Published by G.P. Putnam;s Sons Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery
Format: ARC, eBook
Not all secrets are willing to stay buried.
Orphans, San Francisco, a dance hall, an earthquake, a marriage, a haunting, a Gothic tale of love, friendship, marriage, secrets and murder.
The above words can be used to sum up Suzanne Rindell’s “The Two Mrs. Carlyles.” Violet met Cora and Flossie in an orphanage and soon found good fortune after the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. The mysterious money and their secret around how they obtained the money binds them but also causes them to go their separate ways.
Violet’s life changes again when she meets Harry Carlyle and becomes his wife. After moving into his mansion, she soon begins to feel as if something isn’t quite right. She hears noises and sees a burning candle. She also lives under the “shadow” of the first Mrs. Carlyle whose picture still hangs in the home. The house appears to have secrets as does Violet herself.
As the book progresses, I soon wondered who could be trusted. Is Violet an unreliable narrator? Is she a victim? Is the house haunted? Is there something more sinister going on? What really happened to the first Mrs. Carlyle? The book had a certain ebb and flow to it, it begins strong introducing Violet, Cora and Flossie, then it evens out and slows down a little but only to build toward the last third of the book where many twists and turns occur. This book does have a dark Gothic feel to it and at times it felt like an homage to Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca.
Besides the 1906 Earthquake and going on a ship to reach the honeymoon location, I feel this book could work in any era. After the honeymoon, I forgot this story was taking place in in the early 1900’s as I was invested in the story and wanted to find out just what the heck was going on. But it might have been nice to see a little more about the devastation left behind by the Earthquake. One thing that really worked was the mansion with its Gothic vibe not to mention, the first Mrs. Carlyle’s portrait on full display. That is a tad creepy all on its own.
Dark, Gothic, well written and captivating. This is another book with characters who should really be wondering how well they know someone. How well do they know themselves? This was an interesting tale about friendship, obsession, marriage, and wealth.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.