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Timeshift Victorian Mysteries #1
The Wind Chime
Listening Length = 12 hours and 58 minutes
In 1883 Wales, Osyth’s family reunion is shattered when she overhears a shocking conversation — sparking a search for answers about her mother’s death. Over a century later, decades-old secrets come to light when Amelia uncovers old photographs and a diary in the attic of her Victorian estate. A captivating dual-timeline tale read by an Earphones Award–winning narrator!
Every family has their secrets…
Windsor, England, 2019
Amelia Prentice is recovering from the worst two years of her life. First her daughter and then her parents have died, leaving her without any surviving relatives. As she contemplates placing the family home, a vast Victorian house in Windsor, on the market, she fulfills her mother’s last request to clear out the attic, where she discovers a strange box of Victorian photographs.
The photographs are of a large estate in Pembrokeshire called Cliffside, and they feature the Attwater family. When Amelia uncovers the diaries of Osyth Attwater, she realises the family had tragedies of their own…
Pembrokeshire, Wales, 1883
Every summer the Attwater family gather at Cliffside to tell each other stories. The youngest in the house is Osyth, a dreamer and writer who waits eagerly every year for the wind chime in the garden to signal the arrival of her relatives.
But her happiness is shattered when she overhears a conversation that tears her world apart. Raised by her grandparents, she believed her mother, Eudora, had died. It seems this may not be the case. Desperate to find out the truth, Osyth decides to unravel her family’s secrets. What she discovers will shock her to her core…
What did Amelia’s mother want her to find out about the Attwater family? Who is Eudora, and what really happened to her? And how is Amelia connected to it all…?
THE WIND CHIME is an enthralling timeshift novel set between the Victorian era and the modern day: past and present entwine to create a thrilling page-turning historical mystery.
‘Silver chimes and coral shells haunting past and present in this beautifully written novel containing echoes of Welsh fairy lore along with Victorian asylums, and a travelling circus. It's gripping with unforgettable characters. Carol McGrath, author of The She-Wolves Trilogy.
In 1883 Wales, Osyth’s family reunion is shattered when she overhears a shocking conversation — sparking a search for answers about her mother’s death. Over a century later, decades-old secrets come to light when Amelia uncovers old photographs and a diary in the attic of her Victorian estate. A captivating dual-timeline tale read by an Earphones Award–winning narrator!
Every family has their secrets…
Windsor, England, 2019
Amelia Prentice is recovering from the worst two years of her life. First her daughter and then her parents have died, leaving her without any surviving relatives. As she contemplates placing the family home, a vast Victorian house in Windsor, on the market, she fulfills her mother’s last request to clear out the attic, where she discovers a strange box of Victorian photographs.
The photographs are of a large estate in Pembrokeshire called Cliffside, and they feature the Attwater family. When Amelia uncovers the diaries of Osyth Attwater, she realises the family had tragedies of their own…
Pembrokeshire, Wales, 1883
Every summer the Attwater family gather at Cliffside to tell each other stories. The youngest in the house is Osyth, a dreamer and writer who waits eagerly every year for the wind chime in the garden to signal the arrival of her relatives.
But her happiness is shattered when she overhears a conversation that tears her world apart. Raised by her grandparents, she believed her mother, Eudora, had died. It seems this may not be the case. Desperate to find out the truth, Osyth decides to unravel her family’s secrets. What she discovers will shock her to her core…
What did Amelia’s mother want her to find out about the Attwater family? Who is Eudora, and what really happened to her? And how is Amelia connected to it all…?
THE WIND CHIME is an enthralling timeshift novel set between the Victorian era and the modern day: past and present entwine to create a thrilling page-turning historical mystery.
‘Silver chimes and coral shells haunting past and present in this beautifully written novel containing echoes of Welsh fairy lore along with Victorian asylums, and a travelling circus. It's gripping with unforgettable characters. Carol McGrath, author of The She-Wolves Trilogy.
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First published June 29, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
November 19, 2023
Unpopular Opinion Alert: Almost all readers seem to be falling head over heels in love with this story. But it didn’t click with me at all.
Story:
Ideally I should have loved this book. It has many elements I enjoy: multiple narratives (dual in this case), dual timelines, interesting lead characters, complicated family histories, mental health issues,… And yet I found it underwhelming. It felt like the author was trying too hard to make the story sound complicated and magical. The story seemed to be a mashup of genres as it incorporates elements of historical fiction, literary fiction, magical realism, and mystery. But I felt that the individual elements didn’t come together seamlessly to form a cohesive whole.
Amelia and Edward from the contemporary narrative seem to focus all their energies into digging up the past. Their story arc is quite limited. It would have been nice to see more of their rapport building up, perhaps a little bit of their backgrounds as well. Even Caitlin, who seems to be an interesting character, is hardly explored in depth. The 2019 timeline is very unidimensional in this respect.
The historical narrative is much more nuanced in comparison. Some of the characters have complicated personalities, especially Keiran. However, the content became really irritating after a point because the Attwaters seemed to say the same thing time and again to Osyth: there are secrets but we can’t tell you everything in one shot. It dragged the revelation of the secret so much that I almost ditched the book. Were it not for a couple of reader friends endorsing it strongly, I doubt I would have gone ahead till the end.
The number of extraneous characters in the book is too many. Right from the start, you see the first and last names of every single character (contemporary and historical), whether they are significant to the proceedings or not. And with the huge multi-generational Attwater family who is also linked to the Stone family and somehow to Amelia’s family, I was at a loss about whom to concentrate on and whom to let go for the entire first half. A significant part of the story dealt with Amelia creating a family tree to locate her place in the generational hierarchy. You will need to do that too if you want to experience the story in a slightly more sensible and non-mechanical way. The story could have easily proceeded with half of the characters taken out, and might have flowed better.
There are constant references to the faerie folk but I didn’t find these much relevant to the main plot; they serve only as exotic Welsh references to add to the mystical charm of the book.
On the positive side, the writing is lyrical and flowery. The insight into how people looked at mental illness in the past and how it is still a stigma at present is decently covered in the book. While I didn’t enjoy the portrayal of schizophrenia as depicted in the story (having a schizophrenic within the close family makes this a delicate topic for me), the hardships faced in the past by the supposed “lunatics” is realistically depicted. That was the biggest (and probably only) plus point of the book for me.
Overall, this was a disappointing experience for me. But as I said, I am an outlier in my opinion as a majority of readers seem to love this book. So do give it a try and decide for yourself.
Thank you, NetGalley and Sapere Books, for the ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
Story:
The crux of the plot is a line oft-repeated in the writing: ‘Every family has their secrets.’ The events come to us from two distinct timelines:
2019: Amelia Prentice has lost 3 of her family members within two years and now has no surviving relatives. Her mother Joan’s final request is for Amelie to clear out the attic. However, in the documents there, Amelia finds some strange old photographs, of people she has never heard of. Curious, she begins to dig into details of the Attwater family, and soon finds a network of secrets that reaches even upto her generation.
1883: Osyth is the youngest member of the Attwater family. A dreamer by nature, she loves hearing fae tales and listening to the wind chime ring in the arrival of her large family. However, her faith is shattered when she overhears a conversation, thereby forcing her to confront her family and get the truth about the past.
What is the connection between Amelia and Osyth? Why did Joan make Amelia go through the documents after her death? Read and find out.
Ideally I should have loved this book. It has many elements I enjoy: multiple narratives (dual in this case), dual timelines, interesting lead characters, complicated family histories, mental health issues,… And yet I found it underwhelming. It felt like the author was trying too hard to make the story sound complicated and magical. The story seemed to be a mashup of genres as it incorporates elements of historical fiction, literary fiction, magical realism, and mystery. But I felt that the individual elements didn’t come together seamlessly to form a cohesive whole.
Amelia and Edward from the contemporary narrative seem to focus all their energies into digging up the past. Their story arc is quite limited. It would have been nice to see more of their rapport building up, perhaps a little bit of their backgrounds as well. Even Caitlin, who seems to be an interesting character, is hardly explored in depth. The 2019 timeline is very unidimensional in this respect.
The historical narrative is much more nuanced in comparison. Some of the characters have complicated personalities, especially Keiran. However, the content became really irritating after a point because the Attwaters seemed to say the same thing time and again to Osyth: there are secrets but we can’t tell you everything in one shot. It dragged the revelation of the secret so much that I almost ditched the book. Were it not for a couple of reader friends endorsing it strongly, I doubt I would have gone ahead till the end.
