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A Dark and Secret Place
“I think I'm dying. Come soon…may be too late. Soon.” That was the piteous, barely legible message Olivia had sent to Elizabeth.
Years ago, after Olivia was adopted by Elizabeth's parents, the children had barely learned to tolerate one another. Now, Olivia was living in Italy, happily married, and on the eve of inheriting a fortune, so why, after so long a time, should she send that desperate cry for help to a girl who had long since ceased to play a part in her life?
Without an answer, Elizabeth had reacted to some deeply submerged loyalty and guilt -- only to find that the address Olivia had written with so much effort was in isolated, half-derelict villa and Olivia was indeed near death and surrounded by a most peculiar group of people. What was wrong with Olivia? Who were these people?
Years ago, after Olivia was adopted by Elizabeth's parents, the children had barely learned to tolerate one another. Now, Olivia was living in Italy, happily married, and on the eve of inheriting a fortune, so why, after so long a time, should she send that desperate cry for help to a girl who had long since ceased to play a part in her life?
Without an answer, Elizabeth had reacted to some deeply submerged loyalty and guilt -- only to find that the address Olivia had written with so much effort was in isolated, half-derelict villa and Olivia was indeed near death and surrounded by a most peculiar group of people. What was wrong with Olivia? Who were these people?
- GenresGothic
186 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1977
About the author
Margaret Summerton
26 books1 followerAlso wrote as Jan Roffman
Margaret Summerton has lived in England her life except for a brief period in Paris, working for a publishing company, and in Switzerland, teaching English. She was a news reporter for a London newspaper and at the end of the war left a woman's magazine to devote full time to writing mysteries and romantic suspense novels.
Margaret Summerton has lived in England her life except for a brief period in Paris, working for a publishing company, and in Switzerland, teaching English. She was a news reporter for a London newspaper and at the end of the war left a woman's magazine to devote full time to writing mysteries and romantic suspense novels.
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April 27, 2026
"A Dark and Secret Place" starts as a mature, psychologically grounded story about grief and the complicated bond between two sisters, but the book derails itself with a genre‑mandated romance that contradicts everything it establishes about the heroine, her sister, and even the supposed love interest.
Elizabeth is still reeling from the traumatic death of her fiancé (her first love) yet she instantly imprints on her sister’s ex and his “indigo eyes” (one of those descriptors that's repeated to the point of parody). They’ve known each other for maybe a week, and every scene they share revolves around discussing Olivia and how to rescue her, yet the book expects us to believe Elizabeth would choose this man she barely knows over her adopted sister. Patrick is just a nice, decent man she’s spoken to four times....until the final chapter reveals he’s not particularly nice or decent at all, spending these last pages convincing Elizabeth that Olivia is shallow and heartless so she’ll feel better about betraying her and agreeing to marry him behind Olivia’s back. They have zero on‑page chemistry, and every conversation they have is dominated by their shared worry for Olivia, so their sudden confessions of undying love in the last chapter feel delusional.
The entire first half of the novel is about grief, trauma, the complexity of adoptive sisterhood, the difficulty of reconnection, and the emotional cost of family history, but the ending makes it painfully clear that none of that actually matters to the author. What matters is that Liz gets a man. Everything else, Liz's history, her healing, her relationship with Olivia, is treated as disposable. It’s a mean‑spirited, regressive conclusion that cheapens the entire story. The book abandons its own themes in favor of a hollow, genre‑mandated “happy ending” that renders its supposed interest in sisterhood completely moot...which is just too bad. It's full of beautifully written, atmospheric prose. But "pretty" and "vibes" aren't good enough to make this book worth a repeat read.
Elizabeth is still reeling from the traumatic death of her fiancé (her first love) yet she instantly imprints on her sister’s ex and his “indigo eyes” (one of those descriptors that's repeated to the point of parody). They’ve known each other for maybe a week, and every scene they share revolves around discussing Olivia and how to rescue her, yet the book expects us to believe Elizabeth would choose this man she barely knows over her adopted sister. Patrick is just a nice, decent man she’s spoken to four times....until the final chapter reveals he’s not particularly nice or decent at all, spending these last pages convincing Elizabeth that Olivia is shallow and heartless so she’ll feel better about betraying her and agreeing to marry him behind Olivia’s back. They have zero on‑page chemistry, and every conversation they have is dominated by their shared worry for Olivia, so their sudden confessions of undying love in the last chapter feel delusional.
The entire first half of the novel is about grief, trauma, the complexity of adoptive sisterhood, the difficulty of reconnection, and the emotional cost of family history, but the ending makes it painfully clear that none of that actually matters to the author. What matters is that Liz gets a man. Everything else, Liz's history, her healing, her relationship with Olivia, is treated as disposable. It’s a mean‑spirited, regressive conclusion that cheapens the entire story. The book abandons its own themes in favor of a hollow, genre‑mandated “happy ending” that renders its supposed interest in sisterhood completely moot...which is just too bad. It's full of beautifully written, atmospheric prose. But "pretty" and "vibes" aren't good enough to make this book worth a repeat read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review