Synopsis: An addictively suspenseful new novel set in the glamorous world of the New York Hamptons, about secrets that refuse to remain buried and consequences that cannot be escaped.
After a whirlwind romance, a young woman returns to the opulent, secluded mansion of her new fiancé Max Winter – a wealthy senator and recent widower – and a life of luxury she’s never known. But all is not as it appears at the Asherley estate. The house is steeped in the memory of Max’s beautiful first wife Rebekah, who haunts the young woman’s imagination and feeds her uncertainties, while his very alive teenage daughter Dani makes her life a living hell.
As the soon-to-be second Mrs. Winter grows more in love with Max, and more afraid of Dani, she is drawn deeper into the family’s dark secrets – the kind of secrets that could kill her, too.
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“Last night Rebekah tried to murder me again.”
Review: If you’ve read the blurb, you know The Winters is inspired by the classic Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. What do you don’t know is that Rebecca is one of my favorite books and I was a tad hesitant to read it.
However, this modern retelling of Rebecca completely blew me away.
The story starts in the Cayman Islands with our unnamed narrator. She struggles to meet ends and lives alone until she meets Max Winter. Max Winter, a wealthy senator, sweeps our narrator off her feet and then they get engaged and finally, they arrive at Asherley.
The gothic mansion is filled with memories and touches of Rebekah, the former Mrs de Winter, and that adds fuel to the already somber nature of the house and the setting. Soon, our narrator meets Dani, her soon to be step-daughter, but she isn’t welcoming her with open arms either.
Beside Max and his daughter Dani, we also meet Louisa and her husband, the housekeeper, the driver, Max’s friend,(also his campaign manager). Although Louisa is a breath of fresh air against the gloomy climate of Asherley and its residents, our narrator still feels unsettled.
The writing is fast paced and will keep you guessing throughout the book. The story kept me on my toes because I never could guess -for sure- what would happen next.
Let’s talk about the things I loved and didn’t :
- I loved the Hamptons setting. The author retold Du Maurier’s story in a modern way, and I tremendously enjoyed it.
- I loved that the daughter had a significant role in the story.
- I didn’t love the narrator in the beginning; She seemed terribly naive but as the story progressed so did her character.
Overall, I loved this psychological thriller. It was a perfect mix of gothic, mystery and psychological thriller. This has been a great year for thrillers and The Winters didn’t disappoint. It doesn’t matter if you have or haven’t Du Maurier’s Rebecca, you will still be able to read it and hopefully like it.
* While writing the review ,I researched Du Maurier's life and I read an article where it implied that Rebecca was heavily inspired by her life. If you are interested in finding out ,just Google "Manderley" .It's an article from The Telegraph,I think.
About the cover, I liked the US edition more than the UK one. Nevertheless, I am grateful to the publishing house for sending a copy my way.
Last but not least, Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an eARC!
Verdict: 4 stars out of 5
Author: Connect with Author Lisa Gabriele on Goodreads.
- Publisher: Harvill Secker
- Publication Date: November 2018
- Hardcover(ARC): 336 Pages
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