The number of extraneous characters in the book is too many. Right from the start, you see the first and last names of every single character (contemporary and historical), whether they are significant to the proceedings or not. And with the huge multi-generational Attwater family who is also linked to the Stone family and somehow to Amelia’s family, I was at a loss about whom to concentrate on and whom to let go for the entire first half. A significant part of the story dealt with Amelia creating a family tree to locate her place in the generational hierarchy. You will need to do that too if you want to experience the story in a slightly more sensible and non-mechanical way. The story could have easily proceeded with half of the characters taken out, and might have flowed better.
There are constant references to the faerie folk but I didn’t find these much relevant to the main plot; they serve only as exotic Welsh references to add to the mystical charm of the book.
On the positive side, the writing is lyrical and flowery. The insight into how people looked at mental illness in the past and how it is still a stigma at present is decently covered in the book. While I didn’t enjoy the portrayal of schizophrenia as depicted in the story (having a schizophrenic within the close family makes this a delicate topic for me), the hardships faced in the past by the supposed “lunatics” is realistically depicted. That was the biggest (and probably only) plus point of the book for me.
Overall, this was a disappointing experience for me. But as I said, I am an outlier in my opinion as a majority of readers seem to love this book. So do give it a try and decide for yourself.
Thank you, NetGalley and Sapere Books, for the ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
July 4, 2021
“Fairy maiden, draw near to me,
Take me far below the sea,
Water maiden, wild and free,
With the fairies of the deep…
“Fairy maiden, full of glee,
I’ll tell my secrets for you to keep…
Water maiden, promise me,
You’ll keep them safe in the deep blue sea.”
It was the beautiful and enchanting book cover that drew me first to this book and then the blurb got me excited as it was my favorite genre of dual timeline historical fiction. The best thing about these stories is the ability to connect to the history of the era through the eyes of a protagonist in the current times. Obviously, the research and search for the unraveling of the mystery add a delicious thrill for fans like me.
Down the rabbit hole, I went with the lavish world created by Alexandra Walsh into the lives of Attwater and Stone families, so many of them that it takes time to untangle the relationship lines between the cousins, nephew, nieces, uncles, and aunts. But once that is established, get ready to be transported to this tale of secrets, madness, love, and scandals.
Amelia is glad that her mother left her with a task to do before her death and along with a close circle of friends discovers a photograph of a house in Pembrokeshire and a journal of someone named Osyth leaving her wondering and intrigued. The mystery deepens further when she realizes that her mother has left her with a set of cottages that had a secretive clause attached to it. Losing her daughter, and her parents in quick succession have left her traumatized so when she finds out that the Cliffside House is currently a therapeutic retreat, she takes it upon herself to visit for both rest and investigation.
Like in most books that deal with dual timelines, the historical era becomes more vivid thru the journals of Osyth and like her beliefs of magical fairyland Tylwyth Teg with its fae and fairy folks. But the past is not as magical as Osyth believes as she discovers secrets hidden by her family, shattering her innocent heart.
“A secret at home Is like rocks under the tide and they had more secrets than the sea has tides.”
The author has captured the changing timelines brilliantly, showing the differences in subtle ways like how mental illnesses are perceived by the people in 1883 and 2019. Amelia’s grief is open and palpable but the experiences that shape Osyth and her story are kept subdued as like most things in that era, in fact, what Osyth and Angarhad suffer at the hands of her cousin is beyond cruel and brutal. Both timelines however emphasize the importance of family, friendship, and love. Osyth and Freddie in 1884 and Amelia and Edward in 2019 are both endearing couples but I did wish for a little more from Amelia and Edward's story. Aunt Caitlin is another lovely character about whom I wanted to read more, well there’s something about every member in the family, and expanding it further with all those secrets being unearthed and the threads that bound the present with the past would have added another 100 pages.
This is my first book by the author and I enjoyed it immensely.
Absorbing⛈️⛈️⛈️⛈️⛈️
Many thanks to Net Galley, Sapere Books, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.
This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Medium.com, Facebook, and Twitter.
Take me far below the sea,
Water maiden, wild and free,
With the fairies of the deep…
“Fairy maiden, full of glee,
I’ll tell my secrets for you to keep…
Water maiden, promise me,
You’ll keep them safe in the deep blue sea.”
It was the beautiful and enchanting book cover that drew me first to this book and then the blurb got me excited as it was my favorite genre of dual timeline historical fiction. The best thing about these stories is the ability to connect to the history of the era through the eyes of a protagonist in the current times. Obviously, the research and search for the unraveling of the mystery add a delicious thrill for fans like me.
Down the rabbit hole, I went with the lavish world created by Alexandra Walsh into the lives of Attwater and Stone families, so many of them that it takes time to untangle the relationship lines between the cousins, nephew, nieces, uncles, and aunts. But once that is established, get ready to be transported to this tale of secrets, madness, love, and scandals.
Amelia is glad that her mother left her with a task to do before her death and along with a close circle of friends discovers a photograph of a house in Pembrokeshire and a journal of someone named Osyth leaving her wondering and intrigued. The mystery deepens further when she realizes that her mother has left her with a set of cottages that had a secretive clause attached to it. Losing her daughter, and her parents in quick succession have left her traumatized so when she finds out that the Cliffside House is currently a therapeutic retreat, she takes it upon herself to visit for both rest and investigation.
Like in most books that deal with dual timelines, the historical era becomes more vivid thru the journals of Osyth and like her beliefs of magical fairyland Tylwyth Teg with its fae and fairy folks. But the past is not as magical as Osyth believes as she discovers secrets hidden by her family, shattering her innocent heart.
“A secret at home Is like rocks under the tide and they had more secrets than the sea has tides.”
The author has captured the changing timelines brilliantly, showing the differences in subtle ways like how mental illnesses are perceived by the people in 1883 and 2019. Amelia’s grief is open and palpable but the experiences that shape Osyth and her story are kept subdued as like most things in that era, in fact, what Osyth and Angarhad suffer at the hands of her cousin is beyond cruel and brutal. Both timelines however emphasize the importance of family, friendship, and love. Osyth and Freddie in 1884 and Amelia and Edward in 2019 are both endearing couples but I did wish for a little more from Amelia and Edward's story. Aunt Caitlin is another lovely character about whom I wanted to read more, well there’s something about every member in the family, and expanding it further with all those secrets being unearthed and the threads that bound the present with the past would have added another 100 pages.
This is my first book by the author and I enjoyed it immensely.
Absorbing⛈️⛈️⛈️⛈️⛈️
Many thanks to Net Galley, Sapere Books, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.
This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Medium.com, Facebook, and Twitter.
November 1, 2021
In Windsor, England, in 2019, Amelia is completely without family, having lost her daughter and then her parents to serious illness. Without any surviving relatives, she is adrift and contemplates selling the family home. When fulfilling the last request of her mother to clear out the attic, she finds some intriguing photographs of a large estate in Pembrokeshire featuring the Attwater family. When Amelia uncovers the diary of Osyth Attwater, she realizes she may have discovered some family secrets.
In Pembrokeshire, Wales, in 1883, young Osyth is a dreamer and writer who awaits the gathering of the Attwaters, her storytelling family, at their oceanside mansion each year. There is a wind chime in the garden that signals the arrival of relatives, and she greatly looks forward to the tales they will tell. But then she overhears a conversation that shatters her world.
This dual-timeline novel of family secrets, fairy tales, missing pieces, and a special wind chime is both enchanting and compelling. In their separate timelines, Osyth and Amelia both search for answers. The theme of mental health, and how it was managed in 1883 versus the present, is explored. The secrets that families keep and the reasons they keep them are examined in heartbreaking detail.
The pace and flow of this book are gorgeous, and we are caught up in the beauty of Wales, the magic of fairy tales, and the mystery of family secrets. With Amelia, we piece together puzzling bits of family history and try to see the whole picture. The Wind Chime will engage all of your senses as you see the beautiful Victorian mansion, feel the heartbreak, smell the ocean air, taste the tears of grief, and hear the wind chime calling you home. This is a soul-touching and captivating read. Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book from Sapere Books via Historical Novels Review Magazine. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
In Pembrokeshire, Wales, in 1883, young Osyth is a dreamer and writer who awaits the gathering of the Attwaters, her storytelling family, at their oceanside mansion each year. There is a wind chime in the garden that signals the arrival of relatives, and she greatly looks forward to the tales they will tell. But then she overhears a conversation that shatters her world.
