Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Gate House

by Kathleen Heady (Goodreads Author)

3.44 of 5 stars 3.44 · rating details · 9 ratings · 5 reviews

It's not just the cold and damp clime of the English midlands that is keeping Caribbean beauty Nara Blake awake at night. Her father is dying at her aunt's bed and breakfast at the historic Gate House in Springfield, Lincolnshire--and the man she hoped to marry is suddenly avoiding her. An attempted break-in during the middle of the night and a mysterious key lead Nara on...more

Paperback, 361 pages

Published May 1st 2012 by Whiskey Creek Press (first published June 30th 2009)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 235)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

May 18, 2013 Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars

Set in Lincolnshire this book is mainly about the trafficking of antiques and works of art often stolen from churches. Though there are quite a number of characters they are both distinct and well defined which avoids confusion. Dennis Mawxwell is one of the nastiest fictional characters I have come across in a long time but Nara, who has accompanied her sick father from the Caribbean to the UK, is very likeable.

At times I found the plot, though original, a bit far fetched particularly some of...more

like · see review

Aug 01, 2012 Diana (Bever) Barber rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I received this book as a Goodreads award. With romantic fiction, I enjoy losing myself in a realistic place and time. Bonus? Mix in mystery and a foreign country or two. The Gate House by Kathleen Heady promised all of that. I was keen to receive and read it. The author's bio mentions that she has lived many places in the world. I don't doubt that she must have lived in England. Her details of the setting are clear and marvelous.

I truly hate doling out the bitter with the sweet, but I must adm...more I received this book as a Goodreads award. With romantic fiction, I enjoy losing myself in a realistic place and time. Bonus? Mix in mystery and a foreign country or two. The Gate House by Kathleen Heady promised all of that. I was keen to receive and read it. The author's bio mentions that she has lived many places in the world. I don't doubt that she must have lived in England. Her details of the setting are clear and marvelous.

I truly hate doling out the bitter with the sweet, but I must admit my dissatisfaction with a few things: 1. events and actions in the book were either too predictable or not fully explained 2. nearly everyone had slept with someone else or had engaged in premarital sex (though, thankfully, most details were not mentioned, and I was easily able to skip over those that headed that way)-- I found myself wondering with each new character, "and with whom have you or will you fall into bed?" 3. the Lord's name was taken in vain more than once by more than one character, 4. instead of being able to enjoy the flow from beginning to end, some turns of phrase and misprints had me pausing and rereading for understanding, and 5. I didn't feel that all of the loose ends were satisfactorily concluded nor that the book was entirely believable. As fiction, it doesn't have to be entirely believable, but I feel that it should be realistic enough to make me want to "go along for the ride" again. I expect the same of the fantasy/sci fi that I read.

Perhaps some of the predictability and/or confusion I experienced with The Gate House could have been avoided by writing only from the heroine's or the hero's point of view, or by simplifying the narrator's focus. There were too many characters who were made to seem vital to the story, and yet they should have been treated to a more minor role. At one point near the end of the book, I was expecting a scene where some characters would be apprehended after a couple of children were mauled by their attack dogs. That didn't happen.

I had a hard time believing in the timing and the location of the final showdown and the events that led up to it. How did the doctor end up working with the little weaselly guy? I knew it would happen, but the how and why of it didn't materialize, and it left me feeling that the partnership didn't make sense. Why would the heroine go to the cathedral and demand that a very busy mom meet her there? It made the heroine seem unstable and completely self-centered. Why did the "surprise" daughter make the phone call that betrayed her cousin-brother and the doctor? If she was really such an important character, how did she gain her knowledge of what was really happening? Yes, she's an artist, but where is the scene or two where the "bro" and "doc" include her in a way that shook her conscience?

The Gate House was a book I enjoyed once, but I doubt I would ever read it again nor seek to read a potential sequel, unless the story could be made more believable and the mystery be made more suspenseful. I imagine there are readers out there who would think me mad for my criticisms of this book. I can only guess that they have conjured satisfactory answers to the lingering questions that bemuse me. (less)

like · see review

Aug 14, 2012 Annie Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: galleys-free, first-reads

The story starts us out with Nara Blake, her world turned upside down with the news that her father Jack has cancer and must be treated in London, thus moving from their Caribbean home where she had plans of running her fathers import business with him.
Nara and her father move to London and in with his sister Sue, a nurse who has recently purchased a wonderful & very old bed and breakfast where Nara & her father will live and where Nara will now help her aunt run.
Strange things are happ...more

like · see review

Jul 24, 2012 Daria ♞ marked it as to-read

Shelves: own, own-probably-will-not-read

Won this in a giveaway and I can't wait to read it!

like 1 like · see review

Feb 05, 2010 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

What I like about the Gate House is that it has a little bit of everything: thrills and chills, romance, mystery, and great characters. From the descriptions of the cathedral and the surrounding area, it's obvious that it was well-researched. Authenticity always adds to a story.

like 2 likes · see review

Apr 05, 2013 Barking RainPress rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-crime

Apr 05, 2013 Jaime marked it as to-read

Jan 20, 2013 Holly Parker added it

Shelves: so-so-books

Dec 14, 2012 Janice marked it as to-read

Nov 26, 2012 P.C. Zick added it

Nov 04, 2012 Dianne marked it as to-read

Aug 26, 2012 Amanda marked it as to-read

Aug 15, 2012 Pearl Mackey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Jul 25, 2012 Char Dauterman marked it as to-read

Jul 24, 2012 Melissa marked it as to-read

Sep 12, 2012 Katrina marked it as to-read

Jul 06, 2012 Victoria marked it as to-read

Jul 06, 2012 Samantha marked it as to-read

Jul 06, 2012 Gabby marked it as to-read

Jul 06, 2012 Marissa marked it as to-read

Jul 06, 2012 Lorraine marked it as to-read

Jul 06, 2012 Carolyn marked it as to-read

Jul 06, 2012 Lynda marked it as to-read

Jul 06, 2012 Margaret marked it as to-read

Jul 06, 2012 Nichole marked it as to-read

Jul 06, 2012 Grace Sanders marked it as to-read

Jul 06, 2012 Ashley E marked it as to-read

Jul 06, 2012 Marilyn marked it as to-read

Jul 06, 2012 Lucy Leblanc marked it as to-read

Jul 06, 2012 Jennifer Metz marked it as to-read

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (2)

Popular Shelves

to-read

211 shelves

fiction

2 shelves

giveaways

2 shelves

mystery-crime

1 shelf

so-so-books

1 shelf

tbr-not-jcpl

1 shelf

first-reads

1 shelf

not-at-my-library

1 shelf

woningiveaway

1 shelf

boughtbutnotread

1 shelf

About Kathleen Heady

My second novel, Lydia's Story, has just been released. It continues the story begun in The Gate House, which was a finalist for an EPIC award in the mystery/suspense category.
I love travel, languages and learning about different cultures. I have lived in four states and Costa Rica. I love new challenges, and my current one is learning to knit. Who knew how many needles you need to juggle to knit...more

More about Kathleen Heady...

Books by Kathleen Heady

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Gate House

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: The Gate House
avg rating	preview: The Gate House Goodreads rating: 3.44 (9 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6634420-the-gate-house?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1330800751l/6634420.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6634420-the-gate-house?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Gate House by Kathleen Heady[/url]

The Gate House

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (2)

Popular Shelves

About Kathleen Heady

Books by Kathleen Heady

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About The Gate House

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (2)