“An enthralling story of secrets, sisters, and an unsolved mystery.” —Kate MortonAn evocative novel in the vein of Kate Morton and Daphne Du Maurier, in which the thrill of first love clashes with the bonds of sisterhood, and all will be tested by the dark secret at the heart of Applecote Manor.Four sisters. One summer. A lifetime of secrets. When fifteen-year-old Margot and her three sisters … secrets.
When fifteen-year-old Margot and her three sisters arrive at Applecote Manor in June 1959, they expect a quiet English country summer. Instead, they find their aunt and uncle still reeling from the disappearance of their daughter, Audrey, five years before. As the sisters become divided by new tensions when two handsome neighbors drop by, Margot finds herself drawn into the life Audrey left behind. When the summer takes a deadly turn, the girls must unite behind an unthinkable choice or find themselves torn apart forever.
Fifty years later, Jesse is desperate to move her family out of their London home, where signs of her widower husband’s previous wife are around every corner. Gorgeous Applecote Manor, nestled in the English countryside, seems the perfect solution. But Jesse finds herself increasingly isolated in their new sprawling home, at odds with her fifteen-year-old stepdaughter, and haunted by the strange rumors that surround the manor.
Rich with the heat and angst of love both young and old, The Wildling Sisters is a gorgeous and breathtaking journey into the bonds that unite a family and the darkest secrets of the human heart.
more
Okay. First, let me say this: I loooooooooove Eve Chase’s work. I could NOT put Black Rabbit Hall down and was grateful that part of the time I read was when I was also on a plane. The long flight seemed only minutes.
I was not AS crazy about TWS, but I still liked it. I guess it had a lot to live up to with BRH.
The opening was a fantastic hook. The entire time I read, I wondered about the identity of the man the sisters were dragging through the grass and the mud. The uncle, perhaps? My bet was on him. The current storyline dragged a bit for me. In fact, the first half of the book dragged a bit and I grew a little wary of the “like a” comparisons. BUT! Once we got to the second half, I couldn’t put the book down! OH, FOR A PLANE!!! A FLIGHT . . . TO ANYWHERE!
As a writer, my reading time is early in the morning. After that, I am working on my own craft and working alongside new writers. So, mornings are precious. I also read last thing at night. So, it took me a little while to finish this one (I was also preparing for a writers conference).
Once I’d made it to the second half, I growled when my reading time was done (morning) and tried my best to stay awake long enough to read more (night).
So, do I recommend the book? YES! In fact, at the writers conference, I spoke to an agent who is a reader for the Daphne du Maurier contest. We spoke of Eve Chase and her brilliant ability to weave a DdM-type tale. Just know that the first half walks you in . . . and the second half blows you along like a hurricane.
I love a book that goes back and forth in time and this fit the bill. Add in a mysterious house and family relationships and I’m hooked. The resolution to the big mystery was a bit lackluster, but it was the relationship between the sisters and their future that held my attention. I was intrigued by the modern day story, but I was anxious to get back to the past. A great gothic style book and I will look for other novels from this author.
I found this book to be very fascinating and enthralling. It definitely kept my interest with the suspense and mystery surrounding Apricote Manor and the two families who lived in it in two separate times. I was pulled to the Wilde sisters who visit their aunt after their cousin Audrey died. The sisters become obsessed with her disappearance at a time when their lives are transitioning. Years in the future Jesse moves in with the Manor with her husband, infant daughter, and stepdaughter Bella. Bella has a lot of issues since her mother passed and has not accepted Jesse and her baby sister as part of the family and acts out.
Both stories were interesting and I felt that I enjoyed each story separately and how they connected to one another in the end. The writing was very well written and I was surprised that this book kept my attention since its not something I would typically pick up to read. I really liked this book and look forward to reading more books by Eve Chase in the future.
My 2nd favorite book this year. This story is about 4 sisters — all very different and what happens to them when they are sent to live with their aunt and uncle in an English house in the country. It’s also about the long unsolved death of their cousin. This story runs parallel with the family who now occupies the house much later in time who have their own troubles to overcome and how the mystery death gets resolved. Good story, characters you care about, and lovely writing.