Review: The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell

So, I won a proof of this lovely book from a Goodreads competition a while back, and well, coming up to October and Halloween I thought, hey this will be a great time to read a spooky horror story! (Yes I know it's past Halloween now, but I did read it around then so it counts!)

I've never really read any horror books before, but I do love the odd Historical Fiction book, so I thought this would be a good place to start, and it was!

Here it is:

Newly married, newly widowed Elsie is sent to see out her pregnancy at her late husband's crumbling country estate, The Bridge.

With her new servants resentful and the local villagers actively hostile, Elsie only has her husband's awkward cousin for company. Or so she thinks. 

But inside her new home lies a locked room, and beyond that door lies a two-hundred-year-old diary and a deeply unsettling painted wooden figure – a Silent Companion – that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself...

I don't usually read Horror, or watch horror, or really go into the horror genre at all really, but when I do occasionally step into the world of Horror, I love it. Which is what happened to me with this book. In fact, I think this book has definitely been a good venture into the horror books genre, and I'll definitely be reading other books like this in the future.

One thing I loved about this book was that it went between Elsie's story, in both her past and present day, and the times of Anne Bainbridge (an ancestor of the family from 200 years ago). I liked that it went between these times, as it showed just how the Silent Companions came to the house, and why they may have acted the way they did, and also shows you what happened to Elsie. You first find out about them and their spooky ways because of the diary of Anne Bainbridge, and this is where the times begin to jump, which I think is a great way to write in the history of a book.

The actual story begins in a psychiatric hospital, where Elsie is recovering after a fire at the house. It details her story, as written by her and read by her Psychiatrist Dr Shepherd, and why she ended up in the hospital.I definitely like the way this was written, as it really helps you to connect with Elsie and the story, and it also keeps you guessing and wondering what happened to make Elsie end up in the hospital.

It did take me a while to get into this book, but when I did I was hooked, and wondering what was truth and what was the imaginations of Elsie herself, and the ending of this book just blew me away (I won't spoil it, but it's definitely a twist that I didn't expect at all). Definitely a book to read if you like horrors and slight mystery.

I give this book: 4 Cats!

Have you read this book before? Or do you have any spooky recommendations? Comment Below!