Das Dunkle Haus Am See

Vanished Child #1

by Sarah Smith

3

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical, Historical Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Thriller

399 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Sarah Smith has been interested in ghosts and storytelling since she was four. Her sitter told her Japanese ghost stories at night, which she retold on the schoolbus the next morning. When she heard the story of the haunted house and the Perkins Bequest, she knew she had to write about it. No one knows what became of the real Perkins Bequest. She hopes The Other Side of Dark may help solve the mystery.

The Other Side of Dark is her debut novel for young adults.

Sarah studied English at Harvard (where she hid out in the library reading mysteries) and film in London. She is the bestselling author of an adult mystery series set in Edwardian Boston and Paris; two of the books have been New York Times Notable Books of the Year, and one was a London Times Book of the Year.

She has also written a novel about the Shakespeare authorship, Chasing Shakespeares, and actually discovered a "Shakespearean" poem by another candidate. She is currently writing a novel about the Titanic.

Visit her online at www.sarahsmith.com and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sarahwriter. Read her short stories for free at BookViewCafe.

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Reviews

[Chana · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the author herself says about her fictional story, "There are great ragged holes in the story." Her story involves a young man who may not be who he thought he was but may instead have lost his memory due to severe childhood trauma. As a reader I was disappointed, I don't think the author finishes much of anything which is too bad as the book has an intriguing premise, very fine details, a gothic atmosphere and a beguiling love story. I wanted so much more from this book because she creates all these great elements and, well this is where the great ragged holes come in; the mystery is only partially solved, scenes and language become repetitive ("I am not Richard" could probably fill two pages all by itself and how many times and ways does he say, 'don't give me the money, give him the money, the girl I love can't be mine, she must be his'), it starts to bog, there are too many choices, scenes and inconsistencies. Too bad, there is so much potential here. What is truly chilling is the truth behind the premise.

[Bren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tengo que reconocer que el argumento del libro es bastante bueno, un científico reconocido y además un rico heredero de la realeza europea es confundido con el heredero rico de un estadounidense millonario que ha desaparecido hace muchos años.

El libro transcurre en que Alexander von Reisden se dedica a demostrar que no es el desaparecido Richard Knigh a pesar de que todo el mundo así lo cree.

Por un lado, no puedo quejarme de la narrativa es bastante prolija, sin embargo, me ha costado la vida entera leerme este libro, me he tardado en meterme a la historia y ya entrada en ella, cada página me parecía que pesaba una tonelada, me costaba avanzar, me costaba seguir, se me ha hecho tan cuesta arriba.

De algún modo me parece que Sarah Smith pretende de, además escribir un libro de intriga, ha querido también escribir un libro costumbrista, ubicado a principios del siglo XX, la autora realmente se ha dedicado y bien dedicado a largas descripciones de escenarios, costumbres, vestimentas y demás, personalmente no me gustan, aunque he leído libros que las tienen y no me estorban, las disfruto, pues no, este no ha sido el caso.

Lento, bastante lento para mí gusto, si bien esto no sería ningún problema si la trama me hubiera atrapado lo suficiente, pero no fue el caso, en fin, que en esta ocasión no ha sido la mejor opción de lectura.

Lo positivo es que el misterio ha sido lo bastante bueno como para tentarme y continuar leyendo hasta el final, toda esa parte del drama ha sido lo mejor del libro.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished Sarah Smith's 4th in this series, Crimes and Survivors, and it drew me to re-read the first, which I recalled as being one of my favorite books ever: The Vanished Child. I love to revisit favorite books, first for the pleasure of relaxing into the prose once I already know how the story turns out, and second, to help keep these books alive. Someone in the publishing world once told me the average shelf life for a modern novel is about equal to that of a container of yogurt.

Since The Vanished Child is set in 1905 Boston it could certainly be categorized as historical fiction, and since it involves a decades-old murder/missing child it could also be called a mystery, but both those labels seem to leave so much out. I confess to being a little nervous as I launched into the re-read -- what if it wasn't as good as I remembered? It was.

[Leah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Daran, dass ich das Buch seit August lese, ist gut zu erkennen, wie außerordentlich doof ich es fand. Irgendwie passierte so gar nichts und die Figuren wirkten wie leblose Ausschnitte.

[Yune · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are all the trappings of a traditional mystery, and yet this book easily escapes that pigeonhole. Nineteen years ago, a man was murdered and his grandchild kidnapped. Alexander agrees to pretend to be the child returned, only to find himself growing uncertain about the truth. As much as you wonder about the past, you get caught up in the web of the characters in the present, as Smith deftly handles the nuances and intensity of their emotions and relationships.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

It dragged on and on, and then it didn't really end.

