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Publication date: 30th November 2017
I received a review copy of this novel from publisher Penguin UK via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
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It's time for a reunion
Lindsey hasn't spoken to Rachael in twenty years, not since her brother's 18th birthday party at their parents' remote country house. A night that shattered so many friendships - and left Rachel's father dead.
Now Thornbury Hall is up for sale, and the old gang are back there, together again. A weekend to say goodbye to the old place, to talk about the past. But twenty years of secrets aren't given up lightly. Some won't speak about what happened that night. While others want to ensure that no one does. Surviving the weekend is going to depend on whether you can keep a secret . .
My review:
Wow. I have just finished reading this book, and have to say it really isn't what I expected from the title. Can you keep a secret? A secret- singular. This book is riddled with secrets and shadows - Just about every character has a something to hide!
The book moves between two time frames, 1991: The group of youngsters who feature in the story meet at a private school after Lindsey moves there to try and avoid the attentions of bullies at her local state school. She is befriended by Rachel Bagenal whose family quickly seem to welcome her into their family home, Thornbury Hall. A huge family seat of a mansion in Ireland, a setting far removed from Lindsey's family's background. The Bagenal family all accept Lindsey into the fold, all except mum Heather who for some reason seems to mistrust her and suspects she has ulterior motives for visiting Thornbury - even though there is no apparent reason for her suspicions.
2017: Rachel's older brother Patrick is now head of the family after tragic events over the years leave both his parents dead. Thornbury is falling into disrepair and he has decided to hold one last reunion party of the old gang of school friends before he finally lets the house go for sale.
I was completely absorbed into the middle class world of Thornbury Hall, with its noisy plumbing, sprawling grounds and tales of hauntings in the attic. The excellent descriptive writing in this book made me feel like I was actually part of the cast of characters - a fly on the wall watching and listening as the different events unfolded both in the earlier time frame and later on as revelations and accusations started to come out.
There is so much going on in this book that it is hard to encompass everything within a review without either watering it down or giving too much away that it would ruin the overall story. The Bagenals are rather a dysfunctional family in their own way with liberal parenting, raucous parties and too many secrets and misunderstandings between the family members it was only a matter of time before things were to go tragically wrong. I was shocked but impressed by the author's ability to keep some of the secrets so closely guarded until the conclusion of the book - not one of the characters knew the whole story of how each other fitted in to the grand scheme of events at Thornbury over the years and while I felt quite sad at the closing scenes of the book, there really didn't seem to be any other more appropriate ending for the old place.
I would definitely recommend this book - it's like a modern Downton Abbey (with fewer servants) crossed with EastEnders!
The book moves between two time frames, 1991: The group of youngsters who feature in the story meet at a private school after Lindsey moves there to try and avoid the attentions of bullies at her local state school. She is befriended by Rachel Bagenal whose family quickly seem to welcome her into their family home, Thornbury Hall. A huge family seat of a mansion in Ireland, a setting far removed from Lindsey's family's background. The Bagenal family all accept Lindsey into the fold, all except mum Heather who for some reason seems to mistrust her and suspects she has ulterior motives for visiting Thornbury - even though there is no apparent reason for her suspicions.
2017: Rachel's older brother Patrick is now head of the family after tragic events over the years leave both his parents dead. Thornbury is falling into disrepair and he has decided to hold one last reunion party of the old gang of school friends before he finally lets the house go for sale.
I was completely absorbed into the middle class world of Thornbury Hall, with its noisy plumbing, sprawling grounds and tales of hauntings in the attic. The excellent descriptive writing in this book made me feel like I was actually part of the cast of characters - a fly on the wall watching and listening as the different events unfolded both in the earlier time frame and later on as revelations and accusations started to come out.
There is so much going on in this book that it is hard to encompass everything within a review without either watering it down or giving too much away that it would ruin the overall story. The Bagenals are rather a dysfunctional family in their own way with liberal parenting, raucous parties and too many secrets and misunderstandings between the family members it was only a matter of time before things were to go tragically wrong. I was shocked but impressed by the author's ability to keep some of the secrets so closely guarded until the conclusion of the book - not one of the characters knew the whole story of how each other fitted in to the grand scheme of events at Thornbury over the years and while I felt quite sad at the closing scenes of the book, there really didn't seem to be any other more appropriate ending for the old place.
I would definitely recommend this book - it's like a modern Downton Abbey (with fewer servants) crossed with EastEnders!
About the authors:
Karen Perry is the pen name of Dublin-based authors Paul Perry and Karen Gillece.
Paul Perry is the author of a number of critically acclaimed books. A winner of The Hennessy New Irish Writer of the Year Award, he is a writer and course director in poetry at the Faber Academy in Dublin.
Karen Gillece is the author of four critically acclaimed novels. In 2009 she won the European Union Prize for Literature (Ireland).
Paul Perry is the author of a number of critically acclaimed books. A winner of The Hennessy New Irish Writer of the Year Award, he is a writer and course director in poetry at the Faber Academy in Dublin.
Karen Gillece is the author of four critically acclaimed novels. In 2009 she won the European Union Prize for Literature (Ireland).
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