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

Prepare to be Annoyed

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

The "supernatural" elements in the book may draw readers who like to dabble in fantasy and sci-fi very now and then but wouldn't call themselves "fans" of the genre.

Would you ever listen to anything by Rachel Hore again?

I think I might give the author another chance, but not after just "reading" several books in the genre. It's too predictable and then at times so drawn out I found myself checking to see how many minutes were left until "the end" credits.

I especially didn't like the supernatural elements in the storyline. I was expecting something more realistic and, well, explainable in terms of real world experiences.

Would you be willing to try another one of Jilly Bond’s performances?

NO - the voice drove me crazy. I thought maybe there had been a download glitch the way the cadence fell and rose then sped up unnaturally. The emotional inflections also seemed overly emphasized and at times entirely unwarranted.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I liked the gypsy angle and wish there had been more of it

didn't finish it

I can't really say the story itself was bad because I didn't finish it. Couldn't get past the narration.

hard to finish

The narrator sounded like she should have been an older person. I couldn't connect with anyone. it was slow and plodding. I hate that because the description is right down my alley. I don't think ill read anymore books by Rachel Hire.

Tedious

While the over all storyline can be answered interesting at times, the telling of it is very tedious to listen to. I nearly discarded this book serval times during the listening. The only reason that I listened all the way through was that I have a propensity for finishing what I started. It’s not a book that I would recommend.