Rebecca James unveils a chilling modern gothic novel of a family consumed by the shadows and secrets of its past in The Woman in the Mirror. For more than two centuries, Winterbourne Hall has stood atop a bluff overseeing the English countryside of Cornwall and the sea beyond. Enshrouded by fog and enveloped by howling winds, the imposing edifice casts a darkness over the town. In 1947, … the town.
In 1947, Londoner Alice Miller accepts a post as governess at Winterbourne, looking after twin children Constance and Edmund for their widower father, Captain Jonathan de Grey. Falling under the de Greys’ spell, Alice believes the family will heal her own past sorrows. But then the twins’ adoration becomes deceitful and taunting. Their father, ever distant, turns spiteful and cruel. The manor itself seems to lash out. Alice finds her surroundings subtly altered, her air slightly chilled. Something malicious resents her presence, something clouding her senses and threatening her very sanity.
In present day New York, art gallery curator Rachel Wright has learned she is a descendant of the de Greys and heir to Winterbourne. Adopted as an infant, she never knew her birth parents or her lineage. At long last, Rachel will find answers to questions about her identity that have haunted her entire life. But what she finds in Cornwall is a devastating tragic legacy that has afflicted generations of de Greys. A legacy borne from greed and deceit, twisted by madness, and suffused with unrequited love and unequivocal rage.
There is only one true mistress of Winterbourne. She will not tolerate any woman who dares to cross its threshold and call it home. Those who do will only find a reflection of their own wicked sins and an inherited vengeance.
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A gorgeous mansion thick with ghosts, enchanting children, a dangerously mysterious master of the house ― THE WOMAN IN THE MIRROR has it all. Not since THE TURN OF THE SCREW has a governess encountered so much glorious Gothic malevolence. A deliciously atmospheric read that causes the hair on the back of the neck to stand up as something rustles in the shadows in the corner… read it with all the lights on.
Haunting, unnerving, infused with atmosphere, dread and secrets… the perfect Gothic thriller.
Well-paced, woven story of multiple generations of the de Grey family as the “curse/haunting” dating back to the first decade of the 1800s mingles with the inhabitants of the castle-like house in Cornwall, both in the 1940s and modern day. Eerie, though satisfying, ending.
As dark and twisted as the creeping vines of malevolent wallpaper presiding over the governess’s haunted bedroom, The Woman in the Mirror draws from classic horror sources to devise a sinister tale entirely of Rebecca James’s devising. Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Susan Hill are echoed here, but the intertwined modern and historical plots make for a uniquely riveting tale.
Totally unoriginal but expertly done. Perfect for a lazy summer read.
Felt overly-wordy. I lost interest pretty quickly at various times throughout the book. Good premise behind the book though. Maybe this author’s writing is just not for me.
The Woman in the Mirror by Rebecca James is going to be the perfect fall read if you are looking for creepy, gothic, and supernatural suspense all in one. I listened to the audio which is read by Charlotte Newton-John and Katharine Mangold, and they both did such an amazing job as Alice and Rachel which are the two viewpoints in the novel. I love anything with a supernatural element and this one did not disappoint. I loved the switches between Alice in 1947, and Rachel’s present-day viewpoint, and Winterbourne is a character in and of itself which is just another thing to love. It was super gothic and definitely the kind of place you wouldn’t want to be alone in at night, if you know what I mean…
I thought the entire book was pretty suspenseful and there are a few parts that are positively chilling. The Woman in the Mirror has all the Halloween vibes you could want and then some, and I highly recommend it if you are looking for something spooky. There is an uneasiness that permeates the entire book, and I loved James’s writing style. The Woman in the Mirror immediately drew me in and I think a lot of people will want to read it in one sitting just to find out what the heck is going to happen with both of our female leads.
The Woman in the Mirror is a bit of a slower burn, but the creepiness of it made it relatively hard to put down. And I thought the audio was well done so I would recommend going that route if you are a fan of audiobooks. There weren’t any sound effects which was a little disappointing, but frankly this book doesn’t even need them since it is creepy enough on its own. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that you can’t read it at night or alone, but if you aren’t used to the genre maybe it will be different for you. Overall, The Woman in the Mirror is a stunning debut, and I can’t wait to see what James writes next!
Thank you to the publisher for my advance review copy via Edelweiss. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Rachel was adopted at birth and never knew her legacy. She is determined to find out where she came from…may not turn out the way she expects. After several leads direct her to a weird house in Cornwall, she finds strange information about her family. It is ripe with selfishness, dishonesty and derangement. She is determined to find out more and to settle her curiosity once and for all.
Well! This was a nice change of pace for me. It is not the best written book but I enjoyed it all the same. Yes, I knew what was coming next. There are really no surprises. But, I loved the setting of the old house and with all the weirdness surrounding it! It really had a gothic mystery feel. And Rachel showed intelligence and diligence. The mystery surrounding her and the house is gripping and has just enough strangeness to keep you glued to the pages.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
I haven’t read a good Gothic mystery in a while. A long while, now that I have had time to think about it. That was the main reason why I decided I wanted to read The Woman in the Mirror. I wanted to see if they were as good as I remembered. And guess what, they were!!!
The Woman in the Mirror had fast-moving storylines, which I enjoyed. I feel that if the storylines had been slower than the book would have dragged on. The flow of the book was good. There were no dropped storylines, but I did have a question about Alice’s pregnancy during WWII. I couldn’t quite place what happened (if she had the baby or not).
Speaking of Alice, I felt awful for her. She had some mental issues that followed her to Winterbourne. That alone made her chapters fun to read. I couldn’t tell if she was losing it because of that or if the house caused it. I loved it!!!
