auction house appraiser. She loves her job and getting to work with old items. One day she answers the phone of a colleague and ends up stepping into her dream job. She is asked to appraise the books, manuscripts, journals and instruments of and 18th century Astronomer named Anthony Wickham. But, what does it all mean to Jude personally? Why is there a familiarity with the family and the stories the items, she is appraising, begin to tell? Why did she have dreams, as a child, that have a direct bearing on the past? Why, now, is her 8 year old niece, Summer, having the same dreams? Jude knows she must tell the story of this man, Anthony Wickham, and his adopted daughter, Esther. In order to bring the items to life for the buyers she must dig into the past. But, in doing so she finds so much more than their story, she find a mystery surrounding the adopted daughter and somehow it not only is tied to the items, but to Jude and her family.
    • 4/5
      I received this book from Librarything Early Review Program and with so much going on in my life I’ve gotten behind on my ER’s so I picked this one up on audio and am very glad I did as Jilly Bond’s narration was really good, so this will be a review of the book and the narration. Recently widowed antique appraiser Jude is trying to get on with her life but she can’t stop thinking of her husband so she decides to take a working vacation to look at some old astronomy texts and equipment and this is when the coincidences start. The estate where these things are is where Jude’s Great Grandfather was groundskeeper and where her Grandmother grew up, but she doesn’t like to talk too much about that time of her life except that there was a gypsy girl. It is also close to her sister and niece who seem to be having the same dreams Jude had as a child. Is that possible? And what is her grandmother hiding? Also why does this place look like the dreams Jude had as a child?I thought the author did a great job at weaving the past and present storylines together and the mystery of the dreams and what happened to Esther in the 1700’s. I enjoyed the mystery of Esther, this 18th century foundling adopted by rich amateur astronomer they are a happy father and daughter and he seems to love sharing his love of the stars with her, but her story isn’t always a happy one and when Jude finds her journals she starts to unlock the mystery of Esther’s life. This has a magical realism feel to it with the astrology and the dreams. It also has a touch of romance but it doesn’t over power the book. I enjoyed this new to me author’s writing style and will definitely read more by her.If you are a fan of Kate Morton or Susanna Kearsley I think you will like this book it has the same kind of feel to it with the present story mixed in with the past.Narrator Jilly Bond brought this story to life for me, her voices were well done and her male & female characters weren’t overdone. I was impressed with her work and will seek out other books narrated by her.4 Stars
    • 3/5
      From fantastic fiction:The night before it all begins, Jude has the dream again ...Can dreams be passed down through families? As a child Jude suffered a recurrent nightmare: running through a dark forest, crying for her mother. Now her six-year-old niece, Summer, is having the same dream, and Jude is frightened for her. A successful auctioneer, Jude is struggling to come to terms with the death of her husband. When she's asked to value a collection of scientific instruments and manuscripts belonging to Anthony Wickham, a lonely 18th century astronomer, she leaps at the chance to escape London for the untamed beauty of Norfolk, where she grew up. As Jude untangles Wickham's tragic story, she discovers threatening links to the present. What have Summer's nightmares to do with Starbrough folly, the eerie crumbling tower in the forest from which Wickham and his adopted daughter Esther once viewed the night sky? With the help of Euan, a local naturalist, Jude searches for answers in the wild, haunting splendour of the Norfolk woods. Dare she leave behind the sadness in her own life, and learn to love again?I was totally disappointed with this book as I had heard so much good things about it. This book sounded right up my street. A mysterious folly, family secrets to be found, a love interest, gypsies in the wood. At one point I even thought the story was going to be about reincarnation. I found the book very sugary and not gritty enough for its content. Certain topics were picked upon but not followed through. Other times the story was predictable. I felt really let down with this one. Would I recommend this book: Well it’s not all bad and for a rainy Sunday afternoon it’s an OK read.
    • 4/5
      Slow paced but interesting book with history, astronomy, and old estate and family secrets. Loved reading about the auction house and their inner workings as well as the pressure they are under financially. Good read but think it would have benefited by upping the pacing of the story a bit.
    • 1/5
      I don't generally read novels marketed as "women's fiction" but this was pushed into my hands by a co-worker who convincingly raved about it, and so I dutifully worked my way through it. Maybe it’s too strong to say I was disappointed as I didn’t have sky-high expectations, but I was certainly unimpressed.

      For me the story failed to live up to a number of promises. The ‘blurb’ hints at a supernatural element that never appears, and the intimations of menace came to nothing of interest. Despite the potential for intrigue it was simply rather dull and entirely predictable. There were far too many contrived and transparent coincidences in the plot and denouement – in fact I felt maybe the novel should have been more accurately called ‘A Place of Coincidences’. I do feel over-reliance on coincidences and the reader’s willingness to accept implausible plot devices is the mark of lazy writing.