This dual-timeline novel of family secrets, fairy tales, missing pieces, and a special wind chime is both enchanting and compelling. In their separate timelines, Osyth and Amelia both search for answers. The theme of mental health, and how it was managed in 1883 versus the present, is explored. The secrets that families keep and the reasons they keep them are examined in heartbreaking detail.
The pace and flow of this book are gorgeous, and we are caught up in the beauty of Wales, the magic of fairy tales, and the mystery of family secrets. With Amelia, we piece together puzzling bits of family history and try to see the whole picture. The Wind Chime will engage all of your senses as you see the beautiful Victorian mansion, feel the heartbreak, smell the ocean air, taste the tears of grief, and hear the wind chime calling you home. This is a soul-touching and captivating read. Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book from Sapere Books via Historical Novels Review Magazine. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
June 30, 2021
I love dual timeline novels and Alexandra Walsh does this beautifully in THE WIND CHIME. That cover had me at “hello” — sooooooo gorgeous! And the story set in Victorian Wales and contemporary England drew me in. Lush writing fleshed out each era and the story of family secrets, unearthed in the present with found photos and an impactful diary, kept me rapt. I found the story especially moving when it depicted the way mental illness and grief were treated then vs. today. A poignant must-read, out now.
5 of 5 Stars
Thanks to the author, Sapere Books, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#TheWindChime #NetGalley
5 of 5 Stars
Thanks to the author, Sapere Books, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#TheWindChime #NetGalley
July 26, 2021
4.2 Stars
The story begins in 2019, Windsor when Amelia has just buried her mother. She had seen three deaths in two years and is looking for a way to come to terms with her. Her mother leaves her with a quest that takes her to Pembrokeshire.
Amelia not only goes to the Cliffside house with the mysterious wind chime but also travels to the past to connect the missing links between her mother and the Welsh family of Attwaters and Stones.
As the narrative shifts between the past and the present, we see events unfolding and secrets being uncovered. How will these secrets affect Amelia’s life? Why did her mother want her to trace the roots and find things that have been left buried for a reason?
First of all, I would like to highlight that this book is not a mystery. It sure has elements of mystery and discovery but calling it one would create a different impression on the readers. Luckily, I went into the book, considering it Women’s Fiction. That helped me enjoy the storyline better.
The narration is beautiful, especially when dealing with the past. I loved Osyth’s character. She’s dreamy, determined, a bit pampered, and yet good at heart. While she does make some stupid decisions, it fits her age and temperament.
The shift between the past and the present is seamless. I like how the present acted as a breather when the past got too heavy and took the story forward to spare us excessive details. That said, the story does drag a little in the middle. Guess it was necessary with so many characters involved.
Here’s one book where it’s easy to get confused by the people waltzing in and out and their relationships with each other. That said, the primary characters are easy to identify and track. Family trees are fascinating for the secrets they reveal, and this book has plenty of them.
What I loved the most was the inclusion of faerie and fae folklore, the sound of the wind chime that can be heard across the spaces, and the hint of a magical atmosphere. As someone who loves faeries, the talk of the legend of Tylwyth Teg and the stone circle made me very happy.
The mystical wind chime plays a role throughout the book. I could picturize the wind chime each time Osyth mentioned it. I appreciate the cover design even more after reading the story. Such a clever inclusion of vital elements! The author’s note was just as lovely to read.
To sum up, The Wind Chime is a beautiful, emotional, and heartwarming story that spans across generations and locations. Pick it up for the feel-good feeling you get when you read a bittersweet book.
I’ve ignored a couple of typos and errors as this is an ARC.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Sapere Books and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#NetGalley #TheWindChime
The story begins in 2019, Windsor when Amelia has just buried her mother. She had seen three deaths in two years and is looking for a way to come to terms with her. Her mother leaves her with a quest that takes her to Pembrokeshire.
Amelia not only goes to the Cliffside house with the mysterious wind chime but also travels to the past to connect the missing links between her mother and the Welsh family of Attwaters and Stones.
As the narrative shifts between the past and the present, we see events unfolding and secrets being uncovered. How will these secrets affect Amelia’s life? Why did her mother want her to trace the roots and find things that have been left buried for a reason?
First of all, I would like to highlight that this book is not a mystery. It sure has elements of mystery and discovery but calling it one would create a different impression on the readers. Luckily, I went into the book, considering it Women’s Fiction. That helped me enjoy the storyline better.
The narration is beautiful, especially when dealing with the past. I loved Osyth’s character. She’s dreamy, determined, a bit pampered, and yet good at heart. While she does make some stupid decisions, it fits her age and temperament.
The shift between the past and the present is seamless. I like how the present acted as a breather when the past got too heavy and took the story forward to spare us excessive details. That said, the story does drag a little in the middle. Guess it was necessary with so many characters involved.
Here’s one book where it’s easy to get confused by the people waltzing in and out and their relationships with each other. That said, the primary characters are easy to identify and track. Family trees are fascinating for the secrets they reveal, and this book has plenty of them.
What I loved the most was the inclusion of faerie and fae folklore, the sound of the wind chime that can be heard across the spaces, and the hint of a magical atmosphere. As someone who loves faeries, the talk of the legend of Tylwyth Teg and the stone circle made me very happy.
The mystical wind chime plays a role throughout the book. I could picturize the wind chime each time Osyth mentioned it. I appreciate the cover design even more after reading the story. Such a clever inclusion of vital elements! The author’s note was just as lovely to read.
To sum up, The Wind Chime is a beautiful, emotional, and heartwarming story that spans across generations and locations. Pick it up for the feel-good feeling you get when you read a bittersweet book.
I’ve ignored a couple of typos and errors as this is an ARC.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Sapere Books and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#NetGalley #TheWindChime
August 8, 2021
It looks like I'm in the minority here, but this novel missed the mark for me. I don't mind multiple-timeline books, and I usually enjoy historical mysteries. But this one seemed unnecessarily complex, especially in the Victorian-era timeline, where there were so many characters and families that I actually drew out my own family tree. However, many of these characters were extraneous to the story and didn't contribute much except to my confusion.
Likewise,
Grateful to NetGalley for the ARC!
Likewise,
Grateful to NetGalley for the ARC!
October 19, 2022
I very rarely listen to a book before I've read it, but I was unable to find this one in paper form and so decided to buy it in my Libro account. I was not disappointed. I had a little trouble settling in, but was soon absorbed in the story and the characters. I loved the setting, and the historical accounts were lovely to listen to, except of course when they depicted a particularly gruesome part of history. Having just visited the Lake Michigan area and toured a few maritime museums, i was familiar with how people want their history rememebered in those coastline areas, and remembered my visit fondly. I really enjoyed the afterword , bit chilling to think about ;)
June 30, 2021
I had read the previous trilogy by this author( which is really good) so I was excited to see she had a new book coming out. I was very excited to be able to read an early copy of this book.
This book is told in dual timelines and sometimes one turns out to be more interesting than the other. However in this book, both are just as interesting. There’s quite a few secrets in this book. Certain to keep you glued to the book and turning the pages quickly.
I really enjoyed this book and am excited to see there’s another coming out.
Thanks to Sapere for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book
This book is told in dual timelines and sometimes one turns out to be more interesting than the other. However in this book, both are just as interesting. There’s quite a few secrets in this book. Certain to keep you glued to the book and turning the pages quickly.
I really enjoyed this book and am excited to see there’s another coming out.
Thanks to Sapere for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book
January 21, 2025
I was disappointed with this book. There were just too many people to begin with and many seemed unnecessary as the book progressed. I was expecting a bit more magic with the fae folk but that didn’t happen. I don’t even know why they were included. They seemed superfluous. I loved the idea of the windchime. It was the most stable (although ethereal) part of the whole story. There were some fun parts, like the circus section and some dark parts but overall for me it was a mish-mash of people and places that sort of came together at the end. I didn’t see any point in the reference to Jack the Ripper at all unless that was to set up for some sort of follow up, perhaps when Kieran escapes… I know I won’t be reading it if there is. lol
Read
July 8, 2021Alexandra Walsh is fast becoming a master story-teller. This book is a wonderful read which grabs your attention from the start and never lets go. There are numerous plot twists and moments where you have to acknowledge “I didn’t see that coming!” It is a dual time-line story where Amelia Prentice, clearing out the attic following her mother’s recent funeral in 2019, is drawn into the Victorian world of a young girl through discovering her journal and photographs of a house called Cliffside. As the mysterious story of the young girl, Osyth, unfolds we learn of the links to the modern-day life of Amelia who delves into the lives of ancestors that she was previously unaware of. There are even passing references in this book to characters from the author’s previous excellent Marquess House Trilogy, which gives a sense of continuation. This book will have you eagerly waiting for more from Alexandra Walsh.
