An interesting blend of folk tale, gothic horror, supernatural elements, witchcraft, magic, time travel and a menacing setting.
Olivia (Liv) Stay arrives on the Scottish island of Lon Haven with her 3 young daughters in 1998. She's meant to paint a mural on the walls of an old lighthouse. The inhabitants live in a sort of time capsule with the entire place steeped in folklore and a dark history. Liv learns about the prison beneath the lighthouse, once used to house women accused of witchcraft and about the wildlings that were part of their curse on the islanders. Then two of her daughters vanish.
Fast forward to 2021: one of the Stay daughters, Luna, has been searching all these years for her missing family. She gets a call that her youngest sister, Clover, has been found. Luna rushes to the hospital eager to be reunited, except when she sees Clover she is shocked to find that Clover is still 7 years old -- the same age she was when she went missing. In an effort to make sense of everything and come to terms with her past, Luna and Clover travel to Lon Haven. No spoilers.
This is a great story for anyone in the mood for something a bit spooky. Although I don't tend to read a lot of gothic horror, I found this enjoyable. The narrative shifts in point of view and in time as the story evolves. The characters were well drawn and each voice gave another dimension to what happen on Lon Haven. It is a bit "out there" as far as believably, but an entertaining tale.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Books for this e-book ARC to read and review.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
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