A Review of Twillingmarche by Vera Mont.

I received a copy of this book from the author through Goodreads in exchange for an objective review.

The majority of the story takes place at Twillingmarche, a rambling English country estate in which the author very successfully utilizes language to create authenticity to the Edwardian England of the time and place.

The grammatical structure and the vocabulary, though difficult to read at times, assists in the creation of attitudes, practices, mannerisms and style.

Twillingmarche is a novel of intrigue and mystery including many twists, unexpected occurrences, romantic connections and tragic events. The author did an excellent job of incorporating many themes using a multitude of both major and minor characters. From the very first chapter, the reader is made aware that a mystery will surround the main character, 17 year old Mary, who is whisked away from a life of work as a nanny/maid/housekeeper/servant to one of leisure, privilege and respect. It does not take long for the reader to realize that mystery and intrigue not only surround Mary/Felicity but also surrounds the many characters that she encounters both at the estate and in the employ of the estate.

Every character is painted having some hidden secret and mystery about them – from those working in the kitchen, in the gardens, in the stables, to those living in the Palladian wing of the Twillingmarche estate. Even the Doctor, the Clergy and the solicitor who come and go from the estate do not escape from the secrecy. There is always the question of whom to trust.

Unfortunately this novel did not ‘grab’ me and in my opinion, the number of characters was the problem. The numerous characters created confusion and considerable difficulty for the reader to determine who was who and what was their role in the grand scheme of things. I soon came to realize that many of the characters were related by blood, by past experiences and/or by shared secrets. In all fairness to the author, perhaps it was her intention to use a large number of characters which assisted in the development of an aura of confusion and mystery where questions still remained unanswered at the very end.

This novel would certainly appeal to those who enjoy mystery placed within a historical context.