The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell

The Synopsis

Newly married, newly widowed Elsie is sent to see out her pregnancy at her late husband's crumbling country estate, The Bridge.


With her new servants resentful and the local villagers actively hostile, Elsie only has her husband's awkward cousin for company. Or so she thinks. For inside her new home lies a locked room, and beyond that door lies a two-hundred-year-old diary and a deeply unsettling painted wooden figure – a Silent Companion – that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself...

My Review

Atmospheric, chilling and unnerving, The Silent Companions is an ideal winter read. Let the candles flicker and the rain batter at the windows and tuck yourself in for one hell of a creepy read. Whatever you do, don't read it in the dark!
The plot is sinister and tense and genuinely scary! It's so beautifully and skilfully written that no matter how scared you get, it's impossible to put down and turning the pages becomes addictive.
I really liked the cast of characters and I thought they were all well developed and engaging.
I did like the ending in general, but I felt that it was a little bit too vague in places for me and I would've liked a bit more detail. However, I also understand how this fits the story and that some people might prefer to imagine the rest for themselves. I definitely think it's a matter of opinion but what I think everyone will agree on is the impact it has and that it stays with you for ages afterwards! I think I'll still be sleeping with the lights on this time next year!
Overall, I'm giving The Silent Companions 4 out of 5. It's creepy, unsettling and eerie. I'll be on the look-out for more books by Laura Purcell.

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This e-book was provided for free in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author

Laura Purcell worked in local government, the financial industry and a bookshop before becoming a full-time writer. She lives in Colchester, the oldest recorded town in England, with her husband and pet guinea pigs. Fascinated by the darker side of royal history, Laura has also written two historical fiction novels about the Hanoverian dynasty.