Secrets of the Watch House by Jenny Ashcroft tells the story of Violet Ellis a young women who is hiding from her family's history because of her fathers reputation

That is until she falls in love with James who is getting over the mysterious death of Elizabeth, his wife.

After taking the dangerous journey to the Island where James lives the household and islanders start to receive letters about who the night when James’s wife disappeared.


Secrets of the Watch House by Jenny Ashcroft is a psychological thriller historical novel told over two timelines,

The first is in 1934 when Violet moves to the island and the second tells the story of James meeting his wife and her disappearance.

The novel jumps from one timeline to another, which allows readers to try to work out what happened to Elizebeth and how this is affecting the events of 1934.

However the writer Jenny Ashcroft is very good at separating in what timeline the story is in and not confusing the reader, which is a danger in this type of story.

While this story is in essence an historical mystery, and stands up on its own in those genres, the novel does have a definite gothic theme to the story relying on the location being a windswept island, along with the hint of a supernatural cause to events.

Although not a perfect novel Secrets of the Watch House due to the novel’s pacing, due to the number of pages it did seem to last longer than was needed. Especially at 480 pages the book could have lost 50 pages and readers would still have the essence of the novel.

Having said that, Secrets of the Watch House by Jenny Ashcroftwas still a novel that would be enjoyable for the correct reader.

A slow start but, it had me hooked. I found it very similar to Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier which is one of my all time favorites. The story had creepy vibes and a creepy housekeeper and being set in Cornwall made it more atmospheric. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

It's a beautiful setting for a book loaded with mystery and intrigue. There are characters you find yourself rooting for, and some are truly loathsome. While I did struggle to get into this, I am glad I stuck with it.

Wow - this was a fantastic book - couldn't put it down form the first chapter! I can never wait for the next book to be released!

I have never picked up a Jenny Ashcroft book without being hooked from the first page, yet! This is no exception. It flows, it's exciting, you're constantly wrong-footed and it's just a super mystery/thriller with du Maurier vibes, that keeps you hooked; and intriguing characters you just can’t make your mind up about.
The story is told from 2 dates: 1932 (& prior) when the new wife of James Atherton goes missing and a body is later discovered in a cave nearby; and 2 years later when we meet Violet Ellis - and she meets James.
Violet is a young woman with no family when James Atherton offers her employment at his luxurious mansion on Aoife’s bay; a remote, windy island off Cornwall. She’s desperate to escape her current life. She gradually gets closer to James and is curious about the deceased wife, but no-one mentions her and the staff seem almost hostile towards Violet from the moment she arrives.
Anonymous letters are appearing (the reader does not know who they’re to, either) and everyone is anxious after a postal delivery… The hostility grows. There's a lot of blackmail and coercion, suspicion, mistrust, and red herrings leading to the discovery of the truth. A great ‘cosy’ read for a Winter’s evening.

I haven’t read anything by this author before, really enjoyed this book and the storyline. It was a bit slower paced than I normally read.
4 stars from me xx

Thanks Netgalley & HQ

Cornwall, 1934.

Violet Ellis is living in the shadows of her father’s ruined reputation. So, when wealthy widower James Atherton offers her employment, she immediately begins the treacherous journey to his home on the remote Cornish island of Aoife’s Bay – despite the bone-chilling allegations surrounding his late wife Elizabeth’s death.

In James’s company, Violet begins to feel the love that has been missing all her life. But when anonymous letters start to plague the bay’s residents, threatening to expose what really happened to Elizabeth, Violet feels the hostility towards her grow. She has an unsettling sense of being watched in her new home, and as the mysteries of the island draw her in, she starts to fear she might never find a way out …

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As I love Cornwall I’m always drawn to a Cornish setting and I’ve enjoyed a couple of Jenny Ashcroft’s previous novels so I was looking forward to this novel, set on an island off the coast of Penzance.
It’s an atmospheric novel that really drew me in to the lives of Violet and Elizabeth, told from their points of view in 1934 and 1932. They are two completely different characters, portrayed brilliantly. This is a slow burn but immersive novel and the author is such an excellent story teller that I felt that I was part of the women’s world, I loved the island location and the setting between the wars.
A wonderful novel that I would recommend.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

