I’ll admit, the setting was what first enticed me to learn this novel. An abbey/boarding college sitting atop a rugged cliff on the Cornish coast… how atmospheric.

The twin-time line narrative served this story nicely.

Current day: Amanda and Mike are very current ’empty-nesters’. Mike has a brand new place as deputy head of a distant boarding college in Cornwall. Amanda, lacking her kids desperately, thinks perhaps a recent begin, in a brand new location, would assist her regulate to her new scenario. As soon as there, Mike is completely consumed by his work. The college is struggling financially and Mike spends each free minute attending to his myriad duties. Amanda although, is left with far an excessive amount of free time. Not solely does she miss her kids, however she additionally misses her buddies in London. This, in flip, places an enormous pressure on their marriage.

1966: A younger lady named Theresa leaves Dublin to take up a place as college nurse at Hallows Abbey in Cornwall. She enjoys the work very a lot. She tries her finest to be neutral, however she is especially keen on a boy named John. He’s a scholarship scholar who doesn’t fairly ‘slot in’, and consequently is bullied.

Theresa can be falling in love… she is besotted with an area man. When a ship journey is deliberate for the boys as an outing, she finagles a method for this man to skipper the boat. The day led to tragedy… the boys and lecturers who went out that day had been by no means discovered.

In the meantime, Amanda (current day) learns of the tragic boat journey. She turns into increasingly fascinated about discovering out simply what occurred that day. Her life on the Abbey is turning into increasingly distressing. Mike pays her no consideration, she is menopausal, and he or she always hears crying at night time. Crying that appears to don’t have any supply…

Because the previous offers up its secrets and techniques, the resilience of each Amanda and younger Theresa is highlighted.

Really helpful to readers who love a gothic ambiance coupled with a mysterious story.

This evaluate was written voluntarily and my score was by no means influenced by the truth that I obtained a complimentary digital copy of this novel from Boldwood Books by way of NetGalley.

Publication date: October 4, 2025

ISBN: 9781835617144 – ASIN: ‎ B0DSCS2WR5 – 360 pages

Victoria Scott is a bestselling British writer of life-affirming fiction, recognized for her gripping gothic historic mysteries and uplifting e-book membership novels that discover themes of hope, resilience and the facility of human friendship and love. Her books are good for followers of Lucinda Riley, Kate Morton, and Jojo Moyes.

Her novels, The Storyteller’s Daughter and The Ladies Who Wouldn’t Depart, are each Amazon Prime 100 bestsellers. Her newest novel, The Home on the Cliff – a haunting, atmospheric story of secrets and techniques and second probabilities – is out now.

Earlier than turning into a novelist, Victoria labored as a journalist for the BBC, The Telegraph and Al Jazeera. She now combines her love of storytelling with lecturing in journalism at Kingston College.

Victoria lives on an island within the River Thames together with her husband, two kids, and a cat referred to as Alice. When she’s not writing, she is a eager (however beginner) singer and gardener.

Join with Victoria Scott by way of her web site; Twitter; and/or Instagram.