Book Review of THE SILENT COMPANIONS by Laura Purcell

THE SILENT COMPANIONS by Laura Purcell (Penguin Books, March 2018) Paperback, 305 pages. ISBN # 9780143131632 

Synopsis on the Goodreads website . . . . .

When newly widowed Elsie is sent to see out her pregnancy at her late husband's crumbling country estate, The Bridge, what greets her is far from the life of wealth and privilege she was expecting . . .

When Elsie married handsome young heir Rupert Bainbridge, she believed she was destined for a life of luxury. But with her husband dead just weeks after their marriage, her new servants resentful, and the local villagers actively hostile, Elsie has only her husband's awkward cousin for company. Or so she thinks. Inside her new home lies a locked door, beyond which is a painted wooden figure —a silent companion —-that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself. The residents of The Bridge are terrified of the figure, but Elsie tries to shrug this off as simple superstition--that is, until she notices the figure's eyes following her.

A Victorian ghost story that evokes a most unsettling kind of fear, this is a tale that creeps its way through the consciousness in ways you least expect--much like the silent companions themselves.  

My Four Star Review on the Goodreads website . . . . .

     While I haven't read that many gothic novels to be an authority on the genre, I've read enough to know when I believe a novel elevates gothic fiction to another level. Since the publication of this in 2017, Purcell has written several more gothic novels. THE SILENT COMPANIONS was bold on so many levels that I'm curious to see what else she might do with the genre. 

     This has many of the standard elements of classic Gothic stories - - - the writing style, the Victorian era, a creepy old mansion and not one - but two wealthy families with dark secrets. Add to this the introduction of some disturbing painted on wood stand-up portraits (the silent companions), dark magic, an alleged witch in the family history, supernatural elements, and plenty of death. 

     THE SILENT COMPANIONS begins at a leisurely pace, maintains that while adding more disturbing and suspenseful incidents through the middle section, and becomes very intense in the latter third of the book. The final chapters are not what you expect, more extreme for a Gothic tale. And, I really appreciate that.

     Telling the story across three timelines was also a bold move, and Purcell pulls that off as well. While I suspected where the story might be going, this kept me wondering until the very end. As sad as the final resolution is, I found the final twist quite satisfying. A shorter summation would be just to call this "nasty". Kudos.