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What Happened at the Abbey
When Ingrid flees a violent husband to become a housekeeper in the Scottish Highlands, she discovers the family she works for has a much darker history than her own.
Who haunts Strathbairn? Why are the adult McCleod children at each other’s throats? And why does the youngest sneak off at night? As Ingrid searches for answers, she grows ever more fearful that her husband will track her down.
Set in late 19th century Scottish Highlands, WHAT HAPPENED AT THE ABBEY is a gothic mystery brimming with intrigue, ghostly drama, and family secrets.
Who haunts Strathbairn? Why are the adult McCleod children at each other’s throats? And why does the youngest sneak off at night? As Ingrid searches for answers, she grows ever more fearful that her husband will track her down.
Set in late 19th century Scottish Highlands, WHAT HAPPENED AT THE ABBEY is a gothic mystery brimming with intrigue, ghostly drama, and family secrets.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
326 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 18, 2023
6 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Isobel Blackthorn
52 books178 followersIsobel Blackthorn is an award-winning author of unique and engaging fiction. She writes across a range of genres, including dark psychological thrillers, gripping mystery novels, captivating travel fiction and hilarious dark satire. Isobel holds a PhD in Western Esotericism for her groundbreaking study of the texts of Theosophist Alice A. Bailey. Isobel carries a lifelong passion for the Canary Islands, Spain, her former home. A Londoner originally, Isobel currently lives in Spain.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
February 3, 2024
Title: What Happened at the Abbey
Author: Isobel Blackthorn
Genre: Adult Fiction
Format: ebook from Coffee and Thorn
Series: The Strathbairn Trilogy (#1)
Star Rating: 4 stars
tw: domestic violence, animal abuse, guns, death, grief, child abuse, rape, child death, blood, alcoholism, violence
A special thank you goes to Coffee and Thorn for providing me with an early copy of this book. Please know that this does not influence my rating or thoughts on the book itself.
It’s been a while since I read a spooky and creepy house book so I knew I was long overdue for one. So I was pretty excited to see that Coffee and Torn offered this book up. I am a spooky girl so I knew I would like this book. Because in my world, it’s spooky season all year around.
Spoiler alert: I did like this book! Every character was incredibly unlikable and they were so messy. I was living for it. This is funny because normally I don’t like unlikable characters. I find it hard to relate to them and understand why they are being the way they are. But with this book, it felt like I was watching a reality show, which is a good thing because I’m obsessed with reality TV. The MC, Ingrid, was unlikable in the beginning but I grew to like her. Once we got more of her past, her actions made sense. I was rooting for her in the end and was hoping she would grow more as a person, in the short time we spent with her. I truly was hoping she would get her happy ending.
I know there was a plot but honestly, the plot, to me, was a bunch of rich people behaving very poorly with a side of haunted house. They were all super unlikable but I was enjoying every minute of their ridiculous behavior. I did feel a little bit bad for them since they were just the product of their environment and upbringing but it still doesn’t excuse their behavior. But I still felt bad for them.
Overall, this was a good book and highly enjoyable. I’m curious to see what the next tobok is about. I hope we get more of Ingrid. She’s a pretty good detective and I wouldn’t mind seeing her solve more mysteries or even just relaxing with her daughter because she truly deserves a break. Overall, I highly recommend this book.
Author: Isobel Blackthorn
Genre: Adult Fiction
Format: ebook from Coffee and Thorn
Series: The Strathbairn Trilogy (#1)
Star Rating: 4 stars
tw: domestic violence, animal abuse, guns, death, grief, child abuse, rape, child death, blood, alcoholism, violence
A special thank you goes to Coffee and Thorn for providing me with an early copy of this book. Please know that this does not influence my rating or thoughts on the book itself.
It’s been a while since I read a spooky and creepy house book so I knew I was long overdue for one. So I was pretty excited to see that Coffee and Torn offered this book up. I am a spooky girl so I knew I would like this book. Because in my world, it’s spooky season all year around.
Spoiler alert: I did like this book! Every character was incredibly unlikable and they were so messy. I was living for it. This is funny because normally I don’t like unlikable characters. I find it hard to relate to them and understand why they are being the way they are. But with this book, it felt like I was watching a reality show, which is a good thing because I’m obsessed with reality TV. The MC, Ingrid, was unlikable in the beginning but I grew to like her. Once we got more of her past, her actions made sense. I was rooting for her in the end and was hoping she would grow more as a person, in the short time we spent with her. I truly was hoping she would get her happy ending.
I know there was a plot but honestly, the plot, to me, was a bunch of rich people behaving very poorly with a side of haunted house. They were all super unlikable but I was enjoying every minute of their ridiculous behavior. I did feel a little bit bad for them since they were just the product of their environment and upbringing but it still doesn’t excuse their behavior. But I still felt bad for them.
Overall, this was a good book and highly enjoyable. I’m curious to see what the next tobok is about. I hope we get more of Ingrid. She’s a pretty good detective and I wouldn’t mind seeing her solve more mysteries or even just relaxing with her daughter because she truly deserves a break. Overall, I highly recommend this book.
January 24, 2024
Ingrid has a secret, one she hopes no one will figure out. She and her daughter, Susan, have found themselves in a precarious situation which has brought them to Strathbairn.
Strathbairn is a cold, desolate estate, but it makes the perfect hiding place. What Ingrid soon comes to realize is Strathbairn, and its inhabitants, have secrets of their own...ones that make her wonder how perfect a hiding place this really is.
I enjoy reading gothic mysteries and suspense and What Happened at the Abbey definitely fits the mood. It's dark, atmospheric and at times melancholy.
This author has a way with words and after reading for a bit, I felt like I was transplanted into that time and place. Definitely made for a bleak morning some days 😂 I could not imagine living back then. It seems like it was most often unhappy and tiresome.
The story itself was interesting and captivating. I'm not usually one who enjoys any sort of domestic suspense or the gossip and drama that goes with it, but Ingrid had me wanting to know. This is a slower read, but it should be read that way. Otherwise, the moments, surroundings and feelings experienced would be lost.
I am thankful to have received a review copy from Coffee and Thorn Book Tours, and the author. Highly recommend for fans of gothic mysteries and domestic suspense.
Strathbairn is a cold, desolate estate, but it makes the perfect hiding place. What Ingrid soon comes to realize is Strathbairn, and its inhabitants, have secrets of their own...ones that make her wonder how perfect a hiding place this really is.
I enjoy reading gothic mysteries and suspense and What Happened at the Abbey definitely fits the mood. It's dark, atmospheric and at times melancholy.
This author has a way with words and after reading for a bit, I felt like I was transplanted into that time and place. Definitely made for a bleak morning some days 😂 I could not imagine living back then. It seems like it was most often unhappy and tiresome.
The story itself was interesting and captivating. I'm not usually one who enjoys any sort of domestic suspense or the gossip and drama that goes with it, but Ingrid had me wanting to know. This is a slower read, but it should be read that way. Otherwise, the moments, surroundings and feelings experienced would be lost.
I am thankful to have received a review copy from Coffee and Thorn Book Tours, and the author. Highly recommend for fans of gothic mysteries and domestic suspense.
December 4, 2023
Isobel Blackthorn’s new Gothic thriller is an intriguing page-turner. Written from the point of view of two victims, an abused young wife, and a botany student with mental health issues, the reader is taken into a dour Scots home in the Western Highlands at the end of the 19th century. Blackthorn’s description of the house and setting give the reader a very clear idea of the dilapidated state of the property and the dangerous beauty of its location near a bog, where from the start one suspects something very nasty will happen, if it hasn’t already.
Thanks to the intervention of a Church of England vicar, Ingrid Barker, has escaped her alcoholic husband in southern England and taken the post as housekeeper for the secretive, squabbling McLeod family in the area where she grew up. The role of housekeeper is far beneath Ingrid, but she has no alternatives and a small daughter to care for.
Most of what subsequently occurs is told from Ingrid’s point of view. She is timid and embarrassed by her reduced social standing and, I felt, a natural victim; bullied by her employers and household servants alike. This timidity did become a little wearing at times, I really wanted Ingrid to stand up for herself, but understood why she had lost her self-confidence. Seeing other characters, the aging Mr McLeod, owner of a small distillery, and his three adult children from this restricted point of view meant they remained somewhat flat. We do not learn the siblings’ reasons for being in the house and why they are so antagonistic until towards the final chapter, when the clues and hints and half-told tales Ingrid has been gathering finally explain the tortuous atmosphere in the house.
Blackthorn drops these hints sparingly but it kept me reading into the night. I wanted to know what had happened in the past, and if this put Ingrid in danger. Knowing there were some very unpleasant people under the same roof meant I also feared for the child, Susan’s safety. No spoilers, but the setting and the apparent nature of both family and their servants meant I was waiting for something terrible to happen throughout the book. In this respect it is a compelling read.
