Title: THE THIN PLACE
Author: C.D. Major
Publisher: Amazon Publishing UK
Read: February 2021
Expected publication: 15 April 2021
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟1/2
Book Description:
When journalist Ava Brent decides to
investigate the dark mystery of Overtoun Estate—a ‘thin place’, steeped in
myth—she has no idea how dangerous this story will be for her.
Overtoun looms over the town, watching, waiting: the locals fearful of the
strange building and the secrets it keeps. When Ava starts to ask questions,
the warm welcome she first receives turns to a cold shoulder. And before she
knows it, Ava is caught in the house’s grasp too.
My musings:
I am a total sucker for spooky mysteries involving
old haunted mansions, and C.D. Major’s latest book had an edge over all the
others: hers was based on a real life location, and an unsolved mystery that
has haunted a small Scottish town for decades. Set in Scotland, THE THIN PLACE
features Overtoun House, a 19th century country house near the small
village of Milton in Scotland. The house has gained notoriety through its attached
bridge, a place where up to 600 dogs have jumped to their deaths over the last
few decades, giving it its nickname of “the dog suicide bridge”. Add an alleged
ghost to the mix and here you have the perfect setting for a compelling mystery
with an eerie undertone and a hint of the supernatural.
According to Celtic legends, thin
places are areas where the boundaries between the real world and the spirit world are “thin” and one can slip
quite easily from one to another. In Major’s novel, journalist Ava Brent gets
obsessed with the mystery of Overtoun House after a visit there for one of her
news stories. But apart from Ava’s POV, Major also weaves two alternative
timelines and voices into her story, creating a truly spine chilling background
for current events. As the mystery unravels, Ava will discover her special
connection to Overtoun House, which will put her in terrible danger...
I just loved the atmospheric setting
in this story and of course had to look up hundreds of pictures of the place
online, which immediately made me want to travel to Scotland! Major has
captured the forbidding and yet somehow captivating aura of Overtoun House
perfectly, and I could not have wished for a more perfect location for a spooky
mystery. As Ava becomes more and more obsessed with the place, the boundaries
between sanity and madness also blurred, and I was truly afraid for her safety.
As is often the case with multiple
timelines, I initially struggled a bit to be equally invested in all three
separate threads. Whilst I found Ava’s by far the most compelling, I was happy
to see that all the threads tied together well in the end. Initially I really
struggled with Constance’s voice as I am not fond of child narrators,
especially if they sound much older than their years, but despite this I ended
up enjoying the extra element of suspense and air of menace that Constance’s chapters
added to the story.
Summary:
THE THIN PLACE was a fast and
compelling read for me, and even though I guessed some of the “twists” early
on, as I was loathe to put the book down until I had all the answers. After
reading up on the true events connected with Overtoun Bridge, I am still
fascinated by its ongoing mystery and intrigue – what a fantastic setting for a
book! I look forward to reading more from this new-to-me author.
Thank
you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the free electronic copy of this
novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
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