The Attic at Wilton Place

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

Ruth is the younger of two children. Her mother favours Ruth's older brother, he gets all the compliments, and shiny new items, and Ruth feels somewhat left out and unwanted.
Her father is a weak man who never chides his wife for her attitude towards her daughter, but behind her back comforts Ruth, making excuses for Joy's hurtful behaviour.

Joy's best friend is an actress who lives a glamorous life travelling the world.
She treats Ruth like a beloved daughter. Ruth thrives on the compliments that are showered upon her, and is chosen to be bridesmaid at Vanessa's wedding in France.
She never becomes the bridesmaid, instead, she and her brother end up in hospital.

Ruth grows up and leaves home for University and spends weekends at Vanessa's luxury home, and she discovers a locked room in the attic, and slowly discovers secrets that have been hidden for decades by Vanessa and Joy.

Another suspense filled book by C E Rose. I literally could not put it down, falling asleep with my kindle in my hand, and just 14% of the book to read. Definitely a page turner, and the chapters are short, which I like, probably because of the 'just one more chapter before I.......'.
I can definitely recommend this book, with it's Gothic feel.
Honestly cannot wait for the next book from C E Rose!

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’d like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I have only read one other book by the author, Shadows of Rutherford House so I was excited to read this one. We follow Ruth as a teen into her college years and her “infatuation” with her Aunt who is an actress. When off to college, she asks Ruth to come stay weekends with her at Wilton Place, but things aren’t always what they seem to be. Where is her Aunt always disappearing to and what about her Aunt’s young Italian husband and the secrets in the attic. An interesting read from start to finish, finished in one sitting.

Last year I read ‘the shadows of Rutherford house’ by C E Rose and it was one of my best reads of 2022! So as soon as I saw she’d announced her new book was available to request on NetGalley … I was there!

Once again, it was a gripping, unique story. I honestly couldn’t guess where it was going, a few twists, shocks and surprises along the way.

The characters were fab! So much depth and you really got to know them.

The storyline itself was different but so gripping and I just needed to find out more! It had a bit of suspense and an eerie feel to it, particularly when Ruth is in the attic!

Highly recommend The attic at Wilton place .. you will not be disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley and Hera books for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Really enjoyed this book. It’s my first time reading with this author. I started it and was hooked. Literally couldn’t put it down. It was a great suspense thriller. The book was very well written. Flowed very well

What shapes us, as we live our lives. The lives we touch and those who touch ours. Who to trust with our stories.

C.E.Rose is a marvellous storyteller.

With terrific characterization and a well drawn plot this is another well written, compelling read that I had trouble putting down.

Highly recommended and five shiny gold stars*****

Ruth is shy and chubby cellist, and is certainly not her mothers favorite child. She has lived her life feeling unimportant and invisible until her mothers childhood, and now famous, friend Vanessa notices her and begins taking an interest in her life. When Ruth finally gets to escape her family home and move to London to attend college, she begins to spend weekends with Vanessa in her extravagant house on Wilton Place. While exploring the mansion Ruth uncovers a locked door, and behind that door are hints to the secrets her mother has been keeping, that just might change everything Ruth thought she knew.

This a Gothic novel full of family drama, dark secrets, and dusty attic spaces. With shades of VC Andrews, this book kept me turning the page and racking my brain trying to figure out all the secrets and how Ruth fit into it all. Ruth’s naivete and bumbling attempts at finding herself made her a very likeable character, and relatable for anyone who grew up with unreasonable expectations. The characters had a wide range of flaws and mental health issues highlighting how the traumatic events of childhood continue to have an impact on the psyche through adulthood, and just how much of an effect they have on forming who we are as adults. The story progressed at a great pace, making this a fairly quick read with enjoyable writing. I will definitely be reading more of CE Rose in the future.

Immersive, Mysterious..
Pacy, mysterious and immersive- this dark and almost Gothic tale explores the recesses of our minds and what makes us what we are. When Ruth is drawn into the world of Wilton Place what will she find? The dark and dusty door in the attic for starters - secrets may be lurking but they will surely out. With deftly crafted characters populating an edgy plot peppered with twists this is a gripping and suspenseful read packed with familial drama.

This is the 2nd C E rose I’ve read and although the stories are vastly different, the same gothic suspense undertones remain. Keeping its secrets until right at the end, this novel keeps you hooked.

3.5 ⭐ rounded up

“The Parker family didn’t ever discuss feelings and now wasn’t the time to start.”

