Owl Manor - the Final Stroke

The Owls Scream a Warning

Author Zita Harrison is adept at writing Gothic horror. Her careful use of language, setting, and symbolism brings her tales to a life of their own. This third is the final book in the Owl Manor series and the only thing I'm disappointed in is that the series has ended. I've enjoyed each volume more than the last.

In this story, thirty years have passed and it's 1904. The historical references explored within the novel are fascinating in their own right. I marveled at how difficult road trips must have been when automobiles had to compete with horses on unreliably paved roads, but I was surprised to learn that phones were already being installed in private homes.

I was pleased that the author portrayed how people pushed the boundaries of social rules back then: some women even wore pants! Central character Dolores's "shocking" preference for culottes reminded me of how females were still protesting skirts-or-dresses-only rules for women at school and work sixty years later. Though the novel doesn't insert politics overtly into the story, the seemingly eternal fight for fair treatment for women does seem to be an underlying theme.

I think the author was successful at balancing Dolores's nonconformity with keeping her believably rooted to their time. She doesn't invent the pantsuit, yet she and the other characters seem modern and relatable.

The three at the heart of the story became close friends in college, despite their different interests and temperaments. Dolores, or Didi, was the easiest for me to identify with. I liked her positive attitude, poise, sensitivity, and kindness. She's a talented artist. Rachel, determined, capable, and sometimes abrasive, is an adventurous chef and dreams of her own restaurant. Kitty, lovely, sweet, and charming, loves the theater and wants to write and perform her own plays.

I appreciated that the recent graduates want to establish their own careers instead of relying on marriage for their security. Since their talents complement each other, they're inspired to create a unique business together. Their search for a location for the proposed project fatefully leads them to Owl Manor and, uninformed about the history of the house, they move right in.

The odd behavior of the owls and Didi's terrifyingly clairvoyant dreams soon make her aware that some malevolent force is at work. The author skillfully builds suspense as disagreements between Didi, Rachel, Kitty, and members of Kitty's theater troupe drive the three friends apart and make each more vulnerable. As Owl Manor wakes up, it doesn't take long for the energies there to affect them all and bring them to the breaking point.

There is subject matter that might be triggers for some, including violence, drug use, psychological manipulation, and suggestive behavior. There's also a chaste, upbeat romance that offers a needed contrast.

Thank you so much to Zita Harrison, who made me aware that the conclusion to the Owl Manor story was finally available. Thank you to NetGalley for the free advance reader's copy. My review is not written out of any obligation or as repayment, but my thanks is well-deserved. The Final Stroke is a fast-paced, scary, perplexing, and exciting book and makes a truly satisfying conclusion to the Owl Manor epic. I can't recommend it enough!

Owl Manor by Zita Harrison.
the Final Stroke.
Book 3 of the Owl Manor Gothic Suspense Trilogy.
For a quarter of a century, the horrors at Owl Manor have been buried under dust and decay, forgotten and unheard.
Then Dolores hears the whispers.
I really did enjoy this book. Spooky. I loved the cover. 5*.

This was a new author for me . I never read anything from this author before but for the most part I really liked this book. I thought the whole story was amazing. I honestly didn’t want this book to end. I can’t wait to see what this author comes up with on the next book they write. I usually judge a book from the cover because for me it shows if it’s going to be interesting or not and I loved the book.

The final book in the Owl Manor trilogy. Dolores is an artist and she has a unique ability, she senses pain. She uses this ability, the pain she feels to express herself through her art. This ability comes into play throughout the story. Dolores and two of her friends travel to the Rocky Mountains and they stay at Owl Manor. The manor is rumored to be haunted and has some deep dark secrets. Soon, Dolores starts hear whispers, this is just beginning of some strange and unexplained events the friends will experience.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Owl Manor: Final Stroke is the fast-paced ending to the Owl Manor trilogy. This came out in September 2022, so the full trilogy is currently available.

Dolores, Kitty, and Rachel are the best of friends, and have bought Owl Manor to create a dinner theater and gallery for the people of Denver. Rachel is a wonderful chef, and although everyone loves her food, she isn't getting the same recognition that Kitty and Dolores are. Kitty is an actress and singer, writing and putting on a show once a month with Theo, Cecil, and Margaret. After the show, everyone gathers in the gallery to look at and purchase Dolores's paintings focusing on pain.

Soon, Delores starts having nightmares and unwittingly paints women being murdered in various ways. Although Dolores doesn't want to put these paintings in the gallery, Rachel wants to sell them and the customers love them, purchasing them for more than any of the other paintings. At the same time, Cecil has become close to Kitty, and they start changing the show. Rachel and Didi hardly even recognize her anymore. Rachel starts looking into the history of the manor and becomes obsessed with Rafe Blackstone, making her act strangely. When women in the red light district in town start being murdered, and Dolores is painting them, she becomes a suspect. But is it really Dolores? Or someone else close to her, that spends a lot of time at the manor?

This book was more fast-paced than the other two novels. Still gothic, with paranormal happenings, the plot moves along quickly, from one of the women to the next. With the multiple points of view, we get a full view of the goings on at the manor, and none of it is good. All three women seem to have something dark stirring within them, so could the killer be one of them?

All in all, this was a great ending to the Owl Manor trilogy. Gothic with a bit of paranormal and some romance, friendship, possible possession, multiple suspects, drama, and superstition, this book has got it all!