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The Survivors
Suspense / horror / romance
1 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1968
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 17, 2013
They don't write breathy, dated potboilers like this anymore. How could they?
I am recommending The Survivors as much for the curious nostalgic experience of reading it as for the book itself. If you should find this book it will be an old copy, and the pages will be yellow and it will smell like an old book. This is good-- this kind of melodrama comes best in old paper.
This is NOT a ghost story, though it has ghosts of the human, haunting kind. This is gothic melodrama: The Survivors is about a woman who was the lone survivor of a mass murder, the poisoning of her entire family in their mossy great house in the English countryside. Now, years later, an ambitious writer meets the woman at an Alpine ski resort-- first to get close to her and a great story, but soon because (naturally) he has fallen in love with her and wants to prove her innocence. It's that kind of book. It is SO frozen in 1968, when the book was published. Reading it is like going back there.
I am recommending The Survivors as much for the curious nostalgic experience of reading it as for the book itself. If you should find this book it will be an old copy, and the pages will be yellow and it will smell like an old book. This is good-- this kind of melodrama comes best in old paper.
This is NOT a ghost story, though it has ghosts of the human, haunting kind. This is gothic melodrama: The Survivors is about a woman who was the lone survivor of a mass murder, the poisoning of her entire family in their mossy great house in the English countryside. Now, years later, an ambitious writer meets the woman at an Alpine ski resort-- first to get close to her and a great story, but soon because (naturally) he has fallen in love with her and wants to prove her innocence. It's that kind of book. It is SO frozen in 1968, when the book was published. Reading it is like going back there.
October 11, 2016
The Survivors By Anne Edwards is a mystery and thriller read.
Who was Luanne Woodrow?
Only one man at the glamorous ski resort knew the answer.
Who was Luanne Woodrow?
Only one man at the glamorous ski resort knew the answer.
His name was Hans Aldik. He was a world-famous writer. And he was following this hauntingly beautiful, strangely reticent girl for a single purpose. She was the only surviving member of the Woodrow family.
All the others had been murdered in one of the most notorious crimes of the century. Luanne alone held the key to the Woodrow mystery.
For ten years she has been living at Laurel Groves, a rest home of sorts, her only refuge after the mass murder of six members of her family.
His name was Hans Aldik. He was a world-famous writer. And he was following this hauntingly beautiful, strangely reticent girl for a single purpose. She was the only surviving member of the Woodrow family.
All the others had been murdered in one of the most notorious crimes of the century. Luanne alone held the key to the Woodrow mystery.
For ten years she has been living at Laurel Groves, a rest home of sorts, her only refuge after the mass murder of six members of her family.
This was a really good read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Couldn't put it down. A captivating and gripping storyline. With good characters. I loved the ending too. highly recommended. 5*. Thanks to netgalley for the arc.
Who was Luanne Woodrow?
Only one man at the glamorous ski resort knew the answer.
Who was Luanne Woodrow?
Only one man at the glamorous ski resort knew the answer.
His name was Hans Aldik. He was a world-famous writer. And he was following this hauntingly beautiful, strangely reticent girl for a single purpose. She was the only surviving member of the Woodrow family.
All the others had been murdered in one of the most notorious crimes of the century. Luanne alone held the key to the Woodrow mystery.
For ten years she has been living at Laurel Groves, a rest home of sorts, her only refuge after the mass murder of six members of her family.
His name was Hans Aldik. He was a world-famous writer. And he was following this hauntingly beautiful, strangely reticent girl for a single purpose. She was the only surviving member of the Woodrow family.
All the others had been murdered in one of the most notorious crimes of the century. Luanne alone held the key to the Woodrow mystery.
For ten years she has been living at Laurel Groves, a rest home of sorts, her only refuge after the mass murder of six members of her family.
This was a really good read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Couldn't put it down. A captivating and gripping storyline. With good characters. I loved the ending too. highly recommended. 5*. Thanks to netgalley for the arc.
October 17, 2015
ARC for review
Luanne Woodrow is a tragic figure, the only survivor of an attack that took her entire family, then acquitted of the crime. She has spent ten years in a rest home, too nervous to face the world. She is ultimately convinced to visit a ski area, but by whom, and why?
Hans Aldrik is the only one who remembers the Woodrow story - he's fascinated by it, and Luanne. He's an author who has written obliquely about the case, but now he wants to write a full-fledged true-crime novel.
I didn't know this book was originally published in 1968 when I began, but its dated elements became obvious quite quickly....insta-love, a cringing, nervous woman who can only be saved by a strong man. The gothic elements saved it, but only barely (Edwards should thank the existence of "fog" in her acknowledgments). Two-point-five out of five.
Luanne Woodrow is a tragic figure, the only survivor of an attack that took her entire family, then acquitted of the crime. She has spent ten years in a rest home, too nervous to face the world. She is ultimately convinced to visit a ski area, but by whom, and why?
Hans Aldrik is the only one who remembers the Woodrow story - he's fascinated by it, and Luanne. He's an author who has written obliquely about the case, but now he wants to write a full-fledged true-crime novel.
