The Daughters Of Red Hill Hall

by Kathleen McGurl

When Gemma discovers a pair of ancient duelling pistols encrusted with rubies in the basement of the local museum, she is immediately intrigued…

On a fateful night in 1838 two sisters were found shot in the cellars of Red Hill Hall. And when Gemma begins to delve deeper into their history she begins to realise that the secrets of that night are darker than anyone had ever imagined.

As the shocking events of the past begin to unravel, Gemma’s own life starts to fall apart. Loyalties are tested and suddenly it seems as if history is repeating itself, as Gemma learns that female friendships can be deadly…

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Historical, Chick Lit, Gothic

350 pages, Paperback

First published April 14, 2016

About the author

Kathleen McGurl lives in Bournemouth with her husband and cat. She has two grown-up sons who have now left home. She always wanted to write, and for many years was waiting until she had the time. Eventually she came to the bitter realisation that no one would pay her for a year off work to write a book, so she sat down and started to write one anyway. Since then she has sold dozens of short stories to women's magazines and written three books for writers. These days she is concentrating on longer fiction and has published several dual timeline novels with CarinaUK and HQ. She works full time in the IT industry and when she's not writing, she's often out running, slowly.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally reviewed on Becca's Books

Kathleen McGurl 'gets it'. She just 'gets it'. She gets what readers want and need. She understands that for a reader to continue reading, they need to have something that will pull them through the novel with such a ferocity that the very idea of putting down their Kindle is monstrous. This is exactly how I felt while reading The Daughters of Red Hill Hall. I could not bear to look away from this story for even a second. I was completely absorbed, wrapped up and consumed within the twisting, turning, shocking plot, and by the time I turned the final page, I felt like I'd been right there alongside the characters right the way through the novel. Breathless, shaken-up and a little relieved that finally the past could be put to rest, but ultimately satisfied at having read such a fantastic novel. And would you believe that these are the same emotions I've felt after reading McGurl's previous novels too? I've said it before and I'll say it again. Kathleen McGurl writes time-slip like no other author I've come across.

The Daughters of Red Hill Hall begins in the most intriguing of ways, as Kathleen McGurl brings her first character forward, Gemma. Gemma works in the local museum and, after going about her usual business, she comes across a pair of ruby encrusted duelling pistols. Immediately fascinated by her find and desperate to know more, Gemma begins researching the pistols and the story behind them, which takes her all the way back to the 1800s. The revelations Gemma unearths lead her to more questions about a time and event way before her own, and I was just as eager as Gemma to put the pieces of the past together in order to see the final picture. Despite my guessing and wondering, Kathleen McGurl takes me completely by surprise in the most teasing and tantalising of ways. From this point onwards, we slip back and forth through time, between Gemma's own story in the present day, and Rebecca and Sarah's story in the past. The way Kathleen McGurl unwraps the mysteries within her novels is one of my guilty pleasures and I honestly don't think that I will ever tire of it.

As is the norm for McGurl, it's clear that her research when it came to writing her latest novel was spot-on. Her descriptions, the character's language, certain terms and words made this book all the more authentic. It's hard not to feel as if you've stepped back in time right alongside the characters, and are suddenly wandering through the 1830's. How on earth Kathleen McGurl manages to create a dual-timeline which runs so seamlessly side by side is beyond me. She is superbly talented at her craft and only seems to be getting better and better at it. Everything felt so real to me in The Daughters of Red Hill Hall. I had a vision in my mind of Red Hill Hall itself throughout reading, and with the help of Kathleen's visual descriptions, it was crystal clear. It was the ultimate setting for what would turn out to be a dramatic, twisting, gut-clenching story that gripped me tightly and refused to let go.

