Title: Silverthorn
Author: Joanna Challis
Published in 2002 by Wings ePress
Genre: Gothic Romance
ISBN: 1-59088-164-8
A penniless orphan at the age of five, Laura Morgan is taken in at the Rectory by her aunt and uncle. Trying at all times to live by the rules her autocratic uncle has set down, she has never, not even once, received praise from the Rector. At the age of nine, Laura’s path in life is changed irrevocably with the arrival of her cousin Madeline - an extraordinarily beautiful teenager who has the ability to charm everyone. Madeline’s beauty opens doors to opportunities that Laura would never have been able to access if she had remained the only ward of her aunt and uncle. Blossoming under the attention of a governess, who later becomes a lifetime friend, this plain and unattractive girl learns two very important lessons: the noble gentry are not noble at all; and one failed to notice the inside flaws when one possessed such beauty on the outside. No matter how much Madeline liked to ignore convention and follow her own code of behaviour, to Laura’s disgust, she and Laura remained like sisters. And Laura would do anything to protect her.
Maturing into a sensible and levelheaded young lady, with honey-blonde hair and sky blue eyes, Laura longs for freedom and adventure – to escape the confines of the Rectory and its dull life. An unexpected excuse to flee to London sees her grabbing the opportunity with both hands. It’s there that she learns that Madeline is in trouble and turning her back on the life that she loathes, Laura travels north to her cousin and a very insecure future. Shocked to learn of her cousin’s demise, Laura takes on the pseudonym of Miss Anne Woodville to gain access to the establishment as its new governess. Instinct tells Laura that Madeline was murdered, and so, as Anne, she tries to unravel the mystery of her cousin’s death. Nobody ever spoke willingly of the former Mistress of Silverthorn, so Laura had to patiently piece together the few snippets of information let loose by her three young charges. Much to her dismay though, she is finding herself growing more attracted each day to the prime suspect. Constantly second-guessing herself, will she be able to discover the murderer and avenge Madeline’s death?
A peer of the realm who is somewhat different to the gentry, Justin Braithfield is as unlucky in love as he is in his inheritance. The somewhat reformed rake inherited nothing but debts. If it weren’t for the management of the mills, he would have been forced to sell Silverthorn a long time ago. His spoilt wife resented him for getting her pregnant at such a young age, wreaking her revenge by making a cuckold out of him with his own cousin. Justin had been made a laughing stock in the district. Knowing the second time his wife fell pregnant that he was not the father, he gave the child the protection of his name rather than cause another scandal. Honour and duty is all that matters now. The responsibility for the passing of his wife he lays at two doors –his cousin’s and the extraordinarily beautiful young wife of his elderly uncle. He resents her intrusion into Silverthorn and is highly suspicious of her. Nothing would please him better if she were to leave…
A widower in his early thirties, Justin is about to step into the parson’s noose once more. A very busy man, he has learnt to live without wealth and happiness. He’s hoping that his marriage this time round will give him and the children the happiness that has been missing for so long. An honest man, he hates deceit and lies, and so is far from happy to discover that his new bride only married him for his purported wealth. Disgusted that his second marriage is crumbling from the outset, he spends more and more time at his mills. All he seems to do now is come home, fight with his wife and eat alone. His unwitting neglect of the children draws the new governess into the breach, admonishing gently the effect his absence is having on them. The more contact he has with the governess, the more Justin appreciates her beauty and the more attentive he becomes toward her. Her display of courage leaves him admiring her even more. There is a definite attraction that he refuses to act upon because of his married state. He would never leave his wife – divorce is not an option. If only he were no longer married…
Silverthorn has more than its fair share of skeletons – skeletons that it is more than reluctant to give up. Combine that with the legend of Eleanor and Cecily, it possesses a heavy air of mystery. As Laura, posing as Anne, delves deeper into the secrets of the half-castle-half-mansion, is she beginning to lose sight of her objective as she becomes further enmeshed in the intrigues taking place right under her nose? Can she still rely on her instincts as she is having difficulty maintaining her impartiality? What will happen if her real identity is discovered? Instead of Silverthorn, the mills are Justin’s prime interest, so why was he so angry when Madeline was introduced as the new Mistress of his ancestral home? A lord who isn’t afraid to soil his hands with good honest work, he will not allow another scandal be attached to the Braithfield name. Now that his first wife and the Mistress of Silverthorn have departed, how is Justin to prevent his second wife from making a scandal? In what way will this affect Laura?
Wow! What a treat. Silverthorn weaves you into its web of mystery and suspense, just as the mansion does to Laura Morgan. Joanna Challis writes with a style that not only allows you to picture within your mind’s eye the people and events she portrays, but also to feel within your soul the emotions and suspense. Joanne has masterfully kept to the theme of her book – you can almost picture yourself seated at Laura’s feet as she relates her tale. Silverthorn is a wonderful piece of Gothic literature that has you in its grip until the last page. The suspense, the drama, the mystery. Silverthorn has all this and more. This is without a doubt a book for your personal library. Definitely a book to read during a very stormy night – you’ll just get that little bit extra if you do. Silverthorn is published by Wings ePress and is available now. To quote Ms. Challis, “It’s amazing to think how one person’s behaviour can dramatically alter your life”.
Enjoy!
Tanya
Joanna Challis Reviews Buy Joanna Challis Books
