The Silent Companions

I absolutely loved this book. A historical thriller with lots of Gothic elements. Two time spans connected by one family and a house: The Bridge.

It begins with a silent Mrs Bainbridge in an asylum, branded by others as a murderess. Her new doctor, Dr. Shepherd gives her writing material in order for her to communicate her story so that he can help her.
And so the story unfolds.
We see a recently widowed Mrs Bainbridge, pregnant and arriving in Fayford, a rundown village. Elsie is to reside at The Bridge, a home belonging to the Bainbridge family, along with her husband's cousin, Sarah and the handful of staff that work there. Strange noises and occurrences happen within the many rooms of The Bridge causing alarming events to take place. Haunted by the silent companions (cardboard life-sized cut outs) Elsie and Sarah know they must come to understand what they want. They are convinced the answers lie in Anne Bainbridge's diary who lived in the house in 1635.

The novel had a ghostly element to it which I loved. It reminded me of the novels Rebecca and The Woman in Black, both books I really enjoyed. The different time periods, Elsie Bainbridge 1865 and Anne Bainbridge 1635, gave the book a really intriguing feel and kept me hooked. I was desperate to find links between the two women and what had occurred to cast a shadow over the house. I was not disappointed when the stories unfolded. My predictions were wrong on several occasions which added to my enjoyment of the novel. I must say the ending confused me and left me wanting to ask lots of questions. This would be a perfect book club book which could lead to lots of discussion.

A 5 star book.