"An exquisitely eloquent, provocative and powerful historical mystery set in Cornwall at the beginning of the twentieth century. "
I read this beautifully stormy dark gothic mystery while perched high up on the edge of my seat. A dreadful fire has haunted Ivy for years, she mourns two deaths, and now seeks the truth. Beth Underdown’s debut The Witchfinder's Sister was a bestseller and winner of the Historical Writers’ Association Debut Crown Award 2017, this is her second novel and it more than lived up to my expectations. The two time frames, sitting either side of the First World War, are initially fractured before they gradually fuze together. Information dripped and then seeped into the pages before hiding in my thoughts. The story is secretive, occasionally sullen as it begins to unfurl. Cornwall, and the house in particular cast a brooding presence which adds to the intensity of this tale. The characters are perfectly imperfect, trust is a scare commodity, and each casts a deep shadow. I was held in limbo while I read, totally immersed in the writing. Expressively powerful The Key in the Lock thrills and chills in equal measure. Chosen as a Liz Robinson Pick of the Month and LoveReading Star Book, this historical mystery is a worthy contender for the very top of your reading list.
| Primary Genre | Historical Fiction |
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I still dream, every night, of Polneath on fire. Smoke unravelling from an upper window, and the terrace bathed in a hectic orange light . . . Now I see that the decision I made at Polneath was the only decision of my life. Everything marred in that one dark minute.
By day, Ivy Boscawen mourns the loss of her son Tim in the Great War. But by night she mourns another boy - one whose death decades ago haunts her still.
For Ivy is sure that there is more to what happened all those years ago: the fire at the Great House, and the terrible events that came after. A truth she must uncover, if she is ever to be free.
But once you open a door to the past, can you ever truly close it again?
From the award-winning author of The Witchfinder's Sister comes a captivating story of burning secrets and buried shame, and of the loyalty and love that rises from the ashes.
The Key In The Lock features in the following genres: Historical Fiction, Book Club Recommendations, Liz Robinson's Picks of the Month, Recommendations, Star Books, Crime and Mystery, Family Drama, Horror and Supernatural Fiction, General Fiction, Historical crime and mysteries, Fiction, Narrative theme: Social issues, Narrative theme: Sense of place, Gothic, Romance / Relationship Stories, Fiction: narrative themes, Styles (G), Style qualifiers
The Key In The Lock is available in Paperback, Hardback
The Key In The Lock was written by Beth Underdown and published by Penguin Books Ltd
The Key In The Lock has 279 pages
£8.09
