A perfect beginning, Helen’s story drew me immediately into the book. The flashback to Hogmanay in Scotland at the turn of this century reminded me of an early Jilly Cooper (before the bonkbusters) and the rather sweet country house stories. Particularly ‘Prudence’ which was always my favourite. This is partly set in a drafty Scottish country house, with stuffed animals on the wall, hockey and lacrosse sticks littering the corners, you get the picture. It’s always a fascinating setting. And here you get not one, but three huge Scottish houses on the coast.

The story moves very quickly from Hogmanay to marriage, so you never actually learn anything else about the new husband. He is kind and sensitive that night, and then doesn’t seem to have very many positive qualities at all.

Other characters’ motivations and points of view are lacking for much of the story, for example: why is Josephine like this?

The main female characters lack strength, and I’m sorry to say these read like women from another era of books. Sylla, Helen and Tigs are all downtrodden and unhappy in their own way; I wish there were more books where women possessed insight about other’s motivations, acted and reacted with strength and integrity. (Tigs and X; I’m not sure how much sympathy they warranted. Although she is unlikeable, what about his wife?) But am I being fair? Is this, in fact, a realistic portrayal of the lives of many women in real life and not a Lara Croft cartoon. Women who are trying the best that they can, in difficult circumstances in massive old ancestral homes. Tee hee.)

By the end there are lots of explanations, understanding and resolution for all, but by golly it did seem a long time coming. Three quarters of the way through the book and the word ‘turgid’ kept coming to mind. It was so, so long and drawn out. When a book is really, really good I find myself slowing down and reading each page very carefully. I just do not want it to end. This was certainly not the case with A Winter Memory! I did enjoy it, plus it certainly made me think and consider the characters and quality of the writing, but I did not love it.

And as for the tiny twist at the end, completely unbelievable. There is no way the (female) character would hand that over to Helen.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really like this authors books, her storylines are great. This was up there with one of the best. I would recommend to others.

Helen is married to Hamish but a scandal has them scurrying back to Ballintyre House, his family home, to live with his brother Charlie. Helen is distressed to discover that her sister-in-law Sylla is nowhere to be found and no-one seems to be bothered by her disappearance. Can Helen discover where she has gone and why?

A good family drama linking the past with the present which is well worth a read.

I struggled to get into this book, it was more of a family drama than a mystery as I thought. I read to the end to find out what had happened but I’m afraid I didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped.

Another great book from Lulu Taylor, it was rich with imagery, mystery and family drama. I was sucked in and it didnt let me go right until the end. I really enjoyed it.

Helen is married to Angus Ballintyre, but the truth is that she married him more for the comfort she received from his family than any deep abiding love for him. Now, years later, their marriage is showing signs of strain and she, Angus and their children have had to move into the family home. Helen is surprised to see that her brother-in-law, Charlie’s wife, Sylla is missing. Helen seems to be the only one worried about Sylla and she doesn’t understand why. After all, Sylla lost her daughter Rose a year before and is surely vulnerable. As Helen searches for answers, secrets about the Ballintyre family surface. I liked this book, but didn’t find it as engaging as Taylor’s other books; this is more a family drama than a mystery

A Winter Memory by Lulu Taylor

Another great book by the author , all her stories are full of suspense , intrigue and set mainly around broken famillies , or relationships and this title does not disappoint.
Helen is married to Angus Ballintyre, they are a young couple just starting out on the journey of there life together.
Time moves on and whilst Helen isn't blissfully happy with Angus , she has her family , and is getting on with life.
However they have to move back to Angus's family home , and share it with his elder brother Charles. When they arrive his wife Sylla is not at home , and whilst no-one knows where she is , they don't seem to be in any rush to find her, inspiite of the previous years tragedy.
I really enjoyed reading this book , and look forward to reading more by Lulu.

Premise
A house full of secrets lies at the heart of this absorbing family drama, perfect for the winter months, from Sunday Times top ten bestselling author Lulu Taylor.

Where is Sylla? Why will no one tell me where she is?

Helen is married to Angus, the younger of the Ballintyre brothers. They met as students and Helen fell in love, not just with Angus but with the romantic Ballintyre family and their beautiful house on the edge of a loch. But marriage to Angus has not proved happy.

Now, years later and with a family, Helen and Angus have been forced to move back to live at Ballintyre with his older brother, Charlie. Helen is surprised to find that Sylla, Charlie's wife, has disappeared and no one seems to know where she is. Helen is worried, not least because Charlie and Sylla lost their teenage daughter, Rose, only a year before. Surely someone should be looking for her...

This would be perfect for a book club it provides the reader with a lot of intrigue and mystery . It wasn’t really my cup of tea as I like to read lighter happier things leading up to the holiday, but I was definitely curious to solve the mystery and see what happened to who and who did it. It was a page turner in that aspect.