Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: March 7, 2017
Source: Borrowed from the library
Rating: ★★★★
This chilling novel from the bestselling, award-winning author of The Lake of Dead Languages blends the gothic allure of Daphne DuMaurier’s Rebecca and the crazed undertones of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper with the twisty, contemporary edge of A.S.A. Harrison’s The Silent Wife—a harrowing tale of psychological suspense set in New York’s Hudson Valley.
When Jess and Clare Martin move from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to their former college town in the Hudson River valley, they are hoping for rejuvenation—of their marriage, their savings, and Jess’s writing career.
They take a caretaker’s job at Riven House, a crumbling estate and the home of their old college writing professor. While Clare once had dreams of being a writer, those plans fell by the wayside when Jess made a big, splashy literary debut in their twenties. It’s been years, now, since his first novel. The advance has long been spent. Clare’s hope is that the pastoral beauty and nostalgia of the Hudson Valley will offer some inspiration.
But their new life isn’t all quaint town libraries and fragrant apple orchards. There is a haunting pall that hangs over Riven House like a funeral veil. Something is just not right. Soon, Clare begins to hear babies crying at night, see strange figures in fog at the edge of their property. Diving into the history of the area, she realizes that Riven House has a dark and anguished past. And whatever this thing is—this menacing force that destroys the inhabitants of the estate—it seems to be after Clare next…
I enjoyed this Modern Gothic from Carol Goodman. It’s creepy and twisty, and it keeps you guessing as to what’s really going on.
The main characters are Jess and Clare Martin, who met in an “invitation only” writing class in college. Jess had one novel published in his early twenties, but that was years ago, and now they’re broke. The couple ends up back in their small college town as caretakers of their old writing professor’s crumbling estate. It seems like the perfect place to rekindle Jess’ writing career – possibly Clare’s too – but the house has a dark history, and its ghosts don’t want to keep quiet.
I liked the eerie atmosphere and uneasy feeling the story conveyed, and the mystery of the house’s tragic past was intriguing. Loved how it all wrapped up in the end! I was quite surprised at the outcome. I’m glad I spotted this one at the library and will definitely add Carol Goodman’s other books to my wishlist.
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