Centuries-old houses often display evidence of ancient superstitions and strange beliefs. Janie's sure there's nothing to worry about...
When Janie Whittaker is presented with The House Book, she finds a fascinating account of all who once lived in her new home, Oakwood Grange. From the first visit, Janie has felt an unaccountable attachment to the old West Sussex farmhouse and soon she's absorbed in the life of Alice Crayford, daughter of the man who built it, and whose seventeenth century writings reveal more than just social history.
Alice's diary lays bare the disappointment of her marriage and her pleasure in the company of two remarkable women. As tension increases between man and wife though, the presence of Aphra and Elisabeth only serves as a catalyst to bring matters to a fateful, dramatic conclusion.
Convinced there's some mysterious force guiding her, Janie starts to delve into her own family tree... ...and soon begins to wish she'd left well alone.
A perfect book club read for fans of Kate Morton, Rachel Hore and Katherine Webb.
Susan Greenwood was born in the North of England but now lives in rural West Sussex, surrounded by stunning scenery and locations which feature in much of her writing.
She graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Zoology and, although the natural world is still an important part of her life, it's her long-held love of literature, both reading and writing, that is now her main driving force.
Growing up hearing about Pendle witches and with a fascination for the social history of the 17th century, particularly how this relates to the lives of women, has been the basis for her first two published books and a third which is still in the research phase.
Susan is the author of several short stories and two novels, The House Book, which is set in the beautiful downland surrounding Petworth, and An Uncertain Legacy, set in 17th century France and England.
There are a lot of characters involved here, might be nice to have a summary or family tree at back of book. Front of book not a good idea as it may give away some spoilers to come as the story unfolds.
I liked the storyline of a house book being kept - a handwritten journal of events from the past that was kept up with for financial or social purposes. It didn’t reveal everything that went on, there definitely were secrets, but gave enough info for current owners of this historic home to delve further into the background of the house, the people. There is also a witchcraft element but I thought it was rather subdued.
Janie, the new owner of the home, with her husband, Rob, take on the digging for information and clarification and misdeeds of the past.
I understand this is book 2. I didn’t know there was a book 1 so that’s on my TBR list. The author is finishing up book 3 to be published soon. Maybe I’ll then get an answer to my questions and curiousity at the ending in this book!
I enjoyed this book and it had a good story line, but the writing was so choppy I had difficulty sometimes figuring out who was speaking. Scene changes popped up suddenly from one paragraph to another that made me not know what was even happening. It would make a better tv movie because then you would be able to see sudden changes in scenes. I thought it was a solid 4 storyline, but the confusing writing put it down to a 3 for me.
As much as I wanted to rate this higher, I just couldn't do so because of a couple of issues that I found rather conflicting. I tend to not like books that jump from time periods, and this book helped me realize why. It's too difficult for the writer to keep the story flowing in a way that doesn't becoming confusing. This one definitely has that as an issue. At times, I couldn't even keep the characters from the past straight, let alone keep the relationships to the present, on track. My biggest issue came toward the very end of the book. A totally unexpected twist in the plot line, and as the chapter is wrapping up on how to handle the situation, the very next page/chapter suddenly jumps ahead 4 1/2-5 years, completely skipping how it was handled. Throughout the entirety of the book, there's a lot of rather boring daily grind details, which just fills up pages in the book. And now when the pages need to be filled with details, now you skip it?? The description given by the publisher also didn't do a very good job on letting you know what to expect. Rather the opposite. I went in expecting something completely different, and was rather disappointed when it didn't live up to the that description given. I mainly stuck it out from boredom, not liking to leave a book unfinished, and thinking it would eventually pick up. It was just meh, and at least gave me something to do over the last couple of days, while battling a cold. Not my style of writing, or typical genre, but it may appeal to some.
Most of my favorite things wrapped up in one well written, cozy book. I love generational stories, even more so when they’re cohesive and engaging through the end. The mystery around the diary, ledgers, and House Book led me astray in such delightful ways. I’m not ashamed to say that I was incredibly off base more times than not. Why did I truly believe Cat was going to play such a significant role?
Oftentimes with so many characters, it’s difficult to keep them straight. I didn’t have an issue here, with each individual character differing enough to feel unique and stand alone. It didn’t matter which generation or storyline we were in, even the shift in mood was visceral and complete. I don’t have any noteworthy complaints.
My favorite: Janie. She was written so profoundly, so relatable. My favorite lines are all hers-
“What alchemy exists, she wondered, to produce such a seductive scent, simply from paper, ink and glue?”
