Secret of the Hall

Eden Hall #3

by Veronica Heley

Grieving after a miscarriage, Araminta 'Minty' Sands has set aside the demands of running Eden Hall for a season of healing. But her convalescence in Europe is cut short when a crisis back home requires her husband Patrick's immediate attention. Minty returns to Eden Hall early, unexpected . . . and utterly unprepared for what awaits her. In Minty's absence, plans for an enormous concert on the estate grounds have got underway with neither her knowledge nor approval. Minty first learns of it when she is refused admittance at the gates by security guards. It is the first of many outrages in a battle of wits and will between the interlopers and the Lady of the Hall. At stake is the future of Eden Hall, and more is afoot than greed, corruption, and the struggle for control. A deeper, hidden evil has gained root. Beautiful, seductive, and deadly, it threatens to tear apart everything Minty holds dear. Defeating it will require courage and intelligence and the help of friends . . . and something the power of prayer, and the weapons only God provides.

Genres: Christian

317 pages, Paperback

First published January 24, 2006

About the author

Veronica Heley has published more than fifty books, including crime fiction, historical, and children's titles. She is currently involved in the Ellie Quicke series of crime stories and a variety of other projects. A full-time writer, she has been married to a London probation officer since 1964, and has one musician daughter.

AKA Veronica Thorne

Reviews

[Valerie (Val's Vicinity) · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Secret of the Hall" is the third book in the "Eden Hall" series. The events in this book take place about 7 months after the events in the second book. I had a bit of trouble getting into this book at first, I kind of felt like I had missed part of the story, as the book starts out a few months after a "tragedy" (I won't give the details away!) has befallen Minty & Patrick. Minty doesn't seem to be quite the same person that she was before, of course it's because she is still grieving over the "tragedy", but it was still a bit of a shock for me to jump from the second book right into this one, and have Minty acting so differently. However, as the story progresses, Minty does begin to act a bit more like herself, the gap in the storyline gets filled, and all my questions were answered. I don't want to give away any plot details, but I will say that there are twists in the story right up until the very end.... wow! If you enjoyed the first two books, I would recommend this book as well. Although I didn't find it to be quite as good as the first two books in the series, it is definitely worth reading as it continues the story of Minty & Patrick. Plus, the surprising twist at the very end made the whole book worth it...wow, I never saw THAT one coming! :-)

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Away on "Holiday" after a miscarriage, Patrick and Minty return to the Hall hosting a festival that they can't even get into! What has Gemma done? Will Annie and Serafina be ok?

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book three picks up approximately six months after Araminta (Minty) suffers a miscarriage. She and Patrick are trying to pick up the pieces while touring Europe. While in Venice they receive a phone call from his law partner that an emergency has popped up and he is needed back in London.

Upon their return, they discover that a music festival is on the grounds of Eden Hall and that they are not granted access to their home. It seems that several of her most trusted employees have either been fired or quit and that any remaining employees are no longer themselves. Eventually Minty and Patrick return to the Hall, but it no longer seems like home.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm torn between 2 and 3 stars. 2.5? This one did actually pick up a bit, the others were so slow paced in comparison. So I actually wanted to read it to find out what happened. But it still was "laced" with the author's strange and sometimes offensive ideas, and is nowhere near as good as some of the ones I rate 3 stars in the past.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story didn't quite follow on and wasn't quite as readable as the first two. Having now read the fourth book in the series, I can see what the author is introducing in this book. I guess feeling the main character's frustration throughout the book indicates that the author achieved what she was aiming for!

[Joanne Compton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book got a bit strange, but I still kept reading, believing in Minty and in her faith.