The truth finds its way into the light, no matter what you’ve done to contain it

The Vanishing by Wendy Webb

 

 Recently widowed and rendered penniless by her Ponzi-scheming husband, Julia Bishop is eager to start anew. So when a stranger appears on her doorstep with a job offer, she finds herself accepting the mysterious yet unique position: caretaker to his mother, Amaris Sinclair, the famous and rather eccentric horror novelist whom Julia has always admired…and who the world believes is dead.

When she arrives at the Sinclairs' enormous estate on Lake Superior, Julia begins to suspect that there may be sinister undercurrents to her "too-good-to-be-true" position. As Julia delves into the reasons of why Amaris chose to abandon her successful writing career and withdraw from the public eye, her search leads to unsettling connections to her own family tree, making her wonder why she really was invited to Havenwood in the first place, and what monstrous secrets are still held prisoner within its walls.

The Vanishing by Wendy Webb was an enjoyable read for me. That being said, I wasn't necessarily blown away. I decided to read this book leading up to Halloween, hoping it would give me a few scares, but in the end nothing really frightened me. I'm a complete horror movie buff, so maybe I'm biased, but given the setting of an old creepy haunted mansion, I would expect the author to live up the setting and create a spooky atmosphere. Honestly, for me that didn't happen. I wasn't scared or surprised at all throughout the story (some of the scenes were cliche and corny). Still though, I'd say I liked it. Maybe not as a horror novel, but definitely as a thriller or suspense read. I enjoyed all of the twists and turns throughout the novel revolving around the main characters Julia and the eccentric, Amarise Sinclair. Overall, I felt it could be better but still an enjoyable read for a rainy day.

My Heart gave one appalling lurch and stopped beating altogether

The Seance - John Harwood
Wraxford Hall, a decaying mansion in the English countryside, has a sinister reputation. Once, a family disappeared there. And now Constance Langton has inherited this dark place as well as the mysteries surrounding it.
Having grown up in a house marked by the death of her sister, Constance is no stranger to mystery, secrets, and the dark magic around us. Her father was distant. Her mother was in perpetual morning for her lost child. In a desperate attempt to coax her mother back to health, Constance took her to a seance hoping she would find supernatural comfort. But tragic consequences followed, leaving her alone in the world— alone with Wraxford Hall. Saddled with this questionable bequest, she must find the truth at the heart of all these disappearances, apparitions, betrayal, blackmail, and villainy, even if it costs her life.

Hmm... so this book was just okay for me. I didn't dislike it, but I didn't really love it either. More than anything, I was left feeling disappointed. I got the impression that it was going to be a classic Victorian ghost story, but really it was a thriller more than anything else. When I think of a Victorian ghost story, I think... spooky mansion, weird noises, ghosts, supernatural occurrences, etc. And although certain parts definitely gave me chills, the story mainly revolved around the history of Wraxford Hall and it's descendants, as well as it's very sinister and deceiving heir. I also didn't care for the whole 'Seance' experiment and alchemy references.

I did enjoy the Gothic feel and atmosphere to it, however. Harwood is an excellent writer and I will definitely be looking out for his books in the near future (The Ghost Writer has amazing reviews!). I also liked the different character narratives of Wraxford Hall and how they all intertwined with one another. There were more than a few surprising twists and it's actually a great book.. (I'd recommend to any fans of the Gothic genre or novels set in 19th century England).. but for me, it was just a good read. Not great, but good. It just wasn't what I was expecting..

"--I was sitting up in bed reading when my grandmother came into the room and sat down in the chair beside me, looking exactly as she had when I was a little girl....The Chair creaked as she settled herself in it, smiled at me and took up her work, just as if she had only been gone five minutes, rather than resting in Kensal Green Cemetery for the past fifteen years." p104