False Light

by Caroline Llewellyn

In Caroline Llewellyn's False Light, Dana Morrow is an untenured professor from New York University whose passion for an obscure 19th-century medium, Marianna Hobhouse, plunges her into the world of the eccentric Finn family. The Finns are the descendants of the Hobhouses and carry on a century-long tradition of photography in their Cornish estate, Kerreck Du. Just before Dana arrives to study the Finn's collection of Hobhouse photographs and papers, a series of mysterious deaths threaten to expose the family and its dark past. With its photographic theme, the novel successfully evokes a sense of shifting and eerie light, but it finds its real strength in the depiction of the Cornish countryside. The prose blends Victorian with contemporary tones: "Through half-closed lids, she stared drowsily down the green tunnel. A nimbus of filtered light played over the ivy-smothered trunk of a dying elm. It might almost be the sad ghost of Marianna Hobhouse, she thought, yearning toward her on a current of mutual sympathy that the young medium had believed could resurrect the dead. That current would flow far more strongly here than in dim library stacks and carrels. It was tugging at Dana now." As with A.S. Byatt's Possession and Henry James's The Aspern Papers, False Light transforms the quotidian work of the academic into the rich ground of suspense fiction. --Patrick O'Kelley

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Crime, Romance, Suspense

Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 1996

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating Clarification: 2.5 Stars

Least favorite of the 4 Caroline Llewellyn books I've read. Foul language and not much of a storyline.

The Lady Of The Labyrinth is still her best book IMO and comes closest to being like a Mary Stewart novel.

[LeahBethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

False Light is about a woman investigating a historical mystery through letters and photographs at a location that is being terrorized by a serial killer. A lot of the characters were one-dimensional and completely unlikeable but overall the book kept my interest.

[Gloria Piper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dana Morrow is literary lecturer who is investigating Marianna, a tragic 19th century medium, for an article. She feels lucky to be invited to the vary house where Marianna lived. The house, an isolated mansion by the English coast, is now owned by Finn, a renowned photographer who has records concerning Marianna's life. Once there, Dana finds herself amid a chaotic collection of guests who have an interest in a coming retrospective of Finn's work.

Dana remains on the edge of the group as she pursues her project. Nevertheless, she is drawn to other fringe characters, including Finn's adult son, Daniel.

Llewellyn develops each character at the mansion, making this something of a literary novel. Likable and unlikable characters have their own problems and blessings as they engage in backbiting, gossip, opinions on photography, and, in passing, mention the Gull, a serial killer haunting the cliffs of the area. He could be any one of the guests.

We follow the background and aims of each character and the relationships they maintain with one another. Consequently, we become invested in each character as we follow developments. The story seems removed from a developing murder mystery, but offhand mentions of the Gull who has claimed a new victim keep us alert. Eventually the Gull encroaches on the lives of our heroes.

From the novel's beginning we get a sense of the ominous. Individuals are vividly portrayed, as is the weather and countryside. Tension is kept alive by the attitudes of the characters as they play out their relationships. Eventually the tension reaches a crescendo as the Gull emerges, and a life and death struggle carries us through the final pages.

[Deane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never read this author before but this was a book that kept me up until 2:30 this morning because I couldn't go to bed without knowing 'whodunnit". The book starts very slowly with many characters who are artists, photographers, and designers with ego problems. Several of the characters have very dark personalities...and likewise dark pasts... which makes for a lot of bickering and 'reasons' to want to kill another. Set in Cornwall, England along the high and dangerous cliffs. Did like the main characters Finn, Daniel and the American researcher, Dana.

[Trina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[LJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

FALSE LIGHT (Suspense) – G-
Caroline Llewellyn – Standalone
Scribner, 1996 – Hardcover
Victorian spiritualist Marianna Hobhouse is the subject of research by Dana Morrow. While at an auction, Dana meets Daniel Finn, son of Quentin Finn, both photographers who now live in the house, Kerreck Du, once owned by Marianna and her husband, famous photographer Henry. Dana receives an invitation to the house to further her research not knowing of the women who’ve died at the cliffs there.
***The history of photography was fascinating, the light romance was pleasant, the description of the setting was well done, but the level of suspense just wasn’t as present as I’d have liked.

[Tally · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book to be too dark for me. I'm usually a big fan of this type of genre so I was disappointed.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

very interesting read ... much history of photography, great British scenery

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

This modern gothic tale had just the right mix of elements - a secluded setting, a cast of ecclectic and somewhat bizarre characters and a murder mystery.

[Sandra Strange · Rating 2 out of 5]

PG 13 verging on R mystery with sympathetic protagonists surrounded by a lot of very UNsympathetic potential murder victims and suspects. It's more thriller than mystery. It was an ok read.