What Happened at the Abbey
When Ingrid flees a violent husband to become a housekeeper in the Scottish Highlands, she discovers McCleod the family she works for has a much darker history than her own. Who haunts Strathbairn?
Why are the adult McCleod children at each other’s throats? And why does the youngest sneak off at night? As Ingrid searches for answers, she grows ever more fearful that her husband will track her down.
Set in late 19th century Scottish Highlands, WHAT HAPPENED AT THE ABBEY is a gothic mystery brimming with intrigue, ghostly drama, and family secrets.
https://www.amazon.com/What-Happened-Abbey-Strathbairn-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B0CJBNCV8L/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Happened-Abbey-Strathbairn-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B0CJBNCV8L/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-happened-at-the-abbey-isobel-blackthorn/1144091893?
My Thoughts
What Happened at the Abbey by Isobel Blackthorn is a very Gothic-style story that has the main character, Ingrid, along with her daughter escape her abusive husband and take as housekeeper Strathbairn Abbey in the Scottish Highlands in the late 19th century. She decides to be a 'widow' so that her husband can not find her.
The position is not what she thinks it is as the McCleod siblings are at each other all the time. So she needs to find out why and what secrets do they have?
The patriarch of the family has put Gertrude in charge of the household which is not the greatest idea as she is just a mean-spirited person.
Then there is Miles who likes to wander at night in the bogs looking for different kinds of moss. Why? Haven't a clue. Ingrid strikes up a relationship with Hamish. He is just the kind of man she has been looking for.
All the while, fearing that her husband Edward with hunt her down. As she is drawn into the family dynamics, she finds that she can not trust anyone. So she is determined to find out all she can of the McCleod family and its secrets. However doing this puts her and her daughter in harm's way.
I have read three of Isobel's books, loved each and every one. She tells a really creepy story, very gothic and dark, with characters that you think you know but really don't. I look forward to reading more by this author.
I give it 5 stars!
I received a copy of the book from Partners in Crime and was not monetarily compensated for said review.
Isobel Blackthorn is a prolific novelist of unique and engaging fiction. She writes across a range of genres, including gripping mysteries and dark psychological thrillers.
The Unlikely Occultist: A biographical novel of Alice A. Bailey received an Honorable Mention in the 2021 Reader's Favorite book awards.
A Prison in the Sun was shortlisted in the LGBTQ category of the 2021 International Book Awards and the 2020 Readers' Favorite Book Awards.
Her short story 'Nothing to Declare' was shortlisted for the Ada Cambridge Prose Prize 2019.
Her dark thriller A Legacy of Old Gran Parks won a Raven Award in 2019.
The Cabin Sessions was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award 2018 and the Ditmar Awards 2018.
Isobel holds a PhD in Western Esotericism from the University of Western Sydney for her ground-breaking study of the texts of Theosophist Alice A. Bailey. Her engagement with Alice Bailey’s life and works has culminated in the biographical novel The Unlikely Occultist and the full biography Alice A. Bailey: Life and Legacy.
Isobel carries a lifelong passion for the Canary Islands, Spain, her former home. Six of her novels are set on the islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. These standalone mystery novels are setting rich and fall into the broad genre of travel fiction.
Isobel has led a rich and interesting life and her stories are as diverse as her experiences, the highs and lows, and the dramas. A life-long campaigner for social justice, Isobel has written, protested and leant her weight to a range of issues including asylum seekers and family violence. A Londoner originally, Isobel currently lives in the Canary Islands, Spain.
https://www.facebook.com/Author.Isobel.Blackthorn/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5768657.Isobel_Blackthorn
No comments:
Post a Comment