Rebecca James is an Australian author and in 2011 and 2013 I enjoyed Beautiful Malice and Sweet Damage respectively. They were both YA novels set in Australia and in this offering she takes us across the seas to England.
Published in 2018, The Woman in the Mirror by Rebecca James is an historical fiction novel with dual timelines centred around the ominous property of Winterbourne Hall.
In 1947, Alice takes on the role of governess to twins living at Winterbourne Hall, a property situated on the cliffs of Cornwall overlooking the sea.
In present day New York, adopted art gallery curator Rachel knows nothing about her birth parents and is shocked when she learns she's the heir of Winterbourne Hall after the death of her Aunt Constance.
I love books where a building is its own character and we definitely have this in spades here. Winterbourne sits high on the clifftops and dominates the skyline of small town Polcreath, with a dark wood on the other side. One of the characters is filled with wonder when they see Winterbourne for the first time.
"It's hard to imagine a more dramatic facade. The place instantly brings to mind an imposing religious house - a Parisian cathedral, perhaps, decorated with gaping arches and delicate spires. Turrets thrust skyward, and to the east the blunt teeth of a battlement crown remind me of a game of chess. Plunging gargoyles are laced around its many necks, long and thin, jutting, as if leaping from the building's skin. Lancet windows, too many to count, adorn the exterior, and set on the western front is what appears to be a chapel." Page 15I think it'd be awesome to see this gothic tale adapted for the big screen, even if it's just to see Winterbourne Hall. If you've been following my reviews for a while, you'll know I also love a book with twins and in this case the twins are manipulative and up to no good; perfect for a struggling governess with secrets of her own.
The romantic elements in both timelines were necessary and well-balanced, but it's fair to say they were the parts I connected with the least. Every time we were in a romance thread I found myself wishing we were back with the haunted mirror, the creepy oil painting and the duplicitous twins.
Elements of Alice's fascination with the late mistress of Winterbourne reminded me a lot of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and I wonder if Rebecca is one of the author's favourite books.
The Woman in the Mirror by Rebecca James is a dark gothic mystery about secrets, inheritance, haunting and a curse and is perfect to read at this time of year.
