Eva Chase
projected release date: July 2017
3/5 stars
Teenaged Margot and her three sisters spend the summer of 1959 with their grieving aunt and uncle at Applecote Manor. What begins as a slow, nearly boring, vacation turns into a time of trial for the close sisters, as they wrestle with their cousin's disappearance, and with the jealousy aroused by the arrival of two young men.
Fifty years later, Jesse is sure that moving to Applecote Manor will be the best thing for her rebellious teenaged stepdaughter, Bella, and toddler daughter, Romy, despite the long commute for her husband's work. Things are not as bucolic as she had expected, and Jesse must face many facets of the past: her's, Bella's, and that of the house.
These two storylines are told in alternating chapters that eventually connect. Chase does a nice job of switching between first person for Margot and third person for Jesse's story. Sadly, some of the characters are static, even stereotypical. The historical ambiance doesn't always gel, and several of the "facts" about the family aren't fully believable. The slightly gothic atmosphere is well done, though, drawing the reader into the plot and keeping it interesting. I found it an enjoyable, if not tremendously memorable, read.
