Set in a crumbling old mansion in Provence, The Lantern is a true gothic novel. Eve and Dom are newly in love and have settled in at Les Genévriers, an isolated estate in the south of France, surrounded by lavender fields and numerous relics of the past. The estate was owned by the Lincel family and has been vacant since the death of Bénédicte, the last surviving daughter, a few years before. With the home literally crumbling around them, Eve and Dom embark on their life together, planning renovations to the house and grounds and indulging themselves in their hobbies, creating a world just for the two of them. Eventually, though, Eve finds herself uncomfortable with their isolation and begins to long for social interaction. She also harbors increasing suspicions about Dom's past and what happened to his former wife, Rachel, who seems to have disappeared without a trace and about whom he refuses to speak. When two bodies are discovered buried on the grounds of Les Genévriers, police try to link Dom with the disappearances of several local women and Eve wonders if her own life might be in danger.
Lawrenson does a superb job of interweaving Bénédicte's story with Eve's through her beautiful prose and lovely imagery. As the reader is transported through Bénédicte's life it becomes less and less clear what is reality and what is not. Is Les Genévriers haunted? What about the "ghosts" that visit Bénédicte and the "visitors" that she observes in her house, or the shadowy figures and unexplained noises that seem to pervade Eve's consciousness? What about the lantern, the symbol of love that figures in both Eve's and Bénédicte's stories? Lawrenson's debut novel will leave the reader wanting more.
No comments:
Post a Comment