A suspenseful and page-turning descent into obsession, love, and murder in the wake of San Francisco’s most deadly earthquake–and Suzanne Rindell’s most haunting novel since her acclaimed debut, The Other TypistWhich wife holds the darker secret?San Francisco, 1906. Violet is one of three people grateful for the destruction of the big earthquake. It leaves her and her two best friends … her and her two best friends unexpectedly wealthy–if the secret that binds them together stays buried beneath the rubble. Fearing discovery, the women strike out on their own, and orphaned, wallflower Violet reinvents herself.
When a whirlwind romance with the city’s most eligible widower, Harry Carlyle, lands her in a luxurious mansion as the second Mrs. Carlyle, it seems like her dreams of happiness and love have come true. But all is not right in the Carlyle home, and Violet soon finds herself trapped by the lingering specter of the first Mrs. Carlyle, and by the inescapable secrets of her own violent history.
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The Two Mrs. Carlyles is a story set in San Francisco in the early 1900s. Violet and her two friends, Cora and Flossie, meet at an orphanage. When the orphanage burns to the ground, they need to find another place to live. The story follows the 3 girls as they grow and mature, until one of them meets a wealthy man and marries him. But, is the man truthful? Is he hiding something? Can the 3 friends stick together?
I think this book has traces of Rebecca by DuMaurier, and there is some suspense and darkness, but I felt the book could have easily been 100 pages shorter. If it had been shorter, I think it would have been more eerie and suspenseful.
Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC.
Set in San Francisco at the time of the 1906 earthquake and filled with intrigue, this story captures the reader at the very start. Violet, Flossie, and Cora are linked by their past and each of them has secrets which eventually affect the others. Questions about the past abound and it isn’t until the end of the story that all is revealed. I really enjoyed speculating throughout the story and was surprised at every turn!
The Two Mrs Carlysles
Suzanne Rindell
I enjoyed this historical fiction gothic thriller read.
I loved that the story was centered on the time period during the San francisco Earthquake in the early part of 1900’s. Beautifully written and wonderfully researched story about these orphans, Violet, Flossie and Cora who at an unsettling circumstance find themselves escaping their orphanage onto prostitution but with the earthquake providing them with a blessing to runaway and escape with a large sum of money before going their separate ways. Violet becomes a shopkeeper and meets and becomes the new Mrs Carlysle. With a great twist and turn of this gothic story, you will want to find out what happens when these friends reunite once again.
Such a gorgeous writing with mystery and thrill, this gothic suspenseful read is just perfect.
This is a cute mystery set in one of my favorite locations and eras — San Francisco, around the time of the 1906 earthquake. When an orphanage burns, three young ladies escape the system and find employment at a local dancehall. There are roughly six primary characters in the book and they’re all unreliable, which only fuels the guessing and mystery. I enjoyed the historical setting and the descriptions of the shops, the fashions, the social scene and of course, the mansion, which eventually becomes the residence of the second Mrs Carlyle.
Violet, Cora and Flossie escape the orphanage fire in the nick of time. They run away and try to create a life of their own. It is not as easy as it seems. They end up in a brothel. But, as the years go along, they realize they are trapped in this life. Then the earthquake happens and all three girls are rich due to unforeseen circumstances.
Violet ends up as a shop girl and she finds the man of her dreams, Harry Carlyle. But, he starts to fall mysteriously ill. Then, many strange things start to happen. Violet actually worries that the first Mrs. Carlyle is haunting her.
This is a wicked tale. I enjoyed every minute of it. I was captivated by the weird happenings in the house and then when he fell ill….oh boy!
I did figure out part of the story. But there is a little twist in the end. This is a super good read with awesome characters and a wonderful setting!
I actually feel this is 4.5 stars…you round up right?!?! Grab your copy today! You will be glad you did!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
San Francisco
Violet was raised in an orphanage after the deaths of her parents when she was just 7. She was plagued with what were called spells and incessant crying. Her good friends were Cora and Flossie. The girls dreamed of running away, so when the orphanage caught on fire, they ran. It was later found to be arson. With no where else to go, Cora and Flossie found jobs in a dance hall and Violet was the cook and cleaner. Life for them was harsh until one day, there was a devastating earthquake that destroyed San Francisco. They took shelter wherever they could. After a few months, Cora was determined that the three of them should go their separate ways because they were all hiding a huge secret and they needed to start new lives.
Violet found a job as a shop girl in a shoe store and later got a better job in the millinery department of a large emporium. She was occasionally hit with one of her spells which left her essentially not remembering what happened. One day, a handsome, older, and wealthy man named Harry Carlyle approached her at he emporium and together they designed a crazy hat. Later, he invites her out to dinner and other places. Affection develops between them and they marry.
Not all is as it should because Harry’s first wife supposedly fled the marriage just before the earthquake and has not been seen since. Thus, Harry had her declared dead. Soon, Violet starts finding unusual things in the house and wonders if it’s her spells returning or is something more sinister going on?
Well now. This was a terrific whodunit in the Agatha Christie style. I really enjoyed it but must admit I was left with a couple of questions at the end that rather smacked of a sequel. If so, I would be waiting first in line to read it. Enjoy!
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.