Jackie’s Reading Corner

SYNOPSIS

There’s something mysterious about the village of Penhelyg. Will unlocking its truth bring light or darkness?

Meirionydd, 1783. Henry Talbot has been dismissed from his post at a prestigious London hospital. The only job he can find is as a physician in the backwaters of Wales where he can’t speak the language, belief in myth and magic is rife, and the villagers treat him with bewildering suspicion. When Henry discovers his predecessor died under mysterious circumstances, he is determined to find answers.

Linette Tresilian, the unconventional mistress of Plas Helyg, lives a lonely life. Her father is long dead, her mother haunted by demons which keep her locked away in her room, and her cousin treats her with cool disdain – she has had no choice but to become fiercely self-reliant.

Linette has always suspected something is not quite right in the village, but it is only through Henry’s investigations that the truth about those closest to her will come to light…a truth that will bind hers and Henry’s destinies together in ways neither thought possible.

MY THOUGHTS

I absolutely adored this book, I spent Easter weekend reading it and loved every bit of it. It’s very clear that the author has done a lot of research into the Welsh folk lore’s and history. The characters are all very well drawn, believable some likeable some not so. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing, and the story unfolds beautifully.

Henry Talbot was a prestigious surgeon at guys hospital until something happened. The only job he can seem to acquire is that of a dr in Wales to a local estate. Whilst their he is tasked to see if the niece of the owner Julian Tresilien is afflicted with the same illness as her mother who is locked away in her room for most of the time appearing to be out of her mind. However, when Robert arrives in Penhelyg it is clear the locals don’t want him there. The cottage that had been made ready for him has been smashed inside and out and on his first trip out he is shot at. What they don’t like is that he is English. But this doesn’t put Henry off, when he finds out his predecessor died he is interested in finding out the circumstances, and it’s not long before he finds out he was murdered. But as a well liked man who would murder him.

The unconventional Linette Tesilian is surprising she doesn’t dress as a female she wears her late father’s old suits. She runs the estate which is a big job, keeping the books and keeping the business running. She cares for her tenants and wants to do as much as she can for them, although when she turns up with Robert at the mine they don’t seem pleased to see her or Robert.

The further you read the more you learn about the beliefs held by the tenants and Linette. The vicar explains a few things to Henry to help him understand but as he says he is a man of science and doesn’t believe in the tales.

Will Robert be able to win the Welsh people over? Will he find out who killed the previous dr? What is the symbol he sees on Julian Tresilion’s ring Linette believes it to be the family crest, but if that is the case why does he see the same symbol on a ring worn by Dr Beddoe. Robert becomes more and more suspicious over a lot of things and is determined to find out one way or another what is going on. what was Julian Tresilion up to with what he believed to be a piece of gold?

If you like historical, gothic stories then you will enjoy this the prose flows beautifully, keeping the reader engaged from start to finish. It’s not too dark but just enough to keep you interested. With all the characters especially Robert and Linette who I loved, there are lots of others at times you have no idea who you can trust and who you can’t.the twists took me by complete surprise I hadn’t seen any of them coming. The tension builds gradually as you get towards the last chapters as some truths come out. A story of Mystery, the occult, Welsh folk tales and more. This is definitely one of my favourite books this year so far. A ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star read.

I was very lucky to be asked if I would like to read this as I had enjoyed the authors previous book so much. I was thrilled when I received my copy in this gorgeous box. The Welsh cakes went down a treat I am addicted to them. Thank you to @HarvillSecker @Vintagebooks and @SStokesChapman. All thoughts and opinions are my own and have not been affected in any way.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan Stokes-Chapman was born in 1985 and grew up in the historic Georgian city of Lichfield, Staffordshire. She studied for four years at Aberystwyth University, graduating with a BA in Education & English Literature and an MA in Creative Writing. Her debut novel, Pandora, was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction prize 2020 and the Glass Bell Award and became an instant Sunday Times number-one bestseller. You can find Susan on Instagram and Twitter under the handle @SStokesChapman. Her website is http://www.susanstokeschapman.com.