ONE
LAST DANCE
BY
JUDITH LENNOX
THE
BLURB:-
As the twentieth
century draws to a close, Esme Reddaway knows that she must uncover
the truth. A truth that began during the First World War when Devlin
Reddaway fell passionately in love with Esme's elder sister Camilla,
and promised to rebuild his ancestral home, Rosindell, for her.
But the war changes
everything and Devlin returns to England to find that Camilla is
engaged to someone else. Angry and vengeful, he marries Esme, who
has been secretly in love with him for years.
Esme tries to win
Devlin's heart by reviving the annual summer dance. But as the years
pass she fears that Rosindell has a malign influence on those who
live there, and the revelation of a shocking secret on the night of
the dance tears her life apart. Decades later, it is she who must
lay the ghosts of Rosindell to rest.
THE
REALITY:-
Another great read from
the pen of Judith Lennox. I've read most of her books and whilst I
don't think this is her best novel, it's certainly not her worst- but
then again, she's never written anything that could be described as
“rubbish!”
Her style appears to
have changed- or maybe evolved would be the better term, as all
writers grow and develop over time. She uses the present tense in
certain parts of the novel, which some readers have criticized. I
personally think that, in the broader sense of the book, it works.
She uses the theme of
two sisters becoming involved with the same man. I've seen this
thread used before in her novels but in reverse, with a main female
character having a close friendship with two brothers both in Written
On Glass and, to a lesser extent, in The Shadow Child. I guess that
if you are a successful writer who has written loads of books, then
you are going to end up repeating some circumstances, especially if
those circumstances are close to your heart or seem to “work” for
you.
I wonder if the writer
was trying to evoke Rebecca-esque feelings, as this novel was set in
The Devon countryside (I've never been to Devon- note to self, make
the time to holiday in both Devon and Cornwall) and Rosindell Hall
ended up being set alight and almost destroyed in a blaze. Whether
yes or no, the ghostly Rosindell and its location were very
atmospheric and interesting.
There were many
characters in this novel and sometimes too many were introduced at
once, making the story confusing. I liked the slutty (and heartless)
Camilla- every book needs a villain, and it's good to find a female version of one! I could also associate with the almost Obsessive Compulsive
Disorder Zoe, with her need for solitude and order and her lack of
spontaneity and hate of disorganization. Some of us like to work out
exactly what we will be doing at the beginning of each day and don't
like changes to routine, and feel threatened by the concept of
adventure, so there!
The “secret” part
of the story was all too predictable, as was the final ending and
revelation of truth. But, all in all, a fantastic and very highly
recommended read.
