The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson/ 400 pgs

The lantern is a modern Gothic tale that holds a few surprises along the way. Many readers may find it a little confusing in that two different stories are being told but in different time periods and taking place in the same French hamlet - “Les Genévriers”. One of the big questions as the story unfolds is whether or not the hamlet is haunted by one or two of the previous owners. One story takes place in present day and involves Eve and Dom a couple who have recently met, fell in love and moved into the crumbling hamlet. They are happy in the beginning exploring all the hidden rooms and  the antique treasures they find those first few weeks.  Soon they seem to drift apart and Eve (her nickname - her real name is never revealed in the book) is questioning who Dom really is and what secrets he is hiding. The second story is told by the ghost of Benedicte and I find this story much more suspenseful. Benendicte grew up in the hamlet along with her siblings Marthe, and  Pierre many years ago. It was interesting that Marthe was blind and went into the perfumery business using her keen sense of smell. This was a book discussion read and many of the members felt it was overwritten and that the author used a lot of flowery prose but it did make for a very good discussion. I am not sure that I would read another book by this author but if you like gothic romance I would highly recommend Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier or Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.