Reviewer: Andrea
The Summary:
Miramont Castle, built in 1897 and mysteriously abandoned three years later, is home to many secrets. Only one person knows the truth: Adrienne Beauvier, granddaughter of the Comte de Challembelles and cousin to the man who built the castle.
Clairvoyant from the time she could talk, Adrienne’s visions show her the secrets of those around her. When her visions begin to reveal dark mysteries of her own aristocratic French family, Adrienne is confronted by her formidable Aunt Marie, who is determined to keep the young woman silent at any cost. Marie wrenches Adrienne from her home in France and takes her to America, to Miramont Castle, where she keeps the girl isolated and imprisoned. Surrounded by eerie premonitions, Adrienne is locked in a life-or-death struggle to learn the truth and escape her torment.
Reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, this hauntingly atmospheric tale is inspired by historical research into the real-life Miramont Castle in Manitou Springs, Colorado.
The Review:
I had seen it everywhere, in every Amazon recommendation, on my Kindle log-in screen, EVERYWHERE, so I had high hopes for this novel. There was prolific marketing for this one, and I’m sorry to say it didn’t live up to all the hype for me.
The novel begins when Adrienne is very young, about four years old. I enjoyed little-girl Adrienne. She was precocious and perky, but as she ages, she completely loses her spark. While I realize some of this comes from her grandfather’s death and part from the time period, I became frustrated and angry with her. She waits for rescue from her demented aunt and lascivious cousin. Her depression is, well, depressing, and I lost interest quickly. I only continued reading because I thought surely something good will happen for this tortured girl, but alas, it never did.
It is interesting how the author worked in the original history of the enormous “castle”, but it really failed to hold me and make me care about Adrienne. The novel is touted as a ghost story, but don’t expect that to occur anytime soon in the novel’s structure. I was nearly finished before the ghost every appears.
2 Stars