I didn't know this book was originally published in 1968 when I began, but its dated elements became obvious quite quickly....insta-love, a cringing, nervous woman who can only be saved by a strong man. The gothic elements saved it, but only barely (Edwards should thank the existence of "fog" in her acknowledgments). Two-point-five out of five.
June 29, 2016
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. This book starts off rather slowly however, I was glad that I stuck with it because I soon became lost in the storytelling and I must say it turned out to be a very good book! This book was most definitely a fascinating mystery and yet it was also written as a wonderful romance as well. I highly recommend this very good read!
May 1, 2016
This book was a bit slow to start but it picked up then when it did the ending was good.
A well written book.
Thanks to the Author Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.
A well written book.
Thanks to the Author Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.
January 4, 2021
I have a story about this book! I must have read this book originally when I was around 13 or 14. I was reading adult novels by that time and I bet this was on my mom's bookshelf. As a much older person, I would occasionally remember this book and thought it would be fun to read it again, but I couldn't remember the title or author! I found it again thanks to the Goodreads group that helps people with such things, and I informed my husband that I absolutely needed this book for Christmas, and it's now my first book read in 2021!
Well - it's pretty much as I remember it, though I didn't realize how dated it would be! Published in 1968, it's like traveling back in time! I love this kind of book though. Mystery, romance, European locations, and a big, mysterious house on Hampstead Heath where a murder took place - yes please!
An intro to the plot: Luanne is the only survivor of the murder of her entire family of 7. The murder and her subsequent trial made her the subject of much media attention, so for 10 years she's been living the life of a recluse at an old age home, though she's about 21 when she goes there. She's 31 at the beginning of the book, and she finally decides to go on a vacation - to Switzerland. There she meets Hans, and like you would if you were a fragile, reclusive young woman distrustful of everyone, she falls instantly in love with him and trusts him with her life!
There are lots of twists and turns from there, but the mystery is whether Hans is a good guy or not; and whether together or separately, they can solve the mystery of the murder that derailed Luanne's life.
The story itself is pretty good, though more convoluted than it needs to be, and the writing is the same. Very Gothic and full of women staring out windows at the rain, or their own reflections, and men noticing women's breasts in classy language like this: "he noticed she wore no restraint." LOL, so great! Luanne and Hans keep saying they trust each other but then instantly lie to one another about where they're going and what they're doing, but that's entirely necessary to the plot.
Finally, it's very, very dated, in a sort of Agatha Christie meets Hitchcock kind of way, with hints of Jane Eyre. The comparison to "Rebecca" seems fair, though Rebecca is the better, more classic book without question.
The relationship between Luanne and Hans will make you cringe and feel icky for sure. CW, there are also hints at incest. It made me think about what else I was probably reading at age 13 - 14, and how those tropes shaped my own attitude toward opposite sex relationships, romance, etc. as a young person. Wrong, wrong, wrong - but so wromantic, LOL! I don't think this was ever made into a movie, but I could see it as one, probably starring Audrey Hepburn and someone Cary Grant-ish.
Read at your own risk, but if you know what you're getting into and are able to giggle at the horrifying 60-year-old perspectives and over the top writing, it's actually a fairly compelling mystery!
Well - it's pretty much as I remember it, though I didn't realize how dated it would be! Published in 1968, it's like traveling back in time! I love this kind of book though. Mystery, romance, European locations, and a big, mysterious house on Hampstead Heath where a murder took place - yes please!
An intro to the plot: Luanne is the only survivor of the murder of her entire family of 7. The murder and her subsequent trial made her the subject of much media attention, so for 10 years she's been living the life of a recluse at an old age home, though she's about 21 when she goes there. She's 31 at the beginning of the book, and she finally decides to go on a vacation - to Switzerland. There she meets Hans, and like you would if you were a fragile, reclusive young woman distrustful of everyone, she falls instantly in love with him and trusts him with her life!
There are lots of twists and turns from there, but the mystery is whether Hans is a good guy or not; and whether together or separately, they can solve the mystery of the murder that derailed Luanne's life.
The story itself is pretty good, though more convoluted than it needs to be, and the writing is the same. Very Gothic and full of women staring out windows at the rain, or their own reflections, and men noticing women's breasts in classy language like this: "he noticed she wore no restraint." LOL, so great! Luanne and Hans keep saying they trust each other but then instantly lie to one another about where they're going and what they're doing, but that's entirely necessary to the plot.
Finally, it's very, very dated, in a sort of Agatha Christie meets Hitchcock kind of way, with hints of Jane Eyre. The comparison to "Rebecca" seems fair, though Rebecca is the better, more classic book without question.
The relationship between Luanne and Hans will make you cringe and feel icky for sure. CW, there are also hints at incest. It made me think about what else I was probably reading at age 13 - 14, and how those tropes shaped my own attitude toward opposite sex relationships, romance, etc. as a young person. Wrong, wrong, wrong - but so wromantic, LOL! I don't think this was ever made into a movie, but I could see it as one, probably starring Audrey Hepburn and someone Cary Grant-ish.
