Veil of Doubt

Veil of Doubt by Sharon Virts 410 pages

 

Set in Virginia in 1872, “Veil of Doubt” tells the story of Emily Lloyd, a widow who is accused of murdering her youngest child, three-year-old Maud. Her death is gruesome and hard to watch. And what’s even more ghastly is that Maud’s autopsy takes place on her deathbed, right in front of Emily. (I admit I gagged a couple of times.)

 

Unfortunately, Emily is no stranger to death. Her other three children, her aunt and her husband have all mysteriously died. Maud’s death is the last straw. The authorities, and indeed the entire town, are convinced that there is something deeply wrong with the woman.

 

Her lawyer is Powell Harrison, a family who has recently returned to help his brother run his father’s law practice. When Powell is approached to defend Emily, he initially declines. He wants no part of it. But he relents, believing his strategy will be insanity. But as the investigation dives deeper and deeper, Powell is not so sure that she is insane. He believes that a prior traumatic event muddled her brain. It’s a slippery slope, but as his brother tells him, “you promised to defend her. You made no promise to defend the truth. It's not up to you to prove she is responsible for the deaths of her children or not.” 

 

“Veil of Doubt” got off to a slow start for me. Watching Maud die and Emily’s time in prison made for some difficult reading. But as the book progressed, I found it harder and harder to put down. As facts and the truth are uncovered, it’s obvious that Emily is not in her right mind. Or is she? I’m glad I was not one of the jurors; I vacillated between guilty and innocent from one page to the next. There are shocking and more shocking revelations as the story progresses. A shocking surprise ending made this novel worth the read. I think I gasped at least once every page of the trial. So many surprises and twists. And it was worth it!

 

“Veil of Doubt” receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

 

NOTE: “Veil of Doubt” is based on a true crime.

 

 

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson 146 pages

It’s October, and if you are looking for a spooky read, forget Stephen King and grab a copy of any of Shirley Jackson’s books. I love how Jackson’s terror is so subtle.

In this, the last book she published, in 1962, the basis is family. Generation of Blackwoods have lived on their estate, but now a shroud has been draped over the family’s reputation.  One of the three remaining Blackwoods is guilty of poisoning the rest of the family.

The suspects are:

            *Eighteen-year-old Mary Katherine, known throughout the village and by the family as Merricat, has been acquitted of all wrongdoing.

            *Uncle Julian, who drank just enough of the poison wine to render him an invalid and confined to a wheelchair.

            *Merricat’s sister, Constance, who never leaves the estate and rarely ventures past her garden.

The answer to the crime seems obvious, but nothing is ever like it seems in a Shirley Jackson story.

Merricat goes into the village on Tuesdays and Fridays to get groceries and whatever else the family needs, but she hates it.  The villagers avoid her and the children make fun of her.

I gather that the estate and the house that looks like a castle is quite large. The three don’t live in the house’s entirety, but five rooms at the most.

One day, a cousin, Charles, appears at their door. He has heard the rumors of a fortune being stashed on the estate and is determined to find it.

Okay, I can’t say anymore without giving the plot away, so you’ll have to read this one for yourself.  I highly recommend it.  “We Have Always Lived in the Castle” receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

A Lullaby for Witches

 “A Lullaby for Witches” by Hester Cox   320 pages 

Wow! Somebody is as bad as math as I am.  This is a dual-timeline story (one of my favorite plot structure!): 1876 and 150 years later. Well, 150 + 1876 = 2026. I don’t think it was meant to be futuristic. The story doesn’t give any indication of that. 

In 1876, Margaret Harlow is the daughter of a wealthy New England family in Tynemouth, Massachusetts, a town not terribly far from Salem. It is time for Margaret to marry. Her father has picked her husband, but Margaret has other ideas. Margaret isn’t like all the other girls. She does not want to do needlework all day and raise a passel of children. 

