Three generations of Irish nobles face their family secrets in this spellbinding novel from the award-winning author of the Boleyn King trilogy.
The Gallagher family has called Deeprath Castle home for seven hundred years. Nestled in the Wicklow Mountains of Ireland, the estate is now slated to become a public trust, and book lover and scholar Carragh Ryan is hired to take inventory of its historic library. But after meeting Aidan, the current Viscount Gallagher, and his enigmatic family, Carragh knows that her task will be more challenging than she’d thought.
Two decades before, Aidan’s parents died violently at Deeprath. The case, which was never closed, has recently been taken up by a new detective determined to find the truth. The couple’s unusual deaths harken back a century, when twenty-three-year-old Lady Jenny Gallagher also died at Deeprath under mysterious circumstances, leaving behind an infant son and her husband, a renowned writer who never published again. These incidents only fueled fantastical theories about the Darkling Bride, a local legend of a sultry and dangerous woman from long ago whose wrath continues to haunt the castle.
The past catches up to the present, and odd clues in the house soon have Carragh wondering if there are unseen forces stalking the Gallagher family. As secrets emerge from the shadows and Carragh gets closer to answers—and to Aidan—could she be the Darkling Bride’s next victim?
Source: advance e-galley provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
I originally thought that The Darkling Bride was going to be a ghost story, something out of my comfort zone but so tantalizing that I was willing to try. Turns out it's a little bit about a ghostly legend and mostly about bizarre family events that only add to the legend.
There are three timelines and several points of view working in tandem to bring this incredible story to life. I love a good mystery and so happens I love one that involves uncovering family secrets. Carragh takes on a temporary job to archive the Gallagher family's library before the castle is put in a trust. Aidan, the current Viscount, has no desire to hold on to the castle where his parents were murdered. What few memories he has are too painful and since not everyone in his family is in agreement with his plans, their discord grows as time wears on. Carragh gets to be an unwilling witness to the family's drama but doesn't allow that to distract her from doing the work she was hired to do. She's also doing a bit of her own research into one of the family's most famous ancestors and her perseverance leads her to information that could help resolve not only the mystery of Aidan's parents' deaths but another one from a couple of generations back.
With so many characters and details involved Andersen has paced the story perfectly with concise chapters and just enough breadcrumbs to keep both the plotline and reader moving forward. The only problem I had was with real life constantly interrupting my reading bliss. The Darkling Bride fits a certain kind of mood and I was craving a mystery like this that would remove me to another setting and time period. I was mesmerized by the story and enjoyed the various characters even when they were at their most vulnerable. If I could make a wish, I'd love to see the detective, Sibéal in another story. Strong and skilled at her job, it would be fun to see her work another mystery but as I said, that's just my wishful thinking.
~ Bel
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| Picture Source: Goodreads |
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