The first sentence of this book lets you know where the author is going: it is a clear echo of the famous first sentence of Du Maurier's Rebecca: "Last night I dreamed I went to Manderly again.." That first sentence tells you what you need to know; this book draws on what Daphne DuMaurier did first and best -- the gothic mystery, with the somewhat secretive narrator, and the stories that take place under the surface. I read another review compare it to The Thirteenth Tale, and I'd agree with that comparison. Like The Thirteenth Tale, it has a great setup, and it moves forward well -- but I spent most of the book waiting for it to kick into fifth gear, and it never quite there. The author has a great sense of place and time, and a great ability to build up intrigue; but it never quite pays off in the way that a lasting classic would. That said, it was well worth the read, especially for people (and there are lots of us) who are fans of the genre.