Three Stars for this one:
I really can't decide what I think of book.
The author utilizes the conventions of the Victorian gothic novel- ghostly apparitions, haunted woods, the decaying manor, mesmerism, and the question of an impossible murder. All of the ingredients for a gripping story are there, yet the narrative's lack of momentum keeps the book strictly in the 'good' category. Whilst rambling, overly detailed accounts are to be expected from a Victorian pastiche, the narrative is at other times overly abrupt- a jarring combination.
On the up-side, Harwood provides two female protagonists to root for. Their narratives are engaging, their similarities add interest, and their search for identity, in a world where insanity and nonconformity are one an the same, adds, perhaps, the most abosrbing dimension to the labyrinth tale.
A good story? Yes. A great story? No
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