Thank you Libro.fm/Recorded Books for the ALC and Sourcebooks Landmark, #partner, for the advanced e-copy of The Undoing of Violet Claybourne in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark / Recorded Books
Published: March 4, 2025
Summary:
1938. Gillian Larkin is used to going unnoticed, until she is sent away to school and befriended by her roommate, the vibrant and spirited Violet Claybourne. As the Christmas holidays approach, Gilly can’t believe her luck when Violet invites her to spend them at her home, the crumbling Thornleigh Hall.
At Thornleigh, Gilly is dazzled by the family’s faded grandeur, and above all by Violet’s beguiling older sisters who seem to accept her as one of their own. But following a terrible accident in the house’s grounds, Gilly begins to realise the Claybourne sisters aren’t quite what she thought they were. And if she’s to survive in their world, she may have to become just like them . . .
A captivating novel of family secrets, desperate ambition and deepest betrayal, set against the winter of 1938, The Undoing of Violet Claybourne is the irresistible new mystery from the acclaimed author of One Puzzling Afternoon.
My thoughts:
I was initially drawn to this story because of it’s cover…I mean between the purples and that spooky looking mansion – doesn’t it just evoke an atmospheric, gothic-type read? And luckily for me, it delivered on both accounts!
This is the type of book I love to read – where nothing is as it seems. It’s a dark read, with so many secrets and lots of suspense. Set in the England in the 1930s, there are strong themes of mental health, friendship, education and status. While I didn’t necessarily like all the characters, I was invested enough in what was happening that I couldn’t walk away until I reached the end. The way these characters manipulated each other really was disturbing and I needed to find out why this was all happening. It was so easy to become caught up in all that was going on at Thornleigh Hall – for good or bad.
Audio thoughts:
This was great on audio, narrated by Nathalie Buscombe, a new-to-me narrator. I thought she did a great job bringing this story to life, infusing just the right tone to evoke the correct emotions needed for the story.
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