The Caretakers; Eliza Maxwell
Lake Union Publishing - 2020
Tessa Shepherd once was a well respected filmmaker but, now she's disgraced after helping to free a man she believe was wrongly imprisoned for murder. When he kills again shortly after being set free, her reputation has been ruined. If things are not bad enough, her mother has died unexpectedly and her twin sister is still angry at her over something that occurred when they were younger.
As part of her mother's estate the sisters learn that their late mother has left them property which they were not aware of. Located in rural PA, is an isolated, rundown estate called Fallbrook, complete with "caretakers" cottage and two elderly sisters who still live in the cottage and receive a monthly stipend from a family trust. The elderly sisters, Kitty and Deidre Donnelly, hold the key to their late mother's unspoken past. Tessa sees Fallbrook as an opportunity to escape the media but, she has no idea about Fallbrook's dark, horrific past, a reason it has been vacant for years.
Although this story started out a bit slow, once it got going I couldn't wait to find out more. I liked the mystery surrounding Fallbrook's unsettling history and the story of the prior inhabitants. I liked the way the story played out. The unraveling of the late mother's past, the incident that separated the sisters as well as the surprise ending were satisfying and in the end I was glad I stuck with this one.
Rating - 4/5 stars
I like the sounds of that one, thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteI love a good surprise ending!
ReplyDeleteIt’s got an interesting premise, thanks for sharing your thoughts
ReplyDeleteA good read, as they say.
ReplyDeleteGive me a story set in the woods with a crumbled estate and family secrets - yes, I'm there. LOL
ReplyDeleteFamily secrets are always a good basis for a novel. Throw in twins who have different views and it sounds quite good.
ReplyDeleteSounds intriguing - I like the setting and the premise.
ReplyDeleteI read this a while ago and only got interested in it properly midway.
ReplyDelete