The story of Rebecca and Sarah was a compelling one. What started out as a friendship when the girls were young, quickly began to turn into something much darker and uglier. I absolutely adored how Kathleen McGurl told their story, and with just a hint of menace simmering in the air, I felt like I was steeling myself for the moment when the truth would surface. The themes of jealousy, betrayal and more slipped into this and suddenly gave the novel a whole new direction. Kathleen McGurl handled it fantastically, and I loved where the author took me, unable to see any of the twists and turns that came. I was shocked by how things progressed in this book, although in a completely positive way. There were moments of gasping, of clapping my hand over my mouth, of eyes so wide they could have rolled out of my head. It had it all, and packed a powerful punch to say the least. What really wowed me though, was how fascinating it was to see the similarities between the past and the present slowly begin to reveal themselves. Gemma, who we spend time with in the present day, has her own troubles going on, troubles that were very like those of Rebecca's and Sarah's. I couldn't believe how brilliantly Kathleen weaved these into the novel. It blew my mind and left me reeling. I was taken on such a journey throughout reading this book, one that will surely stay with me for a long time to come. There was death, lies, secrets, and so much evilness, but at the same time, it was all so real and believable, and it all begins from Gemma's discovery of the ruby-encrusted pistols. Honestly, it was amazing, and in my opinion, without a doubt this is Kathleen McGurl's best novel yet (and that's saying something because I utterly adored her first two).

As I sit here and write this, I can't help feeling frustrated at myself for not being able to find the words to express how much I loved this book. I mean, I've had a good go at it, but it still doesn't feel like enough. My only hope is that you'll stumble across this review and pick up a copy for yourself. Already, and I know I'm getting ahead of myself here, I am incredibly looking forward to Kathleen McGurl's next book. Rich in research and descriptions, shocking in terms of events, and compelling in how the stories are told, I don't think that I'll ever tire of this author and the novels that she delivers.

Becca's Books is awarding The Daughters of Red Hill Hall by Kathleen McGurl with five bookish stars. For me as the reader, this had it all. I was enticed from the beginning, and remained in that state throughout the remainder, racing to the end without stopping to breathe. So many secrets and mysteries are packed within the pages of this book, and I immensely enjoyed uncovering them alongside the characters. Compelling, gripping and oh-so-dangerous, this was a novel of jealousy, betrayal, and how far a person will go in order to break another person down. Completely fascinating and told by a wonderful author who is one of my all-time favourites, this has left a lasting impression me. Huge thanks to Jenny and Kathleen McGurl for providing me with a review copy of The Daughters of Red Hill Hall in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Emma Crowley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first heard of Kathleen McGurl last year when I read and adored her novel The Pearl Locket. Kathleen is a fresh new voice in historical fiction and really deserves great acclaim and to be read and enjoyed by many people. With this new story The Daughters of Red Hill Hall she has once again proven to me what an incredibly talented author she is, one who has the knack of spinning a tale which you can readily lose yourself in. The opening page mentions this book would be ideal for fans of Rachel Hore and Kate Morton and I couldn't agree more as I love those aforementioned authors and I believe the comparisons are very well deserved. Kathleen's books use the similar method of the time slip element which I love in books as I enjoy the mixing of the past with the present. It is a method I never grow tired of once it is done well and sits suitably within the overall storyline and development of the book.

The blurb for this new novel sounded really interesting and I was intrigued that the book was set way back in 1838 and not during either of the world wars as I had recently read an influx of books set during that time period and needed a change. I was surprised to read how the novel grew from a prologue Kathleen had written for an end of term competition in a writing class. It just goes to show how an idea can spring from out of nowhere but I am glad this happened otherwise her fans would have missed out on a fantastic read. Shocking events of the past were about to unravel in the present and it suddenly appeared as if once again history was about to repeat itself. I was curious as to just what this could be and how the main character Gemma could do her best to prevent things happening once again.

The prologue was powerful and took us back to a significant event in 1838. The writing was detailed, descriptive and emotive. Two women face a stand off that will leave lives irrevocably changed forever. But a question was sparked just how had they gotten themselves into that situation in the first place? Even within those few short pages the author had me hooked and I felt this way throughout the book. I don't like anything where too much is revealed too soon or even at the midway point because then I often find authors have no where left to go once the big event has happened. This didn't happen here at all, there wasn't anything dragged out or solved too early. Instead Kathleen takes us on a journey full of secrets, suspicion and intrigue one in which you never knew what the outcome could be. Yes you may have had your suspicions but they weren't confirmed or denied until right near the very end which is just as a book with this sort of plot-line should be.

