The suppression of women dominates this dual-time tale. Alice, a disgraced pregnant girl, is sent to the country by her mother in 1933. Fascinated by the history of the house she hides in she feels the presence of unhappy spirits. Spirits that date back to 50 years before when Elizabeth, suffering from post-natal depression was confined to an asylum for months. She subsequently loses her next three pregnancies, all longed-for boys. Back in the 1930s Alice meets the present owner’s son, a relationship blossoms and opening up to each other we discover he has tragedy in his past too. This is a novel which will stay with you long after you’ve finished it and lifelong fans of Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca are likely to adore it. ~ Sarah Broadhurst
The Girl in the Photograph by Kate Riordan is a beautiful dark and beguiling novel that will sweep you away.
'I could never have imagined all that would happen in those few short months and how, by the end of them, my life would have altered irrevocably and for ever.' It's the summer of 1933 and Alice Eveleigh has arrived at Fiercombe Manor in disgrace. Hiding her shame in this isolated house concealed within a Gloucestershire valley in the care of housekeeper, Mrs Jelphs, Alice soon begins to sense that something isn't quite right within the walls of this beautiful manor - for one thing she is being watched...There are secrets at Fiercombe that those who remain there are determined to keep. Tragedy haunts the empty rooms and foreboding hangs heavy in the stifling heat. Traces of the previous occupant, Elizabeth Stanton, are everywhere, and Alice discovers Elizabeth's life eerily mirrors the path she herself is on. The past is set to repeat its sorrows, and with devastating consequences.
'Rich and atmospheric, like Rebecca this novel casts an enduring spell' Rachel Hore, Sunday Times bestselling author
Author
About Kate Riordan
Kate Riordan is a writer and journalist. She started out as an editorial assistant at the Guardian, followed by a stint as deputy editor for the lifestyle section of Time Out. She now works freelance and lives in the Cotswolds, where she is currently working on her next novel.
