A Narrow Door: The electric psychological thriller from the Sunday Times bestseller
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- Author：Joanne Harris
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Summary
“A dark world of emotional complexity and betrayal， where twist follows twist and nothing is what it seems。 A masterful narrative voice， and a compulsive thriller from one of our greatest writers。 I absolutely loved it。” – Alex Michaelides， No。1 bestselling author of THE SILENT PATIENT
From the Sunday Times and internationally bestselling， multi prize-winning author Joanne Harris， comes A NARROW DOOR – an explosive psychological thriller about one woman who， having carved out her own path to power， is now intent on tearing apart the elite world that tried to hold her back 。 。 。 piece by piece。
From the Sunday Times and internationally bestselling， multi prize-winning author Joanne Harris， comes A NARROW DOOR – an explosive psychological thriller about one woman who， having carved out her own path to power， is now intent on tearing apart the elite world that tried to hold her back 。 。 。 piece by piece。
Reviews
Amanda Larkman
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I SO WANTED to love this。 I've read all the others in this series and couldn't wait for this one。 The only good thing about it was Roy as he's one of my favourite ever characters， reminding me of many teachers I had worked with in old fashioned schools。 So I was VERY VERY unhappy when I found out what happened to him。 I wish I'd never read it and stuck with the last book with Roy alive and well and causing trouble in his bell tower。I found the female narrator very irritating and her endless stor I SO WANTED to love this。 I've read all the others in this series and couldn't wait for this one。 The only good thing about it was Roy as he's one of my favourite ever characters， reminding me of many teachers I had worked with in old fashioned schools。 So I was VERY VERY unhappy when I found out what happened to him。 I wish I'd never read it and stuck with the last book with Roy alive and well and causing trouble in his bell tower。I found the female narrator very irritating and her endless storytelling just boring。 What a shame。 Of course， Joanne Harris is too good a writer to send out a bad book， and the writing is - as ever - excellent: vivid and compelling， but I thought the story was weak， and rather too much 'how it is for a woman' which made me feel I was being lectured at。 I know what it's like to be a woman who is overlooked and underappreciated - I'm reading a book to escape that sort of thing！ 。。。more
Anne
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I found this book a little difficult to get into， and wasn't hooked on it。 The classical references were unfamiliar to me and although this can be read as a standalone I would expect having read the series would've helped with the characters。 I didn't realise it was 3rd in a series when I requested it。It's still a good book though and I think it's a case of 'it's not you it's me' with this one。Thank you to Netgalley， the publisher and author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review。 I found this book a little difficult to get into， and wasn't hooked on it。 The classical references were unfamiliar to me and although this can be read as a standalone I would expect having read the series would've helped with the characters。 I didn't realise it was 3rd in a series when I requested it。It's still a good book though and I think it's a case of 'it's not you it's me' with this one。Thank you to Netgalley， the publisher and author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Bridget
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A Narrow Door is Joanne Harris's latest novel and a compelling， sinister read。 Rebecca Buckfast is the new head of St Oswald's school and it's a great moment for both her and the school for there has never been a woman headteacher at St Oswald's before。 Roy Straitley is a Latin teacher with many years experience。 Both are haunted by their memories and the tale is told using alternating timelines from 1989 and 2006。This for me is a fine example of superb storytelling。 The characters were fascinat A Narrow Door is Joanne Harris's latest novel and a compelling， sinister read。 Rebecca Buckfast is the new head of St Oswald's school and it's a great moment for both her and the school for there has never been a woman headteacher at St Oswald's before。 Roy Straitley is a Latin teacher with many years experience。 Both are haunted by their memories and the tale is told using alternating timelines from 1989 and 2006。This for me is a fine example of superb storytelling。 The characters were fascinating and I loved the spooky， menacing images of Becky’s childhood that drifted from the pages。 She was such a complex character！ There were some surprises that caught me out and though this follows on from two other novels that also feature St Oswalds， Gentleman and Players and Different Class， A Narrow Door can absolutely be read independently。 A brilliant， sharp and attention-demanding tale。I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Orion Publishing via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion。 。。。more
Matt
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This was a terrific read。 The story is clever and at the same time disturbing。 The setting in the past and the present really draws you in。 The build up to the surprising denouement delivered with wonderful characterisation， emotion and timing。 Have always loved her work and felt this one was one of her sharper explorations of the nature of humanity。
Eyejaybee
