More than the plot or the cover, what attracted me to read this book were the reviews. Almost all of them say that it is similar to a Victoria Holt book. And I get why. It is written in 1st person (Lucy's POV), the setting is in a grand house and there is an eerie mystery going on. However, the real mystery starts to happen after the first half of the book. The story is incredible slow-paced, and all the deaths happen almost in a row.Lucy, as the main heroine, is almost likeable for, again, the first half of the book. She is observant, loves her mother and likes her aunt almost equally. Her relationship with Kit starts very Holt-ish like: they have this hidden tunnel where they meet and they are the best of friends. Until this Minerva moves next door and makes Lucy so insecure. Why the need of putting Kit's love in doubt? And I feel that the author did not make much use of the tunnel; it was such a good material for a more Gothic or mysterious scene.
The set of the book is definitely dark, which I liked. And the doubt whether it was Aliese or Helen was also spooky. But there are a lot of things that left me unsatisfied. The story behind Frederick and Helen. The story behind Aliese and Richard. Why was Aliese so different with Lucy after the incident? Or when she got pregnant. Why was she acting like it was her first time? And other questions I don't have in mind right now, but left me wonder when I got to the last page.