Margaret likes to roam the cliffs and the nearby woods. She learns about plants and their natural healing powers...both positive and negative. It isn’t too long before the word “witch” becomes synonymous with her. Women with a variety of aches and problems seek out Margaret, meeting her in her little cabin in the woods in the late evening/early morning hours. 

Fast forward to what I will call contemporary times. Augusta Podos has a job as a tour guide at the Old City Jail, in Salem. She hates giving the same tour day after day after day. When a dream job as a curator at Harlow House (Margaret’s ancestral home), Augusta jumps at the chance to work there. 

As she is getting the grand tour, Augusta sees a painting that is Margaret. Little is known about Margaret as she had fallen off the family tree. Augusta takes on the challenge of uncovering Margaret’s story. Along the way, Augusta dumps her fiancé and falls for one of her co-workers. 

Augusta feels Margaret’s. When she enters certain rooms, she is transported back to 1876 and sees what is happening through Margaret’s eyes. As time goes by, the hallucinations become stronger and stronger. 

I really enjoyed the sense of the paranormal and Augusta’s hunt for Margaret through the paper trail. However, in the last fourth of the book, the story took an evil and twisted spin that came from nowhere. It was a three-hundred-sixty degree turnaround that was not smooth. “A Lullaby for Witches” receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

Ruby Falls

Ruby Falls by Deborah Goodrich Royce 272 pages 

Author Deborah Goodrich Royce employs one of my favorite plot devices, dueling timelines, to create a gothic, atmospheric, creepy and unsatisfying tale.

Ruby Eleanor Russell is six years old when she and her father take a trip to Lookout Mountain, Tennessee. At one point in the guided tour, the guides have the lights go out, so the tourists can hear the waters of Ruby Falls. It is there, while standing within a crowd of people, that Ruby’s father releases her hand and disappears. He is never seen or heard from again. That event, as one can imagine, affects the rest of Ruby’s life with deep-seated abandonment issues.

Flash forward to 1987. Ruby now goes by Eleanor. She is a famous soap opera actress who was recently fired from her job after, I think, suffering from a nervous breakdown. Eleanor’s character was quite popular, and I really didn’t understand why they let her go.

Needing to get away, and I’m not sure why, Eleanor flies to Zurich, where she is sent by a letter her father left behind. I didn’t get it, but I was intrigued. There she meets a British aristocrat, Orlando Montague. For someone supposedly so wealthy, Orlando depends on her money for everything they need or want. After a whirlwind romance, they return to Los Angeles as a married couple.

There they buy a rose-covered cottage in the Hollywood Hills. Eleanor lands the lead in the movie remake of Daphne du Maurier’s “Rebecca.” It’s not just a remake---it’s a gothic remake. That aspect of the novel, the remake of one of my favorite films, led me to want to read this novel. Life is good.

As Eleanor immerses herself in the role, her private life becomes more and more weird. She fears she is suffering a relapse of the condition that forced the television executives to fire her, but she cannot be sure. She adopts a cat and meets the woman across the street, whom I swear is a ghost. 

Behind their home is a small building that they use for an office. Orlando runs his high-end antique business from there as he looks for office space. Then he begins to change. He becomes evasive and abusive, making secret phone calls and taking secret trips.

The last third of the book didn’t make any sense to me. I wasn’t sure if Eleanor was having a breakdown and/or if Orlando was a criminal, plotting his next move. Maybe both. The ending confused me, and left me wondering “huh?” 

Part of me wants to give this book two stars. However. I could not put it down. I was desperately trying to figure it out and was unsatisfied---okay outraged---when I turned the last page. But never once did I even consider not finishing it. Therefore, “Ruby Falls” receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

Gideon the Ninth

Gideon the Ninth  (The Ninth House #1) by Tamsyn Muir 448 pages  I read a galley - book is due out September 2019

"The Emperor needs necromancers.  The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman. Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit.

Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won't set her free without a service.

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will be become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon's sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die.


