Book Review / The Beloveds by Maureen Lindley

An exploration of domestic derangement, as sinister as Daphne Du Maurier’s classic Rebecca, that plumbs the depths of sibling rivalry with wit and menace.

Oh, to be a Beloved—one of those lucky people for whom nothing ever goes wrong. Everything falls into their laps without effort: happiness, beauty, good fortune, allure.

Betty Stash is not a Beloved—but her little sister, the delightful Gloria, is. She’s the one with the golden curls and sunny disposition and captivating smile, the one whose best friend used to be Betty’s, the one whose husband should have been Betty’s. And then, to everyone’s surprise, Gloria inherits the family manse—a vast, gorgeous pile of ancient stone, imposing timbers, and lush gardens—that was never meant to be hers.

Losing what Betty considers her rightful inheritance is the final indignity. As she single-mindedly pursues her plan to see the estate returned to her in all its glory, her determined and increasingly unhinged behavior—aided by poisonous mushrooms, talking walls, and a phantom dog—escalates to the point of no return. The Beloveds will have you wondering if there’s a length to which an envious sister won’t go.

Published:     17th June 2018
Publisher:  Titan Books
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher

MY REVIEW

This was a really interesting read for me.  I am going to start by saying that I have not read Daphne Du Maurier's book, so I really can't do a comparison between the two.  Honestly, this is not one of those books that I would normally pick up but the description intrigued me, so I thought I would give it a go.  Right from the beginning I knew that the main character Betty was a character that I didn't particularly like very much and wouldn't like for most of the book, but that's ok.   I don't think I was meant to.  We follow Betty who is a very bitter character who is obviously either suffering from mental illness or most definately on her way to this.  For me, the best part of this book was following Betty as she travels on this downward spiral of mental illness.  Not that I wish anyone to suffer but I found it interesting to see what choices she would make.  Also, having the point of view of the story being Betty's point of view, it really explores more of her and her state of mind more than if the story was in another point of view.

A truly disturbing read but one that I would highly recommend.