A spellbinding, gothic tale of romance, betrayal, and murder in an English country manor by a “natural storyteller” (Ruth Rendell).
1929. Upon receipt of an unexpected inheritance, small-time crook Horace Butterfield purchases Crossways Lodge, a large house in rural Essex, and sets about turning it into his dream home. Buying an enormous antique chandelier in order to enhance his brand-new ballroom, he is intrigued by the dealer’s story behind its provenance: A young woman who lost all her money in the Wall Street Crash and was forsaken by her lover is said to have hanged herself from it. For the next five years, Horace enjoys telling the story at every party he hosts.
But then Horace’s marriage collapses when he embarks on an ill-advised affair with a pretty young fortune-hunter—an affair which is destined to lead to murder and suicide.
Over the next two decades, tragedy, violence, and heartbreak befall all who move into Crossways Lodge—from bright-eyed young newlyweds to hardened soldiers billeted there during WWII. Is the house really cursed? And who is the mysterious, shadowy young woman seen lurking in the ballroom?
“Gothic suspense similar to the presence of the mad wife in Jane Eyre. Readers will especially enjoy the historical and decorative details.” —Booklist