[Siobhan Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

So most reviews that I can see are highly favourable, so I really thought that maybe I missed something with this book. Then I came across one that said that this book dragged on and on and then didn't really end - so I'm glad someone else felt the same way I did!

This book was not really for me. It just seemed to go on so long and there were so many characters to keep track of and it felt like nothing really happened, and then the ending was really a non-ending. So that was all a bit of a bummer!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obsessed with these characters.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this back in 1997 because I liked the cover of The Knowledge of Water (I'm so fickle!). My friend told me that one was actually a sequel and that I needed to read this one first. This book is not at all what I expected, and it continually offered surprises and kept me guessing throughout. The prose was dense, and sometimes challenging to follow. But the author painted vivid scenes and the style added intense psychological depth. The conclusion was not what I wanted it to be, but it was right. I am indeed curious what the next book has to offer.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the series, including The Vanished Child, The Knowledge of Water, and A Citizen of the Country. I've read the first two books twice in the last 10 years. If you enjoy historical novels and mystery, these books are a lot of fun. They take place in the United States and Europe in the years before the First World War, and you get a real feel for the times.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this elegant, character-driven mystery. I read this first book second, but will now go on to read the final book in the trilogy because I enjoy the writing and the characters. This is a mystery for patient readers who like literary fiction. I had a hard time putting it down, but it required attention. Not a beach read!

[Meg Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all-time favorites. Lush, romantic style coupled with an intriguing and ultimately unsettling mystery.

[Lisa James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting murder-mystery, cold case sort of tale, with amnesia, & romance mixed in, set in the late 1800's to 1906. I would recommend it if you enjoy historical fiction!

[Sem · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say about this book is - love love love it.

[yesterday · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dieses Buch ist ganz anders wie herkömmliche Krimis oder geheimnisvolle Familiengeschichten. Es gibt einen blutigen Hintergrund, ein Kind verschwindet und taucht möglicherweise als Erwachsener auf einem anderen Kontinent wieder auf. Doch das ist nicht alles. Erschwerend sind die Umstände: Die Geschichte spielt um das Jahr 1900, was heutzutage manche Handlungen nicht nachvollziehbar macht. Aber damals waren eben noch viele Dinge anders, vor allem was die Frauen sowie Beziehungen betraf. Die Hauptfigur, Alexander von Reisden, erfährt durch eine zufällige Begegnung und das Nachhaken bei einem Freund, dass er einem Buben ähnlich sehe, der vor zwei Jahrzehnten in Amerika verschwand. Seine Neugier und sein Beruf als Wissenschafter lassen ihn dorthin fahren und gemeinsam mit den Vermögensverwaltern der Familie mischt er sich in deren Alltag ein. Er will einfach nur herausfinden, was damals wirklich geschehen ist, doch Teile der Familie sehen in ihm den heimgekehrten Jungen.

Die Autorin unterstützt die schwrierigen Umstände der damaligen Zeit und die mühsame Aufklärung des Verbrechens mit ihrer Art zu schreiben und macht die Abläufe und die Taten der Protagonisten somit realistischer. Auch wenn dies bedeutet, dass es für uns Leser heute manchmal schwieriger zu verstehen ist, hat sie dennoch gut recherchiert und viel Arbeit hineingesteckt, was man beim Lesen durchaus merkt. Ein paar Stellen sind etwas in die Länge gezogen und leider wird zu Ende nur ein Teil der Wirrungen aufgelöst, das bringt einen Stern Abzug. Aber das kann auch einfach so gelöst sein, weil die ganze Wahrheit für die Beteiligten zu viel gewesen wäre, die Menschen von damals wäre vielleicht wirklich mit dem Ende, wie es sich jetzt darstellt, zufrieden gewesen. Außerdem endet die Liebesgeschichte auch so, wie es sich die meisten wohl wünschen (also fast zu gut für die damalige Zeit) - was will man mehr?

[Laine Coates · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is technically a re-read, but I wanted to read the sequel The Knowledge of Water, but I read The Vanish Child ten years ago, so I wanted to re-read it and remind myself of the answers to the mystery. It's a good book, I found myself remembering certain moments in the book from my previous read. This book sometimes, however, is convoluted in places that you lose track of the plot. It's about recovered memories, which is ironic since I even remembered where I was 10 years ago when I read particular moments in the book. Smith gets bogged down in details at times that you "miss the forest for the trees" at times. And she occasionally will drop a dramatic point without much lead-up that it seems almost anticlimactic. Don't get me wrong, I liked the book, but I had to ask my mother, who read it even further back than me, about certain plot points that I missed due to Smith's long winded descriptions of weather. And she described important elements of the story that I completely missed. Looking forward to reading the sequel, but I'll have to keep an eye out for those details.