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I wonder if this book stands as evidence that one can take the pitcher to the well once too often。I enjoyed Joanne Harris’s previous novels featuring ageing Classics teacher Roy Straitley and the troubled St Oswald’s School: Gentlemen and Players， and Different Class。。 Indeed， I re-read both of them prior to starting this， and enjoyed them just as much the second time around。 Unfortunately I found this latest addition to the canon rather a bind， and， having lost momentum about half way through， I wonder if this book stands as evidence that one can take the pitcher to the well once too often。I enjoyed Joanne Harris’s previous novels featuring ageing Classics teacher Roy Straitley and the troubled St Oswald’s School: Gentlemen and Players， and Different Class。。 Indeed， I re-read both of them prior to starting this， and enjoyed them just as much the second time around。 Unfortunately I found this latest addition to the canon rather a bind， and， having lost momentum about half way through， I struggled to finish it。As with its predecessors， the story is recounted through two separate narrative: one from Straitley， who has somehow manged to summon the energy to return to start teaching teach for yet another academic year; the other from Rebecca Buckfast， who has emerged from the problems left at the end of Different Class， to take on the headship as St Oswlad’s first female headteacher。 The new year sees some significant changes at the school。 Not only is there a female head teacher， but the school has now gone coeducational， and Straitley finds himself required to teach girls。 At first I found this worked well， and it was amusing to follow his struggles to adapt to the ‘new normal’。Sadly， however， I started to find the rest of the book rather annoying。 The various experiences that Ms Buckfast underwent during her teens and twenties simply failed my verisimilitude test， and I found the credibility gap simply too wide。The book was well written， as Joanne Harris’s novels always are， but I just felt that the substance and plot did not live up to the promise of the style。 。。。more
Zoe
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4。75 review to come！！
Jennifer
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Third in a series I have read and thoroughly enjoyed - know the first two novels were also set in Oswald College but can’t remember details as read quite a while ago。 Therefore can re be read as a stand-alone but treat yourself and read all three
Shirley
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Having recently listened to Gentlemen and Players and Different Class I was delighted to find The Narrow Door on Audible。 This was a mesmerizing listen and a stunning finish to the trilogy。 Seldom have I found a novel with such a gripping plot and such a satisfying ending。
Helen
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I really loved the first two books of the St Oswalds’s trilogy， but I found this one disappointing。 I need to think about it for a while before I review it。
Sinead
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Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book。 This was my first book by this author but I really liked the style and will seek out more。 Good characters and the plot held my attention to the end。 Recommend as a good read！
Lynne
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I am usually a big Joanne Harris fan。 Sadly this book did not do it for me。 I have decided that without the French aspects her stories are very ho hum。Reading about posh boys boarding schools and all the （albeit true） prejudices that come along with them is just a tad boring in my view。The mystery part of this story just wasn't compelling enough to make up for the huge amount of boring text around the school itself。Sorry not a popular view I know - but overall pretty disappointing for me。 I am usually a big Joanne Harris fan。 Sadly this book did not do it for me。 I have decided that without the French aspects her stories are very ho hum。Reading about posh boys boarding schools and all the （albeit true） prejudices that come along with them is just a tad boring in my view。The mystery part of this story just wasn't compelling enough to make up for the huge amount of boring text around the school itself。Sorry not a popular view I know - but overall pretty disappointing for me。 。。。more
Kelly
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I am a Joanne Harris lover from way back - I own and have read so many of her books。 Somehow， however， I seem to have passed by books one and two in the Malbry series， which I did not realise preceded this book。 I say this as the preamble to report to you， dear reader， that it did not matter。 I read this book as a stand-alone and I had no trouble easing into the story。 It was compelling and I， like Straitley， had to know what happened！ Joanne Harris is a master of the slow release - she gives yo I am a Joanne Harris lover from way back - I own and have read so many of her books。 Somehow， however， I seem to have passed by books one and two in the Malbry series， which I did not realise preceded this book。 I say this as the preamble to report to you， dear reader， that it did not matter。 I read this book as a stand-alone and I had no trouble easing into the story。 It was compelling and I， like Straitley， had to know what happened！ Joanne Harris is a master of the slow release - she gives you just enough to keep you tantalised so that you don’t tire of the slow burn。 Joanne Harris is also the master of the alternating narrator and this story exemplifies her skill。 Over all， this book is worth your while if you like a slow burn thriller that doesn’t feel over the top dramatic。 。。。more
