House of Shadows - Nicola Cornick

London, 1662:

There was something the Winter Queen needed to tell him. She fought for the strength to speak.

‘The crystal mirror is a danger. It must be destroyed – ‘

He replied instantly. ‘It will’.

Ashdown, Oxfordshire, present day: Ben Ansell is researching his family tree when he disappears. As his sister Holly begins a desperate search, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to an ornate antique mirror and to the diary of Lavinia, a 19th century courtesan who was living at Ashdown House when it burned to the ground over 200 years ago.

Intrigued, and determined to find out more about the tragedy at Ashdown, Holly’s only hope is that uncovering the truth about the past will lead her to Ben.

My thoughts:

This was a story told at three different eras. First we have Holly, whose brother goes missing. So she stays at their holiday cottage and tries to figure out what he was researching and where he can be.

And there is a sort of curse, and dark objects.

Through her research we see the POV of Lavinia, a courtesan in the early 1800s. Her story is at Ashdown and what might be hidden there.

But the beginning is with Elizabeth of Bohemia. A mirror and a pearl, hidden magic, and she is the connection to it all. I did like her POV. I have actually never read a book about her and even though I knew a few things, I'd love a book about her. I always want to dig deeper.

The mystery of how these women are connected is slowly shown. Will she find her brother? The objects? Oh and there is this part where she meets the locals and this man. That has to be mentioned.

I liked the mystery of it all, the women's lives (tragic and interesting.) And of course I hoped Holly would find the peace she needed.

The magic? Was there really a chance to see the future? Was it something else? And just tragic circumstances? I think a mix of the two.

Conclusion:

That would make is Fiction/historical fiction with a mystery thread through out it. Interesting.

Cover

Nice

Paperback, 449 pages
Published November 5th 2015 by MIRA
Historical fiction / fiction / mystery
For review