👻 Halloween Read ~ The Fortunes of Olivia Richmond by Louise Davidson

Moonflower Books
Paperback 12 October 2024

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

1891 Norfolk.

After a terrible tragedy, governess Julia Pearlie finds herself with no job, home, or references. When she's offered a position as companion to Miss Olivia Richmond, her luck appears to be turning. But Mistcoate House is full of secrets.

Olivia has a sinister reputation. The locals call her the Mistcoate Witch, thanks to her tarot readings, and her insistence that she can speak to the dead. Her father, Dr Richmond, believes this to be girlish fantasy and is looking to Julia to put a stop to it.

Determined to prove herself and shake off her own murky history, Julia sets to work trying to help Olivia become a proper young lady. However, as she becomes a fixture at Mistcoate, it is soon clear that there may be more to Olivia's stories than Dr Richmond would have Julia believe – not least because somehow, Olivia seems to know something of the darkness that Julia desperately hoped she had left behind.

As the danger grows, and the winter chill wraps around the dark woods surrounding Mistcoate, Julia will have to fight to uncover the truth, escape her past – and save herself.

👻 My Spooky Review..

When Julia Pearlie takes the position as companion to Miss Olivia Richmond she is unprepared for what awaits her at Mistcoate House as not only is Olivia a pale, wraith-like young woman but the house itself, so shrouded in darkness and shadows, is equally as haunting. With no prospects Julia must make a success of her employment at Mistcoate but with a mercurial employer and a dangerous housekeeper who is hellbent on making Julia’s life a misery and you have all the ingredients needed for a creepy gothic mystery.

With lots of things that go bump in the night, this atmospheric novel takes the Victorian fascination for mediums and seances and turns it into a dark and shadowy Gothic tale of dangerous obsession and manipulative control. Taking advantage of the darkness which surrounds Mistcoate and with a thrilling pace this beautifully layered story really grips the imagination. I especially enjoyed the tarot card references and the way in which each chapter wraps itself around what the cards are foretelling. Julia Pearlie is an interesting lead character but it is Olivia Richmond whose heartbreaking story dominates and which really captures the imagination. There’s a definite twist in the tale and an ending which, I think, could easily lend itself to a continuation as I don’t feel we have heard enough, going forward, about either Julia Pearlie or Olivia Richmond.

The Fortunes of Olivia Richmond is a creepy and atmospheric story which makes it a perfect read for Halloween night👻

About the Author

Louise Davidson was born in Belfast and has always worked in the creative arts in some capacity – from assistant to theatre directors to teaching scriptwriting classes in prisons to teaching English and drama to A-Level students. Growing up in Northern Ireland backgrounded by the Troubles led to a fascination with history, and this combined with her love of all things gothic inspired her to write her first book, a dark Victorian thriller set in a neglected and isolated mansion. Louise lives in London with her husband and step-son, and in her spare time is working on fulfilling her ambition to visit every museum in the city. The Fortunes of Olivia Richmond is her debut novel.

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X @moonflowerbooks