REVIEW: Black Rabbit Hall

Black Rabbit Hall
Author: Eve Chase

Lorna wants to get married at Pencraw Hall, an old, sprawling country house in Cornwall. Despite her fiance Jon's misgivings about the house, Lorna feels drawn to the old estate, despite its peeling wallpaper and general lack of repair. She becomes almost obsessed with discovering the history of Pencraw Hall, called Black Rabbit Hall, by the locals. While walking through the woods near the estate, Lorna discovers a tree carved with the names of children who used to live at the Hall. Why does she feel drawn to this house, its past and the lives of these four children? Who are Amber, Toby, Kitty and Barney, and what happened to them at Black Rabbit Hall?

This book has a haunting, gothic feel. While the plot was predictable, the book is extremely well-written. Ms. Chase intertwines the lives of her characters across decades in haunting, dramatic story-telling with the backdrop being an old, dilapidated country manor. Choices come full circle. Secrets are revealed. The consequences of one event blossom out into ripples through time, effecting an entire family over generations. Black Rabbit Hall is a beautiful story that draws a reader into sharing the joy, tragedy and loss experienced by a family.

This book drew me in and kept me reading to the very last sentence. I figured out the secret before it was revealed, but that didn't matter. I felt the emotions of the characters and wanted to know what happened to them. Just an enjoyable read, with a slightly dark feel.

Black Rabbit Hall is Eve Chase's first book. I look forward to her next published novel!

My rating: 8/10
Ages: 16+
Some sexual situations, not graphic