The Widow of Pale Harbor

Set in 1840s coastal Maine, Hester Fox’s second novel further hones her own approach to Gothic fiction. There are many interesting connections to the work of Edgar Allan Poe throughout the story that help to drive the action. I found the characters to be very well-developed and unique. I also enjoyed how the story was told from two different perspectives in relation to the same series of events. If you enjoyed The Witch of Willow Hall I believe you will find the Widow of Pale Harbor to be just as appealing.

The Widow of Pale Harbor should cement the reputation that Hester Fox started building with her first Gothic novel, The Witch of Willow Hall. Once again she tells an immensely satisfying story set in New England in the 19th century, full of atmosphere and foreboding. Like other reviewers, I thought the alternating points of view worked well as a narrative device. I also enjoyed seeing the layers of Sophronia’s and Gabriel’s characters peeled away through their backstories. (Gabriel quickly became one of my favorite characters in recent reading, a fish out of water suffering from impostor syndrome. 🙂 A perfect autumn read!

Nothing new under the sun…Shakespeare quote? This melodrama is boring material.
I thought this was going to be a murder mystery. #1 yes there were murders #2 whats the mystery? The author gives up the bad guy several times also gives us a Nell Damsel in distress and a brain that appears to be missing (Nells) ! Quaint sex scenes and quaint near misses. Zowie my brain was disturbed when I decided to put this in my Kindle and read it all the way through! A romance novel, me? For shame.What a waste of my time and money!

If possible, Hester Fox’s second novel is even more gripping and spellbinding than her first. I truly loved the character building Hester does in her first book. This second one goes even further by adding page-turning thrill and more haunting violence (who doesn’t love that?!). Widow of Pale Harbour has characters you feel like you know and empathize with, and the twists and turns are genuinely disturbing! I found myself getting scared to read it alone! The following of Poe’s stories is truly genius and the twist ending truly doesn’t disappoint. I highly recommend both books, and can’t wait to read her third!

This book is very different from Hester Fox’s first book. I enjoyed the Witch of Willow Hall for the rich, evocative detailing of life at that time. This book is all about plot and characters. It is well written and the ending was a surprise . I am not a fan of Poe but liked the way his books fit the plot.

I agree with one of the other reviewers who didn’t like the romance. It seemed very forced and heavy-handed to me. A chaste kiss at the end would have been enough. Nevertheless, I am recommending this book to friends.

Galaxyaudiobook Member Benefit

- Able to comment

- List watched audiobooks

- List favorite audiobooks

- Bookmark will only available for Galaxyaudiobook member