I started this at the beginning of a flight and had to keep reading to get to the conclusion. I didn’t understand the title but the concept of the ‘House Book’ really worked and helped keep the storyline (which spans 4 centuries) clear and made perfect sense in the end. Some great characters, including the house, and I hope this author publishes more books!
Have you ever been sideswiped? Well get ready because this book will knock you off your block! But not in a good way. The author draws you in and gets you all wrapped up in the investigation then BOOM!!! Complete turn around.
I still am undecided if I like the surprise or find it unbelievable and frustrating, Either way I did enjoy the book up until the ending.
I enjoyed the book, but it didn't go the way I expected and wanted it to. I think I wanted more of a connection between Janie and Alice spiritually in the present day. I really enjoyed Alice's story through her diary and would love to read more about that. I didn't like the way this book ended. It was very confusing for me to try and figure out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
When Janie and Rob Whittaker decide to leave London for a simpler life, they buy a centuries-old house in Sussex. Along with the house, Janie receives the House Book, a collection of information on the former occupants of the home, and the diary of Alice Crayford, one of its 17th century mistresses.
As Janie becomes absorbed in Alice’s diary life, she discovers she and her husband are more connected to the house than she could have imagined. However, not all of her discoveries bode well for her future and there may be ghosts in the house that need to be laid to rest.
Another not-new book but I picked this up on Kindle Unlimited because it was comped to Kate Morton. This comp worked in the sense that the story revolved around a country house, but that’s where the comparison ended.
First, let me say that this was a great story – for about the first half of the novel. Then the author lost me. I understand what the author was attempting to do with weaving in the past (set in the mid-1600s) and the present (set in 1985), but I felt like she’d start down one road then veer off to follow another one before tying up the first plot thread, with the end result that none of them were satisfying.
This next bit might sound muddled, but this is my recollection of the plot. There was a curse, maybe. Janie decided to leap into tracing her family’s history and genealogy since they mysteriously moved away over something she might or might not have caused, and somehow she conflated this event with the “curse.” I never did follow the trail of who was descended from whom very well, but it turned out that their connection with the house had to do with her husband’s parentage, not so much with Janie. However, the part where they should have told him, and brought closure to the story, was skipped over in favor of showing Janie with a happy family five years down the road. My takeaway was this: her fears were ungrounded and nothing in her life was actually connected to Alice and this “curse.” So it all felt a little pointless.
This novel could have been a great time-slip book. It flirted with that structure, but the “past” chapters were used as a vehicle to add details to the diary entries instead of providing a fully fleshed-out secondary story, save for the prologue and last chapter.
I’ll wrap up my review by saying although not a bad read, it didn’t live up to my expectations.
I had mixed feelings about this book. I expected a mystery and it turned out to be more of a drama in the present day. From the blurb, it appeared that it would have paranormal elements, but that was also not the case.
I initially found it difficult to get into the book. It picked up after the halfway mark. I preferred the 17th century setting more and wished there was more of that. I also found it difficult to follow the various characters mentioned and the relationships between them. Many of the chapters ended rather abruptly. I feel this was a creative choice, but it didn't really work for me.
Incredible, intricate story with intriguing historical ties
I wish I could go back and read both this, and the first book Uncertain Legacy, again, for the first time. Such intricately woven storylines, both, with so many characters and things to chase. Occasionally *almost* a bit too much to keep track of, and occasionally almost a bit draggy and mundane in parts. But those parts are more than made up for in the historical, colorful detail, and the slowly -released story of the past. The lives these women lead will make you love them, and cry for them, and cheer for them.
The author lays out a convoluted path to a satisfying resolution. I loved the characters that developed in and out of time, along with the story line. She lays a breadcrumb trail with little, intriguing reveals that keep you vested in the characters as they too follow a trail. 'Can't wait for the next book!
Best book I’ve read in years just incredible. I loved all the characters and enjoyed the beautiful house they lived in. I’d love to see this become a motion picture I think it would be a block buster. Thank you Susan Greenwood for writing this wonderful book, I read it on my Kindle but I will be buying it for my library to read over and over.
It was interesting, it was a little hard to follow with going back and forth between time periods. Also, there were so many characters, it was hard to keep them straight. It was a mystery with a very unpredictable ending!
Prelude is graphic. The description sounded interesting….but, I didn’t make past the first chapter. The prelude graphically describes physical and sexual abuse of the woman they suspect is a witch. Can’t become interested in this kinda book.
What a brilliant read. Gripped from page 1. Such an original story, beautifully written. So sad when i had finished it. Can't wait to read the prequel.
