GoodReads:
A town gripped by fear. A woman accused of murder. Who can save Pale Harbour from itself?
1846. Desperate to escape the ghosts of his past, Gabriel Stone takes a position as a minister in the remote Pale Harbour, but not all is as it seems in the sleepy town.
As soon as Gabriel steps foot in town, he can’t escape the rumours about the mysterious Sophy Carver, a young widow who lives in the eerie Castle Carver: whispers that she killed her husband, mutterings that she might even be a witch.
But as strange, unsettling events escalate into murder, Gabriel finds himself falling under Sophy’s spell. As clues start to point to Sophy as the next victim, Gabriel realises he must find answers before anyone else turns up dead.
My Review
Ahhh this was such a great spooky read! There was murder, mystery, witchy going ons all set in the perfect New England spooky setting! Not to mention it was like stepping into a story that might have been inspired by Poe himself. [Note: there are references to Poe in this story and I absolutely loved it]
The whole time you read this, you’ll want to be sipping something warm from a mug while curled up in a cozy reading spot with a blanket. Even if you’re somewhere warm the way that Hester Fox writes, you feel like you’re right there with the characters in the cold New England rain and fog.
The romance to this is just simply amazing, I loved that the male lead was sensitive and put the female’s comfort and consent at the top of his priority list.
Also, Sophy was an amazing female lead, she feels very real fears to her situation, the outsider in a small town who is believed to have killed the husband that they all admired. She’s scorned and feared in equal measure and their actions lead to the consequence that Sophy becomes reclusive and that only fuels the gossip in the town.
Gabriel Stone comes at just the right moment, the gossip is reaching its peak with the strange happenings occurring in Pale Harbour and Sophy stands to be the most likely suspect in the town’s eyes.
The new minister can’t help but be drawn to the Widow, to want to know more about the woman who has caused so much tongue-wagging, and as he gets to know her, he knows the truth, she couldn’t have done this. But…then who isn’t? And why do they want Sophy to take the blame?
A great murder mystery, romance, and historical fiction. For anyone who enjoys a mystery, I would highly recommend this book to them!
Four Cups of Coffee for this book! Now…I’m off to go pretend I’m in New England and drink some more tea.
Thank you to HQ Stories for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review as part of the blog tour!
About the Author
GoodReads:
Hester comes to writing from a background in museum work and historical archaeology. She loves the Gothic, the lurid, the dark…so long as the ending is a happy one. She has never seen a ghost, though she remains hopeful.
Hester lives outside of Boston with her husband and their son.
The Caffeinated Reader 