One from the Shelf..

First of the month is where I focus on a book that has been unread on my book shelf

for far too long !!

Corvus
November 2016
My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

What's it all about...

In a quiet coastal village, Irina spends her days restoring furniture, passing the time in peace and hiding away from the world. A family secret, long held and never discussed, casts a dark shadow and Irina chooses to withdraw into her work. When an antique bureau is sent to her workshop, the owner anonymous, Irina senses a history to the object that makes her uneasy. As Irina begins to investigate the origins of the piece, she unearths the secrets it holds within.

Decades earlier, another young woman kept secrets. Her name was Abigail. over the course of one summer, she fell in love, and dreamed of the future. But Abigail could not know that a catastrophe loomed, and this event would change the course of many lives for ever.

My thoughts...

Well, firstly, this one has lingered far too long on my book shelf, and I have absolutely no excuses for not reading it before now, as I was a huge fan of this author's first book, The Silent Hours. 

The Last Night is a dual time story, which takes us back to the 1950s, and to the Lynmouth Flood, a true event which happened in this beautiful  part of the West Country. To say too much about that would be to spoil a big part of the story, so, all I will say is that I was fascinated that something so catastrophic happened in the past, and was now largely forgotten. The modern day element of the story captures the essence of a quiet coastal village and the part that furniture restorer, Irina Woods, plays in it makes for fascinating and compelling reading.

That Irina has secrets of her own is obvious in the way she has withdrawn from the world She hides  away, sheltered by her ability of lovingly restoring old pieces of furniture. However, it is her connection with the restoration of a beautiful antique bureau which opens up a whole series of long buried secrets which have been  left undisturbed for far too long.

As always, this author get right into the heart of the story, the insightful nature of her characters allow their individual stories to evolve slowly, so that nothing about the plot ever feels rushed or hurried. There is the usual fine attention to detail which is so much a trademark of this authors exceptional storytelling ability and the subtle way that she weaves both past and present is done with a lightness of touch which belies the overall strength of the novel.

The Last Night is an atmospheric and emotional story which captivated me from start to finish.  The mystery at the heart of the novel is beautifully developed and allows a glimpse into a really traumatic event, whilst at the same time tying the story to the present time.

About the Author

Cesca Major read history at Bristol University. She went on to work in television before becoming a history teacher.She has written regularly for the website www.novelicious.com and films writing videos for www.writersandartists.com. She currently works as a housemistress at a boarding school in Berkshire.

Follow on Twitter @CescaWrites

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