This chilling novel from the bestselling, award-winning author of The Lake of Dead Languages blends the gothic allure of Daphne DuMaurier's Rebecca and the crazed undertones of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper with the twisty, contemporary edge of A.S.A. Harrison's The Silent Wife--a harrowing tale of psychological suspense set in New York's Hudson Valley.
When Jess and Clare Martin move from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to their former college town in the Hudson River valley, they are hoping for rejuvenation--of their marriage, their savings, and Jess's writing career.
They take a caretaker's job at Riven House, a crumbling estate and the home of their old college writing professor. While Clare once had dreams of being a writer, those plans fell by the wayside when Jess made a big, splashy literary debut in their twenties. It's been years, now, since his first novel. The advance has long been spent. Clare's hope is that the pastoral beauty and nostalgia of the Hudson Valley will offer some inspiration.
But their new life isn't all quaint town libraries and fragrant apple orchards. There is a haunting pall that hangs over Riven House like a funeral veil. Something is just not right. Soon, Clare begins to hear babies crying at night, see strange figures in fog at the edge of their property. Diving into the history of the area, she realizes that Riven House has a dark and anguished past. And whatever this thing is--this menacing force that destroys the inhabitants of the estate--it seems to be after Clare next...
About the Author :
Carol Goodman is the critically acclaimed author of fourteen novels, including The Lake of Dead Languages and The Seduction of Water, which won the 2003 Hammett Prize. Her books have been translated into sixteen languages.
Original bio sent from Cassandra:
Cassandra Campbell began doing voice overs as the voice for Calvin Klein's Italian commercials. This was followed by commercial and documentary recording in both English and Italian. She has recorded many audiobooks and has received several AudioFile Earphones Awards as well as an Audie(R) Award nomination. As an actress and director, she has worked at the Public, the Mint, the Berkshire Theatre Festival, Stagewest, Theatreworks, the Baltimore Shakespeare Festival, Millmountain Theatre, the National Shakespeare Company, and the New York Fringe Festival.
Review :
Carol Goodman is, simply put, a stellar writer.
-- "Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author"
Cassandra Campbell's remarkable acting skills and lovely voice are perfect for Carol Goodman's engrossing gothic mystery...Campbell navigates the serpentine plot-including ghost sightings, suicides, murder, and madness-in a way that makes the hard-to-believe credible. Campbell personifies all that is good about audio acting with this seamless, elegant performance of Goodman's spellbinding ghost story. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.
-- "AudioFile"
Evocative and resonant...gripping readers with its fast pace, supernatural elements, and a conclusion that will have them questioning what really happened here.
-- "Library Journal"
Foreboding and moody...As you're pulled deeper into its crumbling corridors and gothic history, you'll never guess where its true threats lie.
-- "Miranda Beverly-Whittemore, author of Bittersweet"
Goodman ratchets up the psychological tension, making Clare question everyone she has ever trusted...A spellbinding and delicious ghost story.
-- "Kirkus Reviews"
Though the story's setting and tone pay homage to such authors as Edgar Allan Poe, Shirley Jackson, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the fresh plot and modern characters give this twisty contemporary gothic a timeless feel.
-- "Publishers Weekly"
