The Distant Hours
A Novel
-
-
4.2 • 94 Ratings
-
-
- $14.99
-
- $14.99
Publisher Description
From the New York Times bestselling author of Homecoming comes a haunting tale of long-buried secrets and the twists of fate that can alter lives forever.
This enthralling romantic thriller pays homage to the classics of gothic fiction, spinning a rich and intricate web of mystery, suspense, and lost love.
It starts with a letter, lost for half a century and unexpectedly delivered to Edie’s mother on a Sunday afternoon. The letter leads Edie to Milderhurst Castle, where the eccentric Blythe spinsters live and where, she discovers, her mother was billeted during World War II. The elder Blythe sisters are twins and have spent most of their lives caring for their younger sister, Juniper, who hasn’t been the same since her fiancé jilted her in 1941. Inside the decaying castle, Edie searches for her mother’s past but soon learns there are other secrets hidden in its walls. The truth of what happened in “the distant hours” has been waiting a long time for someone to find it.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A letter posted in 1941 finally reaches its destination in 1992 with powerful repercussions for Edie Burchill, a London book editor, in this enthralling romantic thriller from Australian author Morton (The Forgotten Garden). At crumbling Milderhurst Castle live elderly twins Persephone and Seraphina and their younger half-sister, Juniper, the three eccentric spinster daughters of the late Raymond Blythe, author of The True History of the Mud Man, a children's classic Edie adores. Juniper addressed the letter to Meredith, Edie's mother, then a young teen evacuated to Milderhurst during the Blitz. Edie, who's later invited to write an introduction to a reprint of Raymond's masterpiece, visits the seedily alluring castle in search of answers. Why was her mother so shattered by the contents of a letter sent 51 years earlier? And what happened to soldier Thomas Cavill, Juniper's long-missing fianc and Meredith's former teacher? Despite the many competing narratives, the answers will stun readers. 5-city author tour.
Customer Reviews
brilliant writing
Besides intriguing family mysteries, fascinating authenticity and dedication to the era, this writer's way with description far surpasses any other books I have read. i.e. ..."the reflection of the nightclub sign slide off the shiny taxi as it drove away." I mean really! Can you just see it!
Each of her books brings the shock of the solved mystery, the agony of saying good-bye to consistent characters, and then the anticipation of the next book.
Let there be more books!
Fantastic
One of my favourite books of all time!
A Little long winded
Too long