A review by krisrid
The Dancing Floor by Barbara Michaels
4.0
I love Barbara Michaels, so it's pretty much a given that I will enjoy anything by her. The Dancing Floor was just as good as all the other Barbara Michaels books I've read.
When Heather tries to visit a famous garden in England, as an homage for the trip she and her late beloved father had planned, but never got to take, she is infuriated to be turned away unceremoniously by nothing more than a voice in a box at the gate.
Refusing to admit defeat, Heather decides to walk around the estate to see if she can at least get a glimpse of the gardens through the thick hedge that surrounds part of it. When she discovers a path inside the hedge and follows it, she unexpectedly finds herself at the feet of the owner and his son inside the perimeter.
When the odd and eccentric Frank hear's Heather's last name - Tradescant, coincidentally the same as the famed garden designer who originally designed the gardens of his estate, and which he hopes to restore, Frank immediately invites her to stay and help with the project.
Although Heather thinks the whole thing very odd, she can't quite seem to refuse and leave. In addition to feeling she could fulfill a wish that would have made her father happy, she finds herself intrigued by the unusual group of individuals who seem to orbit around Frank like satellites.
Once she moves in, however, disturbing things start happening, and she quickly starts to fear for not only her own safety but others as well. She can't quite figure out what is going on, or why, but she has no intention of leaving until she does.
As always with books by Micheals, there are lots of characters, and lots of hints about who the bad guys might be, but also lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing and throw you off the track. She also always tells a great story, with realistic characters, who do and say things you can actually believe could happen and you can actually relate to them as though you know them. You certainly can like the characters in this book, especially Heather, who is spunky and curmudgeonly all at the same time.
I really enjoyed this. A perfect summer read!
When Heather tries to visit a famous garden in England, as an homage for the trip she and her late beloved father had planned, but never got to take, she is infuriated to be turned away unceremoniously by nothing more than a voice in a box at the gate.
Refusing to admit defeat, Heather decides to walk around the estate to see if she can at least get a glimpse of the gardens through the thick hedge that surrounds part of it. When she discovers a path inside the hedge and follows it, she unexpectedly finds herself at the feet of the owner and his son inside the perimeter.
When the odd and eccentric Frank hear's Heather's last name - Tradescant, coincidentally the same as the famed garden designer who originally designed the gardens of his estate, and which he hopes to restore, Frank immediately invites her to stay and help with the project.
Although Heather thinks the whole thing very odd, she can't quite seem to refuse and leave. In addition to feeling she could fulfill a wish that would have made her father happy, she finds herself intrigued by the unusual group of individuals who seem to orbit around Frank like satellites.
Once she moves in, however, disturbing things start happening, and she quickly starts to fear for not only her own safety but others as well. She can't quite figure out what is going on, or why, but she has no intention of leaving until she does.
As always with books by Micheals, there are lots of characters, and lots of hints about who the bad guys might be, but also lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing and throw you off the track. She also always tells a great story, with realistic characters, who do and say things you can actually believe could happen and you can actually relate to them as though you know them. You certainly can like the characters in this book, especially Heather, who is spunky and curmudgeonly all at the same time.
I really enjoyed this. A perfect summer read!