November 8, 2024
Narrated by Emma Gregory
A timeshift story of family research, secrets and mysteries, set in two timelines, now and the late Victorian era. Timeshift, yes, but don's assume time travel. The Victorian story is revealed through research and journals. Amelia Prentice is debilitated by the grief of three deaths in two years. First her daughter dies, then her father, and now her mother. She has an inheritance and friends but no family. Her mother's last instruction was to clear out boxes in the attic, boxes containing antique family photos and a journal by a young Victorian woman called Osyth Attwater, a member of the sprawling Attwater family from Wales. Intrigued by one family photograph of a group standing in front of Cliffside - a house on the Pembrokeshire coast, Amelia discovers that it's now a retreat centre and, curious, she books herself in for grief counselling. She finds the house is now owned by Edward Stone and his aunt, descendents of the Attwaters in the photo. One thing follows another and Amelia and Edward join forces to reveal the Attwater story through research and Osyth's journals, uncovering dark secrets and family connections. Is Amelia linked to the Attwaters? Why did her mother leave the puzzle to be solved after her death? What secrets were the Attwaters hiding? This was engrossing, though right at the end the author might have made one speculative connection too many. (See what you think about that.) There were so many secondary characters in this (in both timelines) that I wished I'd had the Attwarer and Stone family tree drawn out for me, but since I consumed this as an audio book there was no chance of that. (Maybe it was included in the printed book.) Expect families, secrets, obsession and madness, a circus, an asylum romance, and fairy tales (though not the actual fairies themselves. This is a magical book without any kind of magic whatsoever, except maybe for the wind chime itself that draws true members of the family to Cliffside.
A timeshift story of family research, secrets and mysteries, set in two timelines, now and the late Victorian era. Timeshift, yes, but don's assume time travel. The Victorian story is revealed through research and journals. Amelia Prentice is debilitated by the grief of three deaths in two years. First her daughter dies, then her father, and now her mother. She has an inheritance and friends but no family. Her mother's last instruction was to clear out boxes in the attic, boxes containing antique family photos and a journal by a young Victorian woman called Osyth Attwater, a member of the sprawling Attwater family from Wales. Intrigued by one family photograph of a group standing in front of Cliffside - a house on the Pembrokeshire coast, Amelia discovers that it's now a retreat centre and, curious, she books herself in for grief counselling. She finds the house is now owned by Edward Stone and his aunt, descendents of the Attwaters in the photo. One thing follows another and Amelia and Edward join forces to reveal the Attwater story through research and Osyth's journals, uncovering dark secrets and family connections. Is Amelia linked to the Attwaters? Why did her mother leave the puzzle to be solved after her death? What secrets were the Attwaters hiding? This was engrossing, though right at the end the author might have made one speculative connection too many. (See what you think about that.) There were so many secondary characters in this (in both timelines) that I wished I'd had the Attwarer and Stone family tree drawn out for me, but since I consumed this as an audio book there was no chance of that. (Maybe it was included in the printed book.) Expect families, secrets, obsession and madness, a circus, an asylum romance, and fairy tales (though not the actual fairies themselves. This is a magical book without any kind of magic whatsoever, except maybe for the wind chime itself that draws true members of the family to Cliffside.
July 17, 2021
The Wind Chime by Alexandra Walsh is my first one by her, but it won't be my last! I love books which have dual timelines, a sprinkle of magic and fairy dust, some folklore andot has all of these and more!
The story shifts between Windsor ( 2019) and Victorian era in Pembrokeshire, Wales( late 1800s). It is the journey of a young woman who's struggling with loss and grief, and trying to find the missing pieces of puzzle that her mum left her as an inheritance. Every family has secrets in its history and some more than others, that's the case with Amelia's family here. In her quest to unravel the past, find more about the missing links in her family tree, she stumbles upon a Pandora's box where every layer that's peeled, brings forth new discoveries.
The book is engaging and flows smoothly between timelines and the author has included Welsh myths, the 'fae folk' ( fairy folk) and also gives peek into the legend of Tylwyth Teg, the land of fairies!
The magical wind chimes shows the way to the family in the story, and it left a tinkling musical note in my ears as the author wound up the tale perfectly.
Since I read an ARC, there are some errors here and there which took away some pleasure from an otherwise lovely read!
Thanks to Net Galley and Sapere Books for the ARC and waiting for the next in the series now😊
The story shifts between Windsor ( 2019) and Victorian era in Pembrokeshire, Wales( late 1800s). It is the journey of a young woman who's struggling with loss and grief, and trying to find the missing pieces of puzzle that her mum left her as an inheritance. Every family has secrets in its history and some more than others, that's the case with Amelia's family here. In her quest to unravel the past, find more about the missing links in her family tree, she stumbles upon a Pandora's box where every layer that's peeled, brings forth new discoveries.
The book is engaging and flows smoothly between timelines and the author has included Welsh myths, the 'fae folk' ( fairy folk) and also gives peek into the legend of Tylwyth Teg, the land of fairies!
The magical wind chimes shows the way to the family in the story, and it left a tinkling musical note in my ears as the author wound up the tale perfectly.
Since I read an ARC, there are some errors here and there which took away some pleasure from an otherwise lovely read!
Thanks to Net Galley and Sapere Books for the ARC and waiting for the next in the series now😊
May 27, 2024
Currently included with audible, The Wind Chime had me intrigued from the beginning, after a lot of grief ending with her mothers passing, Amelia is on a mission to trace her roots after her deceased mother has left clues in the attic. It wasn’t the time travel novel that I expected, but it was a split time line, and as always I enjoyed the chapters set in the past best.
If Amelia can track down the wind chime (along with some genealogy) she’ll discover the secrets of her families past.
This was really interesting, I loved the premise of the story, and if it hadn’t dragged a little in the middle it’d be a 5 star.
The narration was lovely.
If Amelia can track down the wind chime (along with some genealogy) she’ll discover the secrets of her families past.
This was really interesting, I loved the premise of the story, and if it hadn’t dragged a little in the middle it’d be a 5 star.
The narration was lovely.
August 10, 2024
Audio book. I took a while to get into this story and never enjoyed as much as the author’s Marquis house series. Nevertheless, it was quite compelling once you sorted out who was who - no easy task as there are a lot of characters. As so often with these ‘secrets from the past’ stories it could all have been solved more easily if people had shared their knowledge more directly and simply. Still there wouldn’t be a story if they did! The secrets in this one are darker than usual and the author doesn’t spare the reader the horror of a Victorian asylum and 19th century treatment of mental health, which, even when intended to be caring, was brutal. Running away with the circus was a bit far fetched and the final denouement very ‘penny dreadful’ rather than actually exciting. As with the Marquis house series, money is no object and does ensure a happy ever after for those who deserve it.
I will probably listen to the next one in the series but will leave it a while.
I will probably listen to the next one in the series but will leave it a while.
November 28, 2021
There’s something so beautiful and lyrical about Alexandra Walsh's stories that I get drawn into them and almost forget that I’m reading in two timelines (although I have been known to read certain chapters in a row so that I stay in one timeline instead of jumping back and forth).
I decided to give this story ago because Walsh’s The Marquess Saga books are among my favourites and the cover of The Wind Chime just drew me in.
This is a dual-timeline story, running between 1883 Wales and 2019 England. It’s a sweeping family saga that has a bit of an ‘epic’ feel to it. While I have it listed in the ‘Historical Fiction” genre in my snapshot above, it also has heavy mystery elements to it as well.
The story revolves around the Attwater and Stone families and all their secrets, relationships, scandals and history of madness. I did find it a bit overwhelming as there are A LOT of characters and it was hard to keep track of them all. I ended up taking notes to keep track and that really helped.
