This eerie, suspenseful new offering from Phyllis M. Newman transports the reader to a time and place full of mystery and malevolence. The vulnerable yet plucky narrator, Anne Chatham, is as utilitarian and reliable as the contents of her valise ("two tortoiseshell combs, a pair of gloves, my father's Bible, my mother's wedding band"). Yet while Anne is exactly as she appears, taking things at face value in this Gothic tale can be a deadly mistake. Studded with accurate historical references from the period, the novel simultaneously achieves credibility and fantasy ("The ghost needs our attention" is a line I'll not soon forget). In literary terms, it's like Jane Eyre finding herself in Downton Abbey. Yet the sparking dialogue is unique to this author, her chapters flowing with an almost urgent feel, as the mystery thickens and twists in tandem with Anne's growing romance with Owen. All the characters are fully drawn, and the atmospheric descriptions of Northfield House and its surroundings are excellent, from the wizened servants to the waif known as "Little Seedling." Yet it is what lurks within the moody estate in northern England that eclipses everything else. "Screw your courage to the sticking place!"

I loved KAT'S EYE and looked forward to Ms. Newman's next book. I was not disappointed. Fans of Downton Abbey, like me, will enjoy Newman's beautifully crafted fictional world in 1922 England. Ann Chatham, a grieving orphan, finds little solace in her new position among rival brothers and "sisters" at Northfield House. Happiness and justice seem to elude her at every turn in this Gothic novel of mystery, ghosts, and romance. Pack it in your vacation bag this summer.

Loved this marvelous historical mystery, Gothic romance tale of a young heroine who gets a job as, what used to be termed “a typewriter” at a prominent family’s old mansion with a long and rumored past. The sense of impending doom the author kept up through the entire novel kept me turning pages well into the night. Don’t miss reading this gem of a story. The ending is extraordinary.