Review No 8: Thornwood House by Anna Romer

Nobody is more surprised than Audrey herself when she decides to keep the abandoned rural property she has recently inherited. Situated in Queensland, it is 2000 kilometres away from Audrey's home and life in Melbourne and needs extensive repairs. Yet she can't deny there is something about Thornwood House that draws her in and before she knows it she and her daughter have moved in.

Initially Audrey cannot understand why her estranged husband Tony owned the property in the first place, let alone the reason he left it to her. But after some research she realises that both Tony's grandmother and his sister died on the property under tragic circumstances. After the discovery of an old diary, Audrey is well and truly ensnared in the mystery of Thornwood House. When she starts having disturbing dreams about the house's history Audrey becomes obsessed with finding out just what happened there.

Moving between past and present, the story is compelling on both sides. Audrey uses all the resources available to uncover the truth - the diary, old photographs and the local gossip that is in plentiful supply. Picking through the facts she is faced with many disturbing truths that leave her unsettled - yet she cannot give up her quest, no matter what the outcome may be.

Thornwood House is beautifully written with some masterful suspense and numerous plot twists that keep you wondering and wanting to read on. The mystery itself is cleverly crafted and ultimately satisfying by the time you reach the end of the story.