Each chapter alternates between the 1800's and 2015 and once I knew this was going to happen I settled easily into the story. I don't think the book would have had the same effect if it had been split into significant sections detailing the past and the present. What was clever that as the book progressed we read of events occurring in the past through newspaper articles, archives, letters or diary entries as Gemma uncovers the scandal and secrets. Then we were taken right back to the point in time at Red Hill Hall to read first hand accounts as to what was going on. I really loved this as it gave the reader a really good overall picture with which they could form their own opinions and viewpoints. Often I find one area stronger than the other when reading a time slip novel and that leaves me frustrated and disappointed but here the past and the present were as strong as each other and you were eager to get back to either Gemma or Rebecca and see how things were developing. Kathleen deserves great credit for achieving a strong balance between the two storylines as they truly did gel well together and did not read as two distinctively separate storylines rather as one overall bigger picture with jealousy, suspicion and cold-heartedness at their centre.

Gemma Rowling works as an archivist in a small museum in the little town of Bridhampton. Whilst cataloguing numerous books for display she comes across a pair of ruby encrusted duelling pistols donated by a lady who claims they were used in the infamous shooting in Red Hill Hall in the 1830's. Of course Gemma is eager to discover the history behind the guns and asks her boss Roger can she undertake some further research in the hopes of putting them on display in the museum with a little piece as to their history. Gemma sets about delving into the past and uncovering the remarkable if tragic story of two girls who grew up together yet jealousy, evil, bitterness and mistrust find their roots and take hold and a tangled web is spun. Gemma herself is happy in her life although admittedly cataloguing fossils is getting a little wearing but now that the pistols have come to light her job proves to be all the more interesting. The only thing is then her personal life takes a sinister turn for the worst. The more she delves into the story of Rebecca and Sarah the more strange, unusual things start to happen to her and the more a prevailing sense of unease and tension came over me that something bad was going to happen. It almost became a thriller of sorts (which I normally don't like) but the author did a brilliant job of keeping the reader guessing and turning the pages. In fact at times I wanted to scream at Gemma, and also Rebecca in the past, come on see the light, don't believe everything you see or that is said to you. Stand up for yourselves, take action not the blame.

After over seven years with her boyfriend Ben Gemma has just recently become engaged. This is everything she had wished for and she now believes her personal life is nothing but positive and she can look forward to planning her wedding. Best friends with Nat since they were small the pair have been through everything together and can always share a laugh and a good night out. So just why is Nat's reaction to the engagement not what you would expect from your best friend? Someone with whom you have shared all your secrets, have listened to their advice and weathered many ups and downs together. Suddenly Nat is acting all strange and aloof and Gemma feels she can no longer confide in her. Nat remained very much an enigma throughout the novel we never heard from her point of view but we weren't left short of details as to how she was reacting to things or treating people. A series of events left me disgusted on Gemma's behalf and I felt she was so hard done by regarding several situations. On the other hand was Gemma just that bit too gullible and forgiving and in some instances she seemed to take things lying down instead of putting up more of a fight. But maybe she had more investigating to do before she could confront the issues emerging head on.

Back in the 1800's the author did a superb job of setting the scene at Red Hill Hall and the events surrounding the Winton family. Rebecca was an only child but grew up in the company of the housekeepers daughter Sarah. There had always been suspicion as to who Sarah's father was but the young girls spent many a happy hour playing together and receiving an education. On the death of Sarah's mother she is kept on at the hall and continues to live with Rebecca. Here is where similarities with the present begin to make themselves known as Sarah starts to become distant and not as friendly as she once was towards Rebecca. Obviously there is alot more than first meets the eye as to what could be going on as the author takes the reader on a journey over several years. Tragedy and misfortune strike Rebecca and her family and the reader can do nothing but watch on in frustration and at times horror at what unfolds. To have such a happy life take so many uncertain and devious turns is not pleasant and you cannot help but sympathy for Rebecca at her life being turned upside down when everything had been so clearly mapped out for her. Sarah proves to be a person who is very persuasive and manipulative and your loathing of her grows ever more the further we progress into the book. She presents one side to certain people yet behind closed doors she is evil and cunning with bitterness and hatred at her centre. There was a far bigger plot ongoing than the reader could have possibly realised. Around the half way point I briefly questioned whether the author reveal things too soon but no I was proven wrong as the book was moving up a gear and there were surprises galore to be revealed. I never quite just how it was going to turn out and to be kept guessing is a bonus. The author had this book well plotted out with a clear beginning, middle and end and the secrets and twists kept you alert and engaged throughout. I did think why was there a certain fuss around the owner of Red Hill Hall in the present now it was a hotel but it turned out to be a lovely thoughtful touch.