Unfortunately, my sense of ‘being there’ was occasionally jolted by modern colloquialisms and a few idiomatic expressions which do not fit with the epoch. As to the plot, there are a few dubious coincidences, but nothing to spoil the story in itself. There was one glaring absence that bothered me, however; Ingrid acquires the post through her church connections, but there is no mention of religious observance in the McLeod household, which in those days, even in remote locations, did not ring true. The bossy cook reads the Bible with Susan, but we do not know if she is Church of Scotland or a Presbyterian, which mattered a great deal then. There are also a few incorrect terms for Protestant clerics that an editor should have picked up.
Having said this, Blackthorn’s writing kept me reading late into the night. If you are looking for quality women’s fiction or an escapist mystery for a winter fireside read, What Happened at the Abbey fits the bill.
Thanks to the intervention of a Church of England vicar, Ingrid Barker, has escaped her alcoholic husband in southern England and taken the post as housekeeper for the secretive, squabbling McLeod family in the area where she grew up. The role of housekeeper is far beneath Ingrid, but she has no alternatives and a small daughter to care for.
Most of what subsequently occurs is told from Ingrid’s point of view. She is timid and embarrassed by her reduced social standing and, I felt, a natural victim; bullied by her employers and household servants alike. This timidity did become a little wearing at times, I really wanted Ingrid to stand up for herself, but understood why she had lost her self-confidence. Seeing other characters, the aging Mr McLeod, owner of a small distillery, and his three adult children from this restricted point of view meant they remained somewhat flat. We do not learn the siblings’ reasons for being in the house and why they are so antagonistic until towards the final chapter, when the clues and hints and half-told tales Ingrid has been gathering finally explain the tortuous atmosphere in the house.
Blackthorn drops these hints sparingly but it kept me reading into the night. I wanted to know what had happened in the past, and if this put Ingrid in danger. Knowing there were some very unpleasant people under the same roof meant I also feared for the child, Susan’s safety. No spoilers, but the setting and the apparent nature of both family and their servants meant I was waiting for something terrible to happen throughout the book. In this respect it is a compelling read.
Unfortunately, my sense of ‘being there’ was occasionally jolted by modern colloquialisms and a few idiomatic expressions which do not fit with the epoch. As to the plot, there are a few dubious coincidences, but nothing to spoil the story in itself. There was one glaring absence that bothered me, however; Ingrid acquires the post through her church connections, but there is no mention of religious observance in the McLeod household, which in those days, even in remote locations, did not ring true. The bossy cook reads the Bible with Susan, but we do not know if she is Church of Scotland or a Presbyterian, which mattered a great deal then. There are also a few incorrect terms for Protestant clerics that an editor should have picked up.
Having said this, Blackthorn’s writing kept me reading late into the night. If you are looking for quality women’s fiction or an escapist mystery for a winter fireside read, What Happened at the Abbey fits the bill.
February 1, 2024
Why would an educated woman leave a comfortable home in Hampshire with her daughter for the Scottish Highlands to take up the role of a housekeeper, having been used to having staff of her own? To escape the clutches of an abusive and tormenting husband, that's why?
With the little savings she has amassed and a job arranged for by her bishop, Ingrid Barker and daughter, Susan head for pastures new, Ingrid having persuaded Susan to tell anyone who asks that her father is dead. It's a big ask of a seven-year-old, but fortunately Straithbairn is so remote that they have few people to lie to. and, they're not the most hospitable bunch either, certainly not the type to whom Ingrid would want to tell her life history, assuming they showed any interest in her anyway. In fact, they are some of the rudest and most inhospitable people she has ever met, both upstairs and down.
While Ingrid hopes she has made the right decision to flee Hampshire, Straithbairn is a difficult place in which to enjoy life. Her employer, a drunken bully; his children, three grudge-bearing, bickering and damaged siblings; the staff, wary and unrelenting. And everyone has a secret that they're happy to scream at each other about, but no-one will enlighten Ingrid as to why nothing seems to make any of them happier. So much angst, so many secrets, so much moody tension.
The grim atmosphere of the outside is reflected inside and there is little light relief until another young man, Hamish, arrives as an unexpected party guest. With Hamish, Ingrid gets to explore the nearby abbey, take picnics and see the glorious sunsets. Could Hamish be the one to bring her the happiness she seeks? Or will her husband discover her whereabouts?
The dreary state of the big house, the miserable family and their arguments, mysterious letters and diaries, the murkiness of the surrounding bog and the abandoned abbey, and not forgetting the smell of sage in the attic... all make for a tense gothic novel filled with intrigue and drama.
I was initially caught out by the sudden change in point-of-view and recognising the switch wasn't always obvious. It's a darker read than I'm used to when reading historical fiction, and a little too heavy on descriptive detail that I found myself skimming at times, but it gets full marks for creepiness and for the most dysfunctional family ever. Fans of gothic hist-fic will lap it up.
With the little savings she has amassed and a job arranged for by her bishop, Ingrid Barker and daughter, Susan head for pastures new, Ingrid having persuaded Susan to tell anyone who asks that her father is dead. It's a big ask of a seven-year-old, but fortunately Straithbairn is so remote that they have few people to lie to. and, they're not the most hospitable bunch either, certainly not the type to whom Ingrid would want to tell her life history, assuming they showed any interest in her anyway. In fact, they are some of the rudest and most inhospitable people she has ever met, both upstairs and down.
While Ingrid hopes she has made the right decision to flee Hampshire, Straithbairn is a difficult place in which to enjoy life. Her employer, a drunken bully; his children, three grudge-bearing, bickering and damaged siblings; the staff, wary and unrelenting. And everyone has a secret that they're happy to scream at each other about, but no-one will enlighten Ingrid as to why nothing seems to make any of them happier. So much angst, so many secrets, so much moody tension.
The grim atmosphere of the outside is reflected inside and there is little light relief until another young man, Hamish, arrives as an unexpected party guest. With Hamish, Ingrid gets to explore the nearby abbey, take picnics and see the glorious sunsets. Could Hamish be the one to bring her the happiness she seeks? Or will her husband discover her whereabouts?
The dreary state of the big house, the miserable family and their arguments, mysterious letters and diaries, the murkiness of the surrounding bog and the abandoned abbey, and not forgetting the smell of sage in the attic... all make for a tense gothic novel filled with intrigue and drama.
I was initially caught out by the sudden change in point-of-view and recognising the switch wasn't always obvious. It's a darker read than I'm used to when reading historical fiction, and a little too heavy on descriptive detail that I found myself skimming at times, but it gets full marks for creepiness and for the most dysfunctional family ever. Fans of gothic hist-fic will lap it up.
February 3, 2024
Isobel Blackthorn's "What Happened at the Abbey" is a gripping Gothic thriller full of secrets. Set in 19th century Scotland, it follows Ingrid, who flees her abusive husband with her daughter and becomes a housekeeper at the eerie Strathbairn estate. As she uncovers the dark secrets of the estate's inhabitants, tension mounts.
Blackthorn paints a vivid picture of the desolate setting, creating a foreboding atmosphere that keeps readers on edge. Despite a slower pace, the story builds suspense around the dysfunctional McLeod family and their servants.
Narrated from Ingrid's perspective, the story delves into her quest to uncover past secrets while fearing discovery by her controlling husband. The narrative delivers a satisfying conclusion as Ingrid unravels the truth in a gripping finale.
The quality of the writing and the intrigue surrounding the Abbey's mysteries captivated this reader. Fans of Gothic novels, classic suspense, and surprising twists will love this book.
Blackthorn paints a vivid picture of the desolate setting, creating a foreboding atmosphere that keeps readers on edge. Despite a slower pace, the story builds suspense around the dysfunctional McLeod family and their servants.
Narrated from Ingrid's perspective, the story delves into her quest to uncover past secrets while fearing discovery by her controlling husband. The narrative delivers a satisfying conclusion as Ingrid unravels the truth in a gripping finale.
The quality of the writing and the intrigue surrounding the Abbey's mysteries captivated this reader. Fans of Gothic novels, classic suspense, and surprising twists will love this book.
January 9, 2024
What Happened at the Abbey by Isobel Blackthorn
Reviewed By: Sara Hailstone
Content Warning: Domestic Violence
Isobel Blackthorn has presented a gothic mystery set in the late 19th century Scottish Highlands of gripping nature with “What Happened at the Abbey.” Ingrid Barker, a well-mannered woman of upper-class society has fled England to Scotland from her abusive banker husband and has taken her young daughter Susan with her. Having sought help from the church, Susan is stationed as a housekeeper for the McCleod family at Strathbairn.