Trevor Vick
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Oldy Schooly mystery tale set in the old school first seen in Gentleman & Players and later in Different Class。 A tangled trail finally resolved the mystery of what happened to Conrad。 How did those schools prepare their inmates for life outside？
Deborah
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Brilliant I have loved the whole series of st Oswald novels。 Could this be the last one？ If so it was a fitting end， if not than I can’t wait for the up and coming new characters to be developed。 The only problem with a book you can’t put down is that it comes to an end too quickly。
Jaffareadstoo
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Although this is part of the Malbry series， it can be read as a standalone psychological thriller however， those who have read the previous books will be delighted to see the mention， and the return， of some of the characters from Gentleman and Players and Different Class。 In A Narrow Door we meet again with Rebecca Buckfast who， as the first female headmistress of St Oswald's School， is determined to offer equal education to all her pupils and and by finally allowing girls into St Oswald's， and Although this is part of the Malbry series， it can be read as a standalone psychological thriller however， those who have read the previous books will be delighted to see the mention， and the return， of some of the characters from Gentleman and Players and Different Class。 In A Narrow Door we meet again with Rebecca Buckfast who， as the first female headmistress of St Oswald's School， is determined to offer equal education to all her pupils and and by finally allowing girls into St Oswald's， and in turning the school from a Grammar School for Boys into a Co-educational Academy， it would seem that the narrow door of opportunity may finally be allowed to widen for the girls who can now enter through its， rather masculine， doors。Over the course of this darkly， different story， we get to know more about Rebecca Buckfast， the secrets she keeps， and the burdens she carries， and equally， we discover more about Roy Straitley， the Latin and Classics master at St Oswald's， who with his penchant for dropping Latin phrases into the narrative is a fully paid up member of the old boy's brigade。 When a body is discovered in the school grounds the story moves in a very different and rather macabre direction， as not only does this body mean an escalation of trouble for one character but even the whisper of another scandal could bring about the demise of St Oswald's。 As complex and manipulative as its lead character A Narrow Door is a cleverly written psychological thriller which not only tightens up some loose ends but which also reiterates the cleverness of the narrative， the complexities of the spiralling threads which the author manipulates with such consummate ease， and which draws the reader ever deeper into a dark and gothic tale of secrets， betrayal and lies。 In order to know where we are going， we need to know where we have been， and A Narrow Door is very much about looking at the sins of the past and clearing the way for a different future - Per aspera ad astra。。。 。。。more
Zara
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I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest， independent review。For the first time in its history， St Oswald’s has a headmistress and the gates are opening to girls。However， as Rebecca Buckfast， who has quite literally spilt blood to become headmistress， starts her new role， the remains of a body are discovered within the school grounds。I did take my time to get into the flow of this novel; I then discovered this is the third in a series。 However， it could be read as a standalo I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest， independent review。For the first time in its history， St Oswald’s has a headmistress and the gates are opening to girls。However， as Rebecca Buckfast， who has quite literally spilt blood to become headmistress， starts her new role， the remains of a body are discovered within the school grounds。I did take my time to get into the flow of this novel; I then discovered this is the third in a series。 However， it could be read as a standalone psychological thriller。 It quickly sped up to a page-turning pace with an unexpected ending。 Great descriptions and quite dark and chilling in places; loved the characters and the multiple points of view – the scenes were nicely set。 Lots of red herrings too！ 。。。more
Karen
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Fantastic， loved the tight， menacing feel of the book。 Rebecca Buckfast is one hell of a woman， Mr。 Straitley has met his match - or has he？？Twisty， turning， secretive， dark with razor sharp writing made this book a real page turner。 Brilliant writing from Joanne - you can't keep a good woman down ！！ Fantastic， loved the tight， menacing feel of the book。 Rebecca Buckfast is one hell of a woman， Mr。 Straitley has met his match - or has he？？Twisty， turning， secretive， dark with razor sharp writing made this book a real page turner。 Brilliant writing from Joanne - you can't keep a good woman down ！！ 。。。more
Nanci
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AMAZING！ A wonderful follow-up to Gentlemen and Players， which i one of my all-time favorite books。 I'm so pleased that this has been written， but the Joanne Harris has yet to write something that isn't fantastic。 AMAZING！ A wonderful follow-up to Gentlemen and Players， which i one of my all-time favorite books。 I'm so pleased that this has been written， but the Joanne Harris has yet to write something that isn't fantastic。 。。。more
Joey
