Page 15 - October 2018 Gears & Ears

Gears and Ears

Journal of The Rotary Club of Lake Buena Vista

october 2018

October Book Suggestion

The Haunting of Ashburn House by Darcy Coates

Adrienne doesn’t believe in ghosts, but it’s hard to ignore the unease that
grows as she explores her new home. Strange messages have been etched
into the wallpaper, an old grave is hidden in the forest behind the house, and
eerie portraits in the upstairs hall seem to watch her every movement.

As she uncovers more of the house’s secrets, Adrienne begins to believe
the whispered rumors about Ashburn may hold more truth than she ever
suspected. The building has a bleak and grisly past, and as she chases the
threads of a decades-old mystery, Adrienne realizes she’s become the prey
to something deeply unnatural and intensely resentful. Only one thing is
certain: Ashburn’s dead are not at rest.
Adrienne has inherited an enormous and ancient manor from her Great

Aunt Edith, who has recently passed away. Little does she know that she has also inherited several
odd duties that are necessary if she is to live safely at Ashburn House. What do I mean by “safely?” I
mean – guarding against the paranormal dangers that will threaten her. Little my little, she comes to
understand that the house is not normal. After experiencing a succession of terrifying happenings, she
must make sense of the clues that surround her in order to stop the terror. Some of these clues include
messages that have been carved into walls and tables, an odd collection of candles, cautionary notes
regarding the use of mirrors, old newspaper clippings of a tragedy that took place in the Ashburn House
many years ago, and a mysterious grave on the property that has the most unusual inscription on the
gravestone.

Coates excels at establishing mystery. The predicaments that Adrienne finds herself in captured my
intrigue. I kept turning the pages, all while encountering new clues and developments, which in turn
caused me yet more page-turning anxiety. This built-in anticipation worked well at helping me to look
past some occasional dull moments. There are several interactions between Adrienne and townsfolk,
Adrienne and her cat, etc. that sort of halt the story rather than move it along. There is unnecessary
attention to certain details in several places; details that do not relate to the overall mysterious tone of
the story. Conversely, I would have liked there to have been more of a background story on Adrienne.
This would help readers to get better acquainted with the protagonist, thereby allowing for further
empathy as she struggles through her terrifying situation.

There is much in this tale that holds the reader’s interest. Coates effectively casts her “foreshadows”;
the dark mysteries that surround key items within and around the house. They lurk in between the
lackluster elements of the plot and effectively beckon the reader to continue; to journey on until the
mystery’s end. Source: Goodreads Reviews

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