Even in hiding Ingrid does not find relief in her new location from toxicity and domestic violence. She soon perceives that the McCleod family hold generational resentment with each other and blow-up around her. The wait staff are just as problematic and treat Ingrid with harshness and coldness. She is imprisoned in a decaying house pursuing clues as to why the members of the McCleod family fight and why the staff are volatile. The elements of a gothic novel, haunting location, a dysfunctional family and a protagonist on the run, culminate in a page-turning narrative. Woven with layers of the supernatural and occult behaviour, “What Happened at the Abbey” is an ideal read for those up in the late hours.
Isobel Blackthorn has risen to the top across a range of genres like mystery and dark psychological thrillers. She is known for her biographical novel “The Unlikely Occultist” and biography of Alice A. Bailey, “Alice A. Bailey: Life and Legacy.” She completed these works while achieving her PhD in Western Esoterism from the University of Western Sydney. “The Unlikely Occultist” received an Honourable Mention in the 2021 Reader’ Favourite book awards. Blackthorn has connected to the Canary Islands, Spain and six of her novels spanning mystery and travel fiction grew from this geography. Further, her writing has advocated for social justice for asylum seekers and victims of domestic violence. Born in London, England, she now resides in the Canary Islands.
Blackthorn’s imagining of transplanting Ingrid to the Scottish Highlands set a tone of mystery and suspense with the landscape and setting of the McCleod house. Situated by a deadly moss-covered bog and the ruins of an Abbey, the house itself lends to an atmosphere of the past haunting the present. I was interested in how the setting influenced characterization and how the characters behaved within this world. I became enmeshed in the narrative seamlessly this way and felt invested in the well-being of Ingrid and her daughter navigating harrowing and desolate environments.
I was further impressed by Ingrid and her humility woven with a poised and skilled upbringing. Her sense of integrity and quiet feminism was smooth and realistic within her life-designation and time period. The trauma she shows in fleeing domestic violence further accentuates a want for her to have become almost brazen in standing up for herself, but Blackthorn honours character and Ingrid becomes her own in remaining singular and self-respecting throughout the novel’s turn of events. I respect Ingrid and her life-choices. “What Happened at the Abbey” is an engaging read and form of escapism that I highly recommend for other readers.
Thank you to Isobel Blackthorn and Coffee and Thorn for the complimentary copy in request for an honest review!
Reviewed By: Sara Hailstone
Content Warning: Domestic Violence
Isobel Blackthorn has presented a gothic mystery set in the late 19th century Scottish Highlands of gripping nature with “What Happened at the Abbey.” Ingrid Barker, a well-mannered woman of upper-class society has fled England to Scotland from her abusive banker husband and has taken her young daughter Susan with her. Having sought help from the church, Susan is stationed as a housekeeper for the McCleod family at Strathbairn.
Even in hiding Ingrid does not find relief in her new location from toxicity and domestic violence. She soon perceives that the McCleod family hold generational resentment with each other and blow-up around her. The wait staff are just as problematic and treat Ingrid with harshness and coldness. She is imprisoned in a decaying house pursuing clues as to why the members of the McCleod family fight and why the staff are volatile. The elements of a gothic novel, haunting location, a dysfunctional family and a protagonist on the run, culminate in a page-turning narrative. Woven with layers of the supernatural and occult behaviour, “What Happened at the Abbey” is an ideal read for those up in the late hours.
Isobel Blackthorn has risen to the top across a range of genres like mystery and dark psychological thrillers. She is known for her biographical novel “The Unlikely Occultist” and biography of Alice A. Bailey, “Alice A. Bailey: Life and Legacy.” She completed these works while achieving her PhD in Western Esoterism from the University of Western Sydney. “The Unlikely Occultist” received an Honourable Mention in the 2021 Reader’ Favourite book awards. Blackthorn has connected to the Canary Islands, Spain and six of her novels spanning mystery and travel fiction grew from this geography. Further, her writing has advocated for social justice for asylum seekers and victims of domestic violence. Born in London, England, she now resides in the Canary Islands.
Blackthorn’s imagining of transplanting Ingrid to the Scottish Highlands set a tone of mystery and suspense with the landscape and setting of the McCleod house. Situated by a deadly moss-covered bog and the ruins of an Abbey, the house itself lends to an atmosphere of the past haunting the present. I was interested in how the setting influenced characterization and how the characters behaved within this world. I became enmeshed in the narrative seamlessly this way and felt invested in the well-being of Ingrid and her daughter navigating harrowing and desolate environments.
I was further impressed by Ingrid and her humility woven with a poised and skilled upbringing. Her sense of integrity and quiet feminism was smooth and realistic within her life-designation and time period. The trauma she shows in fleeing domestic violence further accentuates a want for her to have become almost brazen in standing up for herself, but Blackthorn honours character and Ingrid becomes her own in remaining singular and self-respecting throughout the novel’s turn of events. I respect Ingrid and her life-choices. “What Happened at the Abbey” is an engaging read and form of escapism that I highly recommend for other readers.
Thank you to Isobel Blackthorn and Coffee and Thorn for the complimentary copy in request for an honest review!
February 2, 2024
Loved all the twists in Isobel Blackthorn’s, What happened at the Abbey. With all the usual deft and nuanced style I expect from Blackthorn’s writing, the story protagonist, Ingrid Barker, moves from one anxiety-producing situation to another. Ghosts, long-buried secrets, a dysfunctional family, a ruined abbey, her traumatic marriage, and a bog entirely too close to the house for my liking; there are enough twists and turns in this story for the most avid mystery reader. Isobel has dragged Ingrid from the frying pan and tossed her into the fire in this one.
If you love a good gothic mystery, you’ll enjoy What happened at the Abbey.
If you love a good gothic mystery, you’ll enjoy What happened at the Abbey.
January 16, 2024
The gist: Ingrid Barker, a well-to-do wife and mother in 19th century London, flees her violent, alcoholic husband with her young daughter. She finds a place as a housekeeper in the Scottish Highlands to an eccentric family where she tries to live a quiet, obscure existence, safe from her husband. But Strathbairn is no safe haven. The McCleod family, consisting of an alcoholic patriarch and his three adult children, cannot abide each other and fight constantly. The staff below stairs are also prickly and full of secrets. Only Susan, Ingrid’s daughter, lives a happy existence oblivious to it all and being doted on by the cook. Ingrid can feel the dark sins of the family’s past in the oppressive atmosphere of the damp old house, and she lives in fear of the day that her husband appears at the door, having tracked her down.
Thoughts: This is a tense, atmospheric gothic thriller with a strong-willed heroine. Ingrid is determined to save herself and her child from the clutches of her abusive husband. She is courageous in her daring escape to the Highlands and in taking a domestic post when she has come from a life of privilege and wealth. It would hardly be possible to find a more appropriate setting for a gothic novel than a dank mansion in Scottish Highlands, with an abandoned abbey nearby, and the frequent misty rainstorms rolling in over the bog. In spite of being surrounded by people, Ingrid feels utterly alone. The family is quarrelsome and unpleasant, and below-stairs is ruled by the temperamental and suspicious cook, who appears to have taken an instant dislike to Ingrid. Moreover, Ingrid is constantly on her guard to prevent the truth about her past from being discovered. If you are a fan of gothic thrillers, all the necessary ingredients are here in this spooky concoction.
Thoughts: This is a tense, atmospheric gothic thriller with a strong-willed heroine. Ingrid is determined to save herself and her child from the clutches of her abusive husband. She is courageous in her daring escape to the Highlands and in taking a domestic post when she has come from a life of privilege and wealth. It would hardly be possible to find a more appropriate setting for a gothic novel than a dank mansion in Scottish Highlands, with an abandoned abbey nearby, and the frequent misty rainstorms rolling in over the bog. In spite of being surrounded by people, Ingrid feels utterly alone. The family is quarrelsome and unpleasant, and below-stairs is ruled by the temperamental and suspicious cook, who appears to have taken an instant dislike to Ingrid. Moreover, Ingrid is constantly on her guard to prevent the truth about her past from being discovered. If you are a fan of gothic thrillers, all the necessary ingredients are here in this spooky concoction.
November 24, 2023
I received an E-ARC with a request for my honest review.
This dark, eerie mystery is set in the Scottish Highlands and follows Ingrid who is starting a new housekeeper role, after fleeing from her husband with her daughter.
As soon as Ingrid starts her new position it doesn’t seem as she expected, and with the household tension building, she starts to believe there are secrets behind the arguments.
With no other choice she continues with her duties, whilst trying to solve the mystery behind the family.
Will Ingrid unravel the family’s secrets? Where will Ingrid’s new life lead?
I found this mystery quite dark, especially as you get more into the secrets of the family. The tension in the house builds throughout making this book an engrossing read.
