I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Prophecy of Bees by R.S. Pateman Published by Orion on November 20, 2014
Genres: Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 352
Format: E-Arc
Source: Netgalley
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When Lindy, a recently widowed American expat, buys a large manor house in the Cotswolds, she thinks it’s the fresh start she and her wayward daughter Izzy need. Stagcote Manor is a large, rambling house with a rich history and Lindy is thrilled at the prospect of their new life there.
Izzy, however, is less convinced. She longs to be back in the hustle and bustle of London. There's something unnerving about the house that she can’t quite put her finger on. And as Izzy begins to immerse herself in Stagcote life, she gradually realises the locals have a lot of strange and disturbing superstitions, many of them related to the manor.
When Izzy begins to investigate the history of the house, her unease soon darkens to fear as the manor’s dark past finally comes to light.
Izzy, whose point of view The Prophecy of Bees is from, at first appears to be an irritating and annoying 17-year-old, but in the end I was rooting for her to succeed as she delves deeper into the mystery of the curse on the manor, is it all real? Is it just Izzy’s imagination? Or are there greater forces at work?
It was strange how much superstitions the villagers held, and the extremity they went to ensure that these were carried out – for example all news has to be conveyed to the bees. These oddities clash dramatically with modern thinking.
This was more twisted and gripping than expected and left me question how much I actually put into superstition and folklore and how much power they really have to draw you in. The Prophecy of Bees left me with an unsettled feeling, but held me in its grips, to the bitter end. I was determined to find out how everything would turn out!
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