"To be haunted is to glimpse a truth that might best be hidden."
~James Herbert
"Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again."
And so begins the reader's adventure into the mind of Mr. & Mrs. Maximilian de Winter. The second Mrs. de Winter becoming a young bride after the less-than-a-year-ago death of Max's first wife, Rebecca.
Despite never learning the new Mrs. de Winter's name, we are taken along through their quick marriage in Monte Carlo to their return to the de Winter estate known famously as Manderley. Where, less than 10 months ago, Rebecca de Winter met her death after drowning in a storm. However, being dead does not mean she is forgotten.
After meeting the staff, Max's young bride explores her new life from the inside out. With finding locked rooms and hidden tunnels throughout Manderley, to discovering a shed on the estate with a strange stain on the floorboards, and realizing Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper, is not as welcoming as she should be due to an alliance to the late Rebecca, the new Mrs. de Winter does not seem fit for Manderley, or to follow in the shadows of a prominent wife such as Rebecca was.
Although, not everything is as it seems in Manderley. Maxim is hiding a terrible secret from his new bride - and his staff at Manderley - and when it appears that secret is coming to light, he will finally seek solace in his new wife. And this secret could either cost him his own life, or both of their lives as they know it.
Filled with secrets, lies, twists you never see coming, "Rebecca" stands the test of time for being one of the best romantic suspense books I have ever come across. I thoroughly enjoyed walking along side the Main Character as she found herself amid the ghosts of Manderley and ultimately, found her voice against those who wish her ill-will.
Written in 1938, "Rebecca" reminds us that nobody can take someone's place, but nobody is perfect either. We all have our secrets, even those we hold dear to us. You never know what happens behind closed doors. And you never, ever know what secrets a house could tell, given the opportunity.
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