The Hourglass

by Julie Parsons

Beyond high iron gates fastened shut with a length of chain, lies the stark, beautiful Trawbawn. Here, haunted by a dark, mysterious past and largely ignored by the people of nearby Skibbereen, lives the frail Lydia Beauchamp. But old Ma Beauchamp's private existence is interrupted when a stranger arrives - a young man called Adam who wanders into the vast grounds of Trawbawn and becomes one of Lydia's most welcome contacts with the outside world. When Lydia sets her new confidante a challenge, he eagerly accepts - Adam must travel to Dublin to find her estranged daughter. But it is a task tainted by an air of menace. For what terrible past has driven a daughter from her mother? And what true motive lies behind Adam's generous act? Soon the unlikely friends are entwined in a deadly game, and a pursuit born of an old lady's desire for peace mutates into a terrible, relentless need for revenge ...

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, German Literature, Crime

Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Julie Parsons was born in New Zealand but grew up in Ireland from an early age. A former producer with RTÉ radio and television, she lives in Dublin.

Reviews

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 1 out of 5]

One and a half stars
Lydia Beauchamp lives in the beautiful old Trawbawn. She is haunted by secrets, arguments and mysteries from the past. Her solitary existence is infiltrated by young man Adam Smyth. He becomes a welcome contact to the outside world. But Adam is not at all the person Lydia think he is. Unaware of what he is and the evil within him, she sets him a task to find her estranged daughter Grace who now lives in Dublin. Meanwhile murders of young women keep Liam O’Regan busy. Can he find the culprit before he murders again? And how does twenty eight year old Johnny who is searching for his birth mother, after the deaths of his adoptive parents, fit into the story?
This is a dark and gritty story of largely unlikable characters. It involves a twisted psychopath and really does focus primarily on the seediest aspects of human nature. As such it was a depressing read and altogether too dark for this reader. Did a bit of skimming at times just to get to the end.
Some people will find it interesting and it will find an audience But I wouldn’t recommend it . It left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Time for me to turn to something light and uplifting.

[Sarah Harding · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a little while to get into this book but when I did I loved it and didn’t want to put it down.

[Johanna Sirkka · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️.5

[Katie Grainger · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well this is probably one of the most gloomy books I have read all year. Nothing happy happens within this story it is all crime, murder, and generally all things in human nature that are horrid. It really is depressing all the way through. The story is average a tale of revenge I was bored for most of it and considered not finishing it. However I managed to get to the end. Not the best book I have read this year!

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some plot twists were interesting but I agree with other reviews. rather gloomy. Ending not redeeming. Rather cliche 'sadistic' 'crazy' bad guy that murders for no reason. That said on positive note -- I was fine with how written. I would not recommend to any of my friends.

[Denise Walsh · Rating 2 out of 5]

very dark book. no likeable characters and I found the ending very strange. I was glad when it was finished and I could move onto my next book!

[Frederick Tan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a rather depressing book of a family tragedy. A family secret that lies at the heart of the book. Something happen 28 years ago at a mansion in West Cork. The mansion Trawbawn which belong to the Chamberlain and later on owned by the Beauchamps. Lydia the matriarch of the house is a lonely and broken old lady when a young lad Adam Smyth happen on her doorstep one fine day. He has seem to be such a nice lad helping her around the house. She has send him to Dublin to look for her estranged daughter Grace who left her under a cloud of tragedy. Alex her husband has committed suicide years ago leaving Lydia to manage her estate of garden and flowers.
Somehow, Adam has a dark past that is increasingly putting both Lydia and Grace under peril. The ending is fitting at the Trawbawn where the whole tragedy begun.

[Arja-täti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lukuhaasteen innoittamana (eli joku suositteli) luin kirjan. En yleensä lue tällaisia ja siksi oli aika mielenkiintoisia lukea kirjaa, josta ei ollut mitään ennakkokäsitystä (paitsi että ahdistava). Ja todellakin, kirja vei kyllä mukanaan, mutta kamala tällaisena angstaajana sanoa, mutta tämä oli kyllä aika kamala. Jotenkin hyytävä. Mietin jopa, haluanko lukea loppuun. Ja nyt kun kirjan luin loppuun niin mietin, että hups, olipa hyvä kirja. Jäi mieleen, sai minut lukemaan jotain epätyypillistä.

Ehkä jännärilukijalle ei mikään uusi juttu mutta minuun tämä upposi. Enkä tiedä upposiko ihan hyvällä. Tällaisia ei montaa jaksaisi lukea. Mutta silloin tällöin kaikessa ahdistavuudessaan sopivaa.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5. Another book that had mysteriously been on my shelf for years. I don’t know where it came from but from the Irish setting I guess it appeared around the time I travelled there.

