Laura’s
hidden legacy : The mansion by PT Elliot
About
the book
An abandoned mansion in Scotland;
revelations about her stepfather’s past life; an enigmatic handsome neighbour
who is not quite what he appears to be. These are the essential ingredients of
Laura’s Hidden Legacy – The Mansion.
The year is 1971 and Laura Walter is a contented
London art student living a privileged life and on the point of graduating
university when tragedy strikes: her parents die in a car crash. As part of her
legacy, Laura discovers she has inherited an estate in Scotland in the middle
of a forest; an estate about which she had no prior knowledge.
Laura’s journey takes her to Scotland to see
both the property and the village situated just a few miles away, as well as
the man living just down the road who had been keeping an eye on it for her
stepfather. While staying in the property, she comes across a number of art
works that appear to have been painted by famous artists. In addition to the
paintings, she comes across a journal written by her stepfather and dating back
to 1940.
At first, her life at the mansion and the life
of her stepfather as expressed in his journal are wonderful. However, she soon
discovers a number of disturbing truths about her stepfather and his abusive
behaviour towards women, as well as his involvement with a Masonic Order and
his role during World War Two, including what lay behind the paintings. When
Laura eventually falls for the man keeping an eye on her mansion, things take a
downward turn as disturbing aspects of his past come to light.
As Laura becomes more aware that the lives of
her deceased stepfather and her handsome neighbour were inextricably linked,
her curiosity leads her into a perilous situation. The truth behind the mansion,
the paintings and the Masonic Order leads to a discovery that might have
changed the whole course of World War Two. As the story races towards its
climax, Laura discovers the true, sinister history behind the mansion, as well
as the family who had inhabited it for generations.
My take
The
story is set in the year 1971. Laura Walter is orphaned at the age of 21, when
her mother and stepfather Raymond Richards are killed in an accident while on
a vacation in Italy. Laura soon learns that Raymond has left all inheritance to
her, including a supposedly decrepit mansion in the forests on the outskirts of
Scotland.
Laura
is an artist who loves to draw sketches and paintings of picturesque
landscapes, and her stepfather, whom she loved more dearly than her biological
father who had abandoned her and her mother, had been an art dealer and her
mentor from a very young age. So Laura has only fond memories of her stepfather.
Disturbed
by the sudden death of her parents and confused about her relationship with Philip,
her boyfriend, Laura decides to take a break from everything and visit the
secret mansion in Scotland that she has inherited. Little does she know that this decision will change the course of her life.
As
Laura reaches the magnificent, huge, palatial mansion and begins staying there,
she begins to explore the place. She meets her neighbour, Andy, who also has
the job of keeping a watch on the mansion, and finds herself getting
irresistibly attracted towards him. She also finds a diary, written by Raymond
in the 1940s. The diary that initially chronicles Raymond’s love for an artist
woman, slowly goes on becoming darker and revealing a side of Raymond that
Laura never knew existed. She also realizes that Raymond was a part of a secret
service order that was vital during the World war 2.
But
the more she reads, more secrets start tumbling out, and soon Laura realizes
what is at stake.
I
have mixed emotions after reading this book. The plot is very strong, different
and interesting. The descriptions given by the author are amazing. I could
literally visualize the old, huge mansion nestled amongst the trees in the
forest in the Scotland of the seventies. – the east and west wings, the long-running corridors, the spiral
staircase, the high-backed armchairs, the resplendent library, the terrace
overlooking the forest., the magnificent portraits adorning the walls! The
descriptions of pieces of art are also equally vibrant. The narration is slow
initially but picks up pace in the later half. The end has some surprises and
it makes the book a gripping read.
However,
there are some downsides too. The typesetting is not proper and looks like it
has been self-published without proper editing or proofreading. There are many
typographical errors that are a definite turn-off for the reader. Some
dialogues, especially monologues seem to be cliché. The book becomes boring at
some parts where there is unnecessary description which doesn’t add much to the
book.
I
absolutely loved the cover. In fact, that was what attracted me to the book in
the first place.
So
overall, the book is an interesting and gripping read. But for the writing
style and the lousy editing, I enjoyed the read. I rate it 3.5 stars.
