#BookReview: The Missing Years by Lexie Elliott

the missing yearsAbout the Book

An eerie, old Scottish manor in the middle of nowhere that’s now hers.

Ailsa Calder has inherited half of a house. The other half belongs to a man who disappeared without a trace twenty-seven years ago—her father.

Leaving London behind to settle the inheritance from her mother’s estate, Ailsa returns to her childhood home, nestled amongst the craggy peaks of the Scottish Highlands, joined by the half-sister who’s almost a stranger to her.

Ailsa can’t escape the claustrophobic feeling that the house itself is watching her—as if her past hungers to consume her. She also can’t ignore how the neighborhood animals refuse to set one foot within the gates of the garden.

When the first nighttime intruder shows up, Ailsa fears that the manor’s careless rugged beauty could cost her everything.

My Review

I have read The French Girl, Lexie Elliott’s debut novel, and was eager to read her next offering. The setting intrigued me – an Old Scottish manor that is sure to have its own story – but unfortunately I wasn’t as drawn in to this novel. It is a fairly slow read, and one that I didn’t have difficulty putting down. While Ailsa was an interesting character to follow, I didn’t find her, her half-sister, or many of the characters particularly fleshed out. It was hard to feel a part of the story from the beginning, though the ending did pick up during the last few chapters. Lexie Elliott is a good writer, but this book just missed the mark for me.

2.5 stars