I devoured The Daughters of Red Hill Hall in two sittings and think it showed off the many talents of Kathleen McGurl to perfection. I got a lot more than I bargained for than when I first thought I would and I say that in a positive light. So many questions were raised and it made me think about friendships and the pressure they can face and also the problems that can arise if someone hides their true feelings and allows them to manifest themselves into something which could lead to devastating consequences. I loved the thriller element and the guessing games throughout. I can't say I liked all the characters obviously there were people we were meant to abhor and my god I did. Really the whole book was just so cleverly done establishing connections and similarities between characters and events past and present and I haven't read anything like this before. It provided a whole new slant to the time slip element and I enjoyed it very much. The author clearly enjoyed writing this book and playing around with her characters as it showed through the powerful storyline which had such intensity making it a very compelling read. There is a huge influx of historical fiction with the time slip element out there at the moment but truly Kathleen McGurl should not be an author who you let slip through the net. She is going from strength to strength and I can only imagine what treats she may have in store for us with her next novel.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a couple of elements I always look for in a dual time story, maybe the most important being that the modern story and the historical one need to be equally strong - and this lovely book certainly delivered on that. Kathleen McGurl is a natural storyteller, and the whole construction of this book is a joy. Both stories were of wholly equal weight, and very cleverly mirrored each other as Gemma in the modern story and Sarah in the 1830s each had their reasons to question the nature of friendship, loyalty and betrayal. It also made for less of a wrench between the two stories - the other element I always look for - as they moved forward along parallel lines, alternating between the two stories. If that all sounds contrived... well, it certainly doesn't read that way.

This book grabbed me from its opening pages - a prologue where two women (Sarah and Rebecca, in the 1830s) lie pooled in blood in a cellar, their lives in the balance. The events that brought them to that point are the substance of the historical story. Rebecca is the daughter of the manor: Sarah is the child of the housekeeper, father unknown, taken into the household, destined to be Rebecca's paid companion. Their lives and destinies take some wonderful twists and turns as the story progresses, all unexpected and totally involving, taking them from their childhood "sisterhood" to their adult relationship which proves to be rather different. The story is told through straight narrative and a fascinating combination of other sources - diaries, letters, newspaper reports - found by Gemma as she pieces together the story in the modern day.

The modern story is perhaps a little lighter at first as we follow Gemma's relationship with long-term partner Ben, alleviating the boredom of her routine archivist work at a small museum with some research prompted by the discovery of a pair of jewelled duelling pistols - a refreshing change from the usual fossils - and her chance involvement with Red Hill Hall, now a plush wedding venue. But things do get rather darker - particularly when a friend turns out to be rather less supportive than it first appears.

The characters - major and minor, and in both time periods - are really well drawn, and the parallel stories that unfolded made this book a real page turner that had me totally hooked. Easy reading it might be, but with a pair of gripping stories that did have me gasping at times - and really well researched and written. If you're a fan of the books of Rachel Hore, Susanna Kearsley or Kate Morton, as I am, then you're going to really enjoy this one. This might be the first book I've read by this lovely author, but it certainly won't be the last.

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the past storyline but I could not find the present storyline to be believable.

[The Badger · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot made sense! No loose strings! I am in Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder heaven!

(One star off for the protagonist not torturing her ex-bestie to death; a little revenge torture goes a long way...)

BTW, Maggie D, I'm not as nice as the protagonist. I lent you $1,200 senior year, and you now owe me that along with 16 years of 7.5% interest.

