The story is told over a dual timeline and from multiple perspectives . There are many characters. The story is multi layered. The characters on the whole are unlikeable. The final twist was a shock and I didn’t see it coming.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
I enjoy this genre, and was attracted by the dual timeline. However it actually covers 3 timelines from the beginning and the friends and families create many different relationships. In addition, the story flits back and forth across the timelines as it's written from different points of view. When I reached the end I appreciated that there were some clever twists and turns in the plot and some very dark characters whose behaviour is extremely dubious, but whilst reading it seemed very convoluted. Overall I felt that the style of writing detracted from the complexity, it made it seem quite muddled. I think it's probably best read as a page-turner without putting it down; I believe this would make the whole more coherent.

This one left me with chills...

If you like stories told in many perspectives, this one is for you. There are quite a few characters telling the story which means more people for you to keep track of, and all in different generations which had me questioning where our main character fits in. But soon, I got to know them all and the threads started weaving together in perfect harmony as all the secrets started to unfold. And that final revelation? LEFT ME SHOCKED TO MY VERY CORE.

The characters were all very real, but I had a special spot for Christie. Though many years have passed, she was still suffering from the disappearance of her mom. Without that closure, she was really just coasting through life blindly, not enjoying it. She quickly built a friendship with a patient at her job, Lilian, and that may have been pushing boundaries a little TOO far, but she always did her best to keep personal and professional feelings aside. We don't get to see much of her vulnerable side being she tries to maintain a tough façade, but when she meets OJ, it does come out a little more.

We also get to know Duncan who was telling his story from the 1980s. He was a manipulated man from the start and Millie, a housemaid in the 1960s. She didn't seem like the nicest person and was often called cold and controlling.

Each chapter you get to know more of the characters, more of their story, and more of the secrets they did their best to keep buried. About halfway through I assumed I had it all figured out...I was completely wrong.

If you like big, spooky houses with closed off wards and lots of history plus some crime sprinkled on top, give this one a shot. It was a solid four star read for me and I don't think you'd be disappointed.

There were a lot of characters in this book, and it jumped around through three different decades, which made it an interesting and multilayered story, but it also made it at times quite difficult to keep track of who everyone was. Overall I enjoyed the story very much - it was quite atmospheric and I wanted to uncover the secrets that the family inhabiting Rutherford House were keeping hidden.

When I first started thus book I stopped a couple times with a "ugh just another book" well I finally picked it back up and once I got into it?! I loved this book! What an enjoyable read! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, and so many crazy twists!

Another fabulous read from this brilliant author this was a gothic style psychological thriller with lots of twists and turns and covered several timelines and focused on the events of then and now and was told from the various characters viewpoints

Once I had picked it up I couldn’t put it down and read it in practically one sitting. This was a quirky and engaging read and would make a great tv drama

C E Rose is the pen name of Caroline England and if you love the C E rose books then I definitely recommend checking out her others.

There is this unspoken gratitude to an author when you are able to read a book from start to finish without feeling exhausted or bored at any point. I owe this to the authors ability to set the pace of a book and keep the flow going. This is exactly how I felt while reading :

The Shadows of Rutherford House

This was my first book by CE Rose, and not only was it an honor to be an early reader but also rewarding as I found a new author to add to my auto-buy list.

The cover is what hooked me right in. Its eerie, spooky and mysterious. Its perfect for a girl like me who laughs in the face of danger, all while quivering under the blankets afraid to look under the bed.

The suspense was there the entire book, never once was I looking to put this one down once I started. The twist was one I could not see coming and I was engaged early on. These characters were fun and multi-dimensional, I especially enjoyed Duncan and all of his quirks.

This is a sure fire book that will keep you on the edge of your seat begging for more. I can not even give one bit of criticism as I enjoyed the entire book. Kudos to CE Rose!

Teaser:

Darkness lies at the heart of this family…

In 1959 Milly starts her new life as a housemaid at Rutherford House, working for the aristocratic Rutherford-Percy clan. Entranced by her new mistress, Vivienne, she becomes deeply embroiled in the household and the keeper of dark secrets the family conceals beneath the mansion’s grand exterior.

