Read if you like:

A story within a story
An eccentric writer
Domestic violence awareness
Spooky estates

Favorite quotes:

“Instead, I discovered a story of racism and mass murder, and a family torn apart by shame.”

“History doesn’t always stay in the past, Fiona.”

“‘You said something last night about the person we are being the culmination of everything we’ve been through—the good, bad and ugly,’ I say.”

“More than half a million Americans disappear each year.”

“I live in Australia, a country with a relatively small population of only 26.6 million people, and it is also a country where a woman is killed by a current or former partner almost every week. Studies suggest as many as 27 percent of Australian women over the age of 15 have experienced violence, emotional abuse, or economic abuse by a cohabitating partner.”

“… but I first heard stories about the strychnine poisoning of First Nation’s groups around Forbes when I was a teenager.”

I’m sorry I do not have a lot to report about The Midnight Estate. I enjoyed it but not as much as The Things We Cannot Say.

Rimmer incorporated some startling statistics to bring awareness to domestic violence. The numbers are shocking but it is important to be aware of these issues so we can take steps to end them.

Just as surprising was the inclusion of the trychnine poisoning of First Nation’s groups. This was another part of history I was unfamiliar with. It was important to include so history does not repeat itself.

I enjoyed this read. I did find myself more interested in the "novel" portion of the book instead of the current timeline.

A beautifully moving story about a woman who moves into her deceased relative’s rotting house, and vows to restore it. Stumbling upon memories and untold stories, Fiona goes on a journey to find out more about her family, and herself. A gripping, heartfelt story that will hold your attention until the very end.

A woman moves back to her supposedly haunted childhood home to the dismay of her mother and uncovers a startling truth regarding her mother and beloved late uncle. I'm not much for gothic-style stories, but I will read any Kelly Rimmer writes, and I was glad I did. A very moving story, well worth reading.

Fiona returns home to her crumbling, ancestral estate, a house rumored to be haunted. While trying to sort out the mess in the house, she comes across a book that seems to mirror much of her own past, and begins to realize her mother has been keeping secrets from her about her past. Atmospheric and fun.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC! I'm a Kelly Rimmer fan, and wasn't sure to expect from this new novel! It is very different from her last several historical fictions, but the perfect cozy read for a long winter weekend. Fiona moves back into her childhood home, which is rumored to be haunted, filled with the misdeeds of the past, and much to her mother's dismay, is considering restoring parts of the old mansion. She stumbles upon a box of unread books, and from there, is drawn into both the story within, and her own confusion about the secrets her home and mother may be holding back from her. Rimmer's storytelling is compulsively readable per usual, and I found myself wanting to read one more chapter often. There is a beautiful, courageous story revealed by the end, and it explores the ideas of what think we may know (or not) about our parents, our pasts, and our identity.