The two main characters, Amelia in the present day and Osyth in the past, are both interesting and complex and are trying their best to unravel long-buried family secrets to discover the truth.
Since this book isn’t about any famous historical figures or set in a time period/location that I’m familiar with, I was a bit wary about not being able to keep track of things. One of the hardest things (for me) while reading dual timeline stories is keeping track of all the people and the setting. Walsh is pretty deft at keeping the narrative flowing, while jumping between two very different eras.
Regardless of the amount of time separating the two main characters, there are things that link them (aside from family secrets). Similar themes link the two timelines, including mental health, happiness and grief, the importance of family and friends, and how families are a mix of very different relationships.
Aside from Amelia and Osyth, the family is filled with interesting characters that all have their own secrets and stories. At times I was a bit overwhelmed, but the strength of the plot and the beauty of the setting kept me in the story.
Interwoven throughout the story is an underlying feel of magic and a bit of fantasy, fairy magic. It gave the story a light, airy feel and I loved the image of the wind chime “announcing” the gathering of the family and the sharing of stories.
There are lots of twists and turns throughout the plot and for me, one of the most pleasant surprises was that neither of the timelines held my interest more than the other – they were both captivating and I couldn’t wait to get to the end to see how things turned out.
*** Thank you to the publisher, Sapere Books, for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
I decided to give this story ago because Walsh’s The Marquess Saga books are among my favourites and the cover of The Wind Chime just drew me in.
This is a dual-timeline story, running between 1883 Wales and 2019 England. It’s a sweeping family saga that has a bit of an ‘epic’ feel to it. While I have it listed in the ‘Historical Fiction” genre in my snapshot above, it also has heavy mystery elements to it as well.
The story revolves around the Attwater and Stone families and all their secrets, relationships, scandals and history of madness. I did find it a bit overwhelming as there are A LOT of characters and it was hard to keep track of them all. I ended up taking notes to keep track and that really helped.
The two main characters, Amelia in the present day and Osyth in the past, are both interesting and complex and are trying their best to unravel long-buried family secrets to discover the truth.
Since this book isn’t about any famous historical figures or set in a time period/location that I’m familiar with, I was a bit wary about not being able to keep track of things. One of the hardest things (for me) while reading dual timeline stories is keeping track of all the people and the setting. Walsh is pretty deft at keeping the narrative flowing, while jumping between two very different eras.
Regardless of the amount of time separating the two main characters, there are things that link them (aside from family secrets). Similar themes link the two timelines, including mental health, happiness and grief, the importance of family and friends, and how families are a mix of very different relationships.
Aside from Amelia and Osyth, the family is filled with interesting characters that all have their own secrets and stories. At times I was a bit overwhelmed, but the strength of the plot and the beauty of the setting kept me in the story.
Interwoven throughout the story is an underlying feel of magic and a bit of fantasy, fairy magic. It gave the story a light, airy feel and I loved the image of the wind chime “announcing” the gathering of the family and the sharing of stories.
There are lots of twists and turns throughout the plot and for me, one of the most pleasant surprises was that neither of the timelines held my interest more than the other – they were both captivating and I couldn’t wait to get to the end to see how things turned out.
*** Thank you to the publisher, Sapere Books, for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
June 24, 2021
Thank you NetGalley and Sapere Books for the opportunity to review the ARC of this book. The opinions are my own.
I know they say never judge a book by its code, but I have to tell you that as soon as I saw this cover I was so intrigued I had to take a gander at what the blurb was about. After reading it, intrigued was putting it mildly. I was dying to get my digital paws on an electronic copy of it ASAP.
I was so excited to be able to review this advanced copy, so much so that I started reading it as soon I downloaded it. I'll tell you I did have some trepidations about the dual POV being told over two periods of time. I have read books where authors have tried to make this type of time-line work and have ended up failing, utterly. A couple things allow it to work for this story.
The first is the compellingness of the story's content, in both time-lines. Grief and mental illness is something that is universal through time, societal classes, and all ages. The only thing that has changed through the decades is how we treat it. Reading how Amelia's grief is treated in 2019 as opposed to Penny's in the early 1800's is eye- opening. Not to mention the Victorian approach on mental illness, especially in females. The connections really hold the story together
Secondly, the characters are really engaging in both eras and have really, almost lives bigger than their personalities. The quality and dimension make them seem so vivacious and real. The only down side is that Amelia and Edward's story almost becomes secondary to the Stone/Attwater bigger than life adventure. This by no means detracts from the story as a whole, I just found myself forget about the 2019 time-line and getting caught up in the 1864 one.
Overall, this book shows the importance of family. Through thick and thin, they are there. Sickness and in health, family should always be there to welcome you home.
I know they say never judge a book by its code, but I have to tell you that as soon as I saw this cover I was so intrigued I had to take a gander at what the blurb was about. After reading it, intrigued was putting it mildly. I was dying to get my digital paws on an electronic copy of it ASAP.
I was so excited to be able to review this advanced copy, so much so that I started reading it as soon I downloaded it. I'll tell you I did have some trepidations about the dual POV being told over two periods of time. I have read books where authors have tried to make this type of time-line work and have ended up failing, utterly. A couple things allow it to work for this story.
The first is the compellingness of the story's content, in both time-lines. Grief and mental illness is something that is universal through time, societal classes, and all ages. The only thing that has changed through the decades is how we treat it. Reading how Amelia's grief is treated in 2019 as opposed to Penny's in the early 1800's is eye- opening. Not to mention the Victorian approach on mental illness, especially in females. The connections really hold the story together
Secondly, the characters are really engaging in both eras and have really, almost lives bigger than their personalities. The quality and dimension make them seem so vivacious and real. The only down side is that Amelia and Edward's story almost becomes secondary to the Stone/Attwater bigger than life adventure. This by no means detracts from the story as a whole, I just found myself forget about the 2019 time-line and getting caught up in the 1864 one.
Overall, this book shows the importance of family. Through thick and thin, they are there. Sickness and in health, family should always be there to welcome you home.
October 6, 2021
The first book in the Timeshift Victorian Mysteries series, this one is set in the present day in Windsor and in the late 19thC in Pembrokeshire. It’s a tale of family secrets which turns into an absorbing historical mystery.
This is a fun and entertaining read whilst at the same time being quite the page turner. There’s something for everyone - romance, an intriguing mystery, a smattering of fantasy and a little bit of adventure. The two stories flow into each other seamlessly and I love the addition of Welsh myths and the sprinkling of fairy dust! It also touches on grief and mental illness, so it’s not all sweetness and light. With some realistic and likeable characters, factual and fictitious, and an engaging plot, The Wind Chime is a joy to read. I very much enjoyed it!
This is a fun and entertaining read whilst at the same time being quite the page turner. There’s something for everyone - romance, an intriguing mystery, a smattering of fantasy and a little bit of adventure. The two stories flow into each other seamlessly and I love the addition of Welsh myths and the sprinkling of fairy dust! It also touches on grief and mental illness, so it’s not all sweetness and light. With some realistic and likeable characters, factual and fictitious, and an engaging plot, The Wind Chime is a joy to read. I very much enjoyed it!
July 7, 2021
All is not as it seems where the house on the cliffs is the keeper of secrets.
This rattling story switches between two periods, the present and late Victorian times, and two venues, Windsor and Pembrokeshire and the call of the wind chime summons scattered members of a large and diverse family together in the early summer of each year. Mysteriously, the sound is not heard by everybody, but it forms a delicate leit motif throughout the story. When her mother dies, 21st century Amelia is already grieving for her daughter, but is forced out of her depression by her mother’s box of mesmerising mementos, including a photograph of a young girl, and she also inherits a row of cottages in Wales she knew nothing about but which carries an unusual covenant covering its future disposal. The explanations, when finally arrived at, are intriguing and, on the whole, credible. This is a family of complex inter-relations which are at first puzzling to the reader but which become clearer - and more controversial - as Amelia digs into what turns out to be her own family’s contorted and sometimes secretive history.
The narration is swift and full of action and emotion, in fact high drama in places. The often surprising twists in the plot are driven by Amelia’s discoveries in various archives and the large character list contains clearly drawn and distinctive individuals who reflect the diversity of society, especially in the Victorian period. An alternative title could well have been The Lunatics’ Ball, as some of the core plot motivation is the handling of mental illness during the 19th century and the attitudes held then which contrast hugely from today’s.