In the present day, Christie is working as a psychiatric nurse when she meets troubled patient Lillian Percy, Vivienne’s granddaughter and heiress to Rutherford House. They soon bond over the loss of their mothers
– Lillian’s died when she was a child; Christie’s mysteriously disappeared over twenty years ago – and Christie finds herself increasingly fascinated by
Lillian’s family and their imposing ancestral home.

As Christie learns more about the Rutherford-Percys, she finds a shocking clue that could help her uncover what happened to her own mother. Desperate for answers, Christie puts her job, her family and even her very life on the line. But how much of the truth does she really want to know?


Big Thank You to Hera, CE Rose, and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review The Shadows of Rutherford House . It was an honor <3

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I love a good gothic thriller set in an old house. Three storylines take you into a family mystery in an amazing setting.

This book is told from multiple points of view over various timelines - but the main protagonists are Milly, the faithful housekeeper of the Percy/Rutherford family, Duncan, the family's groundskeeper, and Christie, the nurse/assistant to Lillian, the last of the once great family's line, who has found herself in a psychiatrist hospital after a nervous breakdown. The set-up really is fantastic and immediately hooked my interest, with the dark past of the family simultaneously unfolding alongside the equally troubled present. And each timeline had plenty of intrigue.

The ending was spectacular, plenty of twists, including several I did not ever see coming! My jaw was practically on the floor at points! Kudos to the author for creating a great, intriguing story and an ending that was shocking and creative, but at the same time was believable (in the context of the story, of course).

The characters were also really well drawn and contained a lot of depth. Each of the main characters had a well thought-out back story, including plenty of family drama, even outside of the well-to-do Percy/Rutherford family, which of course is the main focus. Every family in the book has some problems - some of them pretty big (Christie's family plays a big part in the story), so that also adds more layers to the story.

This was a great mystery/thriller that I sailed through, I was so fascinated by it! I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good book in with some chills and twists.

The story of the Percy family told in three timelines through the perspectives of people close to them. Milly is Vivienne's maid from the 60s to present, Duncan is the caretaker and was involved with Vivienne's daughter Imogen in 1988, and Christie is a nurse in the present day caring for Lillian, Imo's daughter, after a breakdown. This was pretty engaging and I mostly liked it. 3.5 stars rounded to 3.

The Shadows of Rutherford House is a gothic suspense novel with three different POV. We follow Millie, Duncan and Christie. The book also has dual timelines set in the 60s, 80s and present day. Christie is a psychiatric nurse at the facility where Lillian is currently recovering after a mental breakdown. When Lillian is released from the unit she isn't keen to go back to her childhood home, Rutherford House and stay with her grandmother although the two seem to get on well. Lillian tells Christie that the house is haunted by her mother. Christie has her own unanswered questions about why her mum disappeared more than twenty years ago - did she abandon her or did something happen to her? Christies never gotten over this and just can't put it to rest. The two seem to connect to each other and a friendship develops even though it is not allowed between patient and carer. Through some digging into the history and secrets held at Rutherford House, Christie discovers a link that could help her find out what happened to her mother all those years ago but will it give her the answers she so desperately seeks.
This book was quite confusing at the beginning and up until I'd say about 30% of the way through then it really starts to connect. The multiple characters and timelines and stories were a little confusing to keep track of and piece together at first but I advise not to give up as once it begins to connect it gets so much better. The twist at the end wasn't expected which I enjoyed. This is my second book by C E Rose (Caroline England) and it won't be my last!
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"Darkness lies at the heart of this family…
In 1959 Milly starts her new life as a housemaid at Rutherford House, working for the aristocratic Rutherford-Percy clan. Entranced by her new mistress, Vivienne, she becomes deeply embroiled in the household and the keeper of dark secrets the family conceals beneath the mansion’s grand exterior."
This story is told from three point of views; Milly the housemaid at Rutherford House, Duncan the groundskeeper of Rutherford House, and Christie a psychiatric nurse. Each point of view begins in a different timeline, slowly merging to current day as their paths cross.
This is a light mystery with a lot of unlikable characters that added to the overall atmosphere. I like the way this story was told, but did find it a bit confusing and slow starting. However, when the story took off (around the 40% mark) I was hooked. Around the 60% mark I guessed the ending but continued reading to watch it play out. I did consider DNF'ing this book in the beginning; the story could of been much shorter - taking off and then getting to the final reveals more quickly - and still provide a great reader experience. In the end I'm glad that I stayed with the story and did enjoy it overall.

