The Curse of Whitehall Manor - L.V. Pires - ★★★.¾

-
AUTHOR: L.V. Pires
SERIES: The Towry Family, #2
GENRE: Gothic Horror 
RATING: 3.75 stars.

In a Nutshell: Almost as horrifying as the first book of the series, though I couldn’t connect as much with the characters this time around. Works as a sequel and not a standalone novel.

Story Synopsis:
Anne is now a resident of Whitehall Manor, and trying to restore the historical house and open it for events in a bid to clear the Towry name. Her now-fiancé Terran is there to lend a hand. However, it's soon clear that Whitehall Manor isn't rid of all its ghosts, literal and metaphorical.
The story comes to us mostly in the first person perspective of Anne, with some historical letters filling in the rest of the gaps.


Bookish Yays:
👻 Though the horror elements take some time to begin, they are quite macabre and left me jittery.

👻 The above also means that I kept flipping the pages as fast as I could. Quite a short book at 236 pages (eighty-six pages shorter than Book One of the series), it feels even faster because of the writing style.

👻 Once again, the premise incorporates an intriguing combination of mental health and horror, and dilutes the partition between the two distinct elements. It also combines paranormal horror and mortifying human behaviour, and I am not sure which shocked/scared me more.

👻 The ending. I hate cliffhanger endings with all my chicken-hearted heart, especially in the paranormal thriller genre, so I was relieved to see a satisfying (though not necessarily complete) resolution for all the main arcs. The ending also hints at where the next book in the series will take place, and I am sure the very nature of that place will lead to more terrifying thrills and chills.


Bookish Mixed Bags:
😖 Some of the story comes to us through historical letters dated more than a century ago. But the language in these felt quite contemporary. That said, the letters were super-creepy and added a lot to the tension of the contemporary timeline.


Bookish Nays:
☠ The initial section felt a bit repetitive. This is primarily due to Anne, whom I found tough to connect with this time around. A part of her behaviour could be attributed to her current tribulations at Whitehall, but a part was also because she refused to communicate her worries with Terran, and relying instead on assumptions. I'm still not sure how many of Anne's thoughts in the book were accurate and how many were just a figment of her imagination. Basically, though I was rooting for Anne, I wasn’t waving my flag of support with as much gusto as the first time around.

☠ The depiction of Anne’s pregnancy felt too simplified, and sometimes, unrealistic.


One track in the book seems inspired by a famous classic tale, the name of which I won’t reveal to you as it is a major spoiler. But this track has the best potential, and though I could see where things were going at the finale, I was invested enough to seek (and find) closure. Now looking forward to read the next book of the series. (I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will be the last book of this series because there are just SO many scary paranormal horror novels I want to read in my lifetime.)

Recommended to those who have read Book One: The Haunting of Whitehall Manor as this works excellently as a sequel but might lead to plot gaps if you dive directly into this volume.

My thanks to author L.V. Pires for providing me with a complimentary copy of “The Curse of Whitehall Manor” at my request. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

The book is available for free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.

To read my review of the third book in this series - 'The Fall of Whitehall Manor', click HERE.

Comments

Post a Comment

Explore more posts from this blog:

Violent Advents: A Christmas Horror Anthology - Edited by L. Stephenson - ★★★.¼

-
Image
  EDITOR: L. Stephenson GENRE: Christmas Horror Anthology PUBLICATION DATE:  December 12, 2024 RATING: 3.3 stars. In a Nutshell: A short-fiction anthology filled with Christmassy horror. Some really good stories here, though I wish there had been more variety in the “source of the evil.” A good option for those who are fed up of saccharine seasonal stories. This is the time of the year when readers are torn between spooky season and Christmas season. Here's a book that combines both. 😉 This indie anthology contains twenty-six stories by twenty-six writers. There’s no editor’s note, but the title and the tagline make the theme clear – it is a “Christmas horror” anthology. The stories are mostly fast-paced, which works well in this genre. After the first few stories, I wondered why a majority of them were using the Christmas tree as the horror device-of-choice. It occurred frequently enough for me to start eyeing every Christmas tree in the stories suspiciously. Only after...
Read More»

The Little Christmas Library - David M. Barnett - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: David M. Barnett GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 10, 2024 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A character-oriented contemporary fiction with a strong Christmas spirit and a dash of Christmas magic. Excellent characters and a well-connected narrative linking them all. True to contemporary times in every way. Might get a bit too sugary, but works well for the genre. A fabulous and heartwarming option for the festive season. Plot Preview: When Molly McGinley moves from London to her Northern hometown of Merry-le-Moors, she feels like an utter failure. Ten years in the big city, and all she has to show is a broken relationship and no job. Her widower dad Jack is more than happy to have his daughter home, especially as he is still missing his wife who passed away a decade back. Jack now whiles away his time driving the town’s mobile library and he insists that Molly accompany him on his rounds instead of moping alone at home. As the two take the library bus t...
Read More»

Somebody I Used to Know - Wendy Mitchell - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Wendy Mitchell GENRE: Memoir PUBLICATION DATE: June 5, 2018 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: The memoir of a woman who unexpectedly became the face of young-onset Alzheimer’s in the UK. Ghost-written with the help of a journalist, this book covers her diagnosis, reaction, coping strategies, everyday experiences, and her plans for the future.. The writing is filled with pain and frustration as well as hope. Much recommended. Do note that it might be triggering for Alzheimer’s patients and also caregivers. A reading challenge I am participating in needed a book penned by a ghost-writer. I was very clear that I didn’t want to opt for any celebrity memoir, most of which are sanitised fake versions of their lives. Nor did I want to try fictional novels that straddled the line between pseudonymous and ghost-written. ( The Nancy Drew series, for instance. ) Google led me to Wendy Mitchell’s memoir. One look at this book’s blurb, and I knew I finally found the right option for the...
Read More»

Making Up the Gods - Marion Agnew - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Marion Agnew GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 15, 2023 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: An indie drama with some quirky characters and a great setting in Lake Superior, Canada. Mellow in tone, genuine in content, thought-provoking in themes. I enjoyed this unusual novel. Plot Preview: Simone, almost 70, is a retired widow who lives an isolated life in her cottage on the banks of Lake Superior and still misses her husband, though he’s been dead for five years. While she is now active in her local church and finds solace in baking for those grieving, she is fiercely protective of her privacy. But when the local reverend asks her to take care of nine-year-old Chen while his widowed mother goes on a much-needed trip, Simone finds it tough to refuse a fellow-mourning widow. Just before Chen arrives, a stranger named Martin knocks at Simone’s door, claiming to be her cousin. Simone is suddenly handling two strangers at once, and she worries that they will dis...
Read More»

Dropseed: The Story of Three Sad Women - Nettie Magnan - ★★★

-
Image
AUTHOR: Nettie Magnan GENRE: Literary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: June 30, 2024 RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: A literary fiction about three women and their individual struggles. Great nature imagery and intriguing flawed characters, but too overwritten for my liking. Readers who like descriptive prose and don’t mind meandering storytelling are bound to enjoy this better. I was the wrong reader for this book. So please take this review with a pinch of salt. Plot Preview: Sally is a frustrated middle-aged ex-artist who is tired of the monotony of her life. Now with the added task of caring for her ailing mother, Sally seeks a change, but can she do so at the cost of her responsibilities? Mary, Sally’s mother, is not happy about how she has been reduced to complete dependence because of her illness. Her crankiness is often a cover for her frustration and her regrets. Is it too late for her to find peace? Beth, Mary’s caretaker, knows she has a tough patient, but even handling Mary is b...
Read More»