Of course, some things are better left dead."  (Summary per Goodreads)

I used the summary from Goodreads because I couldn't think of a better way to summarize this story. I found this was not a quick read, even though I was enjoying the book, simply because there's a lot of detail to keep track of. You aren't given much backstory on either the characters or the world they live in, and while that's ok, I found I was sometimes going back and double-checking the list of characters at the front of the book just to keep track of who was who.  I did like that this is a kind of adventure/mystery/swords and sorcery-necromancy story. I liked that Gideon is a character who doesn't try to be something she isn't; she enjoys her sarcasm and plainly states how she feels about things. I also liked the queer elements in this story, as well as the way that the author plainly puts how characters feel about each other.  I also liked that the necromancy here has yucky elements, which is what you'd completely expect but somehow can get scrubbed out of stories.  I loved the bone necromancy of Harrowhark and the other characters, as well as the other elements of necromancy.  This is a gothic fantasy/science fiction story that not be for every reader, but was something I enjoyed. And I'm already looking forward to the second book, which is annoying considering this book isn't even published yet.

The Castle of Otranto

The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole     125 pages

Considered the first "Gothic novel," Walpole's story takes place in the Castle of Otranto, where its prince struggles to keep his title and the castle while fighting against an ancient prophecy. Supernatural elements occur and mayhem ensues.

This story was so crazy. I chalk it up to the time it was written (1764). It was very heavy-handed with the religious content - almost every character wished to quit their mortal life and go to heaven, there were extreme caricatures - all the women were totally and completely subservient to their husbands/fathers. Example: the main character, Manfred, wants to divorce his wife so he can marry the girl he was about to marry to his son, who's death opens the novella. His wife, Hippolita, is completely cool with it because she totally loves him and only wishes the best for him and she'll just become a nun and pray for her husband and daughter's good health and wait for her death. Like, seriously, Hippolita and her daughter both want to become nuns and pray until they die, even when their lives are seriously crappy and it's totally not their fault, but they'd never speak against their husband/father.

Honestly, this work feels much too dated for me to really appreciate. The Gothic aspects of the novella were really cheesy - portrait ghosts and overly large swords, helmets, and arms/feet appearing out of nowhere, but really they just represent Heaven's displeasure at Manfred still clinging to his castle.

The Barrowfields

  

The Barrowfields by Phillip Lewis 368 pages

I was attracted to Lewis’ debut novel for two reasons. First, I read that someone thought this is the kind of novel “you’d get if you crossed Shirley Jackson and Pat Conroy; a southern Gothic haunted house tale with a coming of age story.” Jackson, Conroy, Southern, Gothic, haunted house. I admit it, there wasn’t much that could stop me from reading this one.

I had, wrongly, assumed, that Barrowfields was either a) the family name, b) the name of the house, or c) the name of a town. Actually, Barrowfields is a barren wasteland in North Carolina. I “think” it’s near the coast, but I can’t remember right now.

The story centers around the Aster family. They are typical Appalachian folk: poor, hard-working, honest. Helton and Madeline do their best. Their “children were well cared for even if food and clothes were hard to come by.”

The couple has one son, Henry. He is different than other kids; he loves to read (another reason I was drawn to this story). He leaves the mountains, desperate to make it as writer, but gets a law degree, for college, but ultimately returns with a pregnant wife in tow. They settle down to make a life, purchasing a gothic house high on the hill.  

They have a son, Henry, Jr., who narrates the novel. They settle into life. And that’s the problem with this novel. While the writing is beautiful, the plot just moseys along, It’s like reading about a bunch of people sitting around thinking. I think it’s the long sentences and the slow pace that made this such a chore. I wasn’t pulled into the story; I couldn’t find an arc that really enticed me to read. 

Little to no plot in a beautifully written novel are the reasons that  The Barrowfields receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review.

Jane Steele

Jane Steele by  Lyndsay Faye.   432 pages.

Like the heroine Jane Eyre, Jane Steele suffers at the hands of her aunt and a schoolmaster.  And like, the other Jane, she winds up as a governess in a house owned by a mysterious man.  The one big difference between the two Janes is that when Jane Steele flees bad situations, she leaves behind corpses.

Admittedly, it's been a while since I read Jane Eyre, so this "gothic re-telling" seemed pretty fresh (although I would at points remember parts of the original book).    I actually felt like this story was more of a "gothic inspiration," and liked that our heroine was much darker than the original Jane.  Jane Steele is aptly named; I felt like she was someone who might appear pliant on the outside, but whose inner core is pure steel.   She defies the expectations of girls of her day, and instead, isn't afraid to take matters into her own hands (and get blood on said hands).   Admittedly, I would have liked a bit more of the story spent either at boarding school or on the streets of London, since I felt like once Jane became a governess, the story felt like it slowed down a little (and got a bit muddled, as well).    However, I liked this fresh story --- and have already suggested it to some of my readers who have asked for Jane Eyre off the library shelves.

The Lake House

The Lake House by Kate Morton
495 Pages

 " Living on her family's idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, innocent, and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories. But the mysteries she pens are no match for the one her family is about to endure... One midsummer's eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, eleven-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. What follows is a tragedy that tears the family apart in ways they never imagined. Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long successful career as an author. Theo's case has never been solved, though Alice still harbors a suspicion as to the culprit. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather's house in Cornwall. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old estate--now crumbling and covered with vines, clearly abandoned long ago. Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone...yet more present than ever."

Kate Morton doesn't disappoint in her latest book.  The reader is transported between the past and present and it kept guessing at an ages old mystery.  Of course if you read a lot of Morton's book you would be led to believe that England is chock full of old, abandoned manor  houses (with all their furnishings of course).

Untold

Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan, 370 pages

The second book in The Lynburn legacy series starts where the last book left off, with Rob and Lillian Lynburn fighting for control of the town and Kami Glass, along with Ash and Jared Lynburn and her other friends, mostly supporting Lillian, as she is the sorcerer who doesn’t intend to bring back ritual human sacrifice. However, the bond between Jared and Kami has been broken and now Jared can’t stand to be near Kami. Kami isn’t sure if her feelings for Jared are real, or a product of the bond. And fighting sorcerers together might be a problem if they can’t be in the same room together. 

Untold

Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan, 370 pages

Untold survives almost exclusively on its charm and its humor.

In theory, Untold is half gothic action-adventure-mystery, and half paranormal romance, but by this point (ie. the second book in the Lynburn Legacy series), it's shed most of its pretense of mystery or adventure. There's still action peppered in, and the gothic setting is still present, but much of the mystery has been relegated to "... and then Kami researched the thing; by the way did you know about cute boys?" Which is fine, that was certainly a big part of the first book, but it makes the second entry feel less complex - like it's missing something. In fact, it feels a lot like a romance anime: Any time it's possible for there to be a lovers' quarrel or a romantic misunderstanding, you can bet that quarrel/misunderstanding is going to take place.

Example: oh I just happened to walk in at the one time when you two look like you're kissing (even though you're not), I hope you two have fun *walk away and pout*

However! The single strongest point from the first book (Unspoken) - the thing that most notably set it apart from other books in the genre - is still present here: the humor. Despite their predilection for sulking and annoyingly fawning over each other, the characters here are exceptionally charming. The dialogue is practically guaranteed to make you smile. It keeps the story from feeling overly-dour, and it makes the main cast of characters stand out. Without its humor, this series would feel by-the-numbers and lifeless. With its humor, it's notable and endearing.

Also, it's refreshing to have a female character that cleanly falls on the spectrum between the emotionally-detached ass-kicker and the flip-switch emotional blubbering mess. Case in point:

"Here she was, lonely and miserable, and she was still going to go into the gym and do what needed to be done. She had wondered who she was ... stripped of all her supports and forced to stand on her own. She had worried that she would break if her heart broke, but she wasn't broken. She had lost everything, but she was not lost. It seemed a worthwhile thing to know."
-Untold, pg. 118

Yes, it's possible to have a strong female character that still cares about things. Yes, it's possible to have a character that is vulnerable enough to cry but is able to set that pain aside to get things done. Who knew?