The Quickening by Rhiannon Ward

My Review of The Quickening by Rhiannon Ward 

The Quickening by Rhiannon Ward is an assuredly written novel that I couldn't put down. 

Ward expertly captures the aftermath of the Great War in 1920's England where grief is a constant presence and life, for many, seems to be about getting by as best one can despite the emotional and physical scars the war left behind. Laura Drew has suffered both because of the war, which robbed her of her husband, and also the Spanish Flu of 1918, which robbed her of her twin sons. Fast forward to 1925 and Laura has remarried and is heavily pregnant. It should be a new beginning for her but Ward makes it perfectly clear from the first paragraph that the past was happier than the present for Laura. This sense of pathos puts the reader firmly on Laura's side as she takes up a photography assignment at Clewer Hall, the site of an infamous seance in 1896. Ward 

Ward creates a wonderfully creepy atmosphere at the decrepit hall where Laura's bizarre reception further adds to the disquiet she feels. Her pregnancy seems to cause great consternation amongst some of inhabitants and every phrase Ward uses adds to this unease. As if that wasn't enough: the seance is to be recreated, and Laura has been told that her own fate is somehow entwined with that of the Hall. Hooked yet? You should be ... I was ...

Ward has a flair for creating plausible characters that resist stereotypes, all characters are fully developed and multi-dimensional. Laura is particularly well drawn and I loved her feistiness and her determination to persevere at the Hall despite the personal cost. I must give a shout out to George too, everyone in danger needs a George in their life.

I have no hesitation in awarding The Quickening 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 it's a deliciously scary read that I highly recommend.