The Thirteenth Tale (Diane Setterfield)
This is my kind of book…..psychological terror that just drips with suspense. I picked this up a few years ago when it was a feature of the bookstore I was working in. Margaret Lea gets a letter from the most reclusive writer of the day, Vida Winter. Ms. Winter is an elderly, sick woman and wants Margaret to write her life story before she passes away.
As Margaret interviews the writer, she is captivated by her gothic stories. She does not entirely trust Vida’s account, as she has toyed with previous biographers. She decides to investigate the story in her own way, and what she finds is chilling.
This is a long read, but well worth it. Read it on chilly, rainy evenings in October to get the full effect of what Ms. Setterfield wanted.
MY RATING – 5/5
HARPER'S RATING SYSTEM
5=Excellent. I would read it again in a heartbeat.
4=Solid. Worth the time invested.
3=Average. Nothing to write home about.
2=Fair. Consider reading it if it’s the only book in the house.
1=Poor. Don’t read it even if it’s the only book in the house.