Read at your own risk, but if you know what you're getting into and are able to giggle at the horrifying 60-year-old perspectives and over the top writing, it's actually a fairly compelling mystery!
May 29, 2018
The cover promised me "all the terror and suspense of Rosemary's Baby" and that it would be a spellbinding novel. It wouldn't be fair to compare a 1968 novel with all its social sensibilities to a current novel where nothing is taboo to write so I won't judge it harshly. I will say this book was neither suspenseful nor was it spellbinding. The characters were not developed all that well, the plot dragged along very slowly and the ending was pretty predictable. Still, a fun read for its nostalgic properties.
July 17, 2018
As many people have previously mentioned, this book was published in 1968. As much as I wanted to like this book, I just could not. The whole story seems to be leading to this very climactic end that never really happens.
The format of the book is tedious because there really are not chapters, just shifts in point of view. The endless way in which the book was written steals from the actual story telling. (For me) The only redeemable character is Irish, and he is the source of the most interesting parts of the book— despite Luanne and Hans being the “main” characters.
The format of the book is tedious because there really are not chapters, just shifts in point of view. The endless way in which the book was written steals from the actual story telling. (For me) The only redeemable character is Irish, and he is the source of the most interesting parts of the book— despite Luanne and Hans being the “main” characters.
December 28, 2020
This is a very dated (1968) thriller. It would have been a thrilling read had I read it then. A friend who is a great reader, who appreciates fine writing, said it was one of the scariest books she ever read. It makes me smile, because I’m sure her perspective would change if she read it today. Light reading. Distracting. It forced me to look back at the world I grew up in. And how everyone smoked!!
July 8, 2025
The twist in the end was not convincing. More here: https://ahotcupofpleasureagain.wordpr...
October 4, 2015
This book by Anne Edwards was initially published in 1968 but, in my opinion, it has not aged well unfortunately and feels very dated indeed. Now, I do not usually mind a good old nostalgic experience and I am very fond of historical novels (which this is not), therefore "dated" does not scare me.
However, I found it very hard to finish this book after a very slow start, a slow middle part and an unbelievable ending. Overall, the story was quite convoluted and the narrative contained too many descriptive passages for my liking. I like a bit of action and dialogue myself, which did not happen until well in the book.
I really wanted to like this book and make an effort. After all, I had been drawn to it by the cover and the interesting blurb. Alas, I just could not stomach the love story between Luanne and Hans which was totally unbelievable in my opinion, i.e. the characters were madly in love with each other after spending two days together in the Swiss ski resort!
Similarly, Luanne had spent the last ten years cooped up in a retirement home with no interaction with the outside world, but that did not prevent her from playing socialites at the resort. Nothing in her character or demeanour seemed to reflect this long isolation. I don't know, these two aspects of the story did not compute with me.
Other unbelievable events in the story did not sit well with me (the return trip to London in five hours, for instance) and just distracted me from the main plot and its resolution, which also left me cold.
Could I recommend this book to anyone? Unfortunately not if they have similar tastes as mine and like believable characters and plot.
However, I found it very hard to finish this book after a very slow start, a slow middle part and an unbelievable ending. Overall, the story was quite convoluted and the narrative contained too many descriptive passages for my liking. I like a bit of action and dialogue myself, which did not happen until well in the book.
I really wanted to like this book and make an effort. After all, I had been drawn to it by the cover and the interesting blurb. Alas, I just could not stomach the love story between Luanne and Hans which was totally unbelievable in my opinion, i.e. the characters were madly in love with each other after spending two days together in the Swiss ski resort!
Similarly, Luanne had spent the last ten years cooped up in a retirement home with no interaction with the outside world, but that did not prevent her from playing socialites at the resort. Nothing in her character or demeanour seemed to reflect this long isolation. I don't know, these two aspects of the story did not compute with me.
Other unbelievable events in the story did not sit well with me (the return trip to London in five hours, for instance) and just distracted me from the main plot and its resolution, which also left me cold.
Could I recommend this book to anyone? Unfortunately not if they have similar tastes as mine and like believable characters and plot.
June 23, 2016
I honestly wanted to like this book. I tried. Some parts were so confusing and it was hard to tell if it was the Victorian era or Vietnam War era. The ending was okay, but I had figured it out by then. I also felt like some aspects of the story weren't thought out or written completely. It had the potential to be amazing, but still a decent read.
August 14, 2015
The Survivors is a good book that embraces many attributes. a mystery with romance and intrigue. A little slow to start with but picks up speed midway through. I would recommend this for your summer reading plans!
October 25, 2015
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
What a dreary book. I found it a real struggle to keep reading. There didnt seem to be any depth and I found the story seemed to wander.
What a dreary book. I found it a real struggle to keep reading. There didnt seem to be any depth and I found the story seemed to wander.
September 27, 2015
Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review. It's a slow starter but when it picks up it's like a time capsule. Fantastically well written.
February 6, 2016
I loved this Gothic mystery about an unsolved family killing. Rich characters, nice plot twists. Beautifully written.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews