When I began reading Morton I envisioned some grande dame writing her novels from an aging manor in the English countryside. It was so outlandish, yet too tidy and pat - I unwittingly yelled out loud, on the subway, 'You've f***ing got to be kidding!' Because I like her prose and the ways she constructs a story - and many reviewers say her other books are better - I'm going to give Kate Morton one more try.

I had to force myself to continue thru to the end.

Too much supposition, not enough real intrigue. The mis-directions honestly read as lazy writing, especially from someone acclaimed to be a great storyteller. The “twists and turns” were more often than not red herrings/mis-direction - one direction, then another over and over and over again for 18+ hours. I am in the minority of reviewers who found “the twists and turns” to be annoying instead of engrossing. However, I was disappointed with this book. I will say that I like her writing style and the way she layered the story and layered the character developments. This was my first Kate Morton experience. yet more present than ever.Ī lush, atmospheric tale of intertwined destinies, this latest novel from a masterful storyteller is spellbinding and satisfying.Įnjoyed the writing, but oy vey, this book 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. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old estate - now crumbling and covered with vines, clearly abandoned long ago. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather’s house in Cornwall. Theo’s case has never been solved, though Alice still harbours a suspicion as to the culprit. Nearly 60 years later, having enjoyed a long, successful career as an author, Alice is now 80 years old and living in London. What follows is a tragedy that tears the family apart in ways they never imagined, leaving their estate as empty as their broken hearts. One midsummer’s eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest son, Theo, has vanished without a trace. But the mysteries she pens are no match for the one her family is about to endure.

Living on her family’s gorgeous lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, clever, inquisitive, innocent, and precociously talented 14 year old who loves to write stories.

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