House of Silence

I literally bought this novel because of the house on the cover, barely reading the blurb! Anyway, a very good story, neatly plotted, with a mix of believable and Dickensian characters, but - like Alfie, the narrator's boyfriend and prodigal son of Creake House, there is also a slightly insincere quality that put me off towards the end. Like the author was trying to translate psychology textbooks into fiction, there was an overload of improbable dialogue and tidy resolutions that I just couldn't swallow. When the first 'secret' was revealed, I was thinking that Alfie was working alone, gulling the family, and that Gwen would be in danger for figuring out the truth - which might have worked better. But no - let's all sit down with the show more resident shrink and spill our guts, then feel better and thank the interloper for restoring our lives and sanity.

Until that point, however - four stars. I actually liked Gwen, until she was beatified by the family, and the uncovering of clues at Creake Hall was nicely done. In the words of Elvis - a little less conversation, a little more action, please. show less

Linda Gillard’s legion of fans have been eagerly awaiting the chance to read a new novel from her, and this fan definitely wasn’t disappointed. House of Silence was a pleasure to read, and a disappointment to finish.

It’s the story of Gwen, a young woman damaged by her childhood, who meets Alfie, the son of a famous writer on whom she had based her well-known main character. On the face of it, Alfie seems to have everything that Gwen doesn’t, in particular a good family environment. Alfie takes her to Creake Hall, his family home, where she meets his sisters and his mother, and Gwen finds out that not everything is as it at first appeared.

Alfie’s family are great creations. I loved Hattie and her patchwork quilts, and the show more homeliness of Viv. I also liked his mother, Rae, eccentric but likeable. And then there’s Marek, the brooding and attractive gardener (say no more!).

This is a splendid read. It’s a country house story, but it didn’t feel contrived like some do. Above all, it’s a story of how damaged families can be, and how much damage they can do to the generations to follow. Parts of the book really moved me, and it also made me smile in places too. And it’s an easy read in that it flows beautifully. A triumph, and worth waiting for!

Linda Gillard is an author who publishers seem to find hard to pigeonhole and for that reason they seem reluctant to take a chance on her. Her readers, however, only care about great writing, good plots, and standout characters, and these are what she always delivers. If you liked her other books then you will love House of Silence, and if you are a new reader then I definitely recommend you go and read her back catalogue and support a superb writer. show less

I have just spent the most fabulous day fully immersed in Creake Hall and all it's intrigues!I was a little dubious about reading on my laptop, I don't own a kindle, and as this book is (tragically) only available as an e-book, I downloaded the Kindle app for my laptop, intending to dip in and out and just read small sections! This worked well for the first quarter, and today, I sat down at 3pm to read another chapter or 2, 6 hours later, having only paused to cook dinner, I finished the book!Gwen is a fabulous heroine, so real and accessible I felt I'd made a friend not met a character in a book, and she's surrounded by such a wonderful, wacky cast of characters. (I have a soft spot for dear Hattie) and not forgetting the gorgeous show more Marek, who will haunt my dreams for a long time I'm sure! Grey pyjamas will never seem the same!And the story itself is so artfully crafted, just as I thought I'd got it all figured out, and knew what was coming, so Linda put in another soaring loop of a twist, leaving me floundering again, in the best possible way, so I just HAD to keep reading to find out what was really going on at Creake Hall.Overall, 10/10, fab read!! show less

I've just finished reading House of Silence and I'm blown away. The book has been published for Kindle and I don't have one, so Gillard kindly furnished me with a copy I could download and read on my computer. This process took a while because it was a little hard on aging eyes, but I'm so glad I read it. (And by the way, Linda, I'm definitely in the Marek camp.)

In the beginning we are introduced to a young woman named Gwen who works as a theatrical wardrobe mistress. She meets a charming actor named Alfie and they become lovers. Gwen had a pretty awful childhood and has no family, so when Alfie tells her he must go home for Christmas although he hates it every year, she talks him into taking her along. She pictures a lovely family show more Christmas with all the food and traditions she imagines a country house family in England must enjoy. And so they go off to Creake Hall. Love the name.

