The Last House on the Cliff by Anne Wyn Clark
Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense, Gothic
Read: 6th September 2022
Published: 18th August 2022
★★★★ 4 stars
DESCRIPTION:
When a young widow’s little girl vanishes, could a dark family secret hold the answer?
On the death of her aunt Gwyn, Lowri returns once more to Gwyn’s home on the remote island of Anglesey, Wales, with her young daughter Ruby in tow. Lowri hadn’t seen her aunt in years, but this beautiful island offers a fresh start.
Yet right away, strange things begin to happen. Ruby insists an old woman is visiting her when no one else is watching, and a tattered old doll keeps being left for Ruby to find.
Then Ruby goes missing. Desperately seeking answers no one seems to have, Lowri looks to her dark family past for clues. But the secrets she uncovers suggest that Ruby is not the only one in danger, and time is running out – for both of them…
A terrifically dark and twisty tale that asks: can you ever really trust those closest to you? Perfect for fans of Ruth Ware, Cass Green and C.J. Tudor.
MY THOUGHTS:
"A secluded island. A missing child. A home built on lies."
Firstly, that cover. Blue is my favourite colour and its hues incorporated with the seemingly stormy aspect of a house on a cliff made for an atmospheric cover that pretty much called to me alone. I love it.
And then there is the setting. I don't know what it is with books I have chosen these past few days but the last three in order were all atmospheric and set on an island off one of each of the UK's countries. First Scotland, then Ireland and now Wales. And I love Wales. I've not been there but I love the scenery, the coastline and oh the accent. So naturally, what with the cover and the setting, I was totally drawn to this book.
And then there is the story. A missing child, a creepy house, family secrets and a tangled web of lies. What more could I ask for?
Well, namely, for the pace to be a little quicker and though the vivid descriptions added to the atmospheric ambience, a little less wordiness would have been better. I'm not a huge descriptive nature fan and prefer dialogue but having said that, descriptive narratives are imperative to a story as atmospheric as this one. I just wish it was a little less drawn out in that respect. However, the story is dripping with atmosphere and tension as it delves into loss, grief and family. And of course, all the lies upon which it was all built.
Lowri was raised by a Welsh father and a Midlands-born mother, both from whom she felt something of a distance. Her mother didn't appear to be the maternal type and dismissed her more often than not, and though her father doted on her his first love was her mother above all else. Lowri fell somewhere below that par. Apart from her desolated childhood, Lowri eagerly looked forward to the summers she spent on the island of Angelsey in North Wales with her Aunt Gwyn who ran a funeral home. But then suddenly, her father and her aunt had a falling out and she never saw her aunt again.
Some two decades later, Lowri is raising her own daughter Ruby single-handedly after first the death of Ruby's father and then the acrimonious divorce of her money-grabbing leech of a second husband Darren, when she receives the devastating news that her aunt Gwyn has died and her presence is required for both the funeral and the reader of the will. It seems odd to be returning to Wales after so long where she reconnects with her aunt's cousins Awel and Elis, who live in the house which she has fond memories of. Lowri has memories of a cold and aloof Awel but age seems to have mellowed the woman who appears to welcome them with open arms - Ruby especially. Elis, who lost his hearing to meningitis as a child, hasn't changed and welcomes Lowri and her daughter.
But strange things begin to happen almost from the very first day. There's the eerie appearance of a dirty old rag doll that seems to continually turn up for Ruby to find, a mysterious hooded figure and some very strange noises. Added to that, there is a locked door from which sounds emanate. A door which has been locked for as long as Lowri can remember, her aunt citing rotten floorboards and old furniture within. Lowri is unnerved and beginning to wonder if returning to the old house was a good idea.
The reading of the will brings a few surprises afterwhich is the funeral. And then...Ruby disappears. Lowri is frantic. Her disappearance sparking memories of the mysterious disappearance of another young girl some twenty years before who has never been found. Has Ruby met the same fate? Or is it just a coincidence?
Oh, there was so much going on in this atmospheric tale of gothic proportions that it almost felt a little Daphne du Maurier. The house was a character all of its own with its gothic rooms and locked doors and creepy noises, not to mention its setting upon a cliff. You could almost feel the wind whipping around the exterior and rattling the windows.
Despite its very slow start, THE LAST HOUSE ON THE CLIFF did redeem itself with a stellar mystery within a mystery. It was twisty, it was complex and rather intricate...and deliciously dark to boot. Told mostly from Lowri's perspective in the past and present interwoven with a couple of other voices, the story unfolds almost like a supernatural tale that is incredibly gothic in nature.
And when the twists and truth are finally revealed, Lowri discovers some dark and disturbing secrets about the past. But the question is...will she accept all that has been revealed and go along with it? Or will she walk away from it all? I did find that a little unbelievable to be honest but the final twist at the end...that was the most delicious part. Epic!
A very original and unique thriller, THE LAST HOUSE ON THE CLIFF is a dark tale of family secrets with a very gothic atmosphere. Very compelling indeed.
I would like to thank #AnneWynClark, #NetGalley and #AvonBooks for an ARC of #TheLastHouseOnTheCliff in exchange for an honest review.
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