Member Reviews

I received a copy of this from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick but well done mystery novel with a bit of the paranormal thrown in for good measure.
A couple purchase the flat of their dreams and the price is too good to be true. They inherit an old wardrobe, and in turn, some ghosts as well. The house has an interesting history and an unsolved murder. Things get interesting when the ghosts start to reenact the past

Well done. I’d definitely read more by this author.

Was this review helpful?

One of the most frightening things about deadly activities is when the culprit is unknown. The damage they leave in their wake is clear and understood, but without knowing who is committing the crime and why, there is little to no way to protect oneself from becoming the next victim. And this is just in everyday corporeal crimes. When you add in a supernatural aspect, it's beyond the abilities of most people.



Something that Deryn Lake has done so beautifully here is take the fear of being a potential victim and the fear of the supernatural and twined them together into a bone-chilling terror that leaps from the pages like so many hands and pulls the reader into the story heart-first. Confusion, romance, hope, despair, determination, and courage flow through every single page.



For such a short story, it is all-consuming and a fabulous read. I could read thousands of pages by Deryn Lake.

Was this review helpful?

No official review being left for this book as it was a did not finish for me. I just couldn't connect with the narrative, it jarred with me for some unknown reason. So, as I was unable to finish the book, I am unable to publish reviews as I do not feel I have the right to rate or review a book I did not finish. If it wasn't for the new Netgalley setup, I wouldn't even leave a rating or review here.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in return for my honest opinion.

I was hoping this novella would be like the gothic books I used to read of my grandmother's and it was. I enjoyed this story. I found it to be an interesting storyline, a little bit thriller and mysterious. very enjoyable.

I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this and as it was only short read it in one train Journey. Eerie and the type of thing you hear happening to people in reality,that makes it more sinister.

Was this review helpful?

„The Wardrobe“ by Deryn Lake, originally published in 1990, tells the story of a young married couple, Greg and Rebecca Nicholls, who have just bought an elegant flat in a converted Victorian villa.
The flat is modern in its design, but there still is an old Victorian wardrobe with mirrors in the master bedroom.
Life in her new home soon turns into a nightmare for Rebecca because she is tortured by strange dreams or visions at night. In the mirror of the wardrobe she sees a woman entering the bedroom through a non-existent door. Puzzled by her dreams, Rebecca looks up the villa´s history in old newspapers and books. To her horror she reads that a hundred years ago an unsolved poison-killing took place in her very bedroom, when young George Carthew met a painful death. His wife Charlotte was suspected of the murder, but lacking proof nobody could be brought to trial.
When suddenly her beloved husband falls sick with symptoms associated with poisoning, she realizes she has to try to solve the old crime.
This „ghost-novella“ is gripping from the very first page right to the ending. The elaborate, well-written narrative style makes it hard to put the book / reader down. The plot is characterized by a subtle suspense that makes your hair stand on end, even if you are a rational kind of person.
Whereas at first it isn´t clear if Rebecca sees ghosts or has unusually vivid dreams, the ending turns into the somewhat supernatural. This doesn´t seem exaggerated, however.
„The Wardrobe“ is a very enjoyable read, ideal for readers who like to get the creeps in a subtle way.
4,5 stars

Was this review helpful?

The cover is what originally attracted me to this book. It's a short novella, a little over 50 pages, but well worth the read. It was a creepy story about a couple who buy their dream house. It came with a mirrored wardrobe which I am glad I don't have in my bedroom or I'd probably be giving away after reading this!

It was a fast paced read and anything involving the paranormal always pulls me into the story quickly. The Wardrobe was my first book by this author and I will definitely look for more. If you like a quick spooky kind of read, this is one I'd recommend!

* I was provided an ARC to read from the publisher and NetGalley. It was my decision to read and review this book.

Was this review helpful?

I love this little who done it / ghost story Novella , I think I made the mistake of reading it in the daytime though. I can imagine curled up in bed reading it would be even more spine tingling. Very well written , I actually would of enjoyed this as a full novel.

Was this review helpful?

3 Stars.

Enjoyable short mystery with a paranormal twist. I wish this had been developed into a full length book. It's an interesting premise and I can see the creepy possibilities.

Was this review helpful?

This review is also posted on Goodreads. This short story or short novella was very interesting, but felt like it might have been fleshed out a bit more. The building tension wasn't developed enough to give the reader a good chill and the mystery part wasn't really to be solved. I liked the concept, but finished it wanting a bit more.

Was this review helpful?