The note for the reader is unusually interesting. It describes the gestation of the book, outlining how the elements of the plot were drawn together, with much of the detail coming from the author’s own family history and background experience as well as her historical research. As she describes the coincidences she uncovers, it puts into context the coincidences within the plot of the book. This is a pacey enjoyable read, spoiled only occasionally by poor proof-reading. I read this on e-book format where such errors can creep in, but it brings a dropped star. Both in the addendum and in the book itself, however, the ruling force which keeps the families together in spite of much apparent deception is love, respect and support of each other; it is to these qualities that the magical wind chime calls, especially when they are sorely needed.
This rattling story switches between two periods, the present and late Victorian times, and two venues, Windsor and Pembrokeshire and the call of the wind chime summons scattered members of a large and diverse family together in the early summer of each year. Mysteriously, the sound is not heard by everybody, but it forms a delicate leit motif throughout the story. When her mother dies, 21st century Amelia is already grieving for her daughter, but is forced out of her depression by her mother’s box of mesmerising mementos, including a photograph of a young girl, and she also inherits a row of cottages in Wales she knew nothing about but which carries an unusual covenant covering its future disposal. The explanations, when finally arrived at, are intriguing and, on the whole, credible. This is a family of complex inter-relations which are at first puzzling to the reader but which become clearer - and more controversial - as Amelia digs into what turns out to be her own family’s contorted and sometimes secretive history.
The narration is swift and full of action and emotion, in fact high drama in places. The often surprising twists in the plot are driven by Amelia’s discoveries in various archives and the large character list contains clearly drawn and distinctive individuals who reflect the diversity of society, especially in the Victorian period. An alternative title could well have been The Lunatics’ Ball, as some of the core plot motivation is the handling of mental illness during the 19th century and the attitudes held then which contrast hugely from today’s.
The note for the reader is unusually interesting. It describes the gestation of the book, outlining how the elements of the plot were drawn together, with much of the detail coming from the author’s own family history and background experience as well as her historical research. As she describes the coincidences she uncovers, it puts into context the coincidences within the plot of the book. This is a pacey enjoyable read, spoiled only occasionally by poor proof-reading. I read this on e-book format where such errors can creep in, but it brings a dropped star. Both in the addendum and in the book itself, however, the ruling force which keeps the families together in spite of much apparent deception is love, respect and support of each other; it is to these qualities that the magical wind chime calls, especially when they are sorely needed.
August 16, 2021
The Wind Chime was my first experience of an Alexandra Walsh book, although I have now discovered she has written quite a few other books in the historical fiction, mystery and thriller genres. This excellent book introduces what is due to be a series of Victorian Timeshift Mysteries. This story starts us off in present day Windsor, but then cleverly switches back and forth to Victorian Pembrokeshire. The key, present-day character, is Amelia Prentice, who has endured a difficult two years, during which her father, her young daughter and finally her mother have died. In her mother’s papers Amelia finds references to a house called Cliffside in Pembrokeshire, together with pictures of members of a family called Attwater who lived there. Travelling back to Victorian times the book introduces us to the extended Attwater family and the characters in the photographs that Amelia has unearthed. Back in present day Windsor, Amelia discovers that the local Windsor paddle boat company, founded by two brother called Jacobs, was eventually, due to illness, sold to a family called Attwater, who were soon linked to the Stone family, through marriage. Determined to find out why her mother had kept the photographs, Amelia heads off to Pembrokeshire and pays a visit to the Cliffside house in Milford Haven, where she meets Edward Stone and his great aunt Caitlin, who are now joint owners of the house. Once more whisked back to Cliffside, in Victorian times, we start to learn more of the Stones and the Attwaters. Numerous interrelated family members are introduced, including Osyth, who quickly becomes the key character of this time period, and is the one who links the sound of the Wind Chime with the annual gathering of the family at Cliffside. At this point in the story, I began wishing that the book included a family tree; but later I learnt that a family tree would have spoiled the story, so I can say no more on this. From here the bulk of the book develops the fascinating history of the Stones and Attwaters, in what turns out to be one of the author’s mystery thrillers. Through many twists and turns, we experience serious inter-family disputes, with one of the family members turning out to be the main villain, and with Osyth eventually finding out what had happened to her missing mother. There are mysterious deaths, kidnappings and no end of surprises, in what I found to be a most enjoyable book and I can’t wait for the next book in the series. I am very grateful to Sapere Books for providing me a copy for review.
July 31, 2021
Amelia has had more than her share of grief. She lost her mother, father and then her young daughter Molly within a few years. She
has been coping with illness and death for so long that she now feels that a proper retreat of some kind is necessary. She also comes
across whilst clearing and cleaning out instructions from her mother to clear out the attic.
Discovering that the attic was cleared and clean, only a few boxes very neatly packed leaves Amelia puzzled. Together with her friends
who have stood behind her throughout her difficult days, she comes across a box of letters, photographs and memorablia which speak of unknown
people, names which have a connection though indistinct and intriguing photographs. She also discovers her mother's will through her lawyer
leaving her a inheritance of seven cottages which leaves Amelia very comfortably off for the rest of her days.
The story told in two sections of Pembrokeshire 1893 and present day 2019 London are in itself different. The stories of 1893 deal with a family
well established, in trade and very comfortably off but with a chequered history and very complicated characters. That those characters were related
to her mother is obvious and why her mother never spoke about them is what puzzles Amelia the most. She seeks to solve the mystery.
Present day 2019 Amelia is coming to terms with her losses, then she meets Edward part of the Pembrokeshire clan and she has to reconcile her
feelings of today, with the history that she is faced with and which is not quite right and at times very unsavoury.
A little bit of the faery and magical mixed in the history of the story, the two time lines and the vast amount of history of the families involved
added to the complicated story leading to the present times. May not be for everyone, as it was so many strands of a family but brought together
the book was a page turner for me. Characterization was spot on, very descriptive at every turn it kept me going wanting to find out what happened
to all the characters of 1890s.
has been coping with illness and death for so long that she now feels that a proper retreat of some kind is necessary. She also comes
across whilst clearing and cleaning out instructions from her mother to clear out the attic.
Discovering that the attic was cleared and clean, only a few boxes very neatly packed leaves Amelia puzzled. Together with her friends
who have stood behind her throughout her difficult days, she comes across a box of letters, photographs and memorablia which speak of unknown
people, names which have a connection though indistinct and intriguing photographs. She also discovers her mother's will through her lawyer
leaving her a inheritance of seven cottages which leaves Amelia very comfortably off for the rest of her days.
The story told in two sections of Pembrokeshire 1893 and present day 2019 London are in itself different. The stories of 1893 deal with a family
well established, in trade and very comfortably off but with a chequered history and very complicated characters. That those characters were related
to her mother is obvious and why her mother never spoke about them is what puzzles Amelia the most. She seeks to solve the mystery.
Present day 2019 Amelia is coming to terms with her losses, then she meets Edward part of the Pembrokeshire clan and she has to reconcile her
feelings of today, with the history that she is faced with and which is not quite right and at times very unsavoury.
A little bit of the faery and magical mixed in the history of the story, the two time lines and the vast amount of history of the families involved
added to the complicated story leading to the present times. May not be for everyone, as it was so many strands of a family but brought together
the book was a page turner for me. Characterization was spot on, very descriptive at every turn it kept me going wanting to find out what happened
to all the characters of 1890s.
July 1, 2021
Amelia has recently lost her daughter and both her parents, most recently her mother. While sorting through her mother's possessions, she finds photos of people taken in Vicrtorian times and feels drawn to explore who they were and whether, being among her mother's collection, they were of family.
Her research leads her from her Windsor home to Cliffside, a private Retreat in Wales, where members of the family in the photos still live, and along with Edward and his aunt Caitlin, the joint owners of Cliffside, they find out more about the history of the family and its properties, as well as what their own familial connection is.
The historical part of the story centres around Osyth, an 18 year old girl with a keen interest in the myths and legends of the faerie world, and her relationships with her family, especially the highly troubled cousin Kieran.
The descriptions of Osyth's incarceration in Bedlam and her time with a travelling circus are particularly vivid and moving, and the resolution of the story, in both modern and Victorian eras, is complete and satisfying.