I suspect this was an RABCK from a bookcrossing friend - at any rate it's not clear it has to travel further. I had no idea what to expect, especially as it had been in my TBR bookcase for a bit over two years so I had no memory of what my original interest was. That being said, I quite enjoyed this. I did frequently wonder which woman was the one in the prologue, and it took me a while to get around to the right one, after suspecting several. There were a few bits I found confusing, especially as concerns the various family members. A family tree at the beginning would, plotwise, have been totally counterproductive, unfortunately! Perhaps, at the end, when focus had shifted to another branch (trying to avoid spoilers), it could have been helpful to clarify, and maybe emphasize a bit more, if there was a true connection or not. (That's pretty fuzzy, but I do not want to spoil the mystery). I agree that there seemed to be a few red herrings which didn't really go anywhere. I expected more to come concerning Cat - perhaps why the plumber was targeted, for example... or some of the other threads which petered out a bit. This did not really affect my enjoyment of the book.
I love this book from the first page! I really got to know the characters and liked them all! It has stories Inside stories and even a spirit makes an appearance every so often! I'm just borrowed the 2nd and 3rd book in this series and can't wait to read them! Great storyline from start to finish and I love the little quirks some of the characters have and the natural, fun dialogue between some of them too! This book is a fun, mysterious and heartfelt story...one that will keep you wondering what will happen next! The author did a wonderful job writing this! Thank you! It was a fun read! Now I'm on to the next two books in the series! Great job Susan Greenwood!
I loved this book, it was so I pertaining and interesting all the way through. The characters were so realistic and fun. A plus was that a few things were surprising and not expected which made for some thoughts of how it all came about. The ending was good also and I am left with wanting more answers, so I hope the next book will be as awesome as this one and will continue this story and add more secrets, to this book storyline. Thanks for sharing your talent with me. It was a very fun read. Pegge
Kind of a lukewarm book. It floated just along. All the dramas which were mentioned just dissolved quite undramatically. I just don't like it when there is some crisis or drama and the chapter ends and in the next we just go along and the former drama has vanished and is just casually mentioned. Also I would have liked to have more to and fro between the two different time lines. The big "what has happened then" was just as lukewarm as the whole book. As was the relationship between Rob and Janie.. And what about the cat??
It was easy to read but there could have been so much more!
I really enjoyed this book. A lot. (I almost never review books, so that in itself is telling).
I felt the characters were beautifully drawn - a rarity, and the weaving of the two time periods, gave an impetus to my reading, and nicely echoed that of the plot.
Books and history, especially social history, are also two of my favourite things, and it was a delight to find a book that deftly married the two.
I will definitely be reading the other books in the series and will rereading this in the future
I enjoyed reading The House Book, especially the diary. I liked the information and day-to-day routines of the diary and the inhabitants of the Grange back in the 1600’s. I felt it was a slower read than most novels I like, but kept getting more interesting as time went on. I liked the description of the house and surrounding landscapes. I love English country settings. Someone who likes a mystery would enjoy reading this book.
This was an interesting book … a little slow at times, but not slow enough to make me want to stop reading it! Interspersed with a sprinkling of paranormal, witchcraft and genealogical mysteries, I liked the twists and turns of the discovery behind the story of Alice’s diary! And just when you thought you had figured it all out - BAM!! - surprise ending!!
Well at times, I found this book to be a bit difficult to follow due to all the characters, it was very intriguing and I was able to figure it all out as I went along. The author has a great imagination and was able to convey many intricacies through her excellent writing. I very much enjoy her books!
There were implied closures but loose ends are frustrating. I will not explain this for 2 reasonable. 1. I will not spoil the book for someone else. 2 Someone smarter than me may have figured the loose ends out. No need for f bombs, very off character for main characters to use them.
I dislike how women were treated back in that era. Some of the descriptions were horrible. But I would recommend this book to anyone. It is a very informative and Interesting read. I couldn't hardly lay this book down, I wanted to know what was going to happen. Loved the descriptions of the house and garden.
Haha, OK ... I enjoyed every minute of reading this book, but it was kind of a hot mess. So many loose ends and connections that could have been made, could have gone deeper, etc. Just not tight writing. But it had the "ingredients" -- an old house, an artist, a book lover, witches, a dual timeline. Just wish it was executed better. A lot of telling, not showing.
I really enjoyed this book and following the research the Janie was doing but it got confusing at the end and a family tree would be helpful. I thought Elisabeth had been murdered but at the end it indicates she died in her 80s; that was confusing. I would recommend this book to others. I have just started to read the second book in the trilogy.
I found the book very hard to follow at times with the back and forth in the timelines. I kept waiting for it to get more interesting but it just never did for me and then, the complete plot twist that came out of nowhere in the end. It felt like it was forced and almost an afterthought. I stuck it out and finished it but I am definitely not interested in reading the complete trilogy.