Sophronia is the widow. Everyone in the little Massachusetts town of Pale Harbor thinks she killed her husband. And that she is a witch. She has secluded herself in Castle Carver, with her maid and close companion, Helen.
Strange things begin to happen in town--witchlike things. Dead animals and such. Sophronia finds strange messages and dead ravens outside her door. Who is doing this?
Gabriel is running from his past and trying to fulfill his dead wife's wishes by becoming the pastor of a small church in Pale Harbor. When he meets Sophie, he feels an instant attraction. Sophie's gardener dies because of a weird fall, and of course, everyone in town thinks Sophie killed him. Gabriel tries to convince the townspeople that Sohpie is innocent -- of everything. But the strange incidents continue to escalate, and Sophie and Gabriel realize every event can be linked to one of Edgar Alan Poe's popular stories.
Gabriel's and Sophie's relationship begins to heat up, as Helen becomes more and more distraught. Sophie is actually leaving the house at times, which means Helen can no longer protect her. The tension builds slowly as the romance heats up. It becomes a fight for survival--and true love.
The characters are deftly described, and I was cheering on their romance (as well as their survival!) The culprit is not clear until the end, and I was surprised. The pace isn't breakneck but moved enough to keep my interest. I was pleased with how quickly I moved through The Widow of Pale Harbor. It is an average length book (which in this day of bloated behemoth books is a good thing!)
If you like a dark, mysterious drama, with a strong romantic element, The Widow of Pale Harbor is your book!
Published by Graydon House, September 17, 2019
eARC obtained from Edelweiss and NetGalley
352 pages
Rating: 4/5
That's cool that events are tied to Edgar Allen Poe's stories, nice twist. And not knowing the "bad guy" is always a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this one, but I liked Fox's first one better.
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