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Sophya Whitney, or Towner, as she prefers to be known, warns that the reader must never believe her, as she lies all the time. Unfortunately, having no other reference point, the reader must, perforce, believe some of what Towner relates. Towner explains how her family has managed to profit by their quirks, turning them into industries in their own right. May, Towner’s mother, for example, has resurrected the lace- making industry. May is an agoraphobe, but has, nevertheless, gained widespread fame because of her lace and also because of the refuge she has set up for abused women. Not only that, Towner explains that when May was delivered of twins, she kept Towner and gave away Towner’s twin, Lyndley, to her childless sister Emma. When her great aunt Eva goes missing, Towner must return to Salem, whence she had fled some time previously. She had stuffed the lacemaker’s pillow, which Eva had sent her, into a plain pillowslip, lest she inadvertently look at the lace and read her fortune, for the women of Towner’s family have the ability to read the future in lace. Lyndley, meanwhile, has drowned, a central point of the tale and one which affects Towner greatly. When Towner returns to Salem, after Eva’s death, it is to a place resonating with the history of both twins, with many sad overtones of the joint history. A cult dubbed the Calvinists, because of the name of their leader, a relative of Towner’s, has formed and thrives in Salem. It is an ominous group preaching fire and brimstone, despite the leader’s obvious lack of sexual morals and self-control. There are spooky overtones to this story. There are also psychological truths which must be confronted by both the reader and Towner. I don’t know about other readers, but to me the resolution of the tale was a surprise- well, perhaps not completely a surprise, but surprising enough. The characters of Towner and Calvin as well (thankfully) as Rafferty, a relative newcomer to Salem and a law enforcement officer, are carefully constructed. Eva herself, although referred to only in flashback, is the pivotal person of the work and, for me at least, the most impressive. The book is a mystery thriller with supernatural elements that are used with restraint. I found it enthralling and was very pleased to hear it is the first in a trilogy. No doubt I shan’t be the only reader anxious to see the remaining books.
Reviewed by Denise Pickles, June 2008
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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