Having met the ousted son of the missing owner, she devises a plan to use him to get what she wants. She is warned off him by the housekeeper but she feels they are destined to be together. But does she really know him as well as the thinks? The setting and story were very immersive and it ‘s all very visual. Brilliant in some ways, but not so much in others. Visual yes but visceral too. There were moments when I felt a bit ill to be honest. Always with the notion that something weird was just around the corner! Nothing in this house was what I thought and no one was who they seemed.

Here the author has cleverly reversed many Gothic mystery tropes, so that the ‘innocent young governess’ arriving at the creepy big house full of dark family secrets appears to be more predator than prey… but you know what they say about appearances and this story is FULL of deception! Ross, D. (1996). Adulterine Castles. Retrieved November 2016, from Britain Express: http://www.britainexpress.com/History/articles.htm?article=14 The Brönte sisters were one of the reasons I went to study English, and to this day Jane Eyre is among one of my favourite books.

Marta is offered a governess position at Fyneshade following the death of her beloved Grandmere, who was believed to be a witch by the locals. Having been read her future by her Grandmere, and having been taught her secrets, she believes this is her destiny. Arriving with her Grandmere’s box of herbs and potions, she is introduced to her charge. Grace is unlike most children her age and Marta is instantly repulsed. She does not make a good governess and manipulates Grace, as well as the staff, to her own ends. So many questions. Was Fyneshade one act in a play that they star in over and over again? Are we simply about to get another tale from Marta’s highly colourful imagination? Or is there something even darker at the heart of this story? Marta has had at least two miscarriages. She tells us they were induced – abortions in fact. But were they? Is she tragically unable to carry a child? Or tragically unable to conceive? At the heart of the Victorian world, a woman was defined by her ability to have a family.

Marta's days are brightened by the arrival of Vaughan Pritchard the heir to Fyneshade, who spends his days as a falconer until his inheritance is released.I wish the ending was more impactful, the main character really brought out the bloodthirsty part of me and whilst the resolution fanned the flames of that bloodthirstiness, I was hoping for something more explosive. After a few false starts, I was taken on as a trainee reporter by a local newspaper where I worked very happily for several years.

BHO. (1984f). '9 Fineshade', in An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in the County of Northamptonshire pp.61-63. Retrieved November 2016, from British History Online: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/northants/vol6/pp61-63 Kate Griffin’s inspiration for Fyneshade was The turning of the screw by Henry James, which its self is a short, gothic horror about a governess and her charges. I am now compelled to also read this story if it inspired such a I loved Marta and was scared of her at the same time. She is a woman ahead of her time in many ways as she does all she can to improve her lot in life. Very Jane Eyre. However, she uses none of the finess of Jane and more of the unpredictable actions of Bertha to get what she wants. You do not want to be in this gothic mansion in real life! Jones, M. (1985, August 8). Lady Margaret Beaufort. History Today, 35(8). Retrieved Decmber 2016, from http://www.historytoday.com/michael-jones/lady-margaret-beaufortThere is that dark, gloomy feeling throughout the story that make gothic stories so compelling. There are ghostly and witchy vibes, turbulent weather, a creaky old estate house, family secrets and more that you would expect in a book of this genre. The author crafts all these elements into this story seamlessly with some twists too. The power, emotion and intensity of this novel, where all the classic elements of a gothic novel are present, are overwhelming; : Fyneshade, the remote manor where Marta is appointed as governess to her pupil Grace, the supernatural elements (the influence of the moon, 'moon spells', rituals), the weather and environment, isolation (the nearest inn is 6 miles away, and due to the heavy snowfall, the residents of Fyneshade are trapped in the old, chilly manor ). If you’re not a smartphone user, you can still use RingGo to pay for your parking by calling 0203 046 0063. You can also register and book parking with RingGo online. Expansion of the colonies and the beginnings of the industrial revolution meant that new opportunities arose and those who were successful were putting their money into their homes. Wealthy land owners enclosed vast tracts of land to create huge landscaped parks which became the country house estates we know today, and the houses which dominated these parks were designed in the latest fashion, the classical style. An elegant iron fist of a novel cast in tattered finery and soaked in velvet darkness. Its darkness cloaked me to the end. Magnificent - Matt Wesolowski, author of SIX STORIES