Gray Places

Katherine Gilbert is determined to fulfill her father’s last request and finish his book on architecture, specifically the sections on Wainforth Manor. Despite the impropriety of being a single woman traveling alone and unsure of welcome once there, Katherine arrives at Wainforth Manor in the hopes of convincing the current owner Thomas Norcliffe to allow her to uncover some of the building’s history and complete the book. However, their rough beginning turns into something more, as Katherine’s investigations uncover more about the family that owns the house than the building itself. With villagers warning her away, and Thomas’ own dark moods threatening her peace, Katherine will have to decide whether to stay or go — and just how far she can dig without endangering her heart.

A historical romance with gothic overtones, “Gray Places” is a novel of intrigue and slow romantic undertones set shortly after the American War of Independence. Katherine is an average bluestocking young lady who gets herself involved in a family mystery and Thomas is the reclusive landowner haunted by his families mistakes. The story itself is slow to build. The mystery is fairly straight forward with minor predictable twists, yet the characters are interesting and there are some sweet romantic moments toward the end, with spooky overtones in the middle. Lovers of historical tales will enjoy this gothic read!

Sarah E Bradley