3.5 Stars from me.

I had a hard time deciding on a rating. Some parts of the book I want to give a 5, others were more like a 2, and so I will end with a 3.5.

It isn’t easy to come up with a summary of the plot without giving anything away. This book tells the stories of a group of different people that are all bound by one location, Birchwood Manor. We learn about their pasts and their presents and with every next chapter we also learn that they are connected to each other in other ways as well.

I enjoyed the writing. I particularly liked that the author led the reader to a specific conclusion, by following the threads of the various stories. The connections weren’t just presented to us in a factual format. It was satisfying to find out the outcome of the conflict that was introduced right at the beginning. The author also used beautiful imagery throughout the book.

It was at times hard to stick with reading through the histories of the characters. At that point it’s not clear how it connects to the rest of the story or the other characters. It all does come together in the end really well, if a bit slowly.

I was left wanting at the end. Don’t know what I expected, but it all ended a bit abruptly.

Was I hooked by this book? I would say somewhat, yes.

Genre: Historical, Mystery