The Woman in the Mirror

A Novel

By: Rebecca James

Narrated by: Charlotte Newton-John, Katharine Mangold

Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's Summary

Rebecca James unveils a chilling modern gothic novel of a family consumed by the shadows and secrets of its past in The Woman in the Mirror.

For more than two centuries, Winterbourne Hall has stood atop a bluff overseeing the English countryside of Cornwall and the sea beyond.

In 1947, Londoner Alice Miller accepts a post as governess at Winterbourne, looking after Captain Jonathan de Grey’s twin children. Falling under the de Greys’ spell, Alice believes the family will heal her own past sorrows. But then, the twins’ adoration becomes deceitful and taunting. Their father, ever distant, turns spiteful and cruel. The manor itself seems to lash out. Alice finds her surroundings subtly altered, her air slightly chilled. Something malicious resents her presence, something clouding her senses and threatening her very sanity.

In present day New York, art gallery curator Rachel Wright has learned she is a descendant of the de Greys and heir to Winterbourne. Adopted as an infant, she never knew her birth parents or her lineage. At long last, Rachel will find answers to questions about her identity that have haunted her entire life. But what she finds in Cornwall is a devastating tragic legacy that has afflicted generations of de Greys. A legacy borne from greed and deceit, twisted by madness, and suffused with unrequited love and unequivocal rage.

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books

©2020 Rebecca James (P)2020 Macmillan Audio

A great gothic novel

I was first introduced to gothic novels with Moon-Spinners by Mary Stewart. Either there are not a lot written or only a few pique my interest. I enjoyed this book immensely! Because of the talented narrators, the switches in time flowed.. Well worth the credit.

couldn't stop listening

love this book I couldn't stop listening. keep me on my toes the whole time.

Phenomenal

Truly gorgeous writing...this is an enthralling story in a stunning, stark, dreary location. It is spooky, and filled with interesting characters that are very, very well developed. The story is not outlandish or silly. It reads like a textbook example of true gothic writing. I was genuinely creeped out while reading this one and that’s always so refreshing. It’s one of those things that is always promised but rarely delivered in this genre. The narration is good. Solid. The British narrator is fantastic and speaks beautifully but the voice of Rachel is inconsistent. Sometimes good sometimes really not. This book is very much worth a credit and will give you a solid yet well thought out scare. Highly recommend.

Somewhat trite……

The story was sometimes predictable and a bit unbelievable but overall an enjoyable gothic. Good to have 2 narrators for the accents.

Superb Gothic

If you enjoy gothics, you’ll love this. I was reminded of Charlotte Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” writ large. Lots of great details, and an apparently too pat ending which turns out not to be.

The narration is very good, overall. Though I would have loved local characters to have had a more developed Cornish, or west counties burr. The shift from British to American accents was well handled.

There were 2 exceptions to the skill of the narrator, both in the same chapter, as though the editor was out to lunch that day. I could ignore pronouncing “cache” as “cashAY” without too much difficulty. But the pronunciation of “annals” as “anals” was too much for me. It not only distracted me from the story, I had to turn it off while I laughed. Juvenile, I know, but there we are.

Really, though, this book was worth the credit. A completely enjoyable 10+ hours.

Beautifully dark

This story had me sucked in the moment I push play.A beautiful dark piece, that I highly recommend.

If you like The Woman In Black 2

This book is for you, but if not, you'll probably hate it as much as I do. It was Woman in Black and Turn of the Screw. Nothing new, nothing interesting. The narrators are awful. It wasn't bad, but I will never return to Winterbourne.

meh

The narrators were wonderful but it just dragged for me and I struggled to finsh

Wow!!

Enjoyed the book. Not sure I like such a dark story. Characters a bit off putting. Without giving anything away I felt the book pull you in and you could not help but want to find out what happens.

A gothic ghost story

the audio of this book puts you write in the story! Tokd by two different women connected through time we are taken on a journey at winteebourne. The story is gothic and atmospheric and the characters are great!