An excellent read, with great characters and descriptions. I was very pleased to see people and places from Walsh's earlier works, the Marquess House books, making cameo appearances. I love it when books have that feeling of continuity without it affecting the stand alone quality of each individual book. And if you choose to read this, which I thoroughly recommend, please make sure you don't skip the author's note at the end, which places some of the real events of the period into the context of the events in the book.
Her research leads her from her Windsor home to Cliffside, a private Retreat in Wales, where members of the family in the photos still live, and along with Edward and his aunt Caitlin, the joint owners of Cliffside, they find out more about the history of the family and its properties, as well as what their own familial connection is.
The historical part of the story centres around Osyth, an 18 year old girl with a keen interest in the myths and legends of the faerie world, and her relationships with her family, especially the highly troubled cousin Kieran.
The descriptions of Osyth's incarceration in Bedlam and her time with a travelling circus are particularly vivid and moving, and the resolution of the story, in both modern and Victorian eras, is complete and satisfying.
An excellent read, with great characters and descriptions. I was very pleased to see people and places from Walsh's earlier works, the Marquess House books, making cameo appearances. I love it when books have that feeling of continuity without it affecting the stand alone quality of each individual book. And if you choose to read this, which I thoroughly recommend, please make sure you don't skip the author's note at the end, which places some of the real events of the period into the context of the events in the book.
June 29, 2021
I have a soft spot for Alexandra Walsh’s books as The Catherine Howard Conspiracy was my very 1st Netgalley approved read. I really enjoyed her Tudor trilogy and was thrilled to see that she has branched out to a Victorian dual time series.
The story follows Amelia who has had a tragic few years, losing her young daughter and parents in a short period of time. While cleaning out her parent’s house she finds a box of pictures that her mother left for her to find. The pictures show a stately home called Cliffside in Pembrokeshire, and pictures of people from Victorian times that are somehow related to her family. Amelia is intrigued and starts to investigate. She discovers that the house is still standing and is a retreat for people suffering from addiction and grief. Amelia decides to visit the house and see what she can find out about the mysterious family and their connection to her. Like all of Alexandra Walsh’s books there is a big cast of characters to keep up with, but once the reader figures everyone out, the story flows. I really enjoyed the journey between the past and present storylines and how solving the mysteries of the past, can help resolve the grief and sadness that can be felt in the present.
I really enjoyed this book and have already received notice that their is a 2nd book in this series scheduled for release in November.
Thank you to Netgalley, Sapere books and the author for the chance to read ad review this book. I am really glad I did.
The story follows Amelia who has had a tragic few years, losing her young daughter and parents in a short period of time. While cleaning out her parent’s house she finds a box of pictures that her mother left for her to find. The pictures show a stately home called Cliffside in Pembrokeshire, and pictures of people from Victorian times that are somehow related to her family. Amelia is intrigued and starts to investigate. She discovers that the house is still standing and is a retreat for people suffering from addiction and grief. Amelia decides to visit the house and see what she can find out about the mysterious family and their connection to her. Like all of Alexandra Walsh’s books there is a big cast of characters to keep up with, but once the reader figures everyone out, the story flows. I really enjoyed the journey between the past and present storylines and how solving the mysteries of the past, can help resolve the grief and sadness that can be felt in the present.
I really enjoyed this book and have already received notice that their is a 2nd book in this series scheduled for release in November.
Thank you to Netgalley, Sapere books and the author for the chance to read ad review this book. I am really glad I did.
May 3, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley & Alexandra Walsh for my copy of The Wind Chime (Time-shift Victorian Mysteries #1) for an honest review. Amelia Prentice is having a terrible time with life. In a short period of time her daughter and her parents pass away. She is left alone in the world and is terribly depressed. She is tasked with getting her family home ready to sell and is clearing out the attic, per her mothers dying request, she is overwhelmed with the job ahead and all the memories that are stirred up from the task.
She finds a box full of photographs that distract her and she starts to investigate the time and place of the photos. This is a dual time period book. It is set in present day and Wales in 1883. The large estate in Pembrokeshire becomes all Amelia can think of. She finds diaries from Osyth Attwater and cannot stop reading. She needs to know why her mother might have sent her into the attic and what secrets is she supposed to find. Also what is the significance of The Wind-chime? What does Amelia and Osyth have in common?
I really liked the writing and the setting of this story. The characters were compelling and I had to keep reading to see how all the secrets unraveled. This was a four star read for me. It was my pleasure to read and review. I hope you enjoy it too!!!
She finds a box full of photographs that distract her and she starts to investigate the time and place of the photos. This is a dual time period book. It is set in present day and Wales in 1883. The large estate in Pembrokeshire becomes all Amelia can think of. She finds diaries from Osyth Attwater and cannot stop reading. She needs to know why her mother might have sent her into the attic and what secrets is she supposed to find. Also what is the significance of The Wind-chime? What does Amelia and Osyth have in common?
I really liked the writing and the setting of this story. The characters were compelling and I had to keep reading to see how all the secrets unraveled. This was a four star read for me. It was my pleasure to read and review. I hope you enjoy it too!!!
June 27, 2021
Thank you netgalley and Sapere Books for giving me an ARC of this amazing book in exchange for an honest review. Cleaning out the attic after her mother’s death Amelia discovers a box containing photos of people and places totally unfamiliar to her. Intrigued she sets out to find out why these photos were so important to her mother. She begins an internet search using the names on the back of one of the family photos. She discovers the estate is still standing and operating as a retreat center for those who need to get away and recover from grief, addiction, or other problems. Hoping to learn more about the family, Amelia books a stay at the Cliffside Retreat Center. Thus start a journey into the past, a journey of love, loss, tragedy, mental illness and long buried family secrets. Told in two interwoven time periods, the first in 2019 as Amelia searches to discover why she was drawn to the retreat center and its people and the second the story of those who had occupied the residence in the late 1800s, the story kept me engaged from the first chapter through the epilogue. All the characters in each period are well drawn and by the end I felt I knew them personally. This is a wonderful tale of the importance of family and discovering one’s ancestral heritage. Highly recommended.
July 2, 2021
This is a wild joyride of a book. It is not a time travel book but rather a parallel time book, where a young modern lady becomes intrigued by her ancestry and identifies with a girl from the Nineteenth Century. She finds this girls diaries, photographs etc. in the attic, where her dying mother has asked her to look. She begins to research this girls family, knowing that they are related and seeking a family connection. She learns that the family has some dark secrets but nevertheless continues her search.
The Nineteenth Century girl, Osyth is intelligent, dreamy and believes in the legends of the area. Her dreams meet harsh reality but they do keep her grounded.
The story has many layers and raises many questions: the persistence of blood ties, the meaning of family, the importance of a sense of place, of belonging, the necessity of understanding and embracing the past in order to move forward. Overall is the symbol of the wind chime, which can be heard only by those who belong to the house, even if it is only in their dreams . At the heart of the family, whatever shadows exist, there is also love.
All in all, this is a beautifully-written creation of a dreamy world of mystery and meaning. This is a book that stays with you.
The Nineteenth Century girl, Osyth is intelligent, dreamy and believes in the legends of the area. Her dreams meet harsh reality but they do keep her grounded.
The story has many layers and raises many questions: the persistence of blood ties, the meaning of family, the importance of a sense of place, of belonging, the necessity of understanding and embracing the past in order to move forward. Overall is the symbol of the wind chime, which can be heard only by those who belong to the house, even if it is only in their dreams . At the heart of the family, whatever shadows exist, there is also love.
All in all, this is a beautifully-written creation of a dreamy world of mystery and meaning. This is a book that stays with you.
July 7, 2021
Having read Alexandra Walsh’s previous books, The Marquess house trilogy, and thoroughly enjoyed them I had high expectations for this book and was not disappointed.
In the 1880s Osyth, reaching her 18th birthday and full of excitement and trepidation about this move into the adult world, receives a bequest the secrecy of which she finds alarming and causes her to have doubts about her family. In the present day Amelia, who has spent the last couple of years nursing and losing three beloved family members, receives a similar bequest. When she starts to look through some boxes, as requested by her mother before she died, she finds some strange photographs and a journal written by Osyth. We’re then drawn into the mesmerising worlds of Osyth and Amelia – full of twists and turns, deep and dark family secrets, true friends, beloved families and a circus! As the story unfolds, the tension increases and surprises abound. I absolutely recommend this book. It’s not necessary to have read the Marquess House books before reading this but I did enjoy seeing some of the characters from those books making guest appearances in this one. Really looking forward to see where the story moves to next.