I have just finished reading this book and whilst I devoured the first 3/4 of it, I really struggled with the last part. Elizabeth was such an annoying manipulative character of indescribable rudeness that I found it hard to read it all.
However I really enjoyed the setting of the little island and it' s characters. Some of them were distinctly odd and not many of them sounded like people I would like to meet.
Violet and James sounded lovely and theirs was a nice story.
All in all a good read and one I enjoyed, vey long though.

Reading this novel, I felt transported to this tiny island of Aoife off Penzance, with its wild weather, cliffs, rocks and a lighthouse slowly blinking out to sea. The characters of James and Violet were endearing as their personalities were revealed. This mystery was full of twists and turns and suspenseful to the end. To say nothing of Elizabeth would be remiss; a vindictive, jealous lady determined to punish those who had wronged her. A most enjoyable page-turner.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this e-ARC.

With a classic murder mystery vibe, this 1930s historical story is emotional, enthralling and evocative. Violet takes a chance and accepts a job on a remote island off the Cornish coast with a man steeped in notoriety. Violet is no stranger to scandal after her father's actions, and her new employer's kindness makes her willing to take a risk. What she discovers changes her life immeasurably but also puts her in danger. The island setting's remoteness and tragic past bring it to life in an almost human way. The characters are believable, and whilst relatable, they have a mysterious quality because of their secrets. Told from dual viewpoints and timelines, the reader gains an omnipotent grasp of events, but Elizabeth's revengeful nature makes her an unreliable narrator. The characters' emotions, secrets, and intense ethos make this addictive and immersive to read. I like the storytelling, the atmospheric setting and the characterisation.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Violet takes up James' offer of a job as his secretary on a remote island - Rebecca meets Jane Eyre . A totally different, enthralling theme from the usual ,as the reader learns of Violet's history and the mysterious death of his cruel, self-centred wife with a magnificent twist at the end.

This was an engaging read. The story was told from the point of view from two very different women, Elizabeth in 1932 and Violet in 1934. Elizabeth wasn’t a very nice person, she was manipulative and thoughtless. I couldn’t understand why her friend, Laura put up with her. Voilet had a traumatic time with her father. However, she was a caring person and could be strong when needed. The main setting is a small island of the Cornish coast, with just a small number of inhabitants. One of those is James Atherton, he lives in a large house where he can have peace and quiet after his time during the war. The island provided quite an atmospheric setting, especially with the stormy weather and isolation. There are a number of secrets which are slowly revealed throughout the book and also a mystery letter writer. The reader doesn’t know who the writer is or to whom the letters are addressed until the end. It has a satisfying ending. I received a copy and have voluntarily sent it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ashcroft has done it again with another five star read. To be honest, I still think about her previous novel, haunted by the romantic tale. So when I started reading this book, I was a bit nervous – worried that it wouldn’t be as a good. Thankfully, I was proven wrong!

Another historical tale, this is set on a remote island off the Cornish coast. It definitely had Du Maurier vibes as Violet comes to work on Aoife with her boss’s late wife still haunting the island. The staff treat Violet coldly and she cannot help but try and defend her position – there to work, not for James’s enjoyment. When Violet is told the tale of Aoife’s Bay by the very sinister housekeeper, she cannot shake the feeling that something is just not right here. The hostility increases, despite Violet’s efforts, and it would seem that someone knows something about Elizabeth’s death.

This narrative is broken up by unusual letters that are never identified until the last part of the novel. They certainly had me guessing about the author and recipient and this definitely added to the atmosphere of the story. Furthermore, the timeline shifts into the past as we discover more about Elizabeth and the events that lead to the fateful night of her death. I really enjoyed these shifts because they provided more answers to Violet’s questions, whilst simultaneously making me suspect most of the characters of wrong-doings!

