ABOUT THE BOOK:Amber and Toby and Barney and Kitty.
The four Alton children spend every day of the hot Cornish summer playing games on sun-baked lawns or building dens in the dark woods. Endless days of laughter and fun, without an adult in sight.
But no one can foresee the storm that will bring it all to a tragic end.
Afterwards, Black Rabbit Hall, their home, with its endless corridors and ancient creaking clocks, is a twisted and changed place, set to steal the last vestiges of their childhood and innocence. A home that not all of the Altons will be strong enough to survive.
Now, thirty years later, a message from one of the Alton children is discovered carved into an old oak tree. Could the tangled truth of that terrible summer finally creep into the light? Or should some secrets be left in the past for good?
LISTEN TO AN EXCERPT:
MY REVIEW:
Black Rabbit Hall by Eve ChaseBlack Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase is a 2015 publication.
Many people will place a book in the Gothic category, using the term too loosely, in my opinion, but It’s very, very rare to find a story that delivers an authentic Gothic mystery. However, ‘Black Rabbit Hall’ delivers exactly that, and with relish on top!!
I’m thrilled and amazed by this book, which tells the story of four children living an ideal life in 1968, until tragedy strikes. From there, their lives quickly dissolve into madness, turmoil, and melancholy, with more tragedy to follow.
Fast forward to present day, where we meet Lorna and Jon, a couple madly in love, looking for a wedding venue. Oddly enough, an old Cornwall house on the list of possibilities, peaks Lorna’s interest, not only because she loves old houses, but because she has some fragmented memories of having visited there with her mother, who recently passed away. Once she sees the house, her heart is set on it despite Jon’s skepticism.
Before long, Lorna becomes involved with the matriarch of the house and the housekeeper, vowing to help bring in more clients by writing up an article regarding the history of the house, and its family legacy. Little did she know her vague memories of the house connect her in a direct way to its past and could possibly shape her future.
The lovely and isolated setting of Cornwall is a fitting backdrop to tell the history of the Alton children.
The mystery of what became of the family is told in alternate chapters, while Mrs. Alton shares her memories with Lorna in the present.
As the story unfolds, Lorna slowly begins to piece together her own memories of Black Rabbit Hall, revealing a shocking revelation that left me stunned.
This absorbing tale and family saga is full of dark secrets, betrayals, and manipulations, but as the two storylines begin to merge, the ghosts of the past will finally rest in peace, paving the way for healing and new beginning for all.
This is such a beautifully written novel, rich in details and vivid characterizations, cloaked with a haunting atmosphere that lingers long after the final page.
The ending is everything I hoped it would be and more. This is definitely my kind of book!!
GET YOUR COPY HERE:
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Rabbit-Hall-Eve-Chase-ebook/dp/B00XVB94G6/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/black-rabbit-hall-eve-chase/1121956625
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Eve Chase is the pseudonym of a journalist who has worked extensively across the British press. Eve Chase always wanted to write about families - ones that go wrong but somehow survive - and big old houses, where family secrets and untold stories seed in the crumbling stone walls.
Black Rabbit Hall is such a story.
She lives in Oxford, England with her husband and three children.
