Image credit: Photo by Mark Tegethoff on Unsplash

Not many more days left now with the Wyrd and Wonder #Spooktasticreads event – and I have so much to cram in.  Reviews, reviews, reviews.  I’ll give it a shot.  Today, The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell.

Oh my.  This book is just about perfect, for me.  Well, no, it’s probably perfect for anybody who wants to read beautiful writing, a gothic story, split timelines and just some major spooky goings on.  I loved this book.  I don’t know if it could be any better to be honest.  I didn’t have a single quibble, not one.  Commence the gushing.

Okay, I’m late to the Purcell Party so I’m sure that not too much plot outline is needed here, everybody has probably already read this book and waxed lyrical but for those like me, who live under a rock, allow me to gush emphatically for a few hundred words in a bid to tempt you to pick this one up.  If you don’t want to give up more of your precious time reading the rest of this, okay, I relate, the TL:DR version is read the book.  Simples.

So, the good, the better and the best.  Here goes.

The plot, which I will only briefly elaborate on.  Set in 1865 Elsie Bainbridge is the central focus of the story.   Recently married and then widowed she went from the dizzy euphoria of being raised from the stigma of being a spinster to being married and then with crashing finality became the focus of malicious gossip almost overnight when her husband died suddenly leaving her the soul heir of his fortune.  Yeah, these things don’t fly to well with most people.  Elsie and Rupert’s marriage was something of a business deal in the beginning but Elsie definitely cared for her husband and with a baby on the way had expectations of falling in love.  With Rupert’s demise Elsie finds herself on a road she hadn’t anticipated.  Her younger brother, and co runner of the business they operate, thinks it best if Elsie escapes to the country until the gossip dies down.  Unfortunately the country retreat isn’t exactly Pemberley.   The estate is run down, the house worn and tired and the nearest village a hotbed of poverty and resentment.

Now, the story begins to unfold in a delicious fashion.  Evocative and spooky the Bridge (the country home) is something of an enigma.  The locals won’t step near the place, one too many skeletons have been found, not even in closets but on the actual estate, a few too many suspicious deaths, in fact if you look closely at the family and it’s heritage it’s almost like they’re cursed.

Elsie is keen for new beginnings though.  She has something of a dark past, her one shining light is her brother, who she tried to protect.  Of course, being a heiress comes with a certain amount of baggage.  Resentment and pure dislike topping the list.  On top of that things are not as they seem at The Bridge.  Secrets are the order of the day  and in spite of Elsie’s attempts to spruce the place up and help the local residents things slowly start to unravel.  Particularly after the Garret, a room that was previously locked, is mysteriously opened.

On top of getting a feel for Elsie’s life we also jump back in time when a couple of journals are found in the Garret.  These journals document the life of Anne Bainbridge.  Her’s is a fascinating story and an equally intriguing storyline to read.  Her husband is ambitious and longs to impress the Court.  When the King and Queen announce that they will stay at his country seat for one night during their summer tour it’s like all his dreams have come true.  However, the locals fear Alice.  They think she’s a witch – common enough during the period (1635) given her love and natural affinity for herb lore but – Annie’s fourth child, a daughter that she desperately longed for and shouldn’t have been able to carry after complications with her third son’s birth, was born mute.  Hetta is an unusual child, like her mother, she loves plants and herbs and is something of a deft hand even at a tender age.  But there’s something different about her, something a little unsettling.  Her father thinks she should remain out of sight during the royal visit and so the start of their troubles commence.

Haha – did I say I wasn’t going to elaborate on the plot.  I guess I got carried away with the wish to dish.  And, I haven’t even given away the best part yet.  I recall being in English class when I was about 12/13 years of age.  Our teacher was making a point about something in particular and it’s with stories like these that that point really comes back to mind.  Deceptively simple and yet stunningly effective – a lot is given away in the title.  Of course I had no idea about that when I picked this up and the cleverness here is that the title could relate to a couple of other characters,  Hetta for example who is unable to communicate, or Sarah – Rupert’s cousin and now companion to Elsie – she doesn’t really have much of a say in things being a dependent.  Yes, of course the title could easily include those and does so quite beautifully –  but the scariness of the story, the absolute genius – is the Silent Companions.  And that is all.  I’m not going to say anything further – you can discover it for yourself just like I did.  You’ll just have to trust me when I say you will be gripped.  Boy oh boy could the Victorians come up with some creepy crap – and here I was thinking that taking photographs of people after they died was a bit scary.  Noooo.  This, this.  What on earth was this all about – I mean, okay, I’m not going to tell you what I’m talking about but why oh why would you have these hideous creations about your home.  Just why?

And, the icing on the cake – we have yet another time jump.  We’re still with Elsie but she’s a little older and she’s being held in an asylum, pending an enquiry into a number of deaths.  I know.  How freaking good is this book – really, you have to read it if you haven’t already.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, because I was convinced this was going to be a short and pithy review, I loved this.  The writing is exquisite the concept is brilliant.  I truly didn’t have a clue what to think or expect.  I couldn’t put the book down except for absolute essentials, everybody in the family is convinced I’ve run away because I’ve been secreted in a closet for approximately 24 hours reading none stop.  Oh hell yes.  Purcell is on the list.  Give me the next book now.  I won’t be waiting quite so long next time.

Where I got a copy – bought.