#Review: The Legacy of Halesham Hall by Jenni Keer @JenniKeer @AccentPress #newrelease #histfic #TheLegacyofHaleshamHall

It was only a couple of weeks ago that I realised I’d neglected to review a book I read and thoroughly enjoyed in advance of my September holiday – with renewed apologies to the lovely Jenni Keer, I’m delighted today to share my review of her latest book, The Legacy of Halesham Hall. Published on 15th September by Headline Accent, it’s now available as an ebook on all major platforms, in paperback, and as an audiobook – and my timing might actually not be as bad as I thought it was, because the kindle version is currently available for just 99p, so this might just be the perfect time to add it to your reading list.

I really love Jenni Keer’s writing (and she’s particularly lovely too, a great supporter of her fellow romance authors and those who read their books), ever since I discovered and so enjoyed her first book, The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker – it really was a gorgeous read, with great characters, and that perfect balance between the comedy and those emotional moments (you’ll find my review here). And her second book, The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows might just have been even better – something very special indeed, and one of my 2019 Books of the Year (you’ll find my review here). After a change of publisher her third book, The Secrets of Hawthorn Place, took her writing in a quite different direction – and although I might have had some initial reservations, I ended up adoring it, blown away by the book’s highly original premise, the author’s exceptional imagination, and writing that was better than ever (you can read my full review again here). I was very much looking forward to seeing what she did next, and read this one in advance of publication (with thanks to the publishers, my e-copy came via netgalley).

Let’s take a closer look…

A love that seems lost, may still yet be found, for real love always endures.

 

1890 One summer evening changes everything for Sidney and Leonard Bellingham when their beloved mother disappears from the family home, Halesham Hall. Left with their bitter father, they are taught to trust no one but themselves, with brother pitted against brother to see who is worthy of inheriting the Bellingham Board Games company. But the series of twisted games they are forced to play will have far reaching consequences.

 

1920 Phoebe Bellingham arrives at Halesham Hall determined to solve the puzzles that will allow her to claim back the Bellingham inheritance. But this legacy involves more than one secret, and soon Phoebe realises that the stakes are higher than she ever could have imagined.

A dual time story this time – something I always enjoy – but one with a real difference. There’s no contemporary storyline, and the book’s present day is the 1920s, as Phoebe arrives at Halesham Hall, owned by her uncle, after the tragic loss of her parents. But she’s not looking for consolation and a place in the bosom of the family – she has a thirst for revenge over her father’s treatment, and hopes for the opportunity to reclaim her rightful inheritance. And it’s perhaps just as well that she’s not expecting a warm welcome – she’s reluctantly allowed to stay, but only if she takes work as a servant in a household that faces more than the usual challenges.

And then there’s the earlier storyline – the 1890s, and the story of two brothers forced to compete for their inheritance by their bully of a father who runs a board games empire. His cruelty has already seen his wife disappear into the night – witnessed by young Sidney – and he then pits the brothers against each other with a series of mind games and conundrums, the penalty for loss being an insecure future. But the brothers are in competition for more than their inheritance – they both love the same woman, one of them particularly obsessively, and only one can win the prize. Both father and son have their reasons for believing that women can’t be trusted – father Clement’s abandonment drove him to make life as difficult as he could for his house’s female servants through a series of alterations to its fabric (uneven stairs, listening devices, dizzying shifts in perspective, disturbing murals), while the house’s winning incumbent is driven only by bitterness and disappointment.

I found this book totally unputdownable, its twists and turns every bit as fascinating as the house’s many idiosyncrasies – the characterisation is excellent throughout, but the house itself is a constant enigma too and very much a character in its own right. The identity of the winning brother is slowly revealed – there’s a nice ambiguity early in the story, slowly disentangled – and Phoebe finds herself engaged in the same challenges that decided the inheritance in an attempt to find the house’s missing deeds and establish her own claim. And it’s so very cleverly done, the storylines mirroring each other, the reader sometimes a few steps ahead with an urge to shout “look at the stairs”.

The author’s emotional touch throughout is just perfect – although his later behaviour might leave something to be desired at times, little Sidney is never anything other than a sympathetic character who you can’t help but feel sorry for and want to cuddle. In the 1920s though… but I really must let you discover the full story for yourself, as I particularly loved the experience of being led through the story with so many surprises along the way. And there’s a good helping of romance to the book too, very well handled – veering towards obsession in the earlier story, unexpected but welcome (and entirely convincing) elsewhere. And the book’s focus on the themes around family and belonging were superbly done too, woven into a compelling story.

I really loved this one – not at all what I was expecting, but the product of a wonderful imagination and a fascinating story quite superbly told. Highly recommended by me.

About the author

Jenni Keer is a history graduate who embarked on a career in contract flooring before settling in the middle of the Suffolk countryside with her antique furniture restorer husband. She has valiantly attempted to master the ancient art of housework but with four teenage boys in the house it remains a mystery. Instead, she spends her time at the keyboard writing women’s fiction to combat the testosterone-fuelled atmosphere with her number one fan #Blindcat by her side. Much younger in her head than she is on paper, she adores any excuse for fancy-dress and is part of a disco formation dance team.

 Jenni is also the author of The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker, The Unexpected Life of Maisie Meadows and The Secrets of Hawthorn Place.

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