*****5 Stars*****
This is a book about a curse, cast by a vindictive witch, on the Malenfer family generations ago. Far be it from me to say that she didn't have her reasons, for she certainly did; however, this book isn't one dimensional in that it doesn't focus on just the curse. This book is also a war story, a ghost story, and a love story. Completing this book is a complement of elements: a threatening mystery, the witch, an ancestral curse, a creepy graveyard, hidden rooms, an angry mob, murders, greed, revenge, regret, but above all, a story of redemption and renewal, with a wicked twist. This, to me, is a true Gothic novel, complex in plot, with quite a few subplots branching out that leave you guessing until the very end..."WHODUNNIT?"
The descriptions of the people and places are very vivid, yet subtle. The author didn't get carried away. His characters are superbly written to fit into this story. There isn't one that is extraneous; everyone has a purpose to fulfill. Not one of them feels "innocent" throughout the book. They all feel like they are slightly off, some downright nefarious, and therein lies the twist. The two main actors in this tale have such dimension, without a lot of fluff. Dermot is haunted by what he did and saw during WWII and is especially distraught over the death of his friend. Arthur, who happens to be a ghost, is haunted by the loss of his family to the curse and enlists Dermot to try and make sure it doesn't happen again. What you don't get at first is that Dermot is actually haunted by not only the war, but with the guilt he feels about how Arthur died. Imagine his surprise when he is in a café drinking away his pain, and Arthur walks by. And thus it begins...
There is so much I want to say about this one. I hesitate because I don't want to write a spoiler. So much happens in this book that it is also difficult to focus on one aspect of the story. Contrary to what you would think with this many side stories, it is not a jumbled mess. I love the way each component fits into the other. It just feels complete to me. All the story lines are wrapped up at the end, leaving you feeling satisfied. I saw a description in a review recently that this was sort of a ghostly French Downton Abbey. I would go a little further and say a French Downton Abbey that meets the creepiness of The Woman in Black.
If you are looking for an engaging, seat of your pants, gothic ghostly creeper of a story for Halloween, this is it!
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