This is an addictive read and very cleverly constructed. Is it a crime story, involving a father who disappeared 27 years ago with a stash of diamonds, or is it a creepy ghost story involving a haunted manse and a now lost church where women and children were incinerated during the Jacobite uprising? The story is told from the perspective of Ailsa, who has inherited her childhood home following the death of her mother. She returns to it, in the company of her half-sister, with the view to selling it if she can prove that her father is also dead. Insights are given into Ailsa's life and personality although her childhood memories of living in the manse are not complete and there is a feeling that she is not fully revealing her current situation. She is not always at ease with her half-sister, Carrie and does not trust others around her. She feels uncomfortable in the manse and the sense of foreboding is creepy.
The writing is eloquent with good descriptions of the surroundings as well as the characters. It is a book you will want to end but not to leave. The Manse, the people, the pub all make an impression.
The writing is eloquent with good descriptions of the surroundings as well as the characters. It is a book you will want to end but not to leave. The Manse, the people, the pub all make an impression.