sneakyhobbit's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
hisdarkmaterials's review against another edition
3.0
This book took forever to finish. I liked the way it jumped between the past and present. I don't believe in ghosts and probably wouldn't have read this if I had known it would be a ghost story as that really doesn't interest me, it was a major downfall of the book. I also felt it was at least 100-150 pages too long and could have used more editing. Charlotte was a wasted and pointless character and the ending was rather anticlimactic and cliched after 500 of suspense.
novellenovels's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
readbyashleyd's review against another edition
5.0
Yet another gem from Erksine! I have absolutely loved every other book I’ve read by her and this one was no different. I was completely absorbed right from the beginning and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what would happen next and what secrets would be revealed. I really loved how the story flipped back and forth between past and present, it really added another dimension to the story and made it all that much more interesting!
lisa_bergin's review against another edition
4.0
Not quite as creepy as some of her other books but still worth reading
gailw72's review against another edition
5.0
Really enjoyed this book and the way the story was told. can't wait for the next book.
tje_reads's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this book, but feel that towards the end the author lost her way. The appearance of all the ghosts in the final scenes was just too much - my suspension of disbelief only goes so far. Also, the Charlotte subplot petered out, almost as though Ms. Erskine realized it was OTT! Still a good story with great pacing and some interesting characters.
rachael_amber's review against another edition
4.0
Find me review on my blog here (& below):
http://elementaread.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/review-darkest-hour-by-barbara-erskine.html
'The Darkest Hour' by Barbara Erskine is an epic tale of love, loss and discovery set over two time periods.
Lucy Standish is an art historian and biographer researching Evelyn Lucas, a Sussex war artist. Lucy's late husband, Larry had recently bought a painting at auction that he believed to be one of Evelyn's, but before he could get it authenticated he was killed in a car crash. Three months on Lucy has almost given up on the idea of the biography when she receives a letter saying that she has been approved for a grant for the project.
Lucy sets to work trying to find out as much as she can about Evelyn and her family. She travels to Evie's cottage when she meets her grandson Michael Marston. Michael is hesitant at first but eventually allows Lucy access to Evie's studio and her paperwork. All the paintings and diaries are missing though as Evie's other grandson, Christopher, took everything of value (and he is a lot less welcoming).
Lucy's struggles to find out about the family is interspersed with scenes from the past and as a reader we get to live Evelyn's story. It is a tragic story of love and loss. Poor Evie goes through so much at such a young age.
Through reading Evie's diaries Lucy uncovers some family secrets that have been buried for years. But someone doesn't want the truth to come out. The ghost of Eddie Marston (Evie's husband) begins to haunt Lucy and tries to destroy the painting that she owns countless times. The ghost of Evie's brother Ralph who died in the war is also hanging around.
This book has a bit of everything; romance, loss, blackmail, mystery and ghosts. I loved how it was set over the two time periods. As a reader we got snippets of the story just before Lucy and it was fun to read how Lucy reacted to her discoveries. The characters were all so well written. I adored Evie and Tony, and I really wished that things could have worked out differently for them.
I thought this was a really great novel. It isn't normally the type of book I would read but I was drawn in by the blurb and I'm so glad I took a chance on it. I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway from Harper Collins publishers :)
http://elementaread.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/review-darkest-hour-by-barbara-erskine.html
'The Darkest Hour' by Barbara Erskine is an epic tale of love, loss and discovery set over two time periods.
Lucy Standish is an art historian and biographer researching Evelyn Lucas, a Sussex war artist. Lucy's late husband, Larry had recently bought a painting at auction that he believed to be one of Evelyn's, but before he could get it authenticated he was killed in a car crash. Three months on Lucy has almost given up on the idea of the biography when she receives a letter saying that she has been approved for a grant for the project.
Lucy sets to work trying to find out as much as she can about Evelyn and her family. She travels to Evie's cottage when she meets her grandson Michael Marston. Michael is hesitant at first but eventually allows Lucy access to Evie's studio and her paperwork. All the paintings and diaries are missing though as Evie's other grandson, Christopher, took everything of value (and he is a lot less welcoming).
Lucy's struggles to find out about the family is interspersed with scenes from the past and as a reader we get to live Evelyn's story. It is a tragic story of love and loss. Poor Evie goes through so much at such a young age.
Through reading Evie's diaries Lucy uncovers some family secrets that have been buried for years. But someone doesn't want the truth to come out. The ghost of Eddie Marston (Evie's husband) begins to haunt Lucy and tries to destroy the painting that she owns countless times. The ghost of Evie's brother Ralph who died in the war is also hanging around.
This book has a bit of everything; romance, loss, blackmail, mystery and ghosts. I loved how it was set over the two time periods. As a reader we got snippets of the story just before Lucy and it was fun to read how Lucy reacted to her discoveries. The characters were all so well written. I adored Evie and Tony, and I really wished that things could have worked out differently for them.
I thought this was a really great novel. It isn't normally the type of book I would read but I was drawn in by the blurb and I'm so glad I took a chance on it. I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway from Harper Collins publishers :)
velocitygirl14's review against another edition
4.0
I'm so glad I picked up this book despite scolding myself for buying books before flying to a new country. It did take me a while to get into it completely, but it was a great payoff. I loved the history of the RAF efforts in WWII and the tragic backstory between the characters. I could have done with less of the convoluted drama in the present day, but considering how many issues there were in the past, it made sense.
whatjasread's review
5.0
This was one of those books that has been on my bookshelf for about 3 years. I bought it because it had just been released, I think, and I figured why the heck not. I'm not a huge historical fiction fan; definitely not a huge paranormal fan, but this was just so damn beautiful! It's definitely in the running for my favourite book of 2018 so far.
It was split into two timelines - present day, and 1940. I think I favoured the 1940 timeline, simply because Tony Anderson was just my favourite character, and I loved hearing about his relationship with Evelyn. Barbara Erskine has done such a great job with this book - I believe it's a semi-biography? I'm pretty certain she based Tony's character on her own father, who fought in the war.
For someone who doesn't usually enjoy paranormal historical fiction, this was an absolute pleasure to read! 5 stars :)
It was split into two timelines - present day, and 1940. I think I favoured the 1940 timeline, simply because Tony Anderson was just my favourite character, and I loved hearing about his relationship with Evelyn. Barbara Erskine has done such a great job with this book - I believe it's a semi-biography? I'm pretty certain she based Tony's character on her own father, who fought in the war.
For someone who doesn't usually enjoy paranormal historical fiction, this was an absolute pleasure to read! 5 stars :)
More...