[Maryline M's Bookshelf]

This review was first published at M's Bookshelf - http://mssbookshelf.blogspot.com

With a stunningly gorgeous and intriguing cover (and blurb) like that, I knew I just had to read The Daughters of Red Hill Hall.
To say that the author, Kathleen McGurl, gave her story some unexpected twists and turns would be a massive understatement. Just when I thought I had the characters and the story-line figured out, she threw one curve ball after the other. Loved it.So I'm definitely not claiming I knew what was coming, but I did feel uneasy with both S. and N. from the start. I did not trust them and the amount of trust both R. and G. put into their friendships was at times even frustrating. The levels of betrayal were so horrible I actually felt physically uncomfortable and closed the book a few times to take a deep breath and remind myself that it was fictional, after all.
The story alternates between past and present and I enjoyed piecing the puzzle together (although maybe it would have been ok. to have some details of the past revealed at a later moment in the story, along with Gemma's research. Because now we always discovered the next "puzzle piece" right before she did thanks to the alternating chapters).
I truly enjoyed reading The Daughters of Red Hill Hall and felt invested in its characters from the start. A surprising and captivating read.

[Andi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually like Kathleen McGurl’s books although I typically find her characters annoying and unrealistic. However, the main characters of this book are the worst. The first half of the book was ok, and interesting enough to pull me into the story, but the second half of the book, the characters annoyed me almost nonstop doing things that were in no way believable. On top of that, I could see the ending coming from a mile away and she took forever to get there, drawing it out, acting like the ending wasn’t already completely obvious. I do not recommend this book.

[jeane sinnenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Daughters Of Red Hill Hall By Kathleen McGurl

A very enjoyable read! Very interesting way of meshing two different time
Periods. Also, jealousy played an important role for two of the characters
In this book. The question is how far does one go to justify getting the end result they think they deserve?

Angeline

[Melisende · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! Two intertwined stories, told well and without giving too much away to hold the reader spellbound till the final few chapters where the two stories finally merge.

[Barbara Zenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kathleen McGurl is quite the writer. This is my first read by Kathleen, and it won't be my last. I loved, loved this book. If you like mysteries this book is Highly recommended.

[Nessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author Kathleen McGurl is fast becoming one of my favourite authors for historical fiction, after having read and loved her recent books The Drowned Village and The Forgotten Secret. So it was a total no brainer that I had to read some of her earlier books. And if that wasn’t enough, given how much I love historical fiction with dual timeline storyline involved, was more than enough incentive for me to read this book.

Well this story literally grabbed a hold of me and sucked me in. It was highly captivating, dramatic and emotional read in places, I literally could not turn the pages fast enough, with wanting to find out what happens next and as to how it would all end.

It didn't take me long to be drawn into the stories of both Rebecca and Sarah back in 1838 and that of Gemma, Ben and Nat in present day 2015, I was captivated right from the first few chapters. I loved how the story went back and forth from past to present day which was done so seamlessly.

I thought the story was brilliantly well written, it's clear from the details within as to just how much research the author Kathleen must have done, she really has done a magnificent job. As for the characters they were all so very well portrayed and believable, I really did just lose myself within all of their individual stories. I truly felt for Rebecca in 1838, everything she had to deal with/go through. As for the characters of Sarah in 1838 and Nat in 2015, I hope I never come across anyone like them in real life, nasty pieces of work for sure.

So last words, If you love books that tell a story in the present and in the past then I can highly recommend this beautiful tale which is heartbreaking, emotional, gripping, suspenseful and will keep you on the edge of your seat right to the very last chapter.

[Elaine C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kathleen McGurl truly knows how to weave two stories together, as both the historical and the current day story are so very similar. Both stories focus on 2 women, who are best friends, as close as sisters ... or are they? As she switches from chapter to chapter, you can feel the tension building, and are compelled to continue reading. There is no such thing as "just one more chapter" because the intense curiosity to know is just too great! Way to go, Ms. McGurl!

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved!