Thanks to Sapere Books for a copy to review.
In the 1880s Osyth, reaching her 18th birthday and full of excitement and trepidation about this move into the adult world, receives a bequest the secrecy of which she finds alarming and causes her to have doubts about her family. In the present day Amelia, who has spent the last couple of years nursing and losing three beloved family members, receives a similar bequest. When she starts to look through some boxes, as requested by her mother before she died, she finds some strange photographs and a journal written by Osyth. We’re then drawn into the mesmerising worlds of Osyth and Amelia – full of twists and turns, deep and dark family secrets, true friends, beloved families and a circus! As the story unfolds, the tension increases and surprises abound. I absolutely recommend this book. It’s not necessary to have read the Marquess House books before reading this but I did enjoy seeing some of the characters from those books making guest appearances in this one. Really looking forward to see where the story moves to next.
Thanks to Sapere Books for a copy to review.
December 13, 2021
After the death of her mother, Amelia Prentice is clearing out her attic when she finds a box of Victorian photographs. Depicting the Attwater family who resided at a Pembrokeshire estate called Cliffside, Amelia sets out to discover who they were. When she finds the diaries of Osyth Attwater, she finds her interest piqued even more.
Back in 1883, young Osyth overhears a conversation which shatters her world and leaves her wondering what other secrets her family has kept from her. What exactly did happen to Osyth’s mother and is there any link in the present day to Amelia?
I am a huge fan of the Marquess House series by Alexandra Walsh and was pleased to see that she had written another timeshift book, this time set in my favoured period of historical fiction, the Victorian age. The author captures the era perfectly and I particularly liked how it deals with some of the subjects that would have been taboo in that age such as mental illness and relationships outside of marriage.
Initially, I found myself favouring the sections written in the present day due to my love of all things genealogical but as the book progressed and I found myself understanding the complex family relationships of the family in 1883, I began to enjoy both eras equally. Osyth soon became a firm favourite and I admired her tenacity despite her reputation for being a bit of a dreamer.
The Wind Chime is a beautiful, poignant book written with sensitivity. I have already downloaded the next in the series, The Music Makers.
Back in 1883, young Osyth overhears a conversation which shatters her world and leaves her wondering what other secrets her family has kept from her. What exactly did happen to Osyth’s mother and is there any link in the present day to Amelia?
I am a huge fan of the Marquess House series by Alexandra Walsh and was pleased to see that she had written another timeshift book, this time set in my favoured period of historical fiction, the Victorian age. The author captures the era perfectly and I particularly liked how it deals with some of the subjects that would have been taboo in that age such as mental illness and relationships outside of marriage.
Initially, I found myself favouring the sections written in the present day due to my love of all things genealogical but as the book progressed and I found myself understanding the complex family relationships of the family in 1883, I began to enjoy both eras equally. Osyth soon became a firm favourite and I admired her tenacity despite her reputation for being a bit of a dreamer.
The Wind Chime is a beautiful, poignant book written with sensitivity. I have already downloaded the next in the series, The Music Makers.
July 5, 2021
Full review now up on the blog: https://www.thewritinggreyhound.co.uk...
The Wind Chime is a mesmerising timeslip story set in both the 1800s and the modern day.
This is a story spanning one family's tale across the years, through love and loss, and encompassing plenty of mysteries and secrets. The past features a complex web of tangled people and events, yet the discovery of a handwritten journal and an old photograph sparks one woman's journey back into the 1800s.
Upon the discovery of the old journal and photograph, Amelia Prentice instantly feels a connection with the mysterious Osyth and her beloved home, Cliffside. The gorgeous, sprawling home sits atop a cliff, overlooking the sea below. It's the perfect setting for a period story and one where you can easily imagine plenty of skeletons hiding in the closet!
Of course, there is plenty of detective work for Amelia to do, and she enlists the help of friends - both new and old - to help. All the characters in the story are engaging and well written; even the minor characters are realistic and well fleshed out. However, as Amelia delves deeper into the family's secrets, will she finally uncover the truth?
Despite her tragic circumstances, Amelia is a brave, capable woman. She can be firm and impulsive, yet is also deeply in touch with her emotions and carries a strong sense of right and wrong. She is the rock that anchors past and present together in this story.
Whimsical and full of unexpected twists and turns, The Wind Chime is an enjoyable timeslip novel.
Open your mind and let the wind chime guide you home.
The Wind Chime is a mesmerising timeslip story set in both the 1800s and the modern day.
This is a story spanning one family's tale across the years, through love and loss, and encompassing plenty of mysteries and secrets. The past features a complex web of tangled people and events, yet the discovery of a handwritten journal and an old photograph sparks one woman's journey back into the 1800s.
Upon the discovery of the old journal and photograph, Amelia Prentice instantly feels a connection with the mysterious Osyth and her beloved home, Cliffside. The gorgeous, sprawling home sits atop a cliff, overlooking the sea below. It's the perfect setting for a period story and one where you can easily imagine plenty of skeletons hiding in the closet!
Of course, there is plenty of detective work for Amelia to do, and she enlists the help of friends - both new and old - to help. All the characters in the story are engaging and well written; even the minor characters are realistic and well fleshed out. However, as Amelia delves deeper into the family's secrets, will she finally uncover the truth?
Despite her tragic circumstances, Amelia is a brave, capable woman. She can be firm and impulsive, yet is also deeply in touch with her emotions and carries a strong sense of right and wrong. She is the rock that anchors past and present together in this story.
Whimsical and full of unexpected twists and turns, The Wind Chime is an enjoyable timeslip novel.
Open your mind and let the wind chime guide you home.
December 11, 2024
I don't know why this is tagged time travel but has no tag for romance. This is overrated in my opinion. We are supposed to believe that a boy with zero social skills can then go on to have police, politicians and doctors in his pocket as soon as he is of age and have them think he is a medical doctor, and not have any word of the upper class family believed, but then suddenly the family are believed and he's sent to an insane asylum. So how did they finally prove that he was the bad guy when they weren't believed about all the other stuff he did??
I think this genre of historical fiction is not for me as I got sick of the women randomly gasping, screaming and sobbing.
In my opinion there was not really mystery, just random surprises at the end about people I was supposed to care about but didn't really?? Also the romance was icky icky icky, I specifically don't read books that have romance in the first three tags and this should have had romance as the second tag in my opinion
I like this time period but I need stronger female characters, not these whimpering ones
I think this genre of historical fiction is not for me as I got sick of the women randomly gasping, screaming and sobbing.
In my opinion there was not really mystery, just random surprises at the end about people I was supposed to care about but didn't really?? Also the romance was icky icky icky, I specifically don't read books that have romance in the first three tags and this should have had romance as the second tag in my opinion
I like this time period but I need stronger female characters, not these whimpering ones
July 8, 2021
Thank you to Caoimhe at Sapere Books for a copy of this book for review.
Every family has their secrets. And family loyalty can be very strong, especially in an era of little knowledge in dealing with mental illness.
A real pleasure to read and a lovely ride! Full of mysteries and puzzles of character association.
This book is a time-shift mystery (1883-2019) and the shift works for this novel.
Confusing at first, if this is not your usual type of mystery novel. But perseverance pays off as the dedication of Amelia in her painstaking and emotional discovery of the facts about her ancestor Osyth, provides an entertaining mystery to solve. I patiently wrote out the family tree as the story progressed from both timelines to be more familiar with the relationships between the characters.
The earlier Victorian timeline was more fascinating to me than the contemporary, as I am a fan of stories from that time period.
And you will never listen to wind chimes the same way again…
Every family has their secrets. And family loyalty can be very strong, especially in an era of little knowledge in dealing with mental illness.
A real pleasure to read and a lovely ride! Full of mysteries and puzzles of character association.
This book is a time-shift mystery (1883-2019) and the shift works for this novel.
Confusing at first, if this is not your usual type of mystery novel. But perseverance pays off as the dedication of Amelia in her painstaking and emotional discovery of the facts about her ancestor Osyth, provides an entertaining mystery to solve. I patiently wrote out the family tree as the story progressed from both timelines to be more familiar with the relationships between the characters.
The earlier Victorian timeline was more fascinating to me than the contemporary, as I am a fan of stories from that time period.
And you will never listen to wind chimes the same way again…
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