Twelve years have passed since Robert Alardyce left Scotland to avoid hurting those he loves. Now he sees an opportunity to return home but can he control the evil in his heart?
Robert uses his deviousness to demonstrate his business acumen and builds a succesful empire in South Africa. He manages to curb his deadly impulses and I actually warmed to him a little. His love for his mother, wife and child shines through but his darker side is never far away.
Poor Amy. She has been through so much in this series of books! In her new grief, Robert returns and she needs to welcome him whilst protecting her other children. In this book, the timeline has moved on to the early twentieth century and I liked the way the characters moved away from the Victorian era. Amy has always felt surprisingly modern which makes her experiences seem more relatable.
I have really enjoyed this series and felt invested in the characters from the beginning. There is passion, murder, love and hate. The author carefully blends violence and darkness with tenderness and emotion. There continues to be a mix of mystery and supernatural about the writing as Amy is haunted by the past.
Evil at Alardyce House is a fitting conclusion to this enjoyable historical series.
Evil at Alardyce House
The history of the Alardyce family is fraught with scandal and intrigue.
But after her eldest son Robert leaves the country, finally Amy Alardyce can enjoy some peace. Robert is wanted by the police for some unspeakable crimes, and his family hope he has run far enough and never looks back.
A decade after his disappearance, Robert has forged a successful life for himself, making his fortune from the diamond and gold mines of Africa. But when he sees a death notice in the newspaper, the call to go home to Scotland grows ever louder.
At Alardyce House, there are big changes too, and the fragile peace the family have enjoyed for so long is feeling more fragile than ever. And as the past comes back to haunt Amy and her children, will she have to finally accept that the curse of the Alardcye family can never be outrun…
Heather Atkinson is the author of over fifty books – predominantly in the crime fiction genre. Although Lancashire born and bred she now lives with her family, including twin teenage daughters, on the beautiful west coast of Scotland. Her gangland series for Boldwood, set on the fictional Gallowburn estate in Glasgow begins with the title Blood Brothers.
