It’s my stop today on the blog tour for Evil at Alardyce House by Heather Atkinson. Many thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for the tour invite.
Evil at Alardyce House is the fourth book in Heather Atkinson’s Alardyce Series.
Amy Alardyce can finally find some peace; her son Robert has fled the country. Robert is wanted by Scotland Yard for unspeakable crimes – from violence on women to two counts of murder.
Amy and her husband Henry, along with their three children, are having a quiet time at Alardyce House. Though her eldest son and heir of Alardyce prefers to live in London and is involved in some unspeakable activities (Amy doubts that he visits brothels), he’s not as bad as her first born, Robert.
Meanwhile, Robert has forged himself a successful life in South America. He’s owner of many gold and diamond mines – some of which were obtained by not-too-legal means. But he’s in control of his darkness – the one that forced him to violate and brutally attack helpless housemaids and prostitutes.
Tragedy strikes Alardyce House once again. Amy’s past comes back to haunt her and her children. Can Alardyce House be free from darkness? Or will the curse run its course through the entire Alardyce family?
I was hooked on to the story from start to finish and I didn’t want to put it down until the end. The storyline is comparatively less violent than its previous counterparts. Robert’s gone away from Alardyce, most probably for good. Though Amy misses her first born, she knows he’s beyond help – he’s just like his father, Mathew.
But not all’s well at Alardyce House. Amy feels insecure that her husband is still young while she feels old and fragile – thanks to her traumatic past which has left her disfigured and ill. Lydia, Amy’s daughter, and Magda, Amy’s best friend and healer, are by her side. Henry is, too. Amy’s sons too are supportive of her.
Meanwhile, Robert’s in South America, wanting to make his mark in the world. He’s also managed to control his darkness. He wants to go back to Edinburgh one day, and make up for hurting his wife, Jane. He also misses his daughter Emily.
As the story proceeds, we are given a clear picture of Amy’s sufferings – it does seem like the poor thing had one tragedy after another in life. No respite from the darkness surrounding her.
The first half of the book alternates between Amy’s grief and Robert’s life in South America. The second half is about what’s to come next – both, for the series (future installments, if any), as well as for Amy and her family. I liked the second half better as there are multiple twists, betrayals, and lies. In a way, things end well – closure for some many things that were building up since the beginning of this series.
The storytelling is impressive. I had a bit of trouble following the first book of this series, mostly because of the violent scenes amongst other things. But things have tamed down since.
I cannot help but repeat myself. The ending – I absolutely loved it. Some, happy endings, and some, not so much. But like I said before, closure – this is what Amy deserved.
I suppose this book can be read as a standalone, but it would be better to start from the beginning.
The Book Decoder 
I loved this series too!