I received a free ecopy of this book from Booksirens; this did not affect my review.

Instead of posting review on Booksirens, I wrote this letter to the author:

"Dear Sheila, On page 113 of your book "The Secret of Eveline House", you describe seven-year-old Sylvia, in hospital: "Sylvia shook her head, crying, then began chanting something in a language that Violet [her mother] did not understand, as if she was in a trance. Then she began shouting. She cursed at the Matron and, when the hospital chaplain Father Keogh sat beside her, she spat in his face. Blood oozed from her eyes." I think that, although you may be ready to offer another explanation, this certainly sounds as if Sylvia is possessed by a demon. This is a deal-breaker for me.

I'm very disappointed as I was interested in the book's premise, and spent already a couple of hours reading to that point. I think that such a serious plot point should at least be hinted at in the book's description. Perhaps in genre classification? It may have warned me off and saved me time, as well as disturbing images. I can't believe I am the only reader who feels this way."

The author never responded to me so I can only conclude that I was correct in my assumption.

The past and present collide creating this wonderful tale of old and new Ireland! During 1950 the lives of the inhabitants were drastically changed forever! Eveline House had a mystery to be unveiled and I couldn’t wait to find out what happened! Wonderful book! ( )

There are two parts to this novel. The first begins in 1949 when Violet and Henry Ward return to Ireland from London with their young daughter, Sylvia. Both are Irish immigrants, but their perceptions of Irish life differ widely. In London, Violet is a celebrated playwright. In Ireland, her play is reviled because it goes again rigid Catholic standards. They settle in Daneer in Wicklow County, Ireland in a stately home called Eveline. Henry's business thrives while Violet is reviled for her "pagan" play and young Sylvia becomes the object of hate-filled letters as the daughter of Satan. Violet desperately wants to return to London, and Henry adamantly refuses. Violet suddenly disappears, and her husband is thought to be responsible due to an argument overheard by many people in the community. Following Violet's disappearance, Henry, Sylvia and their housekeeper, Betsy, also inexplicably go missing.

Eveline House is unoccupied and thought to be haunted until it is bought by Emily O'Connor, an aspiring designer from Dublin. Emily's mother has a connection with Daneer and the mystery of Violet Ward's disappearance that only becomes known when Emily buys Eveline House. This is an intriguing mystery that is solved after almost 70 years. ( )

This was a book that I received from the publisher (Poolbeg Press) in return for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book. It is quite gothic in nature. The story is about a family living in a small Irish village in the early 1950's. They had purchased an old estate house and had it renovated and moved in. The mother Violet and her husband Henry Ward and this 8-year-old daughter Sylvia. Violet and Henry were both born in Ireland, but had moved to London where they met and married. Violet was an acclaimed playwright and Henry was a goldsmith and jeweller. They both wanted to return to their homeland, so bought Eveline House. All looked to be going well, but Violet found that she was not accepted in this community. The village people were all Catholic, and at that time the Catholic religion wielded a lot of power. The village women did not like the play that Violet had written which was about a forbidden love between a Catholic priest and a woman. Things get really out of hand and the women get more and more vicious. It starts to affect their daughter Sylvia who retreats into herself. A violet incident occurs and Violet disappears from her house. The rest of the family leaves under a cloud and the house is locked up tor 70 years. A young dress designer buys the house when it comes up for sale, and that is when the long-buried story is finally forced out. This book is atmospheric and the story is alive with intrigue, religious zealots and mystery. It's all a delicious blend that makes the story come alive. I can highly recommend this book to those who enjoy about secrets, intrigue and very realistic characters. ( )

This is a murder mystery about the life of an Irish playwright who returns to Ireland from London in the 1940’s and is then persecuted by judgemental people in the small town she lives in. It is well thought out and has distinct parts set in the 1940’s and 1950, and the present day. My main quibble is that it is very much spoilt by a lack of proof reading and checking. There are sentences with words misspelled and missing, and which sometimes make no sense at all. This has now become a serious issue with many books these days self-published or not proof read or edited properly. I loved the sense of immediacy in the writing whichever era it was set in, however this immediacy also led to some sections not being thought through properly. I think it is great that Irish writers look back at the old Ireland and revisit the trauma and pain of those times, but the author here needs to remember that not everyone who reads this will fully understand and some fuller explanations seemed to be necessary to me. Overall it’s a good story with strong characters and a great sense of place, but it felt to me like an early draft that needs more polishing. ( )