The Lantern: A Novel | Deborah Lawrenson
A modern gothic novel of love, secrets, and murderset against the lush backdrop of Provence Meeting Dom was the most incredible thing that had ever happened to me. When Eve falls for the secretive, charming Dom in Switzerland, their whirlwind relationship leads them to Les Genvriers, an abandoned house set among the fragrant lavender fields of the South of France. Each enchanting day delivers happy discoveries: hidden chambers, secret vaults, a beautiful wrought-iron lantern. Deeply in love and surrounded by music, books, and the heady summer scents of the French countryside, Eve has never felt more alive. But with autumns arrival the days begin to cool, and so, too, does Dom. Though Eve knows he bears the emotional scars of a failed marriageone he refuses to talk abouthis silence arouses suspicion and uncertainty. The more reticent Dom is to explain, the more Eve becomes obsessed with finding answersand with unraveling the mystery of his absent, beautiful ex-wife, Rachel. Like its owner, Les Genvriers is also changing. Bright, warm rooms have turned cold and uninviting; shadows now fall unexpectedly; and Eve senses a presence moving through the garden. Is it a ghost from the past or a manifestation of her current troubles with Dom? Can she trust Dom, or could her life be in danger? Eve does not know that Les Genvriers has been haunted before. Bndicte Lincel, the houses former owner, thrived as a young girl within the rich elements of the landscape: the violets hidden in the woodland, the warm wind through the almond trees. She knew the bitter taste of heartbreak and tragedylong-buried family secrets and evil deeds that, once unearthed, will hold shocking and unexpected consequences for Eve.