Published by Avon Books Genres: Fiction, thriller
Format: ARC, eBook
How well do you know the woman next door?
Looking for a fresh new start, Stina and Jack move into a rural cottage. It looks like the perfect spot to raise a family. They even have a friendly new neighbor, Mrs. Barley. They live in a quaint English village and hope to become welcomed members of the community. They become quick friends with their odd yet friendly neighbor and are shocked to learn that the town does not hold Mrs. Barley in the same esteem. Soon Stina learns that members of the community believe Mrs. Barley is a witch who has hexed several of them. If one of them falls ill – blame falls on Mrs. Barley. But is she a witch or just a lonely old woman who has fallen victim to gossip and group fear?
Stina and Jack are warned to stay away from Mrs. Barley. Told to not get on her bad side or something terrible would befall them. Both wonder what is the meaning of this “witch hunt”? How could a helpful, gardening, friendly neighbor be capable of the deeds she is accused of?
Jack, a veterinarian, works long hours and doesn’t get to know Mrs. Barley as well as Stina does. He doesn’t see or hear the things that Stina does. He doubts his wife and chalks up what she sees and hears to hormones from her pregnancy and later lack of sleep after giving birth to their daughter. Stina is torn, her neighbor is nice, helpful, and kind, yet things are strange, and she begins to have doubts….
The prologue to this book sucked me in right away. It’s ominous and riveting. I rubbed my hands together and chuckled with glee knowing this was going to be gripping book. Then the book slows down as Jack and Stina move into the cottage in Avoncote near Stratford on Avon. For most of the book, things occur at a leisurely pace. as we get to know Mrs. Barley, Jack and Stina. We also get to know some of the people in their lives as well. As the story mounts, there is a sense of unease as Stina is seeing a mysterious man that neither her husband nor neighbor have seen.
The whispers in this book everywhere. There are whispers of the past, whispers of the villagers, and whispers in her marriage. Toward the end, things really pick up as Stina begins to question not only her sanity but the motivations of her neighbor. Along the way she also learns something disturbing that affects her personally.
I was a little all over the place with the rating of this book. I loved the prologue and enjoyed the ending of the book. The beginning and middle were slow but enjoyable. The entire time I knew that the author was building the story, to be patient and wait. There is a very nice payoff at the end.
Anne Wyn Clark’s writing really shined with the unease and sense of doubt she created throughout the book. I wondered as well, was Mrs. Barley a lonely outcast who lived on the fringes of society for too long? Was she misunderstood and eccentric? Or was there something more sinister going on. I loved the dubious assumptions made in this book.
Overall, an enjoyable book that I wished had more oomph in the middle. But it did entertain and had me guessing. I love trying to figure a book out and had a few guesses about how things would turn out. I was wrong and was pleasantly surprised at how tings unfolded at the end.
Thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.