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I like this book best in the series。 It is not because I like the protagonist - she is too heartless to me。 But I like the message that with effort and hard work， women can succeed， and that tradition can be rewritten。 Another thing I love is that the plot and twist is unexpected and clever - I could not solve the mystery until the very end。 The references to the Greek gods is fitting to the theme of the chapter。 The author is rather an expert psychologist in playing around the topic of memories I like this book best in the series。 It is not because I like the protagonist - she is too heartless to me。 But I like the message that with effort and hard work， women can succeed， and that tradition can be rewritten。 Another thing I love is that the plot and twist is unexpected and clever - I could not solve the mystery until the very end。 The references to the Greek gods is fitting to the theme of the chapter。 The author is rather an expert psychologist in playing around the topic of memories。 。。。more
Juliet Bookliterati
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I was really excited when I received the notification from NetGalley to say I had been approved for A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris。 I have been a huge fan of her writing since reading Chocolat over twenty years ago。 A Narrow Door is the third book in the Malbry Cycle of books， and takes the reader back to St Oswalds boy school，and to the classroom of Classics Master， Roy Straightly。 You don’t need to have read the previous books to enjoy this， each is set in a different time with it’s own plot l I was really excited when I received the notification from NetGalley to say I had been approved for A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris。 I have been a huge fan of her writing since reading Chocolat over twenty years ago。 A Narrow Door is the third book in the Malbry Cycle of books， and takes the reader back to St Oswalds boy school，and to the classroom of Classics Master， Roy Straightly。 You don’t need to have read the previous books to enjoy this， each is set in a different time with it’s own plot line。 A Narrow Door sees changes to St Oswalds， a new female head in Rebecca Buckfast and the merger of St Oswalds with the neighbouring girls school Mulberry House， both of which fill Roy Straightly with fear and dread as he favours the more traditional approach。 The day before term starts a group of students comes to Straightley to say they think their is a body in the excavated ground where the new swimming pool is due to be built。 But not even a dead body will stop Rebecca in her tracks， her ambition and need to excel are all that matters。 And so a story unfolds， a mystery that started with the disappearance of Rebecca’s brother when she was five， and the aftermath of that incident。 Written with style and substance this is a dark slow burner of a thriller。What I admire most about Joanne Harris’s books is her wonderful characters。 She has a way of really getting under the skin of her characters， capturing their every feeling and thought， building a three dimensional image so that you feel you really know them。 A Narrow Door is a very character driven book， told from the perspective of Rebecca Buckfast and Roy Straightly， both of whom have appeared in the previous books， Rebecca as Becky Price。 Rebecca is a very driven character， who has spent her career fighting for her job， a female teacher in schools dominated by male masters， and is the first female head of St Oswalds。 As she narrates her past to Straightly we see how the trauma of her brother’s disappearance affected her life， and the struggles she had to overcome to be where she is now。 Her determination and ambition definitely come from her difficult childhood， as does her lack of emotion and feelings even towards her daughter。 She could be described as ruthless and cold， but deep down I think there is more to Rebecca than the controlled and distant person she appears。 Roy Striaghtly is a stalwart of St Oswalds， been a Classics Master for over thrity years。 He is very much a traditionalist， set in his ways an not open to the changes ahead; the merger with Mulberry Girls School or the position of Head being given to a woman。 We see his reminisces of the time Rebecca’s brother went missing， and also about his career as contemplates the horrible thought of retirement as his health declines; his life is St Oswalds and its students。 Rebecca and Striaghtley are the two oposing sides on this chess game of a book， Rebecca represents the new guard， bringing in change and much needed modernistion to the school， whereas Striaghtly represents the old guard， the history and tradition of St Oswalds and what it stands for。Not only is Joanne Harris’s characerisation amazing， but so is her plot building and story telling。 Neither narrator is reliable， Rebecca is relying on childhood memories in her telling of the disappearance of her brother and the consequential events， and Roy is unwell， maybe confused in his recollections。 This unreliabiliy adds to the tension of the plot， that is a real slow burner。 The details are dip fed， slowly stoking the fire that ultimately builds the suspense keeping the reader gripped throughout with its smoke and mirrors。 Rebecca’s story shows how hard she had to fight for her position as a female teacher in these men only environments， and this is where the title A Narrow Door， comes from; Men have the doors wide open for them to get jobs and progress in this world， whilst Rebecca has a narow door that she has to fight to get through。 One of things I really enjoyed was the many classical references， like the parts of the book being names after the five rivers in the underworld that run into Acheron and onto Hades， an analogy that could represent Straightly， St Oswald or Rebecca’s past， and her journey to where she is now。A Narrow Door is a dark， suspenseful and riviting read。 Joanna Harris subtley ramps up the tension by using the unreliability of the memory ， the secrets and omissions of both characters which leave you wantimg to fill the gaps in the story， and the slow release of details。 Her characterisation is first class and I felt I knew both main characters so well， being part to their private thoughts and feelings， giving blood and flesh to make them alive。 Whilst this is the third book in the Malbry of Cycle you can read it as a standalone。 Expertly written， with a sinister and thrilling undertone this is breathtaking and stunning read。 。。。more
