At the heart of a tiny community in a remote village just inland from the Aberdeenshire coast stands an unexpected lighthouse. Built two centuries ago by an eccentric landowner, it has become home to the only bookshop for miles around.
Rachel is an incomer to the village. She arrived five years ago and found a place she could call home. So when the owner of the Lighthouse Bookshop dies suddenly, she steps in to take care of the place, trying to help it survive the next stage of its life.
But when she discovers a secret in the lighthouse, long kept hidden, she realises there is more to the history of the place than she could ever imagine. Can she uncover the truth about the lighthouse’s first owner? And can she protect the secret history of the place?
Review: Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Sharon Gosling’s last book, The House Beneath the Cliffs, I was excited to discover this new work, with its intriguing title. Once again, this story is set in north east Scotland and had my imagination reeling right from the start.
The lighthouse of the title is in fact a folly on a once grand country estate many miles from the sea, and was originally the landowner’s library. All that is left on the estate is the gatehouse and the lighthouse tower, now a bookshop. For the last five years, the bookshop has been run by Rachel, who also lives on the top two floors. She arrived there running away from something in her past and was taken in by the owner. As well as a shop, the lighthouse is a meeting place for some of the residents from the nearby village. When the owner of the shop and gatehouse dies suddenly without leaving a will, Rachel is tasked with looking after the place until its fate is decided. In the meantime, she makes a startling discovery and, with the help of a visiting journalist, begins to unravel the history of the tower and the secrets therein.
What an enjoyable and enthralling read this was. Not only did the reader have the pleasure of visiting this wonderful building and its surrounding landscape, but there was romance in the air and a marvellous mystery to solve; there was even a visit to the lovely little village that was the setting for Sharon’s last book. There are some delightful characters in the book, each with their own stories to tell. As Rachel and journalist Toby researched the discoveries in the lighthouse, they uncovered a two hundred year old story that was poignant and tragic, and quite different from the history of the estate that local people believed. I can confidently recommend this book; I’m sure it will appeal to all.
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