The Legacy opens in 1905 with Caroline Calcott, Lady of Stourton Manor in Wiltshire, hurriedly leaving the house and making her way through the grounds and into the woods, carrying a white pillowcase over her shoulder which (unbeknown to the maids who watch her in surprise from the window) holds a small child.

The story then fast forwards to the current day and passes to Erica Calcott, Caroline’s Great-Granddaughter. Erica and her sister Beth have come back to Stourton Manor after 23 years of being kept away as their Grandmother, Meredith, has passed away and left them the property in her will. The two sisters haven’t been to the Manor since 1986 when their cousin Henry, who also used to stay at the house with them every summer during their childhood, vanished without trace never to be heard of again. 

I have read books before with dual narratives and I have often found that I prefer one story to the other, even to the stage where I will skim over the less favoured but no so with The Legacy. Both stories are so compelling and end on cliff-hangers (of sorts) which makes the book even more pacey and page-turning. In the contemporary story, themes of depression, discovery, nostalgia and deception are dealt with and with Caroline’s turn of the century story there is loneliness, longing, desperation and envy which all built up to an act so impulsive and shocking that its repercussion imprint themselves on the future generations of the Calcott family, including Erica’s.

The Pet Semetary – Stephen King

Louis Creed and his family have recently moved to the town of Ludlow, Maine. Behind their house there is a path that leads to a ‘Pet Sematary’, where the children of surrounding areas have buried their beloved pets in years gone by. Deeper in the woods there lies an ancient Indian burial ground, that Louis discovers has some sinister properties when their family cat dies and is buried there. 

I’d never had an experience before where I actually felt scared to turn the page – this was of course in the climax at the end of the novel. My heart was racing, my palms felt sweaty, I just kept thinking, “There’s no way this book is going to go THAT dark”. The way King crafted a book that is terrifying and heartbreaking in equal measures will never fail to astound me. Because this book IS terrifying – to lose someone is terrifying, to have to try to move on is terrifying, for them to come back “different” is also terrifying.  If you’re searching for a book to keep you up at night and make you jump at the slightest rustle of leaves or the light crunch of twigs, this is the book for you. 

Then She was Gone – Lisa Jewell 

Ellie Mack is a teenager who has been missing for over a decade. Laurel, her mother, along with the rest of the family are left with no answers to the case which supposedly had no clues nor leads to come into a conclusion.

Laurel’s life has been on hold in many ways since her daughter’s death, but she meets a new man, Floyd, and finds herself drawn in by his charm. She’s excited, happy and open to new possibilities again. It’s not until she meets his younger daughter, Poppy, though that questions arise. Poppy is lovely and precocious … and looks so much like Ellie that it can’t possibly be a coincidence.

What stands out for me in The She Was Gone is the fact that it has a clear family drama element to it, which I wasn’t expecting but was pleasantly surprised nevertheless. Jewell sincerely tries to tackle the subject of the family struggling with the trauma of their loss which in my opinion gives the book a little more heft. While it’s not really groundbreaking, the characters are given a broad dimension which makes the read interesting and engaging.

At the same time the actual mystery component to it was less satisfying than I was expecting as well. While the mystery and suspense of what happened to Ellie is absolutely at the forefront of the book throughout the entire novel, the resolution of Ellie’s disappearance is more straightforward than I had been hoping for.

The Devil in Pew No 7 – Rebecca Nichols Alonzo

Rebecca never felt safe as a child. In 1969, her father, Robert Nichols, moved to Sellerstown, North Carolina, to serve as a pastor. There he found a small community eager to welcome him―with one exception. Glaring at him from pew number seven was a man obsessed with controlling the church. Determined to get rid of anyone who stood in his way, he unleashed a plan of terror that was more devastating and violent than the Nichols family could have ever imagined. If you’re someone who enjoys reading thrillers then this is the book that’s definitely for you!