This story is almost over the top gothic. It begins with a
husband and wife, Charles and Erin Hayden, inheriting a fortune and a huge
manor house in England, one surrounded with primeval forest. They are a
miserable pair; he had an affair with a co-worker, their daughter died as a
direct result of this, his academic career is stalled, and the wife has
retreated into a haze of alcohol and prescription drugs. They hope this move
will help them move on, but the house belonged to Caedmon Hollow, who wrote a
Victorian dark fairy tale that Charles has been obsessed with since childhood. Erin
is the last survivor of the family
They find the place unsettling; they see images of their dead
daughter everywhere. The forest is moving closer to the house. Charles, looking
into the past to write a biography of Caedmon Hollow, meets Silva, the head of
the village’s historical society. She’s an intelligent and attractive woman,
and her daughter is almost a carbon copy of Charles’ and Erin’s dead daughter. You
can see where this might head. The whole situation is a great set up for
supernatural horror.
Sadly, I ended up not caring for the book very much. Charles
is an unlikable main character, even though he’s supposed to be seeking
redemption. Erin is a mere shadow of a person. The other characters start with
great potential, but end up just props for Charles. The ‘feel’ of the story is
wonderfully full of dread, as the unknown closes in. I loved the use of Celtic
mythology. Charles and Erin’s grief is portrayed beautifully, if that word can
be used for grief. But the end came rushing too suddenly; it was tied up as if
the author had a deadline to meet. I give it four stars for gothic suspense;
can’t give it five because of the main characters.
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