A Place of Secrets

A Novel

By: Rachel Hore

Narrated by: Jilly Bond

Length: 14 hrs

Publisher's summary

A runaway bestseller in Britain with over 100,000 copies sold, a riveting historical mystery in the tradition of Kate Morton

In Rachel Hore's A Place of Secrets, auction house appraiser Jude leaves London for her dream job at Starbrough Hall, an estate in the countryside, examining and pricing the manuscripts and instruments of an eighteenth-century astronomer. She is welcomed by Chantal Wickham and Jude feels close to the old woman at once: they have both lost their husbands. Hard times have forced the Wickham family to sell the astronomer's work, their land and with it, the timeworn tower that lies nearby. The tower was built as an observatory for astronomer Anthony Wickham and his daughter Esther, and it served as the setting for their most incredible discoveries.

Though Jude is far away from her life in London, her arrival at Starbrough Hall brings a host of childhood memories. She meets Euan, a famed writer and naturalist who lives in the gamekeeper's cottage at the foot of the tower, where Jude's grandfather once lived. And a nightmare begins to haunt her six-year-old niece, the same nightmare Jude herself had years ago. Is it possible that the dreams are passed down from one generation to the next? What secrets does the tower hold? And will Jude unearth them before it's too late?

©2012 Rachel Hore (P)2012 WF Howes Ltd

Critic reviews

“Sumptuous prose, deft plotting, lush settings, troubling personal histories, tragedy, heady romance and even a smattering of 18th century scientific wonderment mark Hore's fourth novel as her most accomplished and enthralling yet.” —Daily Mirror

“Hore once again shows her gift for bringing the past to life: her understanding of memory, stories and craft is as strong here as in The Memory Garden.” —Waterstone's Books Quarterly

“Rachel Hore's intriguing Richard and Judy recommended read, which is layered with a series of mysteries, some more supernatural than others.” —Independent

One of the best books I've read

Full of mystery, secrets, questions, love, deceit, fear, suspense. You feel like you're there in every characters place.

Great Mystery

I enjoyed the character development and the mystery. I also liked how everything comes together at the end.

What an excellent book!

History, romance, suspense and mystery-this book has it all. I loved it! Hopefully another book is on the way.

A story of hidden history, architecture

I enjoyed the story and really wanted more of these characters. I was walking beside the characters as they left messages and clues for the future.

Great Story..Great Narration

I received this book from Librarything Early Review Program and with so much going on in my life I’ve gotten behind on my ER’s so I picked this one up on audio and am very glad I did as Jilly Bond’s narration was really good, so this will be a review of the book and the narration.

Recently widowed antique appraiser Jude is trying to get on with her life but she can’t stop thinking of her husband so she decides to take a working vacation to look at some old astronomy texts and equipment and this is when the coincidences start. The estate where these things are is where Jude’s Great Grandfather was groundskeeper and where her Grandmother grew up, but she doesn’t like to talk too much about that time of her life except that there was a gypsy girl. It is also close to her sister and niece who seem to be having the same dreams Jude had as a child. Is that possible? And what is her grandmother hiding? Also why does this place look like the dreams Jude had as a child?

I thought the author did a great job at weaving the past and present storylines together and the mystery of the dreams and what happened to Esther in the 1700’s. I enjoyed the mystery of Esther, this 18th century foundling adopted by rich amateur astronomer they are a happy father and daughter and he seems to love sharing his love of the stars with her, but her story isn’t always a happy one and when Jude finds her journals she starts to unlock the mystery of Esther’s life. This has a magical realism feel to it with the astrology and the dreams. It also has a touch of romance but it doesn’t over power the book. I enjoyed this new to me author’s writing style and will definitely read more by her.

If you are a fan of Kate Morton or Susanna Kearsley I think you will like this book it has the same kind of feel to it with the present story mixed in with the past.

Narrator Jilly Bond brought this story to life for me, her voices were well done and her male & female characters weren’t overdone. I was impressed with her work and will seek out other books narrated by her.

4 Stars

history, mystery and science, oh my

This is a fun, engaging read. Revelations keep appearing until nearly the final page. If you tend to be archival in your own research and enjoy the kinds of discoveries that come from exploring old houses, books and public records you will enjoy this book. The author engages us in the science of astronomy through historical revelations and the romance of stargazing. A new favorite for me.

Past and present intertwine

This book began slow for me it took me over an hour to get into it. However, I did eventually become invested in the characters. The familial relationships were intriguing- especially between the sisters.
The pieces of the mysteries (plural) fit a little too neatly and intertwined together too much to be completely plausible. And a lot of the mystery is revealed through dream sequences which I thought was an interesting way to intertwine the past (1700's) with the present.
There is bonus information such as: astronomy, travelers/gypsies and a tour through the English countryside.
The story explores themes of loss, regret, love, and complex family relationships.
I would probably give this book a little less them 4 stars. But if like me you like historical fiction such as Kate Morton books, you will enjoy this story.
I would read another book by this author. The narrator was pretty good.

Torn-loved the plot, but...

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

For the most part. The plot was extremely interesting and well done. Would have loved to give it another star. However, the relationships were all right out of a juvenile romance novel.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Esther. Was the most interesting.

What didn’t you like about Jilly Bond’s performance?

Too uneven. She kept changing styles for the characters. The children's voices were cloying. I did love her grandmother voice, though.

One of the best audio books I have listened to.

Where does A Place of Secrets rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Definitely at the top of the list.

What did you like best about this story?

I love stories that travel 'thru time.

Have you listened to any of Jilly Bond’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No-but I will definitely look for more as her performance was excellent

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were many, but maybe the death of Marcus.

Any additional comments?

Do hope you buy more similar titles.

Love, History, Genealogy & Mystery - great book!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Couldn't stop listening - enjoyed the story and wanted to find out what happened to the characters.

Any additional comments?

Great story - the ways our lives intertwine with those in our past (a touch of supernatural in this story made it interesting. Also, enjoyed learning about "star watchers"