Happy publication day to Barbara Havelocke for Estella’s Revenge! I really enjoyed this so thank you to Hera Books for an early read via NetGalley. Before I give you my thoughts, here’s the blurb.
The Blurb
You know Miss Havisham.
The world’s most famous jilted bride.
This is her daughter’s story.
Raised in the darkness of Satis House where the clocks never tick, the beautiful Estella is bred to hate men and to keep her heart cold as the grave.
She knows she doesn’t feel things quite like other people do but is this just the result of her strange upbringing?
As she watches the brutal treatment of women around her, hatred hardens into a core of vengeance and when she finds herself married to the abusive Drummle, she is forced to make a deadly choice:
Should she embrace the darkness within her and exact her revenge?
My Review
I have a confession to make – I’ve never read any Dickens. I’ve tried but just couldn’t get on with it. However, I have watched TV and film adaptions although not ‘Great Expectations’. I’ve heard of Miss Havisham and Pip though but not Estella. So, I had ‘no expectations’ (sorry) when I started to read ‘Estella’s Revenge’.
I quickly discovered that it didn’t matter if I hadn’t read Dickens before. Barbara Havelocke’s writing swept me up and plunged me into the dark world of Satis House. Moving back and forth in time, Havelocke skillfully takes us through Estella’s life, showing how she’s been formed and hardened by her adoptive mother. I kept reading at night until my eyes drooped – I was so invested in Estella’s story. Compelling and authentic, Estella is a force to be reckoned with and I hope Barbara Havelocke will write more about her. I’m also hoping for a TV adaption too. This would look perfect on screen. And talking of perfect, one of the best book covers I’ve seen this year!
If you liked to buy a copy then click here.
The Author
Barbara is an international bestselling author, whose psychological thrillers have topped Amazon and Kobo.
Her writing career started in journalism, interviewing the real victims of crime – and the perpetrators. The realistic, complex characters who populate her fiction reflect this deep understanding.
When not writing, Barbara is found walking her two dogs, Scamp and Buddy, or taking photos of wildlife.
joykluver 