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been fascinated by family secrets. Any secret is delicious, but family secrets are a special type of puzzle because there are so my complicated layers. Some members know everything and some know nothing and are kept in the dark.

This gothic-inspired thriller reveals the deep, dark underbelly of the Parker family - the ‘thing’ they want to keep hidden from the public and each other.

Torn between wanting to find the truth and not really wanting to, Ruth discovers that there’s more in the eaves of this house than an attic with cobwebs - there’s a secret. It changes everything.

My heart ached for Ruth as she struggled to be seen and validated and my eyes popped and I gasped at this chilling, twisty tale revealing the price of perfection. Ruth’s journey and her discovery of Vanessa and Joy’s dark secrets showcase how far one will go to find the truth. It also highlights sibling rivalry and how secrets have ruined the Parker family.

I felt like a teenager again, hiding under the blankets with a flashlight reading V.C. Andrews while I should have been sleeping!

I was gifted this copy by Hera Books and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this eARC.

I thought this read was full of intrigue, suspense and mystery and one I thoroughly enjoyed. I wasn’t too keen on either Ruth or Vanessa initially though. I found the authors writing here so good that it piqued and held my interest from beginning to end, and as the book progressed the more Ruth slowly began to grow on me. This is such a well written book that flowed so easily and is a very good read. I liked that the story is told through Ruth’s perspective. There are secrets after secrets here to unwrap and I have to say that I thought I’d got everything sussed out and couldn’t have been more wrong, and I particularly liked that the book went off in a way that was surprising to say the least and also was very disturbing when reading it. Vanessa and her friend Joy are shaped by childhood events which affect their lives and friendship as adults. The author introduces so much mystery in this read, as a reader you know there are secrets, things not being said and this made me all the more interested, eager and desperate to know more. I had so many questions in my mind when reading, which were all addressed by the end, just not in the way I expected! Overall a good read that certainly held my attention all the way through with a few ‘wow’ moments along the way. I’d recommend this author and book if you like reads with a lot of mystery and where things are not always what they seem.

Ruth has always felt left out by her mother, Joy, who can’t seem to give her the praise and love that she easily bestows on her darling boy Tim, Ruth’s older brother.
Joy’s best friend is Vanessa, a glamorous actress. Ruth has always been totally in awe of her ‘Aunt’. Vanessa heaps compliments on her and askes her to be bridesmaid at her upcoming wedding to artist Sergio in France. The family travel over, but something happens and it doesn’t take place.
Vanessa is a strange one, one moment she is ever-present, and the next she is out of contact again.
A talented musician, Ruth leaves her home in Manchester for university in London. She shares a house with other students, and although she starts to lose her puppy fat and changes her hair she still is the insecure person inside. She does make friends with Gus, but I had my concerns about him.
She gets invited to Vanessa’s house in Wilton Place on the weekends. This is a beautiful tall home, with a pool in the basement. Vanessa showers her with designer clothes and shows her an extravagant lifestyle. Bernard, who ferries both Vanessa and Sergio around, is like a butler and brings her anything she needs.
Vanessa does one of her disappearing acts again and Ruth is left with Sergio. He seems like a quiet man, struggling with lack of creativeness while his muse is away.
During her time alone at Wilton Place Ruth explores the top floor of the house. Sergio’s studio is up there but she also finds a locked door. She knows where Bernard puts his keys, so when she can she sneaks inside. What she finds in there shocks her and sets her brain in a whir. Vanessa and Joy are entwined in such a way that was totally unexpected.

I found Ruth to be a such a lovely character. She had a good relationship with her brother and her dad Clive. I did think Clive needed to be stronger when Joy criticised their daughter. Some of Ruth’s experiences gave me the chills especially the whiff of Vanessa’s signature scent even when she was away. I imagined the sounds of Ruth practicing her cello.

A real page-turner full of dark secrets and mysteries to unravel.

Thanks to the author and Hera Books for the review copy in which I give my honest opinion.

It was definitely a page turner for me! Love the plot and characters, Intend to get this for a book lover friend and add to my collection too when it's out!!! Thanks and truly appreciate Netgalley for the amazing opportunity to read this ARC.

The cover drew me in but the story kept me interested. This is a unique different story which I love. The characters were well written interesting. Ruth wasn’t my cup of tea but she soon grew on me. . I was very Impressed with C E Rose’s story telling as it’s my first book by the author I am now looking at the others. Definitely worth a read and I have already recommended it on its release day

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was easily one of the best I’ve read in the last few years. The dynamic between Ruth and her Mother Joy was, at times, utterly heartbreaking. Clearly not the favourite child of the family, she is criticised and ignored in comparisons to her older brother Tim. Whilst their Father Clive tried at times to extend a financial olive branch and ensure Ruth feels happy at home, he offers little emotional support, leaving Ruth feeling like the black sheep of the family and increasingly dependent upon her “Aunt” Vanessa’s seemingly unconditional positive regard for her.

