First Line: Hush... Can you hear him?

Three elderly sisters live in a crumbling castle in the south of England, closely guarding their secrets, until the chance delivery of a 50-year-old letter to the mother of London book editor, Edie Burchill.

As a teenager, Edie's mother was evacuated to Milderhurst Castle during the Blitz and lived with author Raymond Blythe and his three daughters, twins Persephone and Seraphina, and Juniper. When Edie has an opportunity to read her mother's letter and to learn that her mother actually lived with the author of her favorite children's book, The True History of the Mud Man, she naturally wants to learn all she can about her mother's time there, the castle, and the Blythes. The thick, sticky spiderweb of secrets she blunders into has been in place for decades, and as they are exposed to the light of day, there will be repercussions for them all.

I loved Morton's first two books, The House at Riverton and The Forgotten Garden. The author's descriptive, atmospheric writing swept me away into these stories for long periods of time, and when I came up for air, I had to blink a few times to bring the world into focus. Not so with The Distant Hours.

With the exception of The True History of the Mud Man-- a children's book written by one of the characters-- which is truly creepy and stirred the hair on the back of my neck, I was never transported by the story. The book felt too much like the gothic romances by Dorothy Eden and Victoria Holt I read as a teenager.

Although Morton's characterizations are as excellent as they were in her first two books, once the cast of characters was in place, it was relatively easy for me to decipher all the secrets and know what happened at Milderhurst Castle. And... since I wasn't transported by the story, the book felt bloated and very slow-moving.

Has this put me off Kate Morton's writing? No. Besides, I really wouldn't call this a "bad" book, merely an average one. I enjoyed her first two books so much that I'll still be watching for the next.

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I purchased The Distant Hours because I found myself lost in the beautiful stories Kate Morton created in "The House at Riverton" and especially "The Forgotten Garden". "The Distant Hours" is very similar to The Forgotten Garden, skipping around between time periods to tell the story of Milderhurst Castle, its people, a reclusive author and the young girl evacuated there during the blitz. While I found "The Forgotten Garden" enchanting, "The Distant Hours" felt formulaic and sluggish (especially the first third of the book). The pace of the story picked up in the last half and held my attention to a satisfying if somewhat predictable finish. If I didnt start this book with the high expectations that the authors previous books warranted, I would have rated it higher than the three stars Im giving it now.

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So, so beautiful. I absolutely love Kate Morton's ability to tell stories. Her love of literature and books really shines through. I identified with the main character, Edith, who felt more at ease with written communication than with speaking out loud. I enjoyed her secret wish that everyone could just write letters in lieu of talking.

This book has the gothic romantic/tragedy feel of "Jane Eyre" combined with the slow lingering horror of "The Shadow of the Wind." There is the bookish publishing agent, Edith, who becomes involved with the odd, ancient spinster sisters Persephone, Seraphina and Juniper who live in the castle once owned by their father, an eccentric writer. From the start, we are told that Juniper, the youngest sister, was driven mad when her fiance runs out on her. However, things are not as they seem. As Edith unwinds the tale in modern (1990s) time, the sisters remember their past in flashbacks. And of course, there's more to the jilted lover story than we imagine.

With that said, this story is not perfect. Though Edith's character is described quite well, there is just not enough detail of the sisters to really complete the story. The family "curse" is not fully revealed until towards the end, and that late reveal doesn't quite carry the impact as expected. heredity and madness is another theme that is implied but never quite drawn out in detail; this weakens what is perhaps the most vital scene in the book. Without giving too much away, I felt the relationships between the father and each daughter should have been described in much more detail in order to really enhance the family tragedy and "curse."

However, there was so much in this book to enjoy. The first tour of the castle was absolutely wonderful, especially the description of the "veins" (secret passages between the walls) to give a sense that the castle was "alive." The doomed romances are short but sweet. And the ending made me cry. Don't skip this book!

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A somewhat gothic tale of a castle, monsters, and disturbed personalities. The story drifts between the 1990s and World War II. I have now read 3 of Kate Morton's books - House at Riverton, Forgotten Garden, and this one. I have enjoyed all three.

