If you enjoy a good ghost story and a mystery with twists and turns while also enjoying sense of smell and atmosphere, then Deborah Lawrenson's The Lantern is a good for you. I had read a number of reviews online and was prepared to be disappointed with this book. I was not at all disappointed and was surprised now at the reviews.
This is Eve and Bénédicte's story...one set in the present while the other is set in the past. On the surface, it is a ghost story set in a beautiful old and rundown farmhouse set in the Provence. Eve lives today and senses not being alone in the farmhouse she buys with boyfriend Dom. But as she meets Sabine in the village, she begins to wonder if she really knows Dom at all. She knew he had a previous marriage but her suspicious about his ex-wife Rachel keep growing stronger.
In the meantime, we meet Bénédicte Lincel who is the younger daughter of the farmer who lived in the farmhouse. She is the sister of the blind and scent gifted Marthe who became a famous perfumer in Paris. But this family is tormented and that torment seems to have seeped into the very stones of the farmhouse.
The ending twists and I love this quote from the book:
" All of which goes to show how dangerous it is to assume connections where there are none, to link events that have no link, to want tidy story-telling when real life is not like that, to draw too much on the imagination when it is often misleading."
If you enjoy being caught up in the senses as well as intrigue, I would say give this book a try. I really enjoyed it and it kept my attention to the very end. It is a book that I feel could have been a true story. A great summer read that will take you to Provence, France without leaving the comfort of your chair.
Happy reading!
Heidi
5 comments:
Hello Heidi!
Thank you so much for your lovely review, and your message on my blog. I'm so delighted you enjoyed The Lantern. My novel does seem to divide opinion on the internet. As far as I'm concerned, the readers who enjoy it are the more intelligent, sensitive people who understand subtlety - like you! Interestingly, the lines you quote have absolutely enraged some readers because of their own expectations - which is exactly the crux of the book. Thank you for redressing the balance.
All the best,
Deborah
Heidi, just purchased for my nook; sounds really great!!
Okay, I guess I have to look this book up on my nook. I have to decide then if I think I will like it.
I highly recommend you read Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah also. It is really a tear jerker in the end.
Love you, Mom
Interesting!
I read a lot of mysteries, could be interesting.
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