Not only does the ghostly setting add atmosphere, but also the remoteness of Aoife’s Bay. You really get a sense of isolation on the island which is intensified by Violet’s experience of an outsider. I liked how the tale of Aoife was paralleled with Mrs Hamilton and I couldn’t help but draw comparisons with both Violet’s and Elizabeth’s experiences of the island as well.

This was a book that I could easily see being transformed into a film. The characters and their secrets are as addictive as Elizabeth’s personality. All of them are hiding something and whilst some of the characters are more forth-coming than others, the mysteries just became a melting pot that swirled on the island. I couldn’t predict how the story would conclude and Ashcroft’s writing style had the book glued to my hands as I was so desperate to unravel the secrets that swirl around.

With thanks to HQ and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was full of suspense and as the book went on it got more intriguing.

Violet comes to work for James Atherton whose wife died under mysterious circumstances. The people who work for James are very aloof to Violet and she feels like an outsider. It seems as though someone is sending anonymous letters to the residents of the island. Violet is becoming closer to James will they end up together and who is sending these letters.

I felt the book was very atmospheric and certainly by the end it was getting more interesting will we find out who sent the letters.

It was well written and kept me wondering who it was I kind of guessed who it was.

This was an excellent read. It was a tense thriller that moved slowly to start but built to a thrilling climax. The premise is that the wife of a rich man is found dead in suspicious circumstances and all on the Cornish island where they lived seemed to be hiding wha5 happened. A series of letters unsettled all and sundry threatening to uncover wha5 lay hidden. Add to this an unexpected romance between the daughter of an ex squaddie and his former commander and you have a plotline that had its twists and turns and held your attention. Some of the circumstance towards the end seemed a bit far fetched but this is a minor quibble about a thoroughly enjoyable novel.

This wonderful drama swept me away with its breathtaking story. The background of impending doom is maintained throughout, and the descriptions of island life are beautiful. The beginning of the book reminded me of Du Maurier’s Rebecca, with the sinister Mrs Hamilton being so unwelcoming to Violet when she first arrives on the island. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

A beautiful setting for a tale of death and intrigue. The story unfolds and those who look innocent become less so and show how manipulative someone can be while setting up others to take the fall.

Well told and kept you gripped.

Another beautifully written and researched book by Jenny Ashcroft.
As Violet takes up her new position as secretary on Aoife Bay, a remote Cornish island, she finds resistance from the housekeeper and an attraction towards her employer James Atherton whose wife Elizabeth died in mysterious circumstances some two years previously..
This dark gothic tale had me hooked from the very beginning. Yes it has similarities with another Cornish tale, but Jenny has written a story with many twists and turns the similarity stops at Cornwall.
A mesmerising story.

Having read a couple of Jenny’s books before I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read the new book.

This is another beautifully written book but so dark in places. Jenny really brought the island to life as an isolated (and scary at times) place.

A gripping story full of secrets and troubled people.

Books like this make me glad I’m parsimonious with my five star reviews, because Secrets of the Watch House is totally stunning. Wonderful characters, a gripping narrative, and a perfectly researched period piece. I can ask no more from a book, and it’s established Jenny Ashcroft as one of my favourite authors.

Violet Ellis accepts a job as secretary on a remote Cornish island, in part because she is a little in love with the owner, James. It’s a love she never expects to be reciprocated, but there is nothing to keep her in London and a new life beckons. Even before she arrives on the island she knows James’ late wife’s death just eighteen months before courted controversy, but she doesn’t understand its chilling legacy until she arrives on the island.

The cast of characters is brilliantly drawn, each one so rich in detail they appear on the page fully formed. But most of them have secrets too, and the unravelling of these makes the book impossible to put down, the final denouement leaving me breathless.

The skill that has gone into this book is phenomenal. As a reader, it’s seamless. As a writer I’d like to unpick it, so that one day I could maybe, just maybe, create something almost as good.