I felt for Ingrid, as she was fleeing from a terrifying situation to a house filled with tension. I couldn’t quite place the period it was set, not that this mattered, but it was a different time for women where they were easily shamed.
I didn’t feel drawn to any of the other characters, even though the storyline did show sides of their background too.
Overall, a dark, eerie mystery where a new housekeeper tries to unravel the secrets of an intense family.
This dark, eerie mystery is set in the Scottish Highlands and follows Ingrid who is starting a new housekeeper role, after fleeing from her husband with her daughter.
As soon as Ingrid starts her new position it doesn’t seem as she expected, and with the household tension building, she starts to believe there are secrets behind the arguments.
With no other choice she continues with her duties, whilst trying to solve the mystery behind the family.
Will Ingrid unravel the family’s secrets? Where will Ingrid’s new life lead?
I found this mystery quite dark, especially as you get more into the secrets of the family. The tension in the house builds throughout making this book an engrossing read.
I felt for Ingrid, as she was fleeing from a terrifying situation to a house filled with tension. I couldn’t quite place the period it was set, not that this mattered, but it was a different time for women where they were easily shamed.
I didn’t feel drawn to any of the other characters, even though the storyline did show sides of their background too.
Overall, a dark, eerie mystery where a new housekeeper tries to unravel the secrets of an intense family.
January 1, 2026
I enjoyed Isobel Blackthorn style of writing in the novel Emma's Tapestry so was keen to read What Happened At The Abbey. With its mysterious gothic vibe and dysfunctional family it captured and kept my attention throughout.
The central character Ingrid is fleeing her abusive husband. Due to her reduced circumstances she hopes to find sanctuary and employment as a housekeeper in Scotland. She brings with her a young daughter Susan and a toy called Old Sal who watches everything. She finds a job in Strathbairn but very few of the inhabitants & staff are friendly!
It's a well written tale. The descriptive passages are engagingly atmospheric and the characters equally so.
There are many revelations along the way, mysterious letters, a diary, high tension scenes, and some romantic interludes too.
So this would appeal to a reading audience who appreciate storytelling mainly from a female centred point of view.
Highly recommended.
The central character Ingrid is fleeing her abusive husband. Due to her reduced circumstances she hopes to find sanctuary and employment as a housekeeper in Scotland. She brings with her a young daughter Susan and a toy called Old Sal who watches everything. She finds a job in Strathbairn but very few of the inhabitants & staff are friendly!
It's a well written tale. The descriptive passages are engagingly atmospheric and the characters equally so.
There are many revelations along the way, mysterious letters, a diary, high tension scenes, and some romantic interludes too.
So this would appeal to a reading audience who appreciate storytelling mainly from a female centred point of view.
Highly recommended.
November 19, 2024
A really good read. It starts with the main character fleeing with her daughter to Scotland. She’s taken on as a housekeeper but the family in this book are hiding so many secrets. It seems they all have a dislike for each other and are not happy.
It’s an atmospheric and dark tale that kept me very intrigued.
Very good read
It’s an atmospheric and dark tale that kept me very intrigued.
Very good read
February 11, 2024
Spoilers: Isobel Blackthorn is a favorite author of mine. She is one of the best recent mystery/suspense authors. Her attention to setting and character brings new light to the Cozy Mystery, Locked Room Case, and other subgenres. Her books, The Cabin Sessions and Emma's Tapestry were favorites in year's past.
So when I say that What Happened At The Abbey, the first in Blackthorn's The Straithbairn Trilogy is the best of Blackthorn's work, I mean that it is the best of quite an impressive collection indeed.
What Happened at the Abbey is a loving tribute to the Gothic Mystery with an innocent female protagonist hired to work at a creepy wealthy estate for an eccentric family and unearths a secret that the family or their antecedents are trying to hide. It is a wonderful subgenre already and a personal favorite but Blackthorn's attention to tone and character make this a great addition to the genre and a stellar work in its own right.
Ingrid Barker is escaping an abusive marriage with her daughter, Susan. She had to leave her upper middle class lifestyle behind and travel North to Scotland to accept the position of housekeeper at Straithbairn Abbey. As she adjusts to her new surroundings and life as a single mother, Ingrid gets to know her employers, the McCleod Family particularly the argumentative daughter, Gertrude and the feckless secretive son, Miles. Miles in particular arouses suspicion with his cryptic words, his habit of sneaking around outside at night, and family's apparent dislike of him. It becomes clear that something is creepy in the estate of Straithbairn. Meanwhile, Ingrid is receiving threats of her own as she learns that her abusive ex husband is hot on her trail.
The atmosphere is one of stern judgment and deep ominous potentially demonic energy. Ingrid personifies Straithbairn as a “house that seems to frown down on all who behold it.” It's described with rugged countryside, omnipresent sharp craggy stones, a dour facade, and no softness. It is cold, imposing, and already unloving.
The people who dwell inside Straithbairn are just as dysfunctional as the location that surrounds them. The McCleods are people who share a last name but harbor no illusions that they love each other or consider themselves family. Charles, their father, has a tight psychological grip on his children. Gertrude cares more about the estate than she does for the people who live inside it. Blake loses himself in alcohol and defeatism.
Then there's Miles whose arrival instantly brings derision and anger from the rest of his family. He is the McCleod Family Outsider. He appears at Straithbairn to collect moss for an academic study. But his first person narrative (which he alternates with Ingrid’s point of view) reveals more about him than he tells others.
Miles is haunted by his family history and is searching for some answers to questions that have dogged him for years. His narration suggests him as someone who is teetering on the edge of sanity. He alternates between trying to retain rational thought and drifting towards paranoid delusions and fantasies. With the potentially supernatural atmosphere that charges the air, there are moments where it is uncertain if Miles is going insane or actually possessed by demons. What is apparent is that Miles is a man who is inwardly suffering and has no support from the people around him leading to further suffering.
The tension is also experienced by Ingrid. For someone who survived a physically and emotionally abusive marriage, Ingrid no doubt personifies her own experience with the setting around her. Her Anxiety and PTSD is paramount as well as her desire to get away from her previous situation. Straithbairn reminds her of her marriage: intimidating, isolated, domineering, confining, and loveless.
Ingrid is also someone whose own nerves are naturally at an all-time high. She shows a tremendous amount of strength of character by pulling herself and Susan out of a bad situation and starting over in another country by telling people that she is a widow. However, she shows obvious signs of PTSD and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. She is suspicious of the bond that develops between Susan and Ethel, the cook. She finds a newcomer, Hamish, to be alternatively attractive and mysterious. Then there is the news of Edward's return which causes her to fear the world inside and outside the estate.
The tension in the air consumes Ingrid and it becomes clear that something terrifying is hiding in the fringes or under the surface and is about to happen.
It breaks when Ingrid and Miles come face to face with their own fears, anxieties, insecurities, and paranoia and those that cause them.
So when I say that What Happened At The Abbey, the first in Blackthorn's The Straithbairn Trilogy is the best of Blackthorn's work, I mean that it is the best of quite an impressive collection indeed.
What Happened at the Abbey is a loving tribute to the Gothic Mystery with an innocent female protagonist hired to work at a creepy wealthy estate for an eccentric family and unearths a secret that the family or their antecedents are trying to hide. It is a wonderful subgenre already and a personal favorite but Blackthorn's attention to tone and character make this a great addition to the genre and a stellar work in its own right.
Ingrid Barker is escaping an abusive marriage with her daughter, Susan. She had to leave her upper middle class lifestyle behind and travel North to Scotland to accept the position of housekeeper at Straithbairn Abbey. As she adjusts to her new surroundings and life as a single mother, Ingrid gets to know her employers, the McCleod Family particularly the argumentative daughter, Gertrude and the feckless secretive son, Miles. Miles in particular arouses suspicion with his cryptic words, his habit of sneaking around outside at night, and family's apparent dislike of him. It becomes clear that something is creepy in the estate of Straithbairn. Meanwhile, Ingrid is receiving threats of her own as she learns that her abusive ex husband is hot on her trail.
The atmosphere is one of stern judgment and deep ominous potentially demonic energy. Ingrid personifies Straithbairn as a “house that seems to frown down on all who behold it.” It's described with rugged countryside, omnipresent sharp craggy stones, a dour facade, and no softness. It is cold, imposing, and already unloving.
The people who dwell inside Straithbairn are just as dysfunctional as the location that surrounds them. The McCleods are people who share a last name but harbor no illusions that they love each other or consider themselves family. Charles, their father, has a tight psychological grip on his children. Gertrude cares more about the estate than she does for the people who live inside it. Blake loses himself in alcohol and defeatism.
Then there's Miles whose arrival instantly brings derision and anger from the rest of his family. He is the McCleod Family Outsider. He appears at Straithbairn to collect moss for an academic study. But his first person narrative (which he alternates with Ingrid’s point of view) reveals more about him than he tells others.
