My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Haunting and atmospheric, The End of Temperance Dare is another thrilling page-turner from the author reviewers are calling the Queen of the Northern Gothic.
When Eleanor Harper becomes the director of a renowned artists’ retreat, she knows nothing of Cliffside Manor’s dark past as a tuberculosis sanatorium, a “waiting room for death.” After years of covering murder and violence as a crime reporter, Eleanor hopes that being around artists and writers in this new job will be a peaceful retreat for her as much as for them.
But from her first fog-filled moments on the manor’s grounds, Eleanor is seized by a sense of impending doom and realizes there’s more to the institution than its reputation of being a haven for creativity. After the arrival of the new fellows―including the intriguing, handsome photographer Richard Banks―she begins to suspect that her predecessor chose the group with a dangerous purpose in mind. As the chilling mysteries of Cliffside Manor unravel and the eerie sins of the past are exposed, Eleanor must fight to save the fellows—and herself—from sinister forces.
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As a BIG fan of haunted houses did The End of Temperance Dare really appeal to me. I mean an artist retreat that used to be a tuberculosis sanatorium? Count me in!
Now, this book isn't particularly scary, but it's interesting, atmospheric and well-written. I like that one really gets to know Eleanor Harper and that not everything happens too fast. It's not like the story is boring, the pacing is even, and we get to follow Eleanor as she learns the ropes of being the new director. She has hardly settled in before something unexpected happens that will change everything for her and the retreat and after that, well strange things keep happening. But, is the place really haunted?
The End of Temperance Dare is the first book I have read by Wendy Webb and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the book. Not that I did not expect to like it, rather I hoped that the writing style would work for me since the story seemed so interesting. I think Webb did an excellent job with the descriptions of the retreat and its surroundings. Also, I came to like Eleanor Harper and I didn't even mind the kind off triangle drama that she got caught up with, even though I personally found the "impossible" romance more interesting than her flirtation with the photographer. But, that's me, a sucker for the doomed or unusual romances.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
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