The Malpas Legacy

by Sam Llewellyn

When David Walker, an Experimental Psychologist, saves one of his pupils from drowning it is the beginning of a brief but passionate affair. Two years later, Helen Costelloe writes to him out of the blue from Ireland. Married in the interim, her husband has now died and she has inherited Malpas - a vast, crumbling house in Munster. Detecting real need beneath the casual words, he agrees to visit - only to find he has stumbled into a bizarre family case history: a dark story of madness and suicide that stretches back a hundred years. A story that now threatens to claim Helen as its final victim...

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Historical

416 pages, Paperback

First published July 26, 2001

About the author

Sam Llewellyn is a British author of literature for children and adults.

Reviews

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Past, present and future intertwine in this thriller. With themes including psychology, hypnotism and "sins of the fathers" it makes an interesting read.

The new generation of owners and tenants of Malpas, a once beautiful estate in Ireland, are haunted by the actions of their forebears. The lives of those in the present and the past seem to echo and repeat throughout the story.

Fascinating, chilling and exciting.

[Diana Davey · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the mystery of this novel is well hidden until the end, it is not a thriller. Many times I was tempted to put it down and be done with it but I maintained enough curiosity about how the story would be resolved to keep reading. The book should have been edited more rigorously - it would have been better if only 2/3 the length. Some parts were just tedious.

[Debi Lodge · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extraordinarily good read. Well written and consistently interesting. Recommend this one :)

[Franziska Self Fisken · Rating 4 out of 5]

a mesmerising thriller in the manner of Daphne Du Maurier's "Rebecca". Particularly well written and atmospheric although I think - like cigarette packets - it should carry a health warning "This book decimates sleeping patterns!"

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent psychological thriller. History seems to be repeating itself today as it did in Helen's grandparents' day. It is set in Ireland during the troubles and the estate is peopled by several strange characters. Malpas is beautiful but malignant.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great story in the manner of Daphne Du Maurier.