Paula Hawkins' writing flows in such a way that you are so consumed by the tumult that you forget you're reading. The emotional and psychological themes are so raw and true to human nature. Not in an obviously perceptive way but in a "what-goes-on-behind-closed-doors" kind of way. It's a darkly gripping and more honest insight into the minds and lives of seemingly ordinary people.

A spell-binding and sparkling story told in third person omniscient. Curious and captivating, the plot follows the lives of two young magicians; Marco and Celia, who are set against each other in an intricate, mysterious and lifelong competition devised by their mentors as a kind of gentleman's wager. Their contest plays out against the backdrop of an extravagant traveling circus that appears in the dark of night and vanishes before dawn.

The Languedoc trilogy is a deeply satisfying literary adventure, brimming with all the romance, treachery and cliffhangers you would expect from the genre. It is also steeped in a passion for the French region of Carcassonne, its history and legends, and that magical and mysterious dark plane where the two meet.

A feast of unabashed gothic-romantic fun. It's told in Holt's inimitably captivating way. I was in a state of constant angst while reading this and I LOVED every minute. There was never a dull moment. The suspense and emotion was intoxicating and although I thought I had predicted the ending, I was completely surprised by the actual turn of events. It was filled with twists and turns only a true lover of gothic romance would appreciate.

Wasn't much of a ghost story in the anticipated sense. Started off a bit slow but I persisted and found myself surprisingly engrossed in the story. It has a time-slip dual storyline centered around the lives of two inextricably linked young women whose lives have been altered by loss and a series of tragic and strange events, the common link is Black Rabbit Hall, a mysterious old manor house shrouded in untold secrets and forgotten memories.