The Woman In The Mirror
A haunting gothic story of obsession, tinged with suspense
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4.0 • 8 Ratings
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
‘A dark treat’ Kate Riordan, author of The Stranger
Haunting and moving, The Woman in the Mirror is a tale of obsession tinged with suspense, perfect for fans of Tracy Rees and Lulu Taylor.
‘You’ll be the woman of this house, next, miss. And you’ll like it.’
1947
Governess Alice Miller loves Winterbourne the moment she sees it. Towering over the Cornish cliffs, its dark corners and tall turrets promise that, if Alice can hide from her ghosts anywhere, it’s here.
And who better to play hide and seek with than twins Constance and Edmund? Angelic and motherless, they are perfect little companions.
2018
Adopted at birth, Rachel’s roots are a mystery. So, when a letter brings news of the death of an unknown relative, Constance de Grey, Rachel travels to Cornwall, vowing to uncover her past.
With each new arrival, something in Winterbourne stirs. It’s hiding in the paintings. It’s sitting on the stairs.
It’s waiting in a mirror, behind a locked door.
Reviews
'The Woman in the Mirror is a dark treat of a book, steeped in gothic detail and heavy with unease. With shades of Rebecca, The Turn of the Screw and The Woman in Black, it unnerved as much as it compelled me to read on' Kate Riordan, author of The Stranger
‘The Woman in the Mirror is a thoroughly transporting tale, both elegantly written and deliciously creepy. With the forbidding house, the relentless ocean, the echoes of past and present, it’s full of tantalising Gothic imagery: I loved it.’ Emylia Hall, author of The Thousand Lights Hotel
‘Deliciously sinister in the best way possible- elegantly written, intriguing and hugely atmospheric. When I wasn’t reading it I was dreaming about it! It’s a true page-turner: a perfect setting, a great build up and utterly chilling.’ Nicola Cornick, author of The Phantom Tree
About the author
Rebecca James was born in 1983. She worked in publishing for several years before leaving to write full-time, and is now the author of eight previous novels written under pseudonym. Her favourite things are autumn walks, Argentinean red wine and curling up in the winter with a good old-fashioned ghost story. She lives in Bristol with her husband and two daughters.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
James's haunting, if flawed, debut centers on a mysterious manor, Winterbourne Hall, on the coast of Cornwall. In 1947, Alice Miller arrives at the house as a governess to care for the twin children of Jonathan de Grey, a moody and handsome widower who was injured during WWII. At first, Alice thinks of the placement as idyllic, but as she learns more about the family, she discovers deep and disturbing secrets. The house seems to come alive, too, and the spirits that inhabit it want her gone. Meanwhile, in the present day, New Yorker Rachel Wright, who was adopted and never knew her birth family, is surprised to learn of an inheritance from unknown English relatives ruined Winterbourne Hall. After she arrives in Cornwall, Rachel becomes enthralled by the house and its history. Unfortunately, the plot stumbles with a too neat ending involving characters who arrive late to the story. Until then, the author maintains a scary and atmospheric mood, and the descriptions of the house and the surrounding landscape are stunning. Readers will be eager to see what James does next.