      Another reason why I failed to be gripped was the characterisation. The female lead, Jude, was rather wearying and not particularly likeable. I just wanted to give her a good shaking! The romantic hero, Euan, was stereotypically New Man – rescuing bunnies and living in a gypsy caravan. I couldn’t care for them individually or as a couple. Most of the supporting cast were two-dimensional clichés. The most interesting were the 18th century astronomer Anthony Wickham and his adoptive daughter Esther. Actually, the 18th century parts were the most appealing in the book - it was the astronomical details that kept me reading rather than the trite modern day romance.

      Ultimately, although I found it entertaining enough for a lightweight read to while away a few hours I think I’m just the wrong reader for this type of novel.
    • 5/5
      As a child Jude Gower suffered from nightmares of her running through a forest crying for her mother. Now years later her niece Summer suffers from the same nightmare. When Jude goes to Norfolk to value a collection of scientific instruments and manuscripts belonging to Anthony Wickham she discovers links to the present. This was such a good read and a really good mystery. I loved the characters and the timelines that ran along side of each other. A must read. I won this from Goodreads.
    • 4/5
      A complex storyline, beginning when Jude has a recurrent dream which, oddly, is shared by her young niece. She goes to examine and value a collection of books about astronomy, becomes embroiled in the lives of the family she meets, and sets off a surprising series of events. Nicely written with fascinating forays into the past which came across as authentically done. Some suspense, and low-key romance, as well as good family relationships and believable people.

      The plot-line did contain far too many coincidences, a few of which were so far-fetched I had to take a deep breath to swallow them. But still, suspending reality isn't necessarily a problem in fiction, and the novel was primarily character-based - so, all in all, I enjoyed it
    • 5/5
      I found this book to be truly captivating. I was hooked from page one. The main character Jude works for an auction house and that is what leads her to Starbrough Hall to find out about an astrologer's collection of books and journals. While she is researching these items she learns of secrets that might somehow be related to her and this recurring dream that she has had since childhood. It is the same dream that her niece has been having. Throughout the book you follow Jude and her research into the mysterious past of Anthony Wickham and his adoptive daughter Esther with secrets revealing themselves along the way.Overall the book was excellent. I do have to admit, along with my fellow reviewers, that at times the plot has coincidences that just seemed far-fetched. I find it hard to believe that these "coincidences" happened very often and just were so neat and tidy. I probably could have done without that, but I enjoyed learning more about astrology and reading this book.
    • 4/5
      I won this book through Librarything. It is about an auction appraiser who while examining manuscripts and instruments of an eighteenth-century astronomer discovers secrets that tie her family to the family of the astronomer. The author did a good job with the characters and I highly recommend reading this book if you like historical fiction.
    • 4/5
      I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I was not familiar with this author, but the book description sucked me in, and although it was a little slow to begin with, the pace picked up & kept going. This doesn't really fall into one specific genre, I don't think. There's a little history, a little mystery, some subtle romance, and an English countryside setting. Altogether, a nice combination. Probably my biggest complaint about this novel was its title. Not sure what I would've titled it, but "A Place of Secrets" seems underwhelming. However, I certainly enjoyed this well enough to look for others by this author.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this story of a contemporary rare book expert and an18th century astronomer. Although the tension was mostly not very tense, all the different lives wound satisfactorily around one another like the astronomer's orrery sphere. In fact, there were so many people involved by the end that the relationships got a bit difficult to sort out, but all the major characters had their plot lines resolved, so I guess I can't complain too much. An enjoyable read with a bit of romance, a nice bit of astronomy, and just enough historical mystery to keep the story going.
    • 4/5
      I loved this story that is set in the English countryside. Jude works for an auction house and travels to Starbrough Hall to appraise the books and instruments of an eighteenth century astronomer. She learns he had an adopted daughter, Esther, but there is a mystery about her. Jude's family lives in the area and have a connection to the Starbrough estate. Maybe there were a few too many coincidences but, hey, this is fiction, and I enjoyed reading this engaging novel.
    • 3/5
      This is an old-fashioned romantic suspense novel, reminiscent of Victoria Holt and Phyllis A. Whitney. There's really not a lot of suspense, and the romance parts could safely be read by your grandmother, but it's an interesting story all the same. Hore tells two tales here, in the by now familiar device of having the protagonist of one storyline research the protagonist of the other tale.Jude works for a London auction house. She is sent to Norfolk to prepare an astronomer's library for auction. She's glad to go as she has a grandmother, sister and niece living nearby and she's eager to repair her relationship with her sister. She meets a man, but discovers that her sister has feelings for him, and she's enthralled by the story she's piecing together from the library, that of the adoptive daughter of the astronomer, who played a large role in his discoveries and whose life before and after her time with the astronomer are shrouded in mystery.This is a gentle book. The moments of danger are presented so as to give no real concern for the characters involved. The various plots are all carefully and completely wrapped up at the end, so as to leave no room for uncertainty. While never exciting, A Place of Secrets was a soothing read for a cold winter's evening.