Saturday's Child
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When I picked this one up， I did not realise that it was a part of the Malbry Series， I was just pleased to see a new novel by one of my favourite authors。 As I started to read it a few things seemed to be familiar as I have read Gentlemen & Players several years ago， however I have not got around to reading Different Class。 With the twists and turns， I enjoyed the story as it unfolded。
Pamela Scott
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https://thebookloversboudoir。wordpres。。。This is the fourth book set the fictional town of Malbry and the third set at St Oswald's， proceeded by Gentlemen and Players， Blueeyedboy and Different Class。 I’ve read and loved the other books and was looking forward to seeing what happened at the grand old school next， what nastiness dwells in the dark corridors this time around。 This time， the ancient tradition the school and the masters have kept close to their heart are in disarray because there’s a https://thebookloversboudoir。wordpres。。。This is the fourth book set the fictional town of Malbry and the third set at St Oswald's， proceeded by Gentlemen and Players， Blueeyedboy and Different Class。 I’ve read and loved the other books and was looking forward to seeing what happened at the grand old school next， what nastiness dwells in the dark corridors this time around。 This time， the ancient tradition the school and the masters have kept close to their heart are in disarray because there’s a woman in charge and girls are allowed to attend for the first time。 The St Oswald's of the previous books is being torn down brick by brick and shaped into something new。 Rebecca’s plan are scuppered when a body is found on the grounds， linking the pain and secrets of her past with now and her worst memories resurface。 。。。more
Angi Plant
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As usual the world of Malmbry never disappoints！ Delicious， dark and totally unputdownable。
Wsclai
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 It has been a long wait and finally a new book is published。 In general， it doesn't disappoint me and Joanne Harris' psychological thrillers are always captivating and it's a 4。5 stars in fact。Though the three Malbry books can be read separately， I wish I had read them together as I can't really remember the details of the previous two and when references to those episodes are made in 'A Narrow Door'， I couldn't recall and it somehow reduces the enjoyment。I like how the story unfolds and the psy It has been a long wait and finally a new book is published。 In general， it doesn't disappoint me and Joanne Harris' psychological thrillers are always captivating and it's a 4。5 stars in fact。Though the three Malbry books can be read separately， I wish I had read them together as I can't really remember the details of the previous two and when references to those episodes are made in 'A Narrow Door'， I couldn't recall and it somehow reduces the enjoyment。I like how the story unfolds and the psychological wrestling between Rebecca Price and Straitley but it seems that the mystery resolves rather straightforwardly at the end and there are a few loose ends that aren't tidied up: what exactly happened between Carrie and Conrad's gang， why Dom has chosen Rebecca to love （is it guilt or genuine love）， why Rebecca chose Straitley to tell her story。。。 etc。The story is supposed to be about Rebecca's struggle to a patriarchal system through 'a narrow door'。 Unfortunately， readers don't really get to see how she succeeds through the narrow door， except that episode of wearing a mini-skirt to school。Overall， it's a page-turner and can't wait to read another book from Joanne Harris。 。。。more
Dolf Patijn
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This is the third book situated in and around St Oswald’s school。 This book can be read as a stand-alone book but I would recommend reading Gentlemen and Players and Different Class first。For the first time in its history， St Oswald’s has a head mistress。 Her name is Rebecca Buckfast: highly ambitious， determined to change the school with the troubled past from a stuffy boys grammar school into a modern academy for boys and girls and won’t let anything or anyone get in her way， certainly not the This is the third book situated in and around St Oswald’s school。 This book can be read as a stand-alone book but I would recommend reading Gentlemen and Players and Different Class first。For the first time in its history， St Oswald’s has a head mistress。 Her name is Rebecca Buckfast: highly ambitious， determined to change the school with the troubled past from a stuffy boys grammar school into a modern academy for boys and girls and won’t let anything or anyone get in her way， certainly not the elderly Latin Master Roy Straitley who has demons of his own to fight。 But what is Rebecca Buckfast’s story？ Why does she not want to tell the police about the human remains that were found by some of the school kids？ Is it only because it would ruin the school after the scandals from the year before？ Or is there another reason？Joanne Harris has the gift of creating a palpable atmosphere in a few words。 With smells， sounds， flavours and the description of items， she pulls you into the story and it is as if you’re there in person。 The characters and the dialogues are believable。 I’ve never been disappointed with any of her books so far。 I highly recommend A Narrow Door。 It is a great story with a strong main character and I hope that Joanne Harris will bring us back to St Oswald’s school in another book sometime in the future。 。。。more
