Book Review / The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

 

 The House at Riverton is a gorgeous debut novel set in England between the wars. Perfect for fans of "Downton Abbey," it's the story of an aristocratic family, a house, a mysterious death, and a way of life that vanished forever, told in flashback by a woman who witnessed it all.

The novel is full of secrets - some revealed, others hidden forever, reminiscent of the romantic suspense of Daphne du Maurier. It's also a meditation on memory and the devastation of war and a beautifully rendered window into a fascinating time in history. 

Published:     15th June 2007
Publisher:  Pan
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Bought
 

 

MY REVIEW

 

One of my missions this year is to read all of the novels written by Kate Morton.  This novel I had read previously, so this was a re-read, and it was just as a good as what I remembered it to be.  

What I loved about this book was the fact that the main character in this novel is not one of the rich people living at Riverton, but we follow a maid who joined after being recommended by her mother who had also worked at the house.   This novel is split over two time periods.  We have the past and what happened back then and we have the present where we see Grace, the maid, now an elderly lady in a nursing home remembering the past.  

There's nothing better for me than a book with a lot of secrets that need to be revealed.  This book certainly had its fair share of secrets!  If I had to have one criticism, and it really is only a tiny criticism, is that the novel was quite long at 484 pages.  It could have easily been 400 or a bit less and the story would have been just as good.

If you like a good novel with a lot of family history and secrets, this is the one to pick up.