Miles is haunted by his family history and is searching for some answers to questions that have dogged him for years. His narration suggests him as someone who is teetering on the edge of sanity. He alternates between trying to retain rational thought and drifting towards paranoid delusions and fantasies. With the potentially supernatural atmosphere that charges the air, there are moments where it is uncertain if Miles is going insane or actually possessed by demons. What is apparent is that Miles is a man who is inwardly suffering and has no support from the people around him leading to further suffering.
The tension is also experienced by Ingrid. For someone who survived a physically and emotionally abusive marriage, Ingrid no doubt personifies her own experience with the setting around her. Her Anxiety and PTSD is paramount as well as her desire to get away from her previous situation. Straithbairn reminds her of her marriage: intimidating, isolated, domineering, confining, and loveless.
Ingrid is also someone whose own nerves are naturally at an all-time high. She shows a tremendous amount of strength of character by pulling herself and Susan out of a bad situation and starting over in another country by telling people that she is a widow. However, she shows obvious signs of PTSD and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. She is suspicious of the bond that develops between Susan and Ethel, the cook. She finds a newcomer, Hamish, to be alternatively attractive and mysterious. Then there is the news of Edward's return which causes her to fear the world inside and outside the estate.
The tension in the air consumes Ingrid and it becomes clear that something terrifying is hiding in the fringes or under the surface and is about to happen.
It breaks when Ingrid and Miles come face to face with their own fears, anxieties, insecurities, and paranoia and those that cause them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2026
The chief protagonist of this book ‘Ingrid Barker’ is a survivor, and not just any survivor, but one that forms a much needed and almost archetypal form of female survivor in todays gritty world of realism, one we could call the ‘Solo Female Survivor’ archetype. Ingrid’s heart wrenching story is that of a woman desperately escaping domestic violence in London and grabbing with her nails any sort of chance of escape and sanctuary by taking up a job offer in the Scottish Highlands only to find her herself and her daughter at the mercy of a murky household of difficult and prickly characters. To use the old adage out of the frypan and into the fire in the intrigue that comes as she tries to weave a fabricated story of her past to survive in her current difficult new role as a housekeeper. In the book you’ll see the hard reality that Ingrid takes on with her daughter. She seems to be taking three steps forward and two steps back along a treacherous pathway of social survival trying to find a way ahead as she has to take on a humiliating role of servitude to survive from the gilded cage she escaped from. As she navigates her way through a social maze in a diabolical household, her principled heart steers her through all sorts of hopes and intrigues resulting in deeper mysteries that explode into a climatic and shocking outcomes of betrayal and horror, yet she perseveres giving the reader a sense of awe and respect in the strength of the solo female survivor archetype.
This book is quite special in the way Isobel Blackthorn brings her female characters to life. Isobel Blackthorn is on to something here in the way that she weaves strength and determination into her heroic yet interestingly slightly flawed female characters making them real, gutsy, believable and interesting. I’ve read a few of her books now and her endearing writing style is bringing a gift to the mystery genre by writing up strong female characters with a great sense of agency who triumph and survive against the odds. This is quite refreshing from the old patriarchal mystery novels of the past in which a woman has to be rescued by some man (yawn). Not so in the Blackthorn books like ‘What Happened at the Abbey’. Although as a reader I am a man, I can still identify with these strong female leads (which inspires the inner feminist of my Jungian Anima) so I’m giving this book Five Stars. Can’t wait to read the next one in the series.
This book is quite special in the way Isobel Blackthorn brings her female characters to life. Isobel Blackthorn is on to something here in the way that she weaves strength and determination into her heroic yet interestingly slightly flawed female characters making them real, gutsy, believable and interesting. I’ve read a few of her books now and her endearing writing style is bringing a gift to the mystery genre by writing up strong female characters with a great sense of agency who triumph and survive against the odds. This is quite refreshing from the old patriarchal mystery novels of the past in which a woman has to be rescued by some man (yawn). Not so in the Blackthorn books like ‘What Happened at the Abbey’. Although as a reader I am a man, I can still identify with these strong female leads (which inspires the inner feminist of my Jungian Anima) so I’m giving this book Five Stars. Can’t wait to read the next one in the series.
January 30, 2024
Ingrid Barker’s life has taken a horrible turn. Having grown up in comfort and love, her life is now filled with horror, hate and torture. The only way to gain freedom for herself and her daughter Susan, is to escape the clutches of her husband and run far, far away. Run towards familiarity by returning to a place close to where she grew up – The Scottish Highlands. Alas, Ingrid just steps right out of the frying pan and into the fire.
What Happened at the Abbey by Isobel Blackthorn is a gripping gothic tale full of sinister suspense, deadly drama and mystery, mystery, mystery.
Posing as a widow, Ingrid seeks refuge by applying to work as a housekeeper in the McCleod family home – Strathbairn. A house so sinister that you would never catch me entering it in this century, forget in the 19th century. Isolated, set amongst a stark landscape, surrounded by decrepit ruins, howling winds and the ever mysterious bog with its swirling mists that call out to you on moonlit nights. Shuderrrrrr!!! That’s spooky enough, but wait, the McCleod family may just be spookier. I quite thought they gave the Addams family a run for their money.
Ingrid steps straight into the mystery of Strathbairn on her very first day there, when she stumbles across letters from a previous housekeeper talking about a grave injustice being done. An injustice that hints at murder and abuse. As Ingrid sets out to figure the mystery of the letter, she uncovers a plethora of secrets, from ghostly apparitions to murder, occultism and mayhem.
Is Ingrid able to survive this mysterious house and its inhabitants?
Does she fulfil her desire to be free?
Blackthorn’s writing style is truly what makes this a page-turning read. She manages to combine horror and drama so effortlessly that it feels like Edgar Allen Poe and Bridgerton combined. What truly strikes out for me was the way, amidst all the horror and murder, she tackles the issue of domestic abuse (both physical and psychological). In Ingrid, Blackthorn has created a character who though meek at times, is absolutely fearless when it comes to protecting her daughter.
So glad I got this RC. It is a book that I couldn’t put down just like Blackthorn’s earlier books. I can’t wait for the next. Hope you liked my fair and honest review.
Happy Reading:)
What Happened at the Abbey by Isobel Blackthorn is a gripping gothic tale full of sinister suspense, deadly drama and mystery, mystery, mystery.
Posing as a widow, Ingrid seeks refuge by applying to work as a housekeeper in the McCleod family home – Strathbairn. A house so sinister that you would never catch me entering it in this century, forget in the 19th century. Isolated, set amongst a stark landscape, surrounded by decrepit ruins, howling winds and the ever mysterious bog with its swirling mists that call out to you on moonlit nights. Shuderrrrrr!!! That’s spooky enough, but wait, the McCleod family may just be spookier. I quite thought they gave the Addams family a run for their money.
Ingrid steps straight into the mystery of Strathbairn on her very first day there, when she stumbles across letters from a previous housekeeper talking about a grave injustice being done. An injustice that hints at murder and abuse. As Ingrid sets out to figure the mystery of the letter, she uncovers a plethora of secrets, from ghostly apparitions to murder, occultism and mayhem.
Is Ingrid able to survive this mysterious house and its inhabitants?
Does she fulfil her desire to be free?
Blackthorn’s writing style is truly what makes this a page-turning read. She manages to combine horror and drama so effortlessly that it feels like Edgar Allen Poe and Bridgerton combined. What truly strikes out for me was the way, amidst all the horror and murder, she tackles the issue of domestic abuse (both physical and psychological). In Ingrid, Blackthorn has created a character who though meek at times, is absolutely fearless when it comes to protecting her daughter.
So glad I got this RC. It is a book that I couldn’t put down just like Blackthorn’s earlier books. I can’t wait for the next. Hope you liked my fair and honest review.
Happy Reading:)
February 17, 2026
Be prepared to have your emotions torn asunder
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I am already a big fan of Blackthorn’s books and find that you can rely on the fact that you never quite know what to expect, except it will be a thoroughly good read. This book was no exception and not at all what I expected.
To write a book principally centred in one location and mainly in one house is hard to do, but Blackthorn succeeds in drawing me into a character driven novel. This being an end of 19th century set book, Blackthorn also very quickly acclimatised me in the conditions of the time, not least the vulnerability of women and how they are seen in society and marriage.
Escaping a cruel and violent husband from their comfortable middle-class home in Winchester, Ingrid is found a job as housekeeper by a kindly cleric aware of the difficult relationship. The house is in the Scottish highlands and not too far from where Ingrid Barker was born and grew up.
No sooner does Ingrid and her eight year old daughter take up residence than she realises that this is a most dysfunctional family and the other servants do not take an immediate liking to her, but at least they embrace the daughter, Susan.