[Robert Rubinoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed with this book. I'm not entirely sure why. It was well-written, and the characters were well depicted. I think the plot felt a little heavy - too many things just worked out conveniently. (The whole story starts off with an accidental meeting between two characters in Switzerland - when one of them lives in Boston!) And in particular, I didn't really find it credible that one character would remember nothing of his early life. Furthermore, I think there's a big missing piece in the story - there would have to have been some cover story given to explain what supposedly happened when that character was a child to explain where he ended up, and it was never mentioned. It's not that there couldn't have been something credible - but when his identity was being questioned, then certainly the basis for his assumptions as to who he was would have come up!

So while I enjoyed reading this book, I don't think it lived up to the recommendation I got.

[Lee Bartholomew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was an enjoyable read with a few exceptions. #1 first and foremost and will be a bit of a spoiler, is how insanely stupid all the charcters are in Perdita's life. Harry worst of all. You could see the train wreck coming miles away. It's not solved with Richard or whomever in this book but it's not Harry
#2 is Punctuation . There are large sections in the first half of the book and a few others where someone is speaking but since they aren't in "" you don't know this. So the editor was missing. :( For that bit I knocked a star.. Otherwise is was a nice October read (bought 2 days after Friday the 13th (bought #2 on Friday the 13th ) but this was in it's 13th print so nah no superstitions here. I have broken glass and have opened umbrella's up in the house. :)

[Vicky P · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is probably gonna take me a lot longer to process than the hour I waited between finishing it and writing this blurb, but my god was it good. I was on the edge of my seat through the entire second half or so, but in such a way that I felt as if I was watching a horror movie through my barely-spread fingers; I kept having to put the book down and take breaks.

It's difficult to explain specifically what this book is about without giving too much away, but suffice it to say that it's a painful by satisfying character study. The entire book is satisfying despite the fact that there are probably explanations you could still want from it.

That's all I've got for now, it was so good.

[Maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

PROTAGONIST: Alexander von Riesden
SETTING: New England, 1905
SERIES: #1
RATING: 3.25
WHY: Swiss chemist Alexander von Riesden is mistaken for a man named Richard Knight. While on a trip to Boston, he tries to find out more about the Knight family. Richard’s grandfather, William, was murdered and Richard, who was 8 years old, disappeared. Von Riesden agrees to assume Richard’s identity to settle the inheritance by proving that Richard is dead. The family dynamics are complicated. I found myself utterly confused by the he is Richard/he’s not Richard thread. The writing was good but I still haven’t untangled what really happened.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Vanished Child is set primarily in the early part of the Twentieth Century. Baron Alexander von Reisden is a young biochemist working in Switzerland when he is thought to be recognized by a visiting American as the scion of a New England family who had disappeared eighteen years earlier shortly after the murder of his cruel grandfather. Reisden goes to America and meets the surviving family and friends of the missing boy. He becomes deeply involved in their lives, even falling in love with a young, near-blind American girl.

This was the first of a series of novels, three so far. So many of the various mysteries raised are still unsolved at the end of this book that I can only hope they are answered later in the series. However, the ending of this first volume is so annoyingly open-ended that I feel no desire to continue reading the series.

And the true pity of that is that The Vanished Child is, in many ways, a very good book. Sarah Smith's prose is lovely and perfectly suited to the period of the story.

Praise is due to the uncredited cover, with a sinister house, twilight woods, a little boy, and a chillingly creepy dog.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was interesting bc it's so opposite of any book I've read. I never gravitate towards the mysteries, but I was gifted this book a d wanted to give it a go. I really liked the mood setting and the characterization, it felt very appropriate for the time. Perdita was my favorite character hands down. I love my piano playing queen. However, the epilogue confused me a little, and I still don't know the answer to the mystery!!! Great writing and setting though! 

[Tobeylynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was compelled to run out and get this book after reading Smith's The Knowledge of Water, which turned out to be the second volume of a trilogy. This volume is about identity, forgotten horrors of childhood, and the redemption of love. I'm eager for the third volume to be published.

[Lady Grey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange, I like d it, but confusing.

[Megan Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was probably one of the oldest books that I have read. Overall, it was a good book, although I did have to sit a minute and try to interpret the ending. The ending was somewhat predictable.

[Jeanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was so strange. It took me forever to read. The second half of the book was much better than the first.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining Daphne du Mauriesque mystery/melodrama. A fun twist on is he or isn't he the long-lost child?

[Animetart · Rating 2 out of 5]

So boring. Unlikable characters. Confusing dialogue. Minor curse words edited out. 😑

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wasn't sure what I thought at first, then the book grabbed me and I couldn't put it down. Very well written, good character development and storyline (sometimes I was a little lost).

[Jodi Gonzalez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually give this book 3.5 stars. It starts out very slowly and gives way to much unneeded information. But I really enjoyed the last 40% of the book and loved the ending.