⭐⭐⭐💫 (3.5)
Thank you to NetGalley and Hera Books for this ARC.

This story follows three different timelines and characters: Millie, housekeeper at Rutherford house, Duncan, the groundskeeper's son, and Christie, a psychiatric nurse caring for Lillian and curious why she's so reluctant to return home to Rutherford. It took awhile to get into the story and figure out how the many characters fit together. But about halfway through, the story really caught me, the short chapters only adding to the suspense. I loved the Gothic feel of the story and the shocking reveal at the end!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Three families are intertwined in ways they're not even aware of. Starting in the 1960's and continuing into today, spur of the moment choices ruin the lives of several members. Madness, money, love, murder, and abandonment run through the story. I received this from Net Galley.

The Shadows of Rutherford House
A twisty, suspenseful page-turner full of mysteries to unravel
by CE Rose
Earc:NetGalley
Publisher: Hera Books
Publication Date: 10 Nov 2022
Genre :General Fiction, Women's Fiction

The Shadows of Rutherford House is a gothic thriller with so many twists and turns and a dark atmosphere to the story.

Told from three perspectives and across three generations. The story is very mysterious and I was very interested in how the three different timelines were connected.

Well-drawn characters and a unique storyline are expertly woven together to create a satisfying ending.


5 star reading highly recommended!
Shadows of the Rutherford Mansion
A twisted and suspenseful page turn full of mysteries to unravel

NetGalley #bookstagram #bookreview #goodreads #generalfiction #womensfiction @herabooks #theshafowsofrutherfordhouse

A little slow to begin but once it got going it was a total page turner . Really enjoyed this book 👌

I thought the book was good. I loved the story. I love reading long books and it was exactly what I was looking for. I will definitely be buying a copy sometime soon. Very good book. I recommend this to everyone.

The Shadows of Rutherford House is a gothic thriller with so many great twists and turns, it has a dark atmosphere to the story.

It is told through three perspectives and over three generations. There is a lot of mystery to the story and I was very curious to see how the three different timelines were connected.

It has a well drawn cast of characters and a unique plot which is cleverly woven together to create a satisfying ending.

Highly recommended five star read!

Thankyou #NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of #TheShadowsofRutherdHouse Publication Date: 10th Nov 2022

Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this before its release.

The Shadows of Rutherford House
by C.E. Rose

This is the books blurb

Darkness lies at the heart of this family…

Christie is still coming to terms with the sudden and unexplained disappearance of her mother, over twenty years ago, leaving her unable to move on. Through her work as a psychiatric nurse, she becomes drawn to a troubled patient, Lillian, similarly haunted by the loss of her own mother.

As she tries to help Lillian leave the hospital and return to her stately childhood home, Christie finds herself fascinated by the mysterious Rutherford-Percy clan. Why is Lillian so terrified of Rutherford House? Why is she so reluctant to embrace her aristocratic legacy?

The more Christie learns about the family and their dark, ancestral past, the deeper the secrets seem to run - until she finds a clue that could help uncover what happened to her own mother. Desperate for answers, Christie puts her job, her family and even her very life on the line. But how much of the truth does she really want to know?

Written from lots of different characters POV and jumping backwards and forwards in time, this could easily cause confusion.

It could but for some reason it didn't, I was curious at first and about a quarter of the way through I was keen to find the connection between the characters.

A connection was there but not quite within grasp by the time I was just over halfway I was fully invested in everyone and wanted to know just how the stories ties up.

Lots of intrigue, I was at the edge of my seat (well bed! but you know what I mean) this was a cleverly constructed story line that was written well enough to keep you turning the page. The length of the chapters helped me to read just one more before I closed the book.

There was a great range of characters some I loved and some that weren't intended to be liked along with some I wanted to understand better.

I highly rated this and it was one of my best reads of 2022

Thank you NetGalley and Hera Books for this Arc! This was the perfect Gothic thriller to finish off spooky season with.

I found the first bit of the book difficult to get into as there were many characters introduced but once I got through that I could not put this book down! There were many twists in this book and the last one surprised me!

If you enjoy Gothic thrillers and creepy settings this book is for you!

4/5 stars!