This is where the ‘Gothic genre’ takes a grip, the narrative being taken up with the voice of Ingrid and the family members. It was easy to become engaged in the history of the family, the undercurrents patent with the servants, the disdain the three siblings have for each other and the aggressive patriarch father, descended from a long line of not very pleasant men.
To say more would be giving to many clues to the story, save to say that I became so embroiled in the events in the house, the characters and how they reacted to each other, that I was almost unaware that the plot was becoming increasingly dark and menacing, and that is no understatement. The conclusion of this storyline is scary. It is cleverly written so as to play on the emotions I had already built up, and it is reasonable to say my gut was turbulent, and I never saw the end coming.
A thoroughly good read and I heartily recommend it. I have already bought part 2 and intend to read it straightaway – 5 stars
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I am already a big fan of Blackthorn’s books and find that you can rely on the fact that you never quite know what to expect, except it will be a thoroughly good read. This book was no exception and not at all what I expected.
To write a book principally centred in one location and mainly in one house is hard to do, but Blackthorn succeeds in drawing me into a character driven novel. This being an end of 19th century set book, Blackthorn also very quickly acclimatised me in the conditions of the time, not least the vulnerability of women and how they are seen in society and marriage.
Escaping a cruel and violent husband from their comfortable middle-class home in Winchester, Ingrid is found a job as housekeeper by a kindly cleric aware of the difficult relationship. The house is in the Scottish highlands and not too far from where Ingrid Barker was born and grew up.
No sooner does Ingrid and her eight year old daughter take up residence than she realises that this is a most dysfunctional family and the other servants do not take an immediate liking to her, but at least they embrace the daughter, Susan.
This is where the ‘Gothic genre’ takes a grip, the narrative being taken up with the voice of Ingrid and the family members. It was easy to become engaged in the history of the family, the undercurrents patent with the servants, the disdain the three siblings have for each other and the aggressive patriarch father, descended from a long line of not very pleasant men.
To say more would be giving to many clues to the story, save to say that I became so embroiled in the events in the house, the characters and how they reacted to each other, that I was almost unaware that the plot was becoming increasingly dark and menacing, and that is no understatement. The conclusion of this storyline is scary. It is cleverly written so as to play on the emotions I had already built up, and it is reasonable to say my gut was turbulent, and I never saw the end coming.
A thoroughly good read and I heartily recommend it. I have already bought part 2 and intend to read it straightaway – 5 stars
December 5, 2023
TRIGGER WARNING: memories of spousal and child abuse
Ingrid Barker runs away from her abusive husband and takes her daughter Susan to a remote area of Scotland to act as housekeeper for the McCleod family. But both parties are harbouring dangerous secrets...
What Happened At The Abbey is a sinister mystery book with elements of the supernatural. The book is set during Victorian times although the exact date is not specified.
Ingrid is desperate to escape her husband. She has happy memories of her childhood in Scotland so returns to the area to take the position of hosekeeper. But within minutes of arrival she discovers that her actual role in more akin to housemaid and she is trapped between the master's warring children, a disgruntled and talentless cook and maid.
Reluctantly, she accepts the change in circumstances due to her desperation but is unsettled by strange episodes including cold drafts and odd smells as well as the discovery of notes from her predecessor. Gertrude McCleod is flexing her new power within the household and her brothers Miles and Blake are angered by her behaviour. All of the main characters are haunted by the past...
The book is written in the first person throughout. However, I felt a little confused as the narrator changes from Ingrid to Miles without warning, sometimes within a chapter. A simple name at the start of each chapter or section would have eliminated this entirely. However, I almost felt that Miles' narration was unnecessary to the plot development but did offer additional insights.
I have to mention the remote Scottish location and the associated bog and ruined abbey which contribute to the setting and supports the backdrop to events. The sinister and tense atmosphere is effectively created and secrets are gradually revealed. There were some good twists as the conclusion approached and I wanted Ingrid to find safety, happiness and peace for herself and her daughter.
What Happened At The Abbey is an entertaining, spooky and emotional mystery novel.
Ingrid Barker runs away from her abusive husband and takes her daughter Susan to a remote area of Scotland to act as housekeeper for the McCleod family. But both parties are harbouring dangerous secrets...
What Happened At The Abbey is a sinister mystery book with elements of the supernatural. The book is set during Victorian times although the exact date is not specified.
Ingrid is desperate to escape her husband. She has happy memories of her childhood in Scotland so returns to the area to take the position of hosekeeper. But within minutes of arrival she discovers that her actual role in more akin to housemaid and she is trapped between the master's warring children, a disgruntled and talentless cook and maid.
Reluctantly, she accepts the change in circumstances due to her desperation but is unsettled by strange episodes including cold drafts and odd smells as well as the discovery of notes from her predecessor. Gertrude McCleod is flexing her new power within the household and her brothers Miles and Blake are angered by her behaviour. All of the main characters are haunted by the past...
The book is written in the first person throughout. However, I felt a little confused as the narrator changes from Ingrid to Miles without warning, sometimes within a chapter. A simple name at the start of each chapter or section would have eliminated this entirely. However, I almost felt that Miles' narration was unnecessary to the plot development but did offer additional insights.
I have to mention the remote Scottish location and the associated bog and ruined abbey which contribute to the setting and supports the backdrop to events. The sinister and tense atmosphere is effectively created and secrets are gradually revealed. There were some good twists as the conclusion approached and I wanted Ingrid to find safety, happiness and peace for herself and her daughter.
What Happened At The Abbey is an entertaining, spooky and emotional mystery novel.
October 1, 2023
What Happened at the Abbey: by Isobel Blackthorn
Fleeing Edward, her abusive husband, Ingrid escapes with her young daughter, Susan, and a few belongings.
Her chosen destination is Strathbairn, in the Scottish Highlands, a place where, Ingrid holds cherished memories of her childhood and happier times.
Hiding her true reasons for accepting the lowly position as housekeeper, she convinces her daughter to keep a secret. They pretend Edward is dead.
But once they arrive, it doesn’t take Ingrid long to discover she isn’t the only one hiding a dark secret. The illusive owner of the rambling old house hides himself away and allows one of his adult children, Gertrude, to take the reins. She rules the house with an iron fist and her siblings hate her. In fact, they all seem to despise each other, and Ingrid is determined to find out why.
Miles, the youngest sibling, is an enigma. He is a loner with a troubled mind, who wanders off every night, and searches for species of moss during the day.
The aloof staff below stairs are just as acerbic as the family. They don’t want Ingrid there. They whisper behind her back. And Ethel, the cook, talks down to her, even though Ingrid’s position in the house is higher than the cooks.
Then there is Hamish, who befriends Ingrid and gives her moments of respite from the oppressive house and its grounds.
Sinister goings on have happened there in the past and continue to the present day. Nobody can be trusted, and you, the reader will analyse each character with a critical eye. What is going on here? Can Ingrid unlock the mystery and save herself before her husband finds her, or has fate got something else in store?
Fleeing Edward, her abusive husband, Ingrid escapes with her young daughter, Susan, and a few belongings.
Her chosen destination is Strathbairn, in the Scottish Highlands, a place where, Ingrid holds cherished memories of her childhood and happier times.
Hiding her true reasons for accepting the lowly position as housekeeper, she convinces her daughter to keep a secret. They pretend Edward is dead.
But once they arrive, it doesn’t take Ingrid long to discover she isn’t the only one hiding a dark secret. The illusive owner of the rambling old house hides himself away and allows one of his adult children, Gertrude, to take the reins. She rules the house with an iron fist and her siblings hate her. In fact, they all seem to despise each other, and Ingrid is determined to find out why.
Miles, the youngest sibling, is an enigma. He is a loner with a troubled mind, who wanders off every night, and searches for species of moss during the day.
The aloof staff below stairs are just as acerbic as the family. They don’t want Ingrid there. They whisper behind her back. And Ethel, the cook, talks down to her, even though Ingrid’s position in the house is higher than the cooks.
Then there is Hamish, who befriends Ingrid and gives her moments of respite from the oppressive house and its grounds.
Sinister goings on have happened there in the past and continue to the present day. Nobody can be trusted, and you, the reader will analyse each character with a critical eye. What is going on here? Can Ingrid unlock the mystery and save herself before her husband finds her, or has fate got something else in store?