Gwen meets his mother, a famous writer of children's books who seems to be suffering from some type of senility, and Alfie's four sisters. Then she meets the gardener who is called Tyler. Mother can't remember names of gardeners so every time they hire a new one, he is called Tyler after the last one she remembers. Actually his name is Marek and he lives in the old mill on the property. All of these interesting characters seem to have secrets, in fact Gwen is the only character whose life is an open book. "Oh the tangled web we weave . . ."

Trying to figure out the truth about everyone is delightful fun, especially in the case of dark handsome Marek, who had been a psychiatrist, and Hattie, the youngest sister. Hattie is a quilter; she and Gwen become fast friends over needle and thread.

I did have a little trouble getting into the story, but that problem can be explained most likely by my reading it on the computer. That's one of the many reasons I have resisted buying a Kindle. Once I got well acquainted with the characters, though, I was hooked. Gillard has a talent for creating such believable characters that they seem like old friends. Nothing they do is out of character and they talk like real people talk. I'll be thinking about them for quite a while.

Another thing I like is that she includes a final chapter that explains what happened after the denouement of the plot. Not only that, it all makes perfect sense. As usual with Gillard's work, I highly recommend this although I do wish the powers that be would stop referring to her books as romance novels because they are so much more. show less

This is the first book I've read by Linda Gillard but it won't be the last. While dramatic and heartbreaking at times, House of Silence is also an amusing, attainable read. Even when you think you've solved the mystery another turn comes in the road. The characters were well-define and so likeable. I'm so glad I discovered this author!

Linda has three previously published books, and many loyal fans, and yet her agent was unable to find a publisher who would take on House of Silence. She has finally decided to release it as an ebook, and it has been very well received. I very much enjoyed her previous books, so Linda kindly sent me a copy of this one to take a look at.

As previously mentioned, the book starts with the building relationship between Gwen and Alfie, both of whom have difficult backgrounds. Gwen’s family all died when she was young, including her mother, and it becomes obvious to us, if not to Gwen, that this has caused it’s own damage. Alfie also has difficulties with his family – but they are still around, full of complications, and expecting him to show more visit at Christmas, as he always does.

Alfie seems very reluctant to let Gwen join him, but eventually he agrees, and so as they travel, he tells her a little more about the various people she will meet. It’s only once they arrive however, that we really get to see these wonderful characters. Like Alfie and Gwen, these character are worth reading about because they’re flawed and real. And for me, this is the strength of Linda’s writing, giving us real, interesting characters.

I don’t mind saying that this isn’t my favourite of Linda’s books, as I do like it when she pushes just a little further. Emotional Geology and A Lifetime Burning are my favourites, the latter being a much more controversial book. However, House of Silence still has a lot to offer, and the second half of the book kept me gripped, reading the twists and turns to find out where it would take me.

Linda’s books don’t fit tidily into one genre, and if that’s holding the publishers back, they really should think again, because it means that Linda’s books reach a wide audience. There’s a family drama, a growing mystery, glimpses of dealing with mental health issues, plus a touch of romance. Be careful though, you’ll probably want to go and get the rest of Linda’s books!

By the way, it’s worth pointing out that although House of Silence is published for the Kindle, it’s not restricted to just that. It’s possible to get a Kindle app for many platforms, including pc. show less

House of Silence is Linda Gillard's fourth novel. Available as an ebook via Kindle.

Wardrobe mistress Gwen, meets the handsome Alfie, an actor, and embarks on a passioniate relationship. With Christmas approaching, she presuades him to take her with him to Creake Hall,his family home for the holiday. Alfie, however is very secretive about his childhood, and seems to have a difficult relationship with his family. Gwen senses early on that this Christmas is going to be very different, and that there are things about Alfie that she has no idea about. Upon getting to Creake Hall, Gwen meets Alfie's sisters, and his reclusive mother, a renowned children's writer. An added attraction is the gardener, Tyler - real name Marek, who has a past he show more too seems haunted by. Gwen feels drawn to Marek who lives in a nearby mill straight away. In Alfie's sister Hattie, Gwen discovers a shared love of quilting, and fabrics and this connection begins to lead Gwen to other discoveries about the family.

In the fast paced family drama, Linda Gillard has blended romance, quilting and a complicated family mystery to create a page turner of a story, that lovers of sewing will also really enjoy. I really liked the character of Hattie, and although I am not a fan of sewing of any knid, hers and Gwens passion for fabrics, and quilts in particular made me think I was missing out on something. show less