I loved this book- initially I wanted to dump it as I got to the 2015 chapter... But I was very much into it, so kept on. Glad I did. I kept expecting some level of...oh, I don't know... Interaction? Haunting? But never got there, oh well. Still a great book. A bit of a lazy ending.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was hard for me to put down. I believe this will be one of those stories that will stick with me for awhile. ~~~~Language

[Rebecca Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the book and the chance to review it

**Spoilers**

Gemma has her dream job.. she is working in the museum in her home town, and although it can drag at times, especially when she has to sort through dinosaur fossils, there are things that occassionally jump out at her. When she comes across a box that seems to be full of garbage, she finds a hidden treasure at the bottom. The tag on the box has her curiosity peaked, and she asks for permission from her boss to investigate it further, in order to build a exhibit for the museum. With permission granted she dives into an investigation that is going to reverberate much more than she is willing to admit. When her boyfriend dumps her unexpectedly, breaking their engagement, Gemma is shocked and hurt. She has no idea where any of this is coming from, and her best friend has been acting very odd since they got engaged. But that is just the beginning..

Rebecca and Sarah have been raised together since a young age, and when her mother dies, Sarah stays in the house to be Rebecca's companion and friend. While they are not related by blood, they are closer than friends and call each other sisters. In fact, Sarah even begins to call Mr. Winston father. As the girls grow older small cracks in their relationship begin to appear, especially when Charles begins to court Rebecca. They have been reared with the expectation that they should marry when they were older, but only if both were willing to do so. Sarah seems angry with Rebecca for getting the attention of an attractive young man, and seems bent on doing anything that she can to thwart the relationship. Soon afterwards, strange accidents and deaths begin to plague Hill Hall. First, Rebecca's mother tumbles down the stairs and breaks her neck, and then her father begins to suffer from heart issues, and shortly thereafter he dies as well. With her engagement broken off and her fathers will hiding a huge secret, Rebecca is unsure of how her future is going to turn out, that is until Sarah forces a confrontation, one that only one of them is going to walk away from.

Gemma has become so entwined with the history of Hill Hall and the mystery that seems to be hiding within its walls, that she spends her week off going through the archives at Hill Hall. She has to know what is going on, and at the same time, she is pondering the very strange twist that her own life has taken. Her best friend has become deceitful, stealing from Gemma and doing whatever she can to sabotage her life. She knows that it she is going to have to confront Nat, but the thought of it makes her sick to her stomach. After talking to Ben and smoothing things over with him, she knows that she cannot put the confrontation off any longer, especially after discovering the latest twist her "friend" had planned for her...

Kathleen McGurl has created a masterpiece of interwoven history. By combining the stories, you are drawn in to the characters, finding yourself despising some and pitying others. While you have an idea of what is coming next, there are so many twists that you begin to wonder if you are missing something! The end of the book left nothing hanging, and draws it all in neatly. This is a great weekend read!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mystery, danger, intrigue and heart-pounding drama are deliciously interwoven in Kathleen McGurl‘s gripping new novel, The Daughters of Red Hill Hall.

When Gemma left university with a history degree, she had ended up lurching from one dead-end job to the next – until she got a job working at a museum in her home town of Bridhampton. For the first time in her professional life, Gemma feels fulfilled and content. Her boss, Roger, is a thoroughly decent guy, and although she would rather spend her days cataloging something more fascinating than boring old fossils, Gemma wouldn’t change her job for the world. But just when she had given up all hope of ever unearthing something thrilling and exciting, Gemma is stunned when she stumbles upon a pair of ancient duelling pistols encrusted with rubies and a mysterious note claiming that these pistols were used during the infamous shooting at Red Hill Hall in the 19th century…

Gemma is immediately intrigued by this unexpected find and vows to uncover the secrets behind that fateful night when two girls, Sarah and Rebecca, had been shot in cold blood at Red Hill Hall. As she begins to delve deeper into the scandalous events of that night, Gemma is floored by the shocking revelations she uncovers and the dark secrets that had claimed the life of two young girls all those years ago.

As the past and present begin to intertwine, Gemma’s own life begins to unravel. Gemma had been best friends with Nat since their school days, and despite the fact that they were chalk and cheese, their friendship had endured and deepened over the years. However, Nat has started acting strangely recently. Why is Nat behaving this way? What is she not telling her best friend? And what secrets is Nat keeping from Gemma?