February 5, 2024
Isobel Blackthorn writes an intense and dramatic tale with What Happened at the Abbey
In What Happened at the Abbey, the reader is introduced to Ingrid, escaping an abusive husband, who she believes will be trying to hunt her down. She probably isn't wrong in that thinking. However, she becomes a housekeeper to the McCleod family, whose home and family are filled with dark secrets. Ingrid becomes concerned about the children so much that she goes out of her way to figure out what is wrong here in the Scottish Highlands. I am a big fan of Isobel Blackthorn and read whatever she writes. Haunting can be from the living or the dead, and both seem to be haunting Ingrid. This story was very powerful, and felt very personal to me. I can understand Ingrid's thinking, no matter what the era or time period, there is always some person trying to hurt their partner, and not all can escape, and if they do, they are looking over their shoulders no matter how far they think they are from that person, who is intent on hunting them, almost like prey. I really liked Ingrid, and she is stronger than she believes she is, and her concern for her own life is set aside for a bit to care for the children and find out what is going on. This is a multi-layered story, and has several grand plot points, and it's something you just can't put down until the end. Isobel Blackthorn not only tells the story but shows it with words as well. This book is both thrilling and intriguing, all the way to the end. What Happened at the Abbey is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I read this book to give my unbiased and honest review. Amy's Bookshelf Reviews recommends that anyone who reads this book to also write a review.
In What Happened at the Abbey, the reader is introduced to Ingrid, escaping an abusive husband, who she believes will be trying to hunt her down. She probably isn't wrong in that thinking. However, she becomes a housekeeper to the McCleod family, whose home and family are filled with dark secrets. Ingrid becomes concerned about the children so much that she goes out of her way to figure out what is wrong here in the Scottish Highlands. I am a big fan of Isobel Blackthorn and read whatever she writes. Haunting can be from the living or the dead, and both seem to be haunting Ingrid. This story was very powerful, and felt very personal to me. I can understand Ingrid's thinking, no matter what the era or time period, there is always some person trying to hurt their partner, and not all can escape, and if they do, they are looking over their shoulders no matter how far they think they are from that person, who is intent on hunting them, almost like prey. I really liked Ingrid, and she is stronger than she believes she is, and her concern for her own life is set aside for a bit to care for the children and find out what is going on. This is a multi-layered story, and has several grand plot points, and it's something you just can't put down until the end. Isobel Blackthorn not only tells the story but shows it with words as well. This book is both thrilling and intriguing, all the way to the end. What Happened at the Abbey is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I read this book to give my unbiased and honest review. Amy's Bookshelf Reviews recommends that anyone who reads this book to also write a review.
October 11, 2023
I could write a very long review of this book but will try to be brief. I thoroughly enjoyed this story which seemed to throw up one mystery after another. Ingrid Barker, together with her young daughter, Susan arrive at a remote house in the Scottish Highlands where Ingrid is to be employed as housekeeper to the MacLeod family. They believe her to be a widow, though in fact she has run away from her violent, abusive husband.
Aided by her bishop, she has secured the job but soon begins to wonder if she's made the right decision.
The family all seem to be keeping dark secrets and Ingrid feels alone and isolated, until the arrival of Hamish, who she comes to see as a friend.
But as she discovers the truth behind the history of the grim old house and those who live within its walls her fears grow stronger and stronger. As the truth slowly unravels, Ingrid finds herself faced with a terrible decision. The final chapters of the book move along at breakneck speed as the secrets of Stathbairn begin to unravel before her, and nothing appears to be as she thought previously.
I loved this book which kept me enthralled and entertained to the very last page.
Thoroughly recommended! 5 big stars.
November 26, 2023
What Happened at the Abbey by Isobel Blackthorn
I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Blurb
When Ingrid flees a violent husband to become a housekeeper in the Scottish Highlands, she discovers the family she works for has a much darker history than her own.
Who haunts Strathbairn? Why are the adult McCleod children at each other’s throats? And why does the youngest sneak off at night? As Ingrid searches for answers, she grows ever more fearful that her husband will track her down.
Set in late 19th century Scottish Highlands, WHAT HAPPENED AT THE ABBEY is a gothic mystery brimming with intrigue, ghostly drama, and family secrets.
My Opinion
I am trying to read more historical fiction as it has not really been a genre that has appealed to me in the past but it is slowly growing on me. As you can probably guess from the title there is are a lot of secret and mysteries in this book. With everyone hiding something, it is impossible not to get caught up in the drama.
As a first introduction to the author this was an enjoyable read. I read over half of this book in one sitting, eager to find out more. Will Ingrid be able to keep both herself and her daughter safe?
Rating 4/5
I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Blurb
When Ingrid flees a violent husband to become a housekeeper in the Scottish Highlands, she discovers the family she works for has a much darker history than her own.
Who haunts Strathbairn? Why are the adult McCleod children at each other’s throats? And why does the youngest sneak off at night? As Ingrid searches for answers, she grows ever more fearful that her husband will track her down.
Set in late 19th century Scottish Highlands, WHAT HAPPENED AT THE ABBEY is a gothic mystery brimming with intrigue, ghostly drama, and family secrets.
My Opinion
I am trying to read more historical fiction as it has not really been a genre that has appealed to me in the past but it is slowly growing on me. As you can probably guess from the title there is are a lot of secret and mysteries in this book. With everyone hiding something, it is impossible not to get caught up in the drama.
As a first introduction to the author this was an enjoyable read. I read over half of this book in one sitting, eager to find out more. Will Ingrid be able to keep both herself and her daughter safe?
Rating 4/5
February 3, 2024
A dark mystery which should appeal to readers of Victorian Gothic and lovers of Scotland's breathtaking scenery.
Ingrid needs to escape her abusive marriage so, with her daughter in tow, takes a position as housekeeper for the McCleod family who live in a remote part of Scotland. But from the very start things do not turn out as she expected, and sinister secrets - on both sides - gradually become revealed as the past haunts the present.
Written in first person I quite liked Ingrid, and had sympathy for her situation, but I wasn't quite as attracted by the supporting cast of characters, and the change of narrator was initially confusing, nor was it really necessary. (Personal opinion, but I think third person narrative would have suited this tale.)
I think the cover could have been more eye catching and intriguing. While a ruined abbey is appropriate, the design doesn't quite convey a feeling of tension or a sinister Gothic tale - a ruined abbey could be anything.
However, having said that, the backdrop atmosphere in the story created by the ruined abbey combined with the Scottish countryside were excellently done, along with the clever tension of the plot and the unexpected twists - so all in all, good entertainment for readers who enjoy this sort of tale.
Ingrid needs to escape her abusive marriage so, with her daughter in tow, takes a position as housekeeper for the McCleod family who live in a remote part of Scotland. But from the very start things do not turn out as she expected, and sinister secrets - on both sides - gradually become revealed as the past haunts the present.
Written in first person I quite liked Ingrid, and had sympathy for her situation, but I wasn't quite as attracted by the supporting cast of characters, and the change of narrator was initially confusing, nor was it really necessary. (Personal opinion, but I think third person narrative would have suited this tale.)
I think the cover could have been more eye catching and intriguing. While a ruined abbey is appropriate, the design doesn't quite convey a feeling of tension or a sinister Gothic tale - a ruined abbey could be anything.
However, having said that, the backdrop atmosphere in the story created by the ruined abbey combined with the Scottish countryside were excellently done, along with the clever tension of the plot and the unexpected twists - so all in all, good entertainment for readers who enjoy this sort of tale.
February 4, 2024
This atmospheric gothic mystery/thriller, set in the late 19th century in the Scottish Highlands, tells the tale of Ingrid, a well-educated woman living an upper-class life, who flees her abusive husband, taking only her young daughter and what she can carry. Her bishop has arranged for her to take a position as a housekeeper at remote Strathbairn, a role well below her former status.
Strathbairn turns out not to be the refuge she had hoped for, and the job devolves into housework rather than a supervisory position. While Isobel hides behind the façade of widowhood, hoping her young daughter will not reveal the truth, the McCleod family, a group of unlikeable characters, are hiding secrets of their own.
Living in fear that her husband will track her down and trying to make sense of the doings of the McCleod family, Ingrid delves into their mysterious past. She believes she has an ally in Hamish, a family acquaintance contracted to do repairs on the old house, but that turns out not to be the case.
A moonlit walk on Midsummer’s Eve with Hamish brings Ingrid’s worst fears to life and results in her leaving Scotland. Readers of gothic mysteries will thoroughly enjoy this novel, as did I.
Strathbairn turns out not to be the refuge she had hoped for, and the job devolves into housework rather than a supervisory position. While Isobel hides behind the façade of widowhood, hoping her young daughter will not reveal the truth, the McCleod family, a group of unlikeable characters, are hiding secrets of their own.
Living in fear that her husband will track her down and trying to make sense of the doings of the McCleod family, Ingrid delves into their mysterious past. She believes she has an ally in Hamish, a family acquaintance contracted to do repairs on the old house, but that turns out not to be the case.
A moonlit walk on Midsummer’s Eve with Hamish brings Ingrid’s worst fears to life and results in her leaving Scotland. Readers of gothic mysteries will thoroughly enjoy this novel, as did I.