    • 4/5
      I won this book from goodreads first reads program.This was a wonderful engrossing read for me.The story for me is about so many things friendship,sisterhood,family,love,loss,mystery.This book was a wonderful mix of historical fiction mixed with the modern day.I don't want to give away spoilers for the book so I will try my best.The book reminded me a bit of gothic mystery novels I have read mixed with a mystery romance novel.I loved this book very much and couldn't wait for Jude to find the next clue from the past.I highly recommend the book and I plan on reading more from this author for sure.My feelings after reading the book are a bit sad because the story is over I wish there was more.
    • 4/5
      Spellbound. I really enjoyed this read. Norfolk, England, and Ms. Hore’s fictional Starbrough estate were so real in my mind, I had a hard time walking back out of her story. Good characterization, too, in that the book was peopled with those whose motivations felt real, (although some felt typecast, from the benevolent adoptive father, to the wicked, conniving sister). For the auction house where she works, Jude’s current project involves valuing a family’s holdings of antique and rare astronomy books. To heighten appeal for the auction, she researches the history of the family and comes upon a mystery, which leads to another, which leads to another. It didn’t bother me a bit that the coincidences were highly implausible, or that everything wrapped up so tidily by the end. In tying all the threads together, the author created a spellbinding story. In dual time lines from the late 1700’s and the early 2000s, the backbone of the story rests in astronomy, with dreams, sisters, gypsies, a folly, and a journal playing their parts. I was just of a mood to toss aside reality for a while and ride this suspenseful story wherever it took me. And I really enjoyed the ride.
    • 5/5
      This is a soft edged, cozy mystery that is filled with little corners of of starlit magic. The magic is the everyday sort that we only see when we allow our eyes to be opento it, and our hearts to accept it. The twist and turns, and there are many.. are more like meandering paths than tangled threads, and somehow, at the end, the author brings us out into a clearing that is sparkling with happiness and love. Yes, there is a bit of romance here but it is so deftly made a part of the story as to feel very real and pleasant. The many turns of the story are brought together by several people who themselves are made made different, brighter by the knowledge that their interest, their labors have uncovered. The story begins in the 18th century, and the story begins pleasantly enoughin a library, where so many good mysteries end. A family home will fall into ruin if the money is not found to save it. The answer lies in the library, or rather is the sale of the books and stargazing equipment that make it the beautiful and memorable lace that it has come to be. One family member in particular is unhappy with the decision, but she sees that it holds the answer. At least, she sees the answer to the financial question, but little does she know that the exploration of the library prior to its sale at auction will bring together a town and many scattered members of a family she has never met. There is of course a tower, and as all good towers do, this one holds secrets of its own. It is a place where the ghost of the past is noticed by nearly everyone who wanders too near. Can this be where the secret of the Wickham family is revealed? Jude, an appraiser for the auction house that will sell the contents of the library, feels drawn to find out. This one is a keeper.. recommended.
    • 5/5
      A lot of reviews with similar thoughts to my own, so will just add that, I felt this book had been rushed in parts. Almost as if the author had been forced to hurry up the end. It felt as though too much time had been spent on on part of the story, and the end was merely a catchup.However, it was a good read, and i did like the parts of Esthers Diary, they did feel like the true diary of a young girl from the 18th century
    • 3/5
      This book is like a puzzle, in which auctioneer Jude tries to discover what happened to astronomer Anthony Wickham and his daughter Esther in the eighteenth century. Their story is tragic and moving, I loved that. Jude's own story is less interesting, but that doesn't matter, since the focus lies on how she untangles what happened to the father and daughter. I must admit that there are an awful lot of coincidences to make the puzzle pieces fit together. You also have to go with the supernatural thing, in which both Jude and her niece have the same nightmares that explain what happened to Esther. Possibly there are ghosts too. Sometimes it is frustrating when the writer starts giving a clue, but then stops halfway and you have to wait for the rest. For example: grandma starts telling something important but then stops talking about it ; a colleague auctioneer thinks he has seen the crucial necklace before but doesn't remember when or where ; Jude reads Esther's diary but then gets a headache and stops reading ; and so on. I realise that for some this is adding to the suspense, but it is just annoying to me.And I was left with questions too. (You can skip this paragraph if you haven't read the book yet.) If the dreams were hereditary, then why did Jude and her niece dream about Rowan and not Esther? What scared Marty on the roof of the folly before he died? What was the white blur on grandma's picture of the folly? Did Jude's husband cheat on her or not? Why would Anthony keep Esther's diary in his library if it could prove he was not the rightful heir?Although I have my reservations, it was a good book.
    • 4/5
      Great gothic story! I enjoyed this story within a story, going back from the past to the present. I wasn't able to guess the plot twist at the end of the story.
    • 5/5
      I absolutely love it! Made me want to keep on reading just a few more pages every time. The author sets a perfect pace for narrating the story - and the twists!
    • 5/5
      History, connections, oincidences, romance . Great read:)
    • 3/5
      I am usually drawn to stories about old English houses and the mysteries they can contain, which is why I wanted to read this book. I found it to be pleasant but slow; honestly, I lost interest once I started reading about the six-year-old girl with dreams similar to her aunts...it just did not ring true to me. I did like the parts about the old books and instruments, but the rest of the story did not grip me.