As Gemma begins to get closer to the truth behind the Red Hill Hall shooting, the past begins to mirror the present and Gemma begins to question whether the people she’s been closest to her entire life really do have her best interest at heart. Will Gemma ever find the happiness she has been searching for all her life? Or will she forever be haunted by old ghosts and their malevolent influence?

Kathleen McGurl is a wonderful storyteller who captures her readers’ attention from the very first page and keeps them enthralled and entertained with her beguiling blend of nail-biting tension, hair raising twists and turns and captivating pathos. A first class dual narrative tale that will go down a treat with fans of Barbara Erskine and Susanna Kearsley, The Daughters of Red Hill Hall is guaranteed to keep you turning the pages late into the night and up way past your bedtime!

Wonderfully gripping, highly evocative and absolutely impossible to put down, The Daughters of Red Hill Hall is a chilling Gothic thriller that is too good to miss!

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book suffered badly from too much telling, and the actions of people in the modern story were kind of amped up to sitcom levels. In the past story, the over-the-top actions were basically limited to one person, who seemed pretty messed up from the beginning. In the modern story, not only do you have someone abruptly deciding they hate their best friend and want to ruin their life (because they suddenly noticed that she's from a more stable and well-off background? because years of jealousy made them snap? because it was okay for her friend to have a steady boyfriend for years, but getting engaged was just too much? you'd think with all the telling, it would be more clear.), but they aren't the only one who behaves in an over-the-top way.

They convince the main character's fiance to break it off with her because, supposedly, the main character doesn't actually want to be engaged, but does the guy talk to his fiancee? No, he just breaks it off with her. Use your words, people! Worse, she's friends enough with his sister to go to her wedding, but the sister doesn't talk to her, either? Yet knows why her brother broke up with her? It just relies on too many people not communicating.

The former best friend continues pretending to be the main character's best friend while stealing from her and her parents and attempting to murder her. It's just all very WTF.

Not that the poisonous friend (or in that case sister) character in the past isn't also rather WTF, but at least she seems messed up to begin with, so the fact that she turns into a multiple murderess is... not really terribly surprising. That plot is also full of people not communicating and making bizarre decisions as well.

Somehow, it was all very readable, but between the telling and the ridiculousness of it all, it's amazing it didn't turn into an accidental comedy.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bored with cataloguing boxes of fossils in the museum where she works, Gemma's curiosity is piqued when she finds, in one of he boxes, a pair of ruby-encrusted duelling pistols. Realising that there must be an interesting history behind the artefact, research takes her back to the year 1838, when two sisters were found shot in the cellar of Red Hill Hall. A tale of intrigue follows and soon Gemma finds that history is repeating itself as the relationship between herself and her best friend, Nat, falls into disrepair. Will Gemma end up like one of the daughters of Red Hill Hall?

This is actually a story within a story as we find out about Gemma's life alongside the lives of Rebecca and Sarah, the daughters referred to in the title of the book. There are many parallels in their respective stories, not least the idea that there is a perceived inequality felt by two of the characters: Sarah has always felt that Rebecca is the favoured daughter, while Nat appears to harbour an intense jealousy of Gemma due to her stable upbringing. The way both sets of relationships break down dramatically with fateful consequences is a key part of the book, well-written by the author.

The Daughters of Red Hill Hall was an easy read, mainly because it was so enjoyable. This is the first of Kathleen McGurl's books that I have read but it certainly won't be the last - the preview chapters from her next book that were included at the end have already whetted my appetite for 'The Pearl Locket'.

This book was received from Net Galley and Carina in return for an honest review.

