A Place of Secrets by Rachel Hore
Jude Gower spends her days working in the Books and Manuscripts department at Beecham’s London, a UK auctioneer. She researches antiques and coordinates on behalf of her employer between potential customers, but the company hasn’t been doing well lately. When a call meant to go to her associate is intercepted by Jude, it sets into motion a series of unexpected events with strange connection to her past.
The collection of an 18th Century astronomer could prove to be the boon to Beecham’s slump, but it also wields a strange spell over Jude and her family. A mysterious dream plaguing her during her childhood has returned and seems to be affecting her young niece as well. What could the dream possibly have in common with Anthony Wickham or the elusive figure of Esther, his adopted daughter? Perhaps his missing diaries are more important than Jude realizes.
A Place of Secrets is a mild thriller and suspense novel with a touch of mystery to support the overarching ghostly influences surrounding the protagonist and her family. There is also a romantic element that offsets the supernatural ones and brings a personal approach to Jude’s life outside of work and research. With a meandering plot revolving around Esther and Wickham’s journal’s and Jude’s complicated personal life, this book began to feel like it was really two masquerading as one. The result is a novel that’s very long for what it is, but one that enjoys the scenic route.
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