The Winters

A Novel

By: Lisa Gabriele

Narrated by: Emily Rankin

Length: 11 hrs

Publisher's summary

"A stylish, highly original and completely addictive take on du Maurier's Rebecca. Read it!" (Shari Lapena, New York Times best-selling author of The Couple Next Door)

“Dark and richly atmospheric.... A bewitching novel about love, lies, and the ghosts that never quite leave us alone.” (Bustle)

Some secrets never stay buried.

After a whirlwind romance, a young woman returns to the opulent, secluded Long Island mansion of her new fiancé, Max Winter - a wealthy politician and recent widower - and a life of luxury she’s never known. But all is not as it appears at the Asherley estate. The house is steeped in the memory of Max’s beautiful first wife, Rebekah, who haunts the young woman’s imagination and feeds her uncertainties, while his very alive teenage daughter, Dani, makes her life a living hell. She soon realizes there is no clear place for her in this twisted little family: Max and Dani circle each other like cats, a dynamic that both repels and fascinates her, and he harbors political ambitions with which he will allow no woman - alive or dead - to interfere.

As the soon-to-be second Mrs. Winter grows more in love with Max, and more afraid of Dani, she is drawn deeper into the family’s dark secrets - the kind of secrets that could kill her, too.

The Winters is a riveting story about what happens when a family’s ghosts resurface and threaten to upend everything.

©2018 Lisa Gabriele (P)2018 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Thrilling.” (Southern Living)

“A bewitching novel about love, lies, and the ghosts that never quite leave us alone, The Winters is a masterful retelling of an old favorite that has enough surprises to keep readers hooked, even if they think they know how it all ends.” (Bustle)

"[A] haunting reimagining of Daphne Du Maurier's original thriller, Rebecca.... This retelling...retains the allure and gothic tone of the original, while remaining a page-turner for newcomers to the story." (Booklist)

Very similar to “Rebecca” with a modern Twist

Very much liked this book. Although I know the original, this one keeps you reading. Turns out, there is interesting new plots that keep you listening and guessing. Worth listening to.

If you enjoyed Rebecca, this is a fun read

Rebecca is one of my favorite novels. This modern twist on the tale is entertaining.

Good story, not great

I liked the pace of the book and that you never learn the name of the main character. It did keep you guessing until the end but lingered in some areas. All in all a good listen.

Exceeded my expectations

This was a great book! Did not see it ending the way it did but I loved it. The writing and the narration were on point.

Story is good...

It was a great story line.
The main character was terrible.. in an attempt to make her relatable she came off obsessive, insecure, whiney and just annoying.

Performance probably wasn’t the performers fault... at least two characters were terrible so she read the part pretty accurately.

The last 1/4 of the book really gets interesting and is much better than the rest.

The Winters

An interesting story idea. Not nearly as good as the Daphne du Maurier original, but entertaining and with a more expansive mystery and a more thrilling ending.

great story!

I listened to this with my husband, a few days after we finished it he said I am still thinking about that book! It really is a great book, I had never read the story it is supposed to be based off of so I personally feel it has nothing to do with whether or not you would enjoy this book. loved it!

Contrived and Unconvincing

I enjoyed the first half of the book and thought it had potential. But any credibility I had attributed to to story, the author squandered at the end. I guess I’ll read the classic that inspired this retelling. Maybe the story can be redeemed by the author who conceived the original version.

Meh, through and through

Rebecca is an iconic novel for a reason, and this take on the classic followed a predictable and boring script. The main character frustrates as she again and again makes nonsensical choices. The author wanted to write a strong female lead but needed her to also be naive for the story line to make sense. This book is riddled with cringy moments and recycled character arcs. I never leave a book unfinished, but I wish I never picked this one up.

Horrible

Flat and lifeless characters fill this book.
It could’ve been a fascinating and scintillating spinoff of the original Rebecca.
Instead it’s a thoroughly disappointing and one dimensional shallow story that reads more like a “Lifetime Original” movie.
It’s extremely sad because there’s such potential for a truly original book here but that’s just not what we get.
The performance is fine, no real complaints there.
But this book is just bad, really really bad.
Don’t waste your time or your money here.