A review by kimscapturedlife
The Distant Hours, by Kate Morton
3.0
Love the back and forth story telling and the suspense of finding out what happened. But there were some very odd holes or unrealistic events.
Story of 3 spinster sisters Bythe (Percy, Saffy, and Juniper) living in Milderhurst Castle outside of London and the tragic events surrounding their family, father Raymond, and his book "Mud Man"
Edie started investigating the story after her mother, Meredith, received a 50 year old letter in the mail from Juniper. Mystery: why did the 3 sisters never marry, why is Percy bitter, what happened to Thomas Cavill, and why Saffy and Juniper crazy.
Kate Morton does a great job jumping from the 1990s to the 1940 to reveal the story.
Meredith stayed at the castle as a child evacuee; became best friends with Juniper and learned her love of writing.
Raymond's wife cheated on him, he found them together in the library, he pushed Oliver out of the window into the moat and he wife caught on fire and ultimately died. Saffy, age 4, saw the whole thing and had nightmares about the mud man. She told her dad about the nightmares and that was the inspiration for the "Mud Man" book. Once he published the book and it became a play, Saffy went crazy and was never the same. Lost her finance, Matthew, to her cousin Emily.
Percy wanted to keep Milderhurst castle. She fell in love with their housekeeper, Lucy. But Lucy wanted children and left to marry the handyman. (odd)
Juniper and Raymond both had mental issues and would lose moments of time. Juniper wanted to leave for London and write stories and fell in love with Thomas Cavill. Raymond wrote in the will, gave Juniper the castle, but if she married the castle would go to charity, because he wanted to keep her there to write.
Juniper and Thomas returned in separate trains (odd). Juniper arrived first, had blood on her shirt, so took drugs and went to sleep. Saffy was sleeping in library. Percy went to fix the broken shutter in the rain. Thomas arrived, decided to also fix the shutter in the rain (odd), got to the window, Saffy thought she was dreaming of mud man, so she hit him with a conveniently placed wrench, he fell in filled muddy moat and died. Percy buried him in pet graveyard, and Saffy thought it was all a dream. Juniper saw Percy burying Thomas and thought she had done it in black out.
Percy ended up telling Edie the whole story so she could give Oliver and Thomas death dates. Then she got Saffy and Juniper sleeping in library and set the castle on fire. Crazy.
Juniper had actually delivered a baby on the side of the road, which is where the blood came from.
Edie and Meredith became close again. Meredith published books. And Edie moved into the flat in London that belonged to Juniper and Thomas. And she ran the publishing shop.
Story of 3 spinster sisters Bythe (Percy, Saffy, and Juniper) living in Milderhurst Castle outside of London and the tragic events surrounding their family, father Raymond, and his book "Mud Man"
Edie started investigating the story after her mother, Meredith, received a 50 year old letter in the mail from Juniper. Mystery: why did the 3 sisters never marry, why is Percy bitter, what happened to Thomas Cavill, and why Saffy and Juniper crazy.
Kate Morton does a great job jumping from the 1990s to the 1940 to reveal the story.
Meredith stayed at the castle as a child evacuee; became best friends with Juniper and learned her love of writing.
Raymond's wife cheated on him, he found them together in the library, he pushed Oliver out of the window into the moat and he wife caught on fire and ultimately died. Saffy, age 4, saw the whole thing and had nightmares about the mud man. She told her dad about the nightmares and that was the inspiration for the "Mud Man" book. Once he published the book and it became a play, Saffy went crazy and was never the same. Lost her finance, Matthew, to her cousin Emily.
Percy wanted to keep Milderhurst castle. She fell in love with their housekeeper, Lucy. But Lucy wanted children and left to marry the handyman. (odd)
Juniper and Raymond both had mental issues and would lose moments of time. Juniper wanted to leave for London and write stories and fell in love with Thomas Cavill. Raymond wrote in the will, gave Juniper the castle, but if she married the castle would go to charity, because he wanted to keep her there to write.
Juniper and Thomas returned in separate trains (odd). Juniper arrived first, had blood on her shirt, so took drugs and went to sleep. Saffy was sleeping in library. Percy went to fix the broken shutter in the rain. Thomas arrived, decided to also fix the shutter in the rain (odd), got to the window, Saffy thought she was dreaming of mud man, so she hit him with a conveniently placed wrench, he fell in filled muddy moat and died. Percy buried him in pet graveyard, and Saffy thought it was all a dream. Juniper saw Percy burying Thomas and thought she had done it in black out.
Percy ended up telling Edie the whole story so she could give Oliver and Thomas death dates. Then she got Saffy and Juniper sleeping in library and set the castle on fire. Crazy.
Juniper had actually delivered a baby on the side of the road, which is where the blood came from.
Edie and Meredith became close again. Meredith published books. And Edie moved into the flat in London that belonged to Juniper and Thomas. And she ran the publishing shop.