Charlotte
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A very well written book but didn’t do it for me。 I didn’t realise it was the third in a series。 Well I won’t be reading the other two。 Just went on and on with no real end。 The end。
Steve T
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I haven’t read the first two books in Joanne Harris’s trilogy set in St Oswalds school; however that didn’t spoil my enjoyment of reading ‘A Narrow Door’， the final part in the trilogy。The boys grammar school St Oswald’s has finally opened its gate to girls and the ambitious Rebecca Buckfast is the headmistress。 The Latin master Ray Straitley is approached by some of his students who inform him of a body they have found in the school grounds。 Ray passes the problem on to the headmistress but the I haven’t read the first two books in Joanne Harris’s trilogy set in St Oswalds school; however that didn’t spoil my enjoyment of reading ‘A Narrow Door’， the final part in the trilogy。The boys grammar school St Oswald’s has finally opened its gate to girls and the ambitious Rebecca Buckfast is the headmistress。 The Latin master Ray Straitley is approached by some of his students who inform him of a body they have found in the school grounds。 Ray passes the problem on to the headmistress but then ends up in hospital。 The story is told from the perspectives of Ray and Rebecca and moves between the past and the present。 We learn that Rebecca Buckfast’s brother went missing from St Oswald’s when he was a pupil at the school。A rather excellent crime novel。 Time now to catch up with the two earlier novels in the series。 。。。more
Ella （The Story Collector）
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As the first woman Head of St Oswald’s school， Rebecca Buckfast represents the future of the school。 But she is a woman haunted by a terrible past， with a brother who went missing as a teenager and plagued by muddled memories of the awful event。 When a body is found by some students on the school grounds， she tells her story to Roy Straitley， classics teacher for many years at St Oswald’s。I understand that this book is a continuation of previous books following Roy Straitley and St Oswald’s but As the first woman Head of St Oswald’s school， Rebecca Buckfast represents the future of the school。 But she is a woman haunted by a terrible past， with a brother who went missing as a teenager and plagued by muddled memories of the awful event。 When a body is found by some students on the school grounds， she tells her story to Roy Straitley， classics teacher for many years at St Oswald’s。I understand that this book is a continuation of previous books following Roy Straitley and St Oswald’s but I haven’t read any of these and I don’t think you need to have in order to enjoy this one – it works perfectly well as a standalone novel。 A Narrow Door centres around the complex character of Rebecca Buckfast and addresses the difficulty women have in breaking into a world of men。 Rebecca is quite a challenging protagonist because she’s likeable enough to get along with， but she’s very manipulative and makes some questionable decisions along the way。The story is told in segments alternating between Rebecca and Roy’s point of view， as well as switching between past and present timelines。 We learn about Rebecca’s childhood and her return to King Henry’s years later， as well as Roy coming to terms with the crimes of his old friend Eric Scoones， which was an interesting addition to the plot。There are a lot of twists and turns and plenty of red herrings， but as the story progressed it did become quite easy to predict where things were going。 Joanne Harris is an exceptional writer and this book didn’t break the trend， but I found the narration quite repetitive in parts， and the switching POV between Rebecca and Roy wasn’t always terribly smooth。 Having said that， it’s still a gripping mystery。I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Mrs Lisa Holmes
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This latest St Oswald's instalment didn't disappoint。I came across this latest St Oswald's instalment by accident & devoured it in 2 days！ Joanne has the most wonderful skill of creating varied， believable & full-bodied characters set in stories that feed all of your senses。 They suck you into macabre & mystical worlds that feel weirdly relatable & familiar。 Each one is a mini masterpiece & a delight to read。 And this one didn't disappoint。 This latest St Oswald's instalment didn't disappoint。I came across this latest St Oswald's instalment by accident & devoured it in 2 days！ Joanne has the most wonderful skill of creating varied， believable & full-bodied characters set in stories that feed all of your senses。 They suck you into macabre & mystical worlds that feel weirdly relatable & familiar。 Each one is a mini masterpiece & a delight to read。 And this one didn't disappoint。 。。。more
Caroline Iverson
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