Publisher: Michael Joseph (13th July 2017)
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an open and honest review.
From the present day . . .
Applecote Manor captivates Jessie with it promise of hazy summers in the Cotswolds. She believes it's the perfect escape for her troubled family. But the house has an unsettling history, and strange rumours surround the estate.
Applecote Manor captivates Jessie with it promise of hazy summers in the Cotswolds. She believes it's the perfect escape for her troubled family. But the house has an unsettling history, and strange rumours surround the estate.
to the fifties . . .
When teenage Margot and her three sisters arrive at Applecote during the heatwave of '59, they find their aunt and uncle still reeling from the disappearance of their daughter, Audrey, five years before.
The sisters are drawn into the mystery of Audrey's vanishing - until the stifling summer takes a shocking, deadly turn. Will one unthinkable choice bind them together, or tear them apart?
Step back in time for a richly evocative mystery, where the beauty of a Cotswolds summer is vividly contrasted with the violence which shatters it.
I seem to have read a lot of books about missing people recently. This book stands out above the rest, and has so much more to it. The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde is a gripping story about sisters and coming as age, as well as an intriguing mystery that blends the past and present.
One thing I loved about this book is how richly descriptive it is. I'm a massive fan of books set in stately homes and I thought this book captured the past and present settings really well.
This book also has incredible plotting, with alternating voices and stories that I found equally engaging. The use of the first and third person for the two narrators worked really effectively to distinguish them.
The plot develops slowly, but this really works as the truth unravels gradually. This allowed me to try to solve the mystery, and gave plenty of opportunities to explore the interesting cast of characters.
This was a captivating book that I'd recommend to fans of historical fiction and intriguing mysteries.
If you liked the sound of this, try The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel.
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