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Book Description
A tantalizing tale of suspense and family secrets that weaves Victorian ghost stories into the present – where they start to come true
Timid, solitary librarian Gerard Freeman lives for just two things: his elusive pen pal Alice and a story he found hidden in his mother’s drawer years ago. Written by his great-grandmother Viola, it hints at his mother's role in a sinister crime. And as he discovers more of Viola’s chilling tales, he realizes that they might hold the key to finding Alice and unveiling his family's mystery – or will they bring him the untimely death they seem to foretell?
Harwood’s astonishing, assured debut shows us just how dangerous family skeletons – and stories -- can be.
Timid, solitary librarian Gerard Freeman lives for just two things: his elusive pen pal Alice and a story he found hidden in his mother’s drawer years ago. Written by his great-grandmother Viola, it hints at his mother's role in a sinister crime. And as he discovers more of Viola’s chilling tales, he realizes that they might hold the key to finding Alice and unveiling his family's mystery – or will they bring him the untimely death they seem to foretell?
Harwood’s astonishing, assured debut shows us just how dangerous family skeletons – and stories -- can be.
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- Book Details
- English Books
- Rating:
(4)
4 stars 
3 stars 2 stars 1 star - Hardcover 384 Pages
- ISBN-10: 0151010749
- ISBN-13: 9780151010745
- Publisher: Harcourt
- Pub date: Jul 05, 2004
- Dimensions: 23 cm x 15 cm x 3 cm Just how big is that?
- Also available as: Paperback and Hardcover
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MoirneStark
Icedream
Helena
sweeterreade...
Readingrat
A smart mystery that is endlessly thought provoking. The narration jumps from the main character Gerard to the ghost stories that he discovers. And the best part: the stories are really good! I got completely immersed in this novel. It's creepy, it's exciting, and it has great atmosphere. Read it!
There was so much I enjoyed about this book. I especially liked how Gerard's exploration into the mystery of his mother's past was used as a vehicle to present some nice classic ghost stories. However I didn't feel that the ending was very well constructed. I usually don't require a book to have a ... Continue
There was so much I enjoyed about this book. I especially liked how Gerard's exploration into the mystery of his mother's past was used as a vehicle to present some nice classic ghost stories. However I didn't feel that the ending was very well constructed. I usually don't require a book to have a perfectly tidy ending but this one was just a little TOO loose.