Blog Tour: Another Heartbeat in the House by Kate Beaufoy

When Edie Chadwick travels to Ireland to close up her uncle’s lakeside lodge, it’s as much to escape the burden of guilt she’s carrying as to break loose from the smart set of 1930’s London.

The old house is full of memories – not just her own, but those of a woman whose story has been left to gather dust in a chest in the attic: a handwritten memoir inscribed with an elegant signature... Eliza Drury

As she turns the pages of the manuscript, Edie uncovers secrets she could never have imagined: an exciting tale of ambition, hardship, love and tragedy – a story that has waited a lifetime to be told. . .

Review
The title of this novel is just perfect - not only is the house alive with the past - it truly is a characters in itself- but the novel itself has echoes of classic literature, particularly Jane Eyre and of course Vanity Fair. There's plenty of name-dropping of other writers too such as Dylan Thomas, and I'm not going to lie, as soon as I realised that Edie's friend Ian was THE Ian Fleming I was sold and wanted to read an entire novel based on him! The novel is spilt between two time periods, the 1930s and the 1840s. Whilst the former is the era that appeals to me the most I found both narratives engaging - and despite the time difference Edie and Eliza actually have a lot in common. They are intelligent and independent, and it is interesting to discover how their lives intertwine. This is a captivating read, and one that you won't be able to put down!