The whole book was gloomy and the characters felt vague. A few were dead before the story even started and everybody drowned in the same river. Lydia and Trawbawn mansion were both bleak to spend time with. The killer didn’t seem to have a motive and the lipstick wasn’t as twisted as I think it was meant to be. The recurring hourglass felt a bit tacked on. Not really my cup of tea but it was fairly quick to read and the last third was OK.

[Franzi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Der Klappentext klang vielversprechend, allerdings hat mich das Buch enttäuscht. Das Setting mit dem irischen Dörfchen hätte sehr schön werden können. Leider kommen für mich zu viele Personen vor, die keine wirkliche Rolle in der Story spielen.
Es wird auch nicht klar warum derjenige eigentlich mordet.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book just wasn't for me. It is like the author searched for all the terrible aspects of humankind and put them into her characters. Hidden secrets, estranged family, rape, murder, bribery, plus some thrown into one book. I will not be recommending this book to anyone.

[Michele Mason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favourite Julie Parsons book - all too bleak and dark, but with an inevitable plot progression.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good book, I don't say it's not. Just not my kind of thriller. It made me impatient to finish it and I guessed almost everything so the end wasn't surprising.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was engaged with this story but it became too brutal for me and I skipped to the last couple of chapters. I like a good crime novel but somehow this one was just too cruel.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written. A sad story.

The dark side of human nature is depicted.

Nail biting at times.

A bitter sweet ending.

[Gerti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eine Familientragödie und ein Psychopath, der um für einen Freund Rache zu nehmen, in die langsam wieder zusammen wachsende Familie der Beauchamps eindringt, sie manipuliert und letztendlich über ihr Schicksal entscheidet.

Zutiefst verstörend über die Brutalität des agierenden, dabei so arglos erscheinenden Soziopathen Adam ist dies doch eine aüßerst dramatisch verlaufende Geschichte über die Famiile Beauchamp.
Grace, die sich von ihrer Mutter schon lange getrennt hat, weil diese sich zu sehr in ihr Leben eingemischt hat, ihr Stiefvater, der sich kurz nach ihrem Weggang das Leben genommen hat und auch Lucy, die Mutter die sich unrechtmäßig das große Anwesen Trawbawn House angeeignet hat sie alle sind gefangen und erstarrt in ihrem Leben. Adam, der Lucys Vertrauen erschleicht bringt Bewegung in ihr Leben, aber anders als sie es sich vorgestellt hatte.

Ich hatte mir eigentlich nicht viel von dem Buch erwartet und bin angenehm überrascht, wie gut Julie Parsons Landschaft und Personen beschreibt. Die Spannung steigt unaufhörlich und man kann kaum erwarten ans Ende zu gelangen um hoffend, dass alles gut geht, das Ende zu erleben.Ein angehnemehr Erzählstil und ein echter Pageturner.

[Yrinsyde · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a powerful book about family; the bitterness, hopelessness, and painful love that consumes all. It begins with a forceful scenario that is directly related to the conclusion, then dips into a gentle story. For those who do not know in any great depth about story construction, this opening scene can be a mite confusing. However, Parsons’ mastery soon reveals itself as the story picks up pace and induces in the reader, increasing terror about the outcome. It is a crime novel with a twist! I will not say anymore lest I become one of those people who ‘wreak’ cult TV ending scenes by revealing too much detail! I will say one thing though - if you are a fan of psychological thrillers or horror, this novel will give you lots of thrills!

[Sunnyssmile · Rating 1 out of 5]

Am spannensten war das erste Kapitel. Danach wurde die Handlung nur noch langatmig und das Finale konnte auch nicht wirklich überzeugen. Ich habe das Buch nicht ohne Grund über zwei Jahre hinweg mit vielen Unterbrechungen gelesen...

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

With its story of a disturbed young man and a dysfunctional family with a secret we are in Ruth Rendell territory here. However I guessed the twist in the tale pretty early on, whereas I don't think Ms. Rendell would have been quite so obvious.

[Pam]

01/26 rec via bookmooch

[Gillian · Rating 2 out of 5]

It disturbed me. It's quite upsetting to think someone could be so sadistic!

[Margarida · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really nice surprise

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A psychological thriller about a dysfunctional family.

[Tova Sandberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in Swedish (translated from English)

[Sue Hoddinott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok - quick read - a little bit soft at the end

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well written book, but the story stays a bit vague for a rather long time. After that, I knew where it was going and the anticipation of it had me glued to the pages.
It's all a bit dark.

[Titta · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Tiimalasi) Miusta melkoisen loistava dekkari - ei niin ennalta-arvattava juonikuvio

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Not a cosy read as lots of sex and death. The only thing that let it down was the very end which was a bit twee. Not sure if that sums it up but if your looking for a good twisted character you'll enjoy this.