Title: “Haunting Secrets” – author: Marie Higgins – pages: 232 (Kindle Edition) – published: 2014
”Victoria Fawson desperately needs answers about her father’s death. When she visits the Maitland Manor to discover those answers, she finds only secrets…haunting secrets that leave her wondering who she can trust. Should she trust her feelings for the one man who hides from the world—the man who might put her in danger?Justin Maitland hasn’t been human for over a year. He knows things about his family—things that could destroy Victoria. The only way to help her is to send her back home without learning anything. Yet, how can he let her go when he’s given her his heart?”
Where to begin?Do you know the feeling when you open a book, read the first pages and quickly realize that the book will haunt you, both awake and asleep, of wanting to know more about its characters and its plot?
This is feeling that I felt while reading “Haunted Secrets”. It is one of the best books that I have read for a very long time. I didn’t know of the author, Marie Higgins, but luckily, I downloaded it as a coincidence as a Kindle version and started reading one sleepless night. Once I started to read, I was intrigued from the beginning and I really didn’t want to finish it, so I forced myself to take breaks once in a while and put it away – just to save it for a bit longer.
I have always been extremely fascinated and intrigued when an author mixes historical and socio-cultural facts with fiction, and that’s what Marie Higgins achieves. The story is set in mid-1900th Century in Cornwall, England; a time when high status and marriage were some of the most important factors. The story is filled with family traditions, relations, secrets and intrigues. I love the idea of old myths and traditions influencing the plot and the characters of it. The story was well-written and the clear descriptions of the characters made it so easy to get under their skin.
The main character, Victoria Fawson, comes to Maitland Manor to solve the riddle about her father’s death and along the way, you learn more and more about the Maitland family and what they really are capable of. “Haunting Secrets” is a mix of Victorian history, romance, fantasy and there’s a riddle to solve.
Already from the beginning, when Victoria comes to Maitland Manor, you know as a reader that there are things left untold and when Victoria walks around in the big house with the many corridors, it’s easy to get the feeling that you are there yourself – and this is because to Marie Higgins’ interesting visual writing.
“Northanger Abbey”-vibe
While reading the book, I got a feeling of mystery and gothic elements. The atmosphere of the book was brilliant and I can easily imagine myself walking around in Maitland Manor, opening every closet to find secrets left behind. It is never possible to compare literature, but personally, I thought a bit of “Northanger Abbey” by Jane Austen while reading this. Especially concerning the gothic elements, but also the fact that the female heroine wishes to be independent and only marry for love, not social status. I have always liked when authors have shown women as independent and strong, like Jane Austen, even though it would have been criticized during the time it was written.
Another thing that intrigued me was the classic love story; the theme of star-crossed lovers (known from Shakespeare), but it indeed works in this story. But I will not reveal everything about the story because as a reader it was fantastic to slowly sink deep into the world of Maitland Manor, and everyone should have that experience with this book.
My opinion on the book:
As told earlier, it is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I was lucky that I found this book because I felt that with the use of different genres, it was made for me. Of course, it is very subjective depending what people like, but as for me, it was definitely a great book and hopefully I will get the chance to purchase it for my book shelf one day (sadly, it can only be bought as an Ebook right now). Marie Higgins is a very talented author and I’m so happy that I by accident found her book. Now I can’t imagine the fact of never reading it!
This book truly haunted me and in the end, it finally revealed its secrets to me…
I will look forward to reading more of Marie Higgins’ works because she has a certain way of intriguing and inviting the reader into her magical and literary universe.
