REVIEW
What a captivating, creative spell-binding historical mystery! Annabelle Marx’s debut will put her in some high places in the literary world! This magnificent story set in the breathtaking Scottish Highlands really captured my heart from the very first page to the last. The dual timeline narratives work well side by side and come together seamlessly at the end.
Ardbray House in the Scottish country setting has a brooding presence and harbours ghosts that never seem to let go and move on. This mansion and its surrounding grounds become a character, living and breathing through its residents. It is easy to feel the loneliness and remoteness of the locale but also the freedom that comes with this wild untamed setting. All the trauma witnessed by these walls, gardens and waters flow effortlessly from the past to the present— so its history never dies. Sounds cryptic? Yes, but I don’t want to give anything away. Reading this novel is a complex journey of discovery and one I heartily encourage!
I love how the author awakens our senses with the smell of raspberries cooking! Scents can be powerful memory triggers. I believe this way of touching or releasing memories is effective and the author has drawn upon her own talents or passion for cooking—making it even more special and familiar. There’s nothing like experience to add wonderful depth to a story. Of course, I must not forget the powerful presence of herbs in this novel and their importance. Kitty has a real gift in growing and using them to aid healing. I loved the various herbs and spices at the beginning of the chapters with notes and quotes. These were mostly from reference books of herbalist Hilda Leyel who founded the Society of Herbalists in England. She wrote under the name of Mrs. C. F. Leyel. These gem tidbits provide valuable insight into the story that follows.
The plots are fascinating with one series of events beginning in the past but continuing to have lasting effects in the present. These wonderful threads magically weave together. The characters are rich, rounded and relatable. They evoked great emotion in me from admiration for our heroine to disgust for the villainous characters. I felt sympathetic to Kitty and angry at how women were treated in the 1800s. Like many of her time, Kitty was unable to follow her callings or be in control of her own destiny. Women were expected to be married and living in the shadows of their husbands. Pleasing and feeding their ambitions. Mothers like Kitty’s were promoters of this culture and she is one of the people who pushes her daughter into a direction she does not want to go. Sadly, as a result, there are dire repercussions. Even Kitty’s sister has to learn the hard way, even though she comes across initially as agreeable to this customary course. These women, unfortunately, learn some terrible things about their husbands. But is it too late to find the freedom they crave?
There’s plenty of intrigue surrounding 1889 heroine Kitty Gray. She is the woman at the centre of this story driving it. The mystery that surrounds her life, garden and home are played out before our eyes. Her ambition to attend university and become a doctor fades once her forced marriage to Charles Maclean, one of Glasgow’s wealthiest bachelors, happens. She is often exiled by her husband to their remote Scottish Highland home for her independent spirit, advice and views. Her ‘modern woman thinking’ is not acceptable in a society that sees women as men’s possessions and must be under their control. Kitty’s father is the exception but he is unable to keep his daughter from being pushed by his wife/her mother into a direction that Kitty does not want to go. The heartache Kitty faces certainly broke my heart. But thankfully the new house has a brilliant library with many books she needs. This allows her to find purpose and solace in creating a lovely herbal garden. Kitty combines her medical knowledge and rising interest in herbalism to learn new ways of healing others. Her desire to be productive keeps her going. But tragedy is on the horizon and when her husband’s secrets are revealed, the walls of her safe space begin to crumble.
The novel is told from two viewpoints: Kitty in the past (1889) and Greer (housekeeper) in the present (2003). Caitlin lands at Ardbray House on a mission to renovate the crumbling mansion and its garden with the help of Greer. But as Caitlin dives into the home’s history, she learns some gut wrenching facts about its original owners. Along with this, a shocking surprise is uncovered. These events help Caitlin understand what has kept the spirits of this place from moving on. She also learns her part in this paranormal mystery and what/who has brought her here, to restore this dwelling to its former glory.
If you like stories with houses that have intriguing ghosts and complex historical mysteries, you need to read this. Also, this novel demonstrates well how difficult it was for women in the 1800s. But at least we get to see a small victory for Kitty when women could eventually own property without it being tied to their husbands. This is a great story on all counts and I am looking forward to more fascinating books by this gifted author. Highly recommend. One of the best reads of 2023! 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for my review copy.
