Blog Tour: The Woman in the Mirror by Rebecca James
Regular readers of my blog may have noticed that I have a penchant for dual narrative historical novels, particularly those set in crumbling country houses. It's no surprise then that I jumped at the chance to be part of the blog tour for The Woman in the Mirror by Rebecca James. James is a successful author who has published previous novels under a pseudonym (a quick bit of digging on Twitter told me who it is, but I'll keep it a secret for now just in case!)
There are a number of go-to authors in historical fiction for me. Tracy Rees and Kate Riordan, both of whom are namechecked on the back of this novel are two of my favourites (Rees' Florence Grace is one of my all time favourite novels), so I had high expectations from the off for The Woman in the Mirror. I wasn't disappointed.
1947
Governess Alice Miller loves Winterbourne the moment she sees it. Towering over the Cornish cliffs, its dark corners and tall turrets promise that, if Alice can hide from her ghosts anywhere, it’s here.
And who better to play hide and seek with than twins Constance and Edmund? Angelic and motherless, they are perfect little companions.
2018
Adopted at birth, Rachel’s roots are a mystery. So, when a letter brings news of the death of an unknown relative, Constance de Grey, Rachel travels to Cornwall, vowing to uncover her past.
With each new arrival, something in Winterbourne stirs. It’s hiding in the paintings. It’s sitting on the stairs.
It’s waiting in a mirror, behind a locked door.
REVIEW
A Gothic mansion on the clifftops of Cornwall. A governess in love with for her battle scarred, tormented master. Perfectly overly-angelic children. Secrets in the cellar. Things that go bump in the night. All the cliches of Gothic fiction are in abundance in The Woman in the Mirror, and this is no bad thing. The dramatic clifftops, the roaring tides, the crumbling country house all create a world so intense that you're constantly on edge. From Charlotte Bronte to Henry James, Du Maurier to Susan Hill, all the influences are easy to spot, creating a rich tapestry of Gothic horror.
When reading dual narrative novels, I invariably prefer the chapters set in the past. However in this instance I found myself more drawn to events in the present day. I enjoyed Rachel's quest to find out who she really is and what secrets Winterbourne has to hide (not to mention the fact that Jack is literally my dream man). Alice is a deeply troubled individual before she even arrives at Winterbourne, and whilst I pitied her I couldn't connect with her at all - I suspect this is intentional though. Both Rachel and Alice's experiences at Winterbourne are packed with twists and turns - some expected, others that hit you out of nowhere.
Of course the star of the show is Winterbourne itself. Without giving anything away it is the ultimate Gothic monstrosity, teeming with secrets and seemingly supernatural goings on. It holds its inhabitants in thrall, and by the end I was practically screaming at Rachel to get out of the house while she still could!
Dark, disturbing and intensely atmospheric, The Woman in the Mirror is The Woman in Black meets The Turn of the Screw by way of Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca, Prepare to be spooked.
**Thanks to Isabel Smith from HarperCollins for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a review!**
There are a number of go-to authors in historical fiction for me. Tracy Rees and Kate Riordan, both of whom are namechecked on the back of this novel are two of my favourites (Rees' Florence Grace is one of my all time favourite novels), so I had high expectations from the off for The Woman in the Mirror. I wasn't disappointed.
1947Governess Alice Miller loves Winterbourne the moment she sees it. Towering over the Cornish cliffs, its dark corners and tall turrets promise that, if Alice can hide from her ghosts anywhere, it’s here.
And who better to play hide and seek with than twins Constance and Edmund? Angelic and motherless, they are perfect little companions.
2018
Adopted at birth, Rachel’s roots are a mystery. So, when a letter brings news of the death of an unknown relative, Constance de Grey, Rachel travels to Cornwall, vowing to uncover her past.
With each new arrival, something in Winterbourne stirs. It’s hiding in the paintings. It’s sitting on the stairs.
It’s waiting in a mirror, behind a locked door.
REVIEW
A Gothic mansion on the clifftops of Cornwall. A governess in love with for her battle scarred, tormented master. Perfectly overly-angelic children. Secrets in the cellar. Things that go bump in the night. All the cliches of Gothic fiction are in abundance in The Woman in the Mirror, and this is no bad thing. The dramatic clifftops, the roaring tides, the crumbling country house all create a world so intense that you're constantly on edge. From Charlotte Bronte to Henry James, Du Maurier to Susan Hill, all the influences are easy to spot, creating a rich tapestry of Gothic horror.
Of course the star of the show is Winterbourne itself. Without giving anything away it is the ultimate Gothic monstrosity, teeming with secrets and seemingly supernatural goings on. It holds its inhabitants in thrall, and by the end I was practically screaming at Rachel to get out of the house while she still could!
Dark, disturbing and intensely atmospheric, The Woman in the Mirror is The Woman in Black meets The Turn of the Screw by way of Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca, Prepare to be spooked.
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| Jump on board the blog tour for more reviews and content on this brilliant book! |
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