Amy B. (BaileysBooks) reviewed on 2/2/2010 + 491 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

This was an entertaining tale of the typical British country manor house, complete with busybody servants and their oblivious employers.

This book reminded me of Kazuo Ishiguro's "The Remains of the Day" for its insights into the life of the servants and Kate Morton's "The House at Riverton" for its brooding family secrets.

This is also a rather close and claustrophobic book. Brightwell does a superb job of drawing you into the life of the home, of introducing characters that are as complex as they are questionable, and pulling off an ending that is both surprising and satisfying.

This was a grittier take on what is often a very romanticized subject, and it managed to strike the difficult balance of being dark without being overbearing. In all I found it to be an engaging read with enough twists and surprises to keep me interested and guessing until the very end. For anyone who enjoys a good social commentary / mini-mystery from this particular period in history, then this book is definitely well worth your time.

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