Book Review

Oh my look at that spooky cover image that runs a chill down the spine of anyone, and gothic mansions are such a lure for me that I jumped at the chance of reading this and I did get what I expected in the major portions of the story but disappointed with the characterization of the protagonist Anne Fleming.

Wildfell is being run as a low rent boarding house and when Anne in a fit of impulsive decision jumps into a plane to London and seeks an escape from the turmoil haunting her life, Wildfell comes across as more than a refuge. The staple ingredients of a gothic horror novel have been wonderfully used by the author, the crumbling mansion, the creepy passageways, the rumors of missing people, the scary mistress of the house, a spooky child roaming around, and shadows that pepper your footsteps. Even though the story is happening in modern times, there is a sense of Victorian darkness layered into the story which works well for the gothic atmosphere.

The story starts brilliantly, but the middle segment lacks the necessary danger signals. Anne is moving around this large city but somehow ends up meeting the same people repeatedly, she is escaping from one wrong relationship but lets herself be charmed by the actor Bain, and then becomes jealous and sometimes even naïve in her decisions. It would have been sensible to have more depth into her characterization which could have elevated my pleasure in reading my favorite genre.

The climax had a few threads that were kept open but in all, Wildfell is a good read to pick up during those lonely dark Halloween nights and when hankering for a ghostly thriller.

My Rating

Book Blurb

After a traumatic experience with her graduate school professor, Anne Fleming disposes of all her possessions, boards a plane, and plans to check out of life. But a chance meeting on an international flight leads her to Wildfell, a gothic mansion north of London. At first glance, Wildfell seems like the perfect place to hide out, and Anne is intrigued by its strange atmosphere and history of disappearances and deaths. But echoing voices, ghostly mists, a mute girl with a sketchbook full of murders, and a possessive landlady force her to confront her deepest fears.

Anne’s budding romance with gorgeous Irish actor Bain Tierney holds her to the house. But when Wildfell tenants begin disappearing and dying, Anne must decide if she trusts Bain. Is anyone in the house who they claim to be? Or are there are other forces at work inside Wildfell? And will they ever let her leave?

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