I enjoyed the writing style of this book; thoughtful and elaborate, but tense and foreboding - the story kept me hooked and there were a fair few occasions I struggled to put it down and lost a fair few hours sleep (though it was well worth it). Admittedly the first half was quite slow, however it was also immediately interesting and set the scene well for the second half where the plot thickens. The characters were well also developed, realistic, and show development as the book progresses in a way I hadn’t initially expected from a thriller.

Vanessa and Ruth’s relationship is synonymous with an abusive relationship; love bombing, gaslighting, emotional blackmail and guilt tripping are key themes at times - but when in a good mood Vanessa is the perfect doting relative and exactly what Ruth feels she needs to escape her otherwise ordinary existence. The twist at the end where her motives are revealed were not what I was expecting at all. Although I hadn’t heard of the author prior to reading this book, I will definitely be following her on Goodreads and looking to read some of her other work in the near future. I also think this would make a really good movie due to its originality and gripping plot. 5 stars from me!

The Attic at Wilton Place by CE Rose

This is the books blurb

A perfect life in a perfect home – but what secrets lie beneath?

Ruth Parker is desperate for love and attention. Overlooked as a child by her cold and hostile mother, Joy, in favour of her older brother, her pain manifests in loneliness and a crippling lack of self-esteem. When her mother’s close childhood friend, glamorous actress Vanessa, shows an interest in her, Ruth basks in the blinding light of her attention – to her mother’s disapproval.

When Ruth escapes to university in London, Vanessa invites her into her stunning home in Belgravia, Wilton Place. Slowly, she begins to blossom under Vanessa’s guidance, living a perfect life in a perfect home. As Vanessa begins to mould Ruth in her own image, Ruth finds herself seduced by the hypnotic, luxurious confines of Wilton Place.

But when Ruth finds a locked attic in her new home, she discover that Vanessa and Joy are hiding the darkest of secrets from their childhood, secrets that threaten everything Ruth knew about her mother. How far will Ruth go to find the truth - and how much does she really want to know?"The Attic at Wilton Place" by CE Rose is a gripping and emotional journey through the life of Ruth Parker, a young woman desperate for love and attention. This book explores the themes of family, identity, and trauma in a thought-provoking way that will leave you reflecting on your own experiences.

Here's what I thought!

The author's writing style is beautiful and captivating, which adds to the tension and suspense of the plot. The story is expertly crafted, with unexpected twists and turns that kept me engaged from start to finish. The discovery of the locked attic and the dark secrets it holds only adds to the mystery and intrigue of the book.

The characters are vividly drawn and realistic, with Ruth being a particularly compelling protagonist. Her journey from a lonely and insecure young woman to a confident and empowered one is inspiring and heartwarming. Vanessa and Joy are equally fascinating characters, each with their own flaws and strengths that make them feel like real people.

Overall, "The Attic at Wilton Place" is a book that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page. It is a tale of secrets, betrayal, and ultimately, redemption. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well-crafted mystery novel that delves into the complexities of the human experience.

While I wouldn't call this a heart-pounding thriller, it was an intriguing book to read. The author does a great job with characterization--even going so far as to show family dynamics and how difficult it is to watch a sibling who is thoroughly adored by parents no matter that person does while the second child is constantly put down.The resultinbg low self-esteem and desire to find love elsewhere shines brightly through the pages.

The story was, like I said, intriguing. The plot slowly builds in ways that made me as feel as if something is going to happen--I just didn't know what. By the end, the story is neatly wrapped up and events from the past revealed.

I throughly loved this book. The characters were wonderful and very easy to identify with. I would definitely recommend this book and I have bought several of this author’s books.

I so loved this story and a big fan of this author a very addictive read from page one. Ruth has always felt not good enough for her mother from an early age her brother Tim can't do no wrong Ruth has a Godmother Vanessa who is her mum's best friend. Ruth idolises her from an early age Vanessa has seen her talents and tells her to follow her dreams her dad is lovely but sort of neglect s her to. there a few little headache s along the way but when she goes to university Vanessa comes in to her life more but as the story unfolds Lucy can see why her mum is the way she is you will need a tissue pulls at your heartstrings beautifully written very much enjoyed