Rachel was a different story, though. She inherited Winterbourne from an unknown aunt (she was adopted). Rachel thought it would be a great way to see where her mother came from and see her roots. Of course, what she discovered was something way more sinister.
The paranormal/mystery was well written. I did have an issue with the whole reason why Winterbourne was cursed not being revealed until the end of the book. I also didn’t like how that storyline was resolved. It was a little too tidy. But other than that, both were wonderful. I don’t think I will look at gilded mirrors and murals the same again.
There was a small romance angle of the book. Honestly, I didn’t see it between Alice and the captain. It didn’t grab me. Mainly because of the way he treated her. Of course, that was explained away but still. It left me going, “Really?” I also didn’t see it between Jack and Rachel until the end. I could have gone without the romance, but I can see why the author wrote it in. It made what happened to Alice even more disturbing.
The end of The Woman in the Mirror was terrific. I loved how everything came together. And then there was the epilogue. I had to reread it. The way it was written and what was written!! Will there be a 2nd book?
After weeks of not being able to concentrate on reading, I finally found a book to hold my interest, The Woman in the Mirror by Rebecca James. This book is a haunting, atmospheric, mesmerizing gothic mystery that will go straight to my favorites shelf. It has all the elements that I love in this genre: dilapidated old mention, a brooding hero, supernatural happenings, secrets, and curses.
The writing is captivating and the characters are well-developed, even though the story takes place in two timelines: 1947 and present-day. The last two chapters of the book left me shaken! I know I’ll be thinking about the ending for a long time. If you love chilly gothic thrillers, don’t miss this exceptional debut!
Like a modern day Turn of the Screw, this book draws you in and slowly chills you. It’s beautiful and spooky. I loved it!
Deliciously sinister…
…a dark treat of a book, steeped in gothic detail and heavy with unease.
…elegantly written and deliciously creepy.
Brilliant, addictive and superbly gripping.
A good Gothic read
This was truly a gothic novel. The huge overpowering house on the Cornish Bluff “Winterbourne” sits in the shadows keeping its secrets hidden inside.
The story goes from the governess Alice Miller in 1947 to Rachel in present days. Rachel grew up adopted and always wondered about her beginnings and her birth mother.
One day after she has grown and is on her own with her own Art Gallery, a letter comes informing her that she has been left a property called “Winterbourne” by a Constance De Grey to whom she was related but had never known existed.
Rachel travels from New York to England to visit the property hoping to find out about her ancestry and her connection to the De Grays’.
The story has suspense, a bit of terror, and a curse. The characters are well written and very well described from Captain Jonathan De Grey, Alice Miller, the twins Constance and Edmond, Rachel, Jack and Aaron.
Rachel uncovers not only the Witch of Winterbourne, but all that happened to her relatives from the beginning of Winterbourne. She suffers the spookiness of the huge house and has to choose between Aaron and Jack until she almost loses her life at the hands of one and is rescued by the other.
When she threw the mirror in the sea she thought she had rid herself and Winterbourne of the curse, but did she really?
It was a good book to read, I did get lost a few times in the different time changes and sometimes wondered in which time period I was reading. I would recommend the book to anyone that likes Gothic suspense novels.
Thanks to Rebecca James, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of the book.
London – 1947
Alice Miller works as a solicitor’s secretary. She has applied for and been offered the position of governess to the twin 8-year-old children, of Captain Jonathan De Grey, named Edmund and Constance, at Winterbourne in Cornwall. The estate sits atop an isolated bluff next a sheer drop off. Alice is the third governess to be hired in a few weeks time. The home is very old, dark, crumbling, and with very few servants. The Captain had been injured and walks with a cane. Alice fits right in and loves the children. She is also very intrigued by the Captain.
Present Day – New York
Rachel Wright is the Founder and Director of the Square Peg Gallery. She has worked very hard for months to prepare for the opening and is thrilled. She has been secretly seeing Aaron Grewal, a multi-millionaire. When she receives a letter from a solicitor in England, she is intrigued. It appears that her Aunt Constance has died leaving her the sole heir to Winterbourne. Rachel was adopted and has always longed to learn about her birth parents and thus, she packs up and heads to England.
At Winterbourne, Rachel finds a huge home filled with secrets. Not one to run from things, she immediately starts investigating old letters and other papers in the house. With the help of a local, she learns more about the history of the place and the frightening tales about it. It appears that the women who have inhabited Winterbourne over the years have been very strong, but have they also have been cursed? Was there truly a witch?
This is a spooky tale that will also pull at your heartstrings as you read the stories of these doomed women. What a fascinating read! I just could not put it down. Loved it!
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Intense, sinister, and mystical!
In this debut novel by James, The Woman in the Mirror, she transports us to the rugged cliffside of Cornwall, England during 1947, as well as present-day, and into a family manor where powerful emotions swirl, tragic memories reside, and long-buried skeletons and secrets are in abundance.
The prose is ominous and dark. The characters are complex, lonely, and troubled, with the setting, Winterborne Hall, being a character itself with its dereliction and isolation. And the plot told from alternating timelines is a gripping, suspenseful tale full of familial drama, heartache, tension, obsession, death, revenge, cruelty, desperation, and violence, all interwoven with a sliver of the supernatural.
Overall, The Woman in the Mirror is a gothic, atmospheric, eerie tale that captivates from the very first page and ultimately leaves you chilled, mystified, and entertained.
This book reminded me so much of the old books by Phylis Whitney and Mary Stewart. It has that gothic feel to it.
It was a hard to put down book, it was spooky good!! I loved it! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy