My Review of Hope Cottage by Catherine McCarthy

 I gave Hope Cottage 4* out of 5*

Book Description

Recently divorced from a manipulative husband and grief-stricken following the death of her mother, Cassie Wilkinson has never felt so hopeless and alone. An unexpected inheritance affords her the opportunity to start anew. The surprise acquisition of the unsuitably named Hope Cottage spurs her to flee from the familiarity of the place she has always known to the quintessential English village of Marleston, but this gift from the grave is not without its ghosts. A startling discovery unveils a series of tragedies and emotional turmoil inherent within the family of her estranged grandmother.Will Cassie find the quietude for which she longs or will the skeletons in the closet vanquish any chance of true happiness? 

My Review:

When I first started writing reviews I often wondered if it sounded insulting if I said a book was an easy read. But I’m happy to say that now because I realised it all depends on the genre and what I’m looking for in a book. There are those that need working at: is the narrator reliable, do I need to keep characters in mind, where do they fit in? Should I read through the lines, is there an underlying message, clue, meaning, to the words on the page?

And then there are the books when I can just sit back and enjoy the read, go with the plot, empathise with the emotions of the characters, savour the images, admire the writing style of the author…

Catherine McCarthy ‘s Hope Cottage is one such novel. This is a well-written story of grief and love and hope shown through the characters. I particularly like the way Cassie is portrayed; the changes in her as time progresses; her character becomes more layered, one easy to understand, to sympathise with; and ultimately admire as she grows stronger. And the other characters play their part as well, Ruth, Tom, in the present timeline and, tantalisingly in the past narrative, the poignant story of Emily and Richard

One of the author’s strengths is in the settings; there is a good sense of place, easy to envisage, both in the interior of the cottage and the surrounding countryside. I also liked the descriptions of the solicitor’s place of work and the pub; good atmospheric narrative.

This is a plot that moves smoothly and ends with a gratifying conclusion. It’s some months since I read Hope Cottage but I still remember the way I closed the last page with a satisfied sigh and yet wondered if there would be more to learn about these characters.

I have no hesitation in recommending Hope Cottage

I've since found out that Catherine has written a collection of short stories entitled Door

Book  description below:

 Botany Bay, 1790 – One by one, a colony of white-skinned pioneers disappear from their camp. Did the legendary rainbow serpent of the Dreamtime, Goorialla, wreak revenge on the ghosts for disturbing its sacred watering hole?
North-east coast of Japan 2011, vicinity of Fukushima Nuclear Plant – Seismic waves on the Pacific Ocean floor cause a catastrophic tsunami. The mythical giant catfish, Namazu, is believed to seek retribution for human greed by creating earthquakes. Could it be to blame?
Door and other twisted tales is a collection of ten, dark portal stories, each set in a different time, a different place, yet woven together by supernatural visitations which result in the death, destruction and disappearance of humans in recompense for their actions.
From Plague – the embodiment of the 14th Century Black Death, to Shams – a contemporary tale of the mysteries of quantum physics and the mind, Door and other twisted tales will lead you on a journey through time and place as the consequences of greed, loneliness. fear and impulse, are exposed.

Popping off to buy...

About the Author:

Catherine McCarthy grew up in the valleys of South Wales where she went on to teach for almost three decades. She was inspired to write from a young age, having fallen in love with story-telling and books after being 'shown the light' by her mother who had the tradition of oral story-telling down to a fine art!
She is the author of Hope Cottage, a dark and mysterious family saga of triumph over adversity, reconciliation and, well...hope! Penned as a cathartic means of coming to terms with the loss of her own mother it is her second novel, the first being The Gatekeeper's Apprentice, a dark-fantasy for older children.
Her most recent publication is a collection of short stories for adults entitled Door and other twisted tales. All ten stories in the collection explore the darker side of fantasy with a twist of cosmic horror. An absolute joy to write, the collection visits a variety of locations and incidents throughout history and imagines them affected by supernatural forces or creatures of myth.
She now lives with her husband, who is also her illustrator and animator, in an inspirational old Welsh cottage in West Wales where she writes, reads, sews and bakes.

Catherine's Links:
Amazon.co.uk: https://amzn.to/2Q9q7G1
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 Twitter:http://bit.ly/2SDcTDb