THE LANTERN

Author: Deborah Lawrenson

Publisher: Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

Pub. Date: August 9th, 2011 (formerly September 11th)

Format: Hardcover; 400 pages

Source: ARC won from Goodreads & received from Publisher.

Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Synopsis: When Eve falls for the secretive, charming Dom, their whirlwind relationship leads them to purchase Les Genevriers, an abandoned house in a rural hamlet in the south of France. As the beautiful Provence summer turns to autumn, Eve finds it impossible to ignore the mysteries that haunt both her lover and the run-down old house, in particular the mysterious disappearance of his beautiful first wife, Rachel. Whilst Eve tries to untangle the secrets surrounding Rachel’s last recorded days, Les Genevriers itself seems to come alive. As strange events begin to occur with frightening regularity, Eve’s voice becomes intertwined with that of Benedicte Lincel, a girl who lived in the house decades before. As the tangled skeins of the house’s history begin to unravel, the tension grows between Dom and Eve. In a page-turning race, Eve must fight to discover the fates of both Benedicte and Rachel, before Les Genevriers’ dark history has a chance to repeat itself.

Quote: “Until it happens to you, you don’t know how it will feel to stay with a man who has done a terrible thing. Not to know whether the worst has happened or is yet to come; wanting so badly to trust him now.”

Rating: 4/5

A Marvelous Gothic Ghost Story set in Provence.

The prologue of this beautifully written novel captivated me from the first sentence and kept me at edge. While I do not like to bring up writing skills rather than the story, I must say that the descriptions given by Mrs. Lawrenson make you feel as well as envision what is being told. Such crafty and inventive clusters of words. There were only a scarce amount of moments that I felt this novel may have been just a tad bit too descriptive, but at the same time, I do admire that extra hard work that went into this novel. The finer details. The chapters are really short and jump from the past to the present several times within them. There were a few times, especially at the beginning that I got lost somewhere and didn’t know what to make of it. Nevertheless, this “Gothic ghost story” was entertaining and is best suited for those oh-so cold/rainy days where a nice warm blanket and a steaming mug of rich and thick hot chocolate is much desired.

Final Thought: Definitely easy to finish and quite enjoyable, The Lantern is by far a beautifully written novel that paints a very detailed picture.