Tower of Silence (2003)

by Sarah Rayne

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There were things at Teind House that strangers must never find; things that must be kept concealed from the prying world at all costs . . . Selina March has lived in the remote Scottish hamlet of Inchcape, with its mysterious Round Tower, for nearly fifty years. Brought up by elderly relatives, long since dead, she now lives alone, shunning the outside world. But when she reluctantly accepts a paying guest, Selina's secluded life will change for ever. Crime writer Joanna Savile has come to Inchcape to research her latest novel by interviewing inmates at Moy, the asylum for the criminally insane situated nearby. Her secret aim is to question former child murderer, Mary Maskelyne, Moy's most infamous patient. Joanna's prying will yield unexpected results. For, although they have never met, Selina March and Mary Maskelyne are connected by a shared family tragedy: a terrible act of unspeakable cruelty that took place in India fifty years before. And there are secrets in Selina's more recent past, too. Secrets that are about to be uncovered with the most devastating and horrifying consequences . . .… (more)

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This book is very gruesome. However it is very well written. (

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MarthaJeanne | Dec 19, 2017 |

'Tower of Silence' by Sarah Rayne, is the second book of hers I've read and I think I enjoyed it even more than the first. Rayne uses the same method of plot construction in that the story consists of multiple plots and characters that manage to come together in the end in an unexpected way.

This time the 'creepy historical building' was the Tower of Alwar and the Tower of Inchcape and they were certainly creepy. I really enjoyed this book, and can't believe I picked it up in a bookshop for only $9.95. (

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Carpe_Librum | Nov 29, 2010 |

The scene is Inchcape,a lonely and desolate area of Scotland. Known only for two things,a round tower,built many years ago by monks and (needless to say) an asylum which houses the criminally insane. Among these is an infamous murderess,Mary Maskelyne who has killed her parents and several others in a most horrific manner.
Connected with this aforementioned tower is another tower - The Tower of Silence of the title. This structure stood in India and was used to dispose of the dead by leaving their bodies at the top for vultures and other birds to eat. It was the scene of a terrible act of deliberate cruelty against a group of children which has reverberated through to the present day.
A few too many coincidences prevent me from awarding this very readable book the full number of points,but that is a small criticism in what is by and large an enjoyable and fast-paced read.
Keep them coming Sarah! (

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devenish | Jul 21, 2010 |

It would be easy to dismiss Sarah Rayne's thrillers as shabby little shockers. They do, indeed, tend toward the overly gruesome, and they rely far too heavily on extreme coincidence – in this one three woman, all affected in some way by an act of horrific violence in India in the late 40s, all end up in the same small village in Scotland in the present (she even acknowledges this coincidence at one point in the narrative, and tries to handwave it away), but they're compelling reading nevertheless. Thrilling, in fact and, well – that's what they set out to be. (

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phoebesmum | May 11, 2010 |

First book by this author that I have read and it was quite a good read. Gripping ending.

Back Cover Blurb:
Selina March has lived in the remote Scottish hamlet of Inchcape, with its mysterious Round Tower, for nearly fifty years. When she reluctantly accepts a paying guest, her secluded life will change forever.
Crime writer Joanna Savile has come to interview the inmates at Moy, the asylum for the criminally insane situated nearby. Her secret aim is to question former child murderer, Mary Maskelyne, Moy's most infamous patient.
Joanna's prying will yield unexpected results. For, although they have never met, Selina March and Mary Maskelyne are connected by a shared family tragedy: a terrible act of unspeakable cruelty that took place in India fifty years before.
And there are secrets in Selina's more recent past too. Secrets that are about to be uncovered with the most horrifying consequences..... (

)

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mazda502001 | Mar 31, 2011 |

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Inchcape, Angus, Scotland, UK

Bell Rock, Angus, Scotland, UK

India

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'If you're as broke as all that,' said Gillian Campbell to her godmother, 'why on earth don't you sell Teind House?'

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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

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There were things at Teind House that strangers must never find; things that must be kept concealed from the prying world at all costs . . . Selina March has lived in the remote Scottish hamlet of Inchcape, with its mysterious Round Tower, for nearly fifty years. Brought up by elderly relatives, long since dead, she now lives alone, shunning the outside world. But when she reluctantly accepts a paying guest, Selina's secluded life will change for ever. Crime writer Joanna Savile has come to Inchcape to research her latest novel by interviewing inmates at Moy, the asylum for the criminally insane situated nearby. Her secret aim is to question former child murderer, Mary Maskelyne, Moy's most infamous patient. Joanna's prying will yield unexpected results. For, although they have never met, Selina March and Mary Maskelyne are connected by a shared family tragedy: a terrible act of unspeakable cruelty that took place in India fifty years before. And there are secrets in Selina's more recent past, too. Secrets that are about to be uncovered with the most devastating and horrifying consequences . . .

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