[Smint100 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find with dual timeline stories, you need to be invested in both stories, but invariably one dominates (normally the one in the past). This is true of this book which, while I can see the reason for the parallels between the two stories, the present day thread falls very short.
In the historical story, there is at least some motivation for the extreme acts, when options could be very limited for women without money, and I did get confused about who, exactly, was Sarah's father by the end. But the modern day story? Ben barely registered in one dimension, and to take a friend's word over his own girlfriend's? Frankly bizarre. Roger just came over as a bit of a creep, and Nat was, I'm afraid, completely unbelievable. Jealousy drove her to attempted murder? Seriously?
As for the resolution in both stories, I felt both were lacking. Charles suddenly taking the moral high ground and then changing his mind within the space of about 5 minutes? If there had been more contrition from Nat, and more explanation of her feelings then maybe, just maybe, I could have understood Gemma's reasoning, but it felt more like Nat was rewarding Gemma for her actions. And why the speed of her leaving - an airline ticket for the next day? No consideration of visas required to emigrate or wind up affairs in the UK, or anything sensible like that, making it extremely unrealistic.
There were the bones of a good story (the one in the past) but ultimately it left me unsatisfied.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't a book I normally would have chosen but I had read The Pearl Locket, a WWII historical novel by the same author so I wanted to read another of her books. I could not put this book down. It is told from two time periods, 1838 and current day England. Gemma is a cataloguer at a museum who spends her days cataloguing items donated over the years to the museum. One day she catalogues a pair of ruby handled dueling pistols. She wonders what their history is and her boss gives her permission to research the background of the pistols. What she uncovers is a story of half sisters that begins with love and deep caring, and ends with treachery and murder. I like how the author focuses on the relationships involved in the story, both in the old story and the new. She reminds me of Maeve Binchy in that regard.

Gemma's story also involves a close sister like relationship with Nat, a friend since grade school. When unexplained events start happening it's starting to look similar to the events of 1838. As for the end of the modern day story I did not see it coming, I had another ending totally in mind.

I am going to be reading more historical fiction that includes both murder and romance, starting next with Kathleen McGurl's The Emerald Comb.

[Kristin Scarbrough · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an interesting concept, and I did want to know what would happen next and what the resolution would be, so in that the story was good. The story telling, however, I felt was lacking. I found the dialogue insipid most of the time. I'm not expecting Oscar Wilde, but this was almost like it was added as space filler. And the foreshadowing was less hinting at what would happen and more like the author informing the reader outright.

The chapters alternate between centuries, which is a format that works perfectly with the story, but I kept feeling like each pair of chapters should have swapped places with each other. It would have helped with the suspense if the researcher (the character Gemma) hadn't found out what happens in one chapter and then the next chapter you're in the past reading the story of what happened. It leaves little room for surprises. It explains it in detail and answers the 'how' and 'why', but it sucks the drama right out of it.

Plus the final confrontation between the protagonist and her antagonist was so drawn out and over dramatized I considered skimming ahead. It was a strange contrast to the rest of the book, where you knew too much for it to be effectively dramatic.

I'll skip future novels by this author.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was really terrible. The plot was ridiculous and the writing was not good. The first one I read by this author was sightly better, so I decided to buy this one without downloading a free sample first in a rush on my way to a camping trip. (This is almost always a mistake. No, actually, it's ALWAYS a mistake.) It turned out to be really bad and I won't be reading any more by this author. Luckily it was so fluffy/basic that I was able to skim it really fast and not lose any of the simultaneously predictable and unbelievable plot.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

The two stories entwining together in the historical plot and the modern plot were interesting and well done. I liked the writing in the historical section much better than the modern section.

The author had an annoying habit of inserting the word "erme" in so much of the dialogue. I suppose it was supposed to indicate the clearing of the characters throats when they spoke out of turn but I found it totally annoying. Would keep me from reading another one of her books.

[Debra Reedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed. The book had such promise but seemed juvenile. More like a soap opera. There was just no romance at all. The authors overuse of the "Erm" during the dialogue between characters nearly drove me insane.

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fireside reading

Thoroughly enjoyed this story curled up by the fire. Set in the past and the present it deals with two girls being betrayed by their best friends. Gripping right to the end.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fabulous book by Kath McGurl. This is a duel timeline story where past events seem to be happening again in the present day. Really enjoyed this book.

[Jenny Hardesty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well thought out dual time drama about friendships that turn sour due to one party's good fortune and the other's gripping jealousy.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good mystery! Loved the parallel story lines across the century, the twists and turns, and characters. I recommend it!

[brenda young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

This is the first book by this author I have read but I did enjoy it , some twists and turns, some I guessed , some I didn't , all in all an enjoyable book .

[Bridget Hollister · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed how the story jumped back and forth between the two time periods. It was done very well.