November 25, 2023
What Happened at the Abbey by Isobel Blackthorn is a very Gothic-style story that has the main character, Ingrid, along with her daughter escape her abusive husband and take as housekeeper Strathbairn Abbey in the Scottish Highlands in the late 19th century. She decides to be a 'widow' so that her husband can not find her.
The position is not what she thinks it is as the McCleod siblings are at each other all the time. So she needs to find out why and what secrets do they have?
The patriarch of the family has put Gertrude in charge of the household which is not the greatest idea as she is just a mean-spirited person.
Then there is Miles who likes to wander at night in the bogs looking for different kinds of moss. Why? Haven't a clue. Ingrid strikes up a relationship with Hamish. He is just the kind of man she has been looking for.
All the while, fearing that her husband Edward with hunt her down. As she is drawn into the family dynamics, she finds that she can not trust anyone. So she is determined to find out all she can of the McCleod family and its secrets. However doing this puts her and her daughter in harm's way.
I have read three of Isobel's books, loved each and every one. She tells a really creepy story, very gothic and dark, with characters that you think you know but really don't. I look forward to reading more by this author.
I give it 5 stars!
The position is not what she thinks it is as the McCleod siblings are at each other all the time. So she needs to find out why and what secrets do they have?
The patriarch of the family has put Gertrude in charge of the household which is not the greatest idea as she is just a mean-spirited person.
Then there is Miles who likes to wander at night in the bogs looking for different kinds of moss. Why? Haven't a clue. Ingrid strikes up a relationship with Hamish. He is just the kind of man she has been looking for.
All the while, fearing that her husband Edward with hunt her down. As she is drawn into the family dynamics, she finds that she can not trust anyone. So she is determined to find out all she can of the McCleod family and its secrets. However doing this puts her and her daughter in harm's way.
I have read three of Isobel's books, loved each and every one. She tells a really creepy story, very gothic and dark, with characters that you think you know but really don't. I look forward to reading more by this author.
I give it 5 stars!
December 2, 2023
I've really enjoyed this book so far, the first chapter was really intriguing and it made me want to keep reading to untangle all these threads that had already been woven around Ingrid. She's a rather interesting main character, aside from knowing from the blurb why she's now the housekeeper at Strathbairn we know very little about her and the way she's been written does make you want to know more. But from what we do know I think Ingrid is a strong woman to have been able to leave her husband and that clearly she might need that strength in this new role. All the characters I've met so far are really well described, I gain an instant mental image of them from the description and it sort of helps to visualise the encounters Ingrid has with them. You instantly are able to understand from her interactions that not everything is as it seems with her new role but also that something is off with this family, and that seems to centre around Miles.
It is a really well-written book and although I've not finished it yet I am looking forward to finishing it and finding out what the deal is with Miles and what the family are hiding.
It is a really well-written book and although I've not finished it yet I am looking forward to finishing it and finding out what the deal is with Miles and what the family are hiding.
February 3, 2024
I received a copy of this for free, to review as part of a book tour with Coffee And Thorn.
This absorbing historical mystery is the first in the Strathbairn trilogy, set in the Scottish Highlands. At the start of the book, we meet Ingrid and her daughter Susan. Ingrid has accepted a job as a housekeeper and has moved away to escape her abusive marriage.
This story had all the suspense that I hoped for. Once I started turning the pages, it was impossible to stop, and I had to read it all in one sitting.
It falls into the gothic genre, which is one of my favourites, and old-fashioned manor houses, or similar locations, are one of my favourite settings for a mystery. So I found that while this was wonderfully suspenseful and eerie, it was also a very comfortable read, and provided me with my ideal escape.
Thank you to Coffee And Thorn, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.
This absorbing historical mystery is the first in the Strathbairn trilogy, set in the Scottish Highlands. At the start of the book, we meet Ingrid and her daughter Susan. Ingrid has accepted a job as a housekeeper and has moved away to escape her abusive marriage.
This story had all the suspense that I hoped for. Once I started turning the pages, it was impossible to stop, and I had to read it all in one sitting.
It falls into the gothic genre, which is one of my favourites, and old-fashioned manor houses, or similar locations, are one of my favourite settings for a mystery. So I found that while this was wonderfully suspenseful and eerie, it was also a very comfortable read, and provided me with my ideal escape.
Thank you to Coffee And Thorn, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.
November 25, 2023
2.5/5
This book is interesting as it has many characters, and each one seems to have a secret that they need to keep hidden. I enjoyed that the reader slowly starts to find out clues, and gets bits and pieces of everyone’s background. I think that kept me really engaged to figure out all the little details.
It was slightly hard to follow since the points of views do change without warning. Some chapters are from different points of view and seem to just switch, while other times it seems to switch in the middle of chapters which made me kind of have to read certain sections over again to make sure I knew who we were with at the time.
I enjoyed the time period, as I love a good historical fiction book. I felt that the period the book was set in made total sense for the book's plot, and also made some of the plot even more believable.
This book is interesting as it has many characters, and each one seems to have a secret that they need to keep hidden. I enjoyed that the reader slowly starts to find out clues, and gets bits and pieces of everyone’s background. I think that kept me really engaged to figure out all the little details.
It was slightly hard to follow since the points of views do change without warning. Some chapters are from different points of view and seem to just switch, while other times it seems to switch in the middle of chapters which made me kind of have to read certain sections over again to make sure I knew who we were with at the time.
I enjoyed the time period, as I love a good historical fiction book. I felt that the period the book was set in made total sense for the book's plot, and also made some of the plot even more believable.
February 4, 2024
An isolated Highland Valley. An old country house and a dysfunctional family with dark secrets and a history shrouded in mystery. The ruins of an old Abbey and a dark, dangerous bog. Enter a new housekeeper into this secret, closed-in world with her young daughter, a woman with secrets of her own. Unwelcomed, distrusted, she struggled to cope with the antagonistic, strange and troubling behaviour of family and servants. Not to mention the mysteries which surround the family and which gradually unfold in a darkly gothic tale of brutality, misdeeds and, yes, even murder. Alone in this severe landscape, who can she trust? This is a compelling, sometimes disturbing story which twists and turns and winds its way towards a gripping conclusion against a wonderfully evoked backdrop. A very enjoyable read.
November 29, 2023
I love a good mystery and this historical fiction book had bags of it!
There is intrigue from the outset as our protagonist flees to Scotland to escape her abusive marriage. She doesn't get the peace she was hoping for, and there is lots of drama surrounding her new life. There are characters aplenty and so much mystery from them, that the plot and people weave perfectly together.
This was a fast and gripping read from an author I hadn't read before, but I'd happily read more books from her in the future.
There is intrigue from the outset as our protagonist flees to Scotland to escape her abusive marriage. She doesn't get the peace she was hoping for, and there is lots of drama surrounding her new life. There are characters aplenty and so much mystery from them, that the plot and people weave perfectly together.
This was a fast and gripping read from an author I hadn't read before, but I'd happily read more books from her in the future.
February 8, 2024
In this new novel, multi-talented Isobel Blackthorn has taken on the Gothic Mystery genre and made it her own. Taking all the traditional components - a haunting, a troubled family, a dark and mysterious setting in the wilds of an unwelcoming country - she has added her own flair for complex characterization and her meticulous approach to historical research.
Her heroine is a reserved and dignified middle class woman in flight from an abusive husband, who has landed up taking a post as a housekeeper with her young daughter in tow, in the highlands of Scotland. Of course, the house is full of mysteries and the family has dark secrets going back into the past and forwards to the present day. There are wonderful characters, shades of interesting grey, and moments of gasping horror, all interspersed with themes that resonate with the present day, although addressed in very appropriate historical terms. A must-read for lovers of gothic mystery, and a great introduction for newcomers to the genre.
Such an enjoyable read!
Her heroine is a reserved and dignified middle class woman in flight from an abusive husband, who has landed up taking a post as a housekeeper with her young daughter in tow, in the highlands of Scotland. Of course, the house is full of mysteries and the family has dark secrets going back into the past and forwards to the present day. There are wonderful characters, shades of interesting grey, and moments of gasping horror, all interspersed with themes that resonate with the present day, although addressed in very appropriate historical terms. A must-read for lovers of gothic mystery, and a great introduction for newcomers to the genre.
Such an enjoyable read!
December 8, 2023
This is the perfect example of why I love historical fiction, interesting characters, plots and the added bonus of spooky goings on.
I throughly enjoyed the authors writing style, through it I really got to know the characters and how they are effected by the house and past events.
The setting of the house really added the the creepiness of the plot, I would highly recommend this and I’m looking forward to reading more by the author.
I throughly enjoyed the authors writing style, through it I really got to know the characters and how they are effected by the house and past events.
The setting of the house really added the the creepiness of the plot, I would highly recommend this and I’m looking forward to reading more by the author.
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