The world turned to gray cloud as Blair searched deeper, reached out. There. There, she found it, somewhere in the hollow between plaster and mortar. Something clawing, something she couldn’t understand yet, but something there. “Hartwell Hall is alive, and it has trapped something in these walls. Something trying to get out.” Felicity’s snort scared it away. “You’re barmy. Absolutely barmy.” “And you don’t want to feel it,” Blair whispered.
SYNOPSIS
When paranormal investigator Blair arrives at Hartwell Hall, she finds a mixed welcome. The rich guests whose pockets finance the fancy estate complain about strange disturbances, and Vincent Hartwell employs her to get to the bottom of it. However, Felicity Hartwell, daughter of Vincent and co-head of the estate is less than impressed with Blair’s credentials. Will Blair’s fiery conviction thaw the stern lady’s skepticism… and her heart? Will she solve the mysteries that threaten to bring Hartwell Hall to financial ruin?
Gut reaction
I finished this book in about three intense hours of ‘only one more chapter’. The tension is gripping and I just had to know what happened next. The story is imbued with sadness and softness, like a warm hug after a good cry. And cry I did, at least a couple times. I recommend tissues at the ready when you reach the end. But then again, I am a crybaby reader.
reflection
I want to make a special note on the charming background of this story. The period in the 1920s felt most appropriate, with the Spiritualism revival, as well as the Ist World War looming like yet another ghost in the lives of all characters involved. The house and the garden are a presence in and of themselves, coming to life in all the little details.
Speaking of the characters, Blair and Felicity’s dynamic was very sweet. For readers like me who love a grumpy/sunshine romance, it’s a great fit. In terms of evolution, Felicity was more interesting to me, since she goes through so much discovery about herself, her beliefs and her family. Blair was a fun and sympathetic main character since the beginning, and she only gets better from there. Grandfather Hartwell is also a powerful driving force. As for the… disturbances, I won’t spoil anything, but they are deeply compelling.
One element I especially loved is the lens through which Blair sees the supernatural. From the start, she is so compassionate towards these presences and entities who have been seeking her out since childhood, so welcoming of their grief and pain, even at the same time as they tire her a lot. I like that she is not automatically at ease with the supernatural just because she is a medium; it feels more realistic that she still has the very human instinct to be scared of what lies beyond the veil. I wish we had learned more about her family, especially her mum.
One small gripe I had was that the start of the connection between Blair and Felicity felt slightly rushed in its first scenes. Then again, it is a short book, so I guess everything happens faster than in a long novel.
Conclusion
Overall, a great cozy Autumn read for lovers of haunted mansions, sapphic romance, and ghosts.
bonus quote
Curiosity was a beast roused from slumber, and it had made its bed in Blair’s gut.
Magnolia Fay Writes 
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