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Kate Morton,Is a true storyteller.she gets you hooked.I couldn't put this down .I was living the story. If this is the type of reading you like ,she is the best. I have read all three of her books ,and they are books I am saving for my granddaughter. so I won't be swapping them. that says it all .

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Opening page...

The True History Of The Mud Man

Hush..Can you hear him?
The trees can. They are the first to know that he is coming.
Listen! The trees of the deep, dark woods, shivering and jittering their leaves like papery hulls of beatin silver; the sly wind, snaking through their tops, whispering that soon it will begin.
The trees know, for they are old and they have seen it all before.


Edie is an only child of respectable if dull parents who, when she was growing up, did little to nurture her natural love of words or mystery.

A haunting tale of long - buried secrets, the origins of a classic children's book, the vagaries of war, and the twists of fate that can bring people together or crush their hopes forever.

Gothic fiction, spinning an intricate web of mystery and suspense that will stay with you long after the last page is turned.


I love finding new writers and ones that are not from the States. Love all of her books and have them in my personal library.

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This is the first novel I have read by Kate Morton. I really enjoyed the book and I liked the fact that it kept me guessing, trying to figure out what happened to the characters, until the end of the book. Needless to say I was surprised. I will definitely be looking for her other books to read!

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Have to admit it took quite a while to get involved. Almost quit quite a few times. I would rate the first half of the book a 2 - so slow - the first 200 pages could have be edited down to 100 pages, much too wordy. Too many rambling descriptions that were unnecessary and bogged the story down. Was disappointed because I had read "The Forgotten Garden" and enjoyed it from the beginning so was looking forward to reading this. I persevered because I liked the basic plot and characters.

The second half of the book I would rate a 4. Once more of the actual story was being told and I got involved I enjoyed the book. But still disappointed in the end, felt like there were still loose ends.

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I found it to be a tedious read. Hard to get into and stay into. Slow moving. Obvious foreshadowing. Finally gave up, skimmed through and read bits and pieces to find the ending somewhat interesting.

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My first introduction to Kate Morton's writing was The House at Riverton. A Gothic tale, told within multiple timelines, and secrets galore, The Distant Hours is no different in that respect.

However, I should start this post by asking you a question: When you were a kid, what was the story that grabbed you? Held you speechless as you turned each page and introduced you to the world of imagination and possibility?

I can think of a few titles that capture this feeling for me, but for Edie in The Distant Hours, there will only ever be one. It is a celebrated classic, one that is a horror story of monumental proportions, but is simultaneously literary. The Mud Man, by Richard Blythe, a tale of horror, intrigue, and disturbing events that shake a young mind to their bones - this is the story that made Edie fall in love with books.

As an adult, she now works in the publishing industry and has a somewhat strained relationship with her parents in which not much is shared about their young lives. Disjointed this may be, Edie is aware that when her mother was a child, she was one of the many evacuees in England during World War II, and was the only one safely stationed at Milderhurst Castle. Already a Gothic and mysterious home it is even more so filled with secrets since this was the home of the very author of The Mud Man. Edie was always curious about her mother's relationship to this castle and the family, and while on a business trip, she decides to take a slight detour and visit the famous castle. While there, she meets the three daughters of Raymond Blythe, now much older while on a tour of the house, and is invited back much later to write the introduction for the release of a new edition of their father's famous story.

Back and forth between the 1930s and the 1990s, and told from different characters' perspectives, this is simply haunting and Gothic, through and through. Where did the story of The Mud Man truly come from? Why is the oldest sister, Percy, so gruff and cold? Why is the youngest, Juniper, still waiting for her fiancé, even though it's been over fifty years? And what really was their relationship with Edie's mother?

Once again, as with The House at Riverton, I find I'm always mesmerized with the mystery, the characters, their sadness, and their regrets. The story is creepy and detailed, and while I thought the end was a bit too nicely wrapped up for this eloquently haunting story, I was absolutely satisfied yet again with Kate Morton's work. I look forward to downloading another audiobook from her, and Caroline Lee as the narrator was extremely impressive. My first time listening to her voice, and I look forward to more.

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