The Wardrobe by Deryn Lake is a wonderful book published by Endeavour Press.
Short but intense, felt, few characters, not a second of dispersion, the tale goes straight to the point with intensity and a great story able to capture your attention from the beginning to the end!

Greg and Rebecca are searching for a new house.
They discover a beautiful Victorian house with which they fall in love for and they decide to buying it.
Rebecca in particular finds a strong connection with the house and the wardrobe located in their bedroom.
Very soon she discovers that there are big, sad and hidden secrets buried into that house visiting the local library and researching through documents, articles, the rich history of the house and its past owners.

The wardrobe in their bedroom, is realistically a sort of "door" with the other world where ghosts can still reappear for spreading all their hate and for communicating for happened once.

Like the wardrobe described by Lewis in The Chronicles of Narnia a door for an enchanting world, this one is magical as well but with another meaning, and with dangerous connections with a heavy and terrible past.

Someone in that house was poisoned but the responsible for this murder never discovered.

There is more: ancient ghosts of this story "buried" by the past, are still feeling vivid what happened. They are peaceless with potential danger for these new enthusiastic and thrilled owners of the house.

In the wardrobe one day Rebecca finds with beautiful gloves and other children items a lot of letters. These letters will reveal a complicated love-story between two of the most important Victorian characters.

At the same time Greg starts to feels sick...

It's a wonderful book this one!
If you search for mystery, a bit of suspense, this eBook will be perfect for you!

I surely thank NetGalley and Endeavour Press for this beautiful ebook!

Was this review helpful?

This was an interesting story that made me think about Narnia. It was a very quick read and had me glued to the pages from the start.

Loved the story

Was this review helpful?

The Wardrobe is a fantastic murder mystery. This book is well written with a superb plot. I truly enjoyed this book and the author's writing. If you enjoy a great mystery this book could be the ticket.

Was this review helpful?

Really enjoyed this story! Well written! Looking forward to reading more by this author!

Was this review helpful?

Terrific

Last night I was thinking of reading this. It was however the night, so I was worried I'd lose sleep over it. As an insomniac, I need all the sleep I can get. But I was especially cautious considering I sleep next to a fully mirrored wardrobe. I'm not a fan of these. I was actually scared to get out of bed this morning- at 5am- because I saw my dark reflection getting closer. Of course, I usually have no trouble it was just the idea inspired by the title (I had not yet begun reading the book, only made the plan to.) So yeah, the title and the prospect of a horror story, was enough to terrify me. As I was opening the curtains, I noticed my youngest sister's doll peering out from said wardrobe... Needless to say, it did make my heart beat a little faster.

Anyway on to the story: The Wardrobe begins with Rebecca and Greg house-hunting. They settle for what is described as the most ideal house... But it's not without a sordid past.
Rebecca sees a woman reflected in the wardrobe in her bedroom and she develops a natural curiosity to discover just what happened to the previous owners.

This is a brilliant tale, it's quite short but still well written. There wasn't a lot of back story to Rebecca and Greg but this was compensated by the history of the house which was pretty much a character in its own right. I do love terrifying short stories (one of my favourites is Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror by Chris Priestley), so I had no problem with the length but I think it would have been preferable had this story been part of a short story collection.

I received this book through NetGalley

Was this review helpful?

I was intrigued by the cover and description, but I just could not get into this book. I didn't feel any connection to the characters, and the plot just did not pull me in. I felt guilty thinking it, but I was glad it was a short read.

Was this review helpful?

What a great little novella this was. The trouble with most novellas is either they seemed rushed and you are left thinking- is that it? or you don't really get enough background and story to satisfy you. The Wardrobe is a delightful exception.

Rebecca & Greg buy a beautiful flat in a converted Victorian house. It is far nicer than they had expected to be able to afford & they are quite happy to keep some of the furniture already in situ, including an enormous wardrobe that would probably have been very difficult to move since the conversion anyway.

They look into the history of the house and before long Rebecca becomes quite spooked by glimpsed of another room through the wardrobe mirror. What secrets has it seen?

I really enjoyed this story. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for giving me the chance to read & review it.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this book. Excellent storyline and great main characters. I would recommend this book.

Was this review helpful?

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

This is a very short story of about 50 pages. It is a quick read and yet very interesting. The wardrobe is a relic with much mystery surrounding it. When Rebecca starts looking into the history of it there is way more than she would expect and it begins affecting her and Greg.

For such a small story it really pulls a punch. Great book!

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

A lovely, creepy little novel. I love the progression.... And the ending was surprising. I definitely recommend this book to others.

**I would like to thank the author/publisher/Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Was this review helpful?