Review: “The Thirteenth Tale”
I read this one on the recommendation of a friend of mine (we’ll call her “Singing Suzy”). This is another novel I probably wouldn’t have cracked the spine on without the recommendation, but I’m glad I did.
The story takes place in England in a century past where the main character, Margaret, is an amateur biographer who’s been asked to write the biography of a fairly famous novelist known as Miss Winter. Margaret hasn’t done any biographies of living people — the one that garnered her Miss Winter’s attention was of a set of inventor brothers who are since deceased — and doesn’t consider herself a biographer at all.
Upon arriving at the home of Miss Winter, Margaret finds an ill, elderly woman who seems eccentric beyond belief. Miss Winter admits to being deceptive about her past and not very willing to change that part of her character.
As Margaret delves deeper into Miss Winter’s past, she uncovers a family mystery, family secrets, a murder, some unexplained deaths, a few ghosts, and more.
This book could be a mystery, but I’m not sure I’d classify it that way. There are romantic elements, as well, but I wouldn’t consider it a pure romance, either. I’d probably best classify it as straight literature.
I did enjoy the novel. There were some spots that I felt (at the time) the story was dragging a little. Looking back, though, I realize that the information given at that point was important to the overall story. If you’re looking for a novel that is well written and crosses multiple genres, you’d be fine picking up “The Thirteenth Tale.”
Blessings!
Nichole