Rape of the Soul

by Dawn Thompson

The house seemed to beckon her. Welcome her. As if it knew her. The light had faded, and dark, bilious clouds had taken its place. In the three short weeks I'd spent in Cornwall, I'd learned two things: that the weather was not to be trusted, and that the wind never ceased to blow. Fair weather or foul, it whistled and murmured and moaned, like a living, breathing, tortured being. It had risen since it played innocently among the foxglove blooms earlier stirring the mists along the graveyard gate. Now it was angry, driving the black clouds inland from the sea. Waterfowl raced before it dotting the sky like a blizzard over the mighty house, and I'd scarcely pulled the car to a stop when the rain came. It was just as I remembered it from my drive-by earlier, like a creature of myth silhouetted against the storm-a huge, rambling, turreted structure of stone and timbers defying its existence in such a setting. Yet, aside from a wounded turret, a few missing boards, and a good deal of broken glass, Cragmoor approached the dawn of another century remarkably intact. I tried to imagine the house as it once must have been, ablaze with light and life, surrounded by manicured lawns and courtyards and lush, fragrant gardens. Now it rose from a tangled snarl of briar, thorn, and desolation. Row upon row of darkened windows, catching stray glints of the fading light, shuddered in the wind as the gale bore down upon it. The house was asleep, and I was about to wake it.

Genres: Romance, Horror

363 pages, Paperback

First published June 5, 2008

About the author

Dawn Thompson was a regular columnist featured in women’s special interest publications world and nationwide for over thirty years, one of which CROCHET WORLD, published by House of White Birches, since its inception over twenty-five years ago. She was an award-winning poet, artist, and needlework designer and illustrator, specializing in vintage concepts for today’s woman.

Dawn wrote historical fiction under her own name and that of penname Dawn MacTavish. She primarily wrote Regency Romance, writing both traditional Regencies, and Regency-set historicals and paranormals. She also wrote paranormal romances for both Kensington Books and Dorchester Publishing. Some of her other works include historical paranormals, and Celtic and Norse Medievals, incorporating the history, theology, legend, and lore of her heritage, which was the ongoing focus of her research over the past thirty-five years.

Dawn lived on Long Island, New York until her death, with her double-coated Tuxedo cat, Shadowfax (alias, Miss Fuzz), and Espirit, her scandalous Senegal parrot, an incurable flirt. Since her death, Miss Fuzz resides with author Deborah Macgillivray.

Her favorite books was "Green Darkness" by Anya Seton, and as a tribute, Dawn's books always contained the phrase "green darkness" in some passage of the book.

Reviews

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

20 years ago the late Dawn Thompson began writing an epic saga, about the struggle between good and evil. Thompson went on to produce the story as a play in New York; her sister Diane, even starred as the heroine, Jean Fowler Chapin. This story is that ‘book of the heart.’ Thompson is widely known for her amazingly detailed Regency Historical Romances and her Paranormal stories that ranged from Vampires to shapeshifters to the erotic fantasy world-building Lord of the Deep and Lord of the Dark. This book will be a departure to her fans, but they will get to see Dawn Thompson at her very best. The book was written when authors had a bit more freedom in length, when the style of storytelling was given to wonderful sagas. During the years when her books were selling so strongly, she could have cut this book and sold it. Instead, she held on to it, determined to see it printed as she originally intended it to be told. It’s actually two books in one, but the point where the book would break would see one small book and one large one, so this is printed as she wanted―in a single volume.

From page one, I was hooked. Thompson clearly shows just what an amazing talent she was by instantly giving you a dark, suspenseful tale of horror. She described the book as “Anya Seton meets Stephen King” and that is a fair assessment of its style. I would also say she added a touch of Daphne du Maurier and Arthur Quiller-Couch. Rape of the Soul is one of those books that will linger on bookshelves, and be read again and again.



Jean Maitland comes to England searching for answers. She wants to know what happened to her ancestor, Jean Fowler Chapin. The man with the answers wants the past to stay buried, but Jean is determined. She has no idea the evil that she will unleash when she enters the abandoned mansion on the cliffs, how in opening the door to the past, she conjures and evil into the present. Legend says Jean Chapin was murdered, along with her husband, Malcolm, by her husband’s uncle, Colin. Only, Jean feels there is more to the story. She has no idea the menace from the past hadn’t ended, but has been waiting for someone to set it free.


Thompson delivers on all levels. When Jean Maitland enters the abandoned glass house of Craigmoor, you have a Hitchcock style, ‘dark at the top of the stairs’ foreboding that pure evil can exist and can reach from the past to destroy the future. Thompson delivers with this spellbinding tour de force, her legacy to her fans. It’s a keeper. This is one I fully expect to see made into a movie.



~ Deborah Macgillivray

[Diane "Candy" Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written by my late sister over twenty years ago. It was even produced as a play and I got to play the lead of the heroine.

She could have sold it many times over, if she would have given over her vision. She finally put the book in the hands of a dear friend to see it published in the final months of her life. She knew the friend would follow her wishes, so the book is not produced in it's entirety accouning to Dawn's wishes. She even got the hold the cover the week before she died. She couldn't speak because of the tubes, but she cried and gave me a thumbs up.

She often described this book as Stephen King meets Anya Seton (her favorite author). I knew she would have loved to hold this book before she died.

It a compelling sinister story, of evil enduring. It's Dawn's legacy to her fans.

[Kendall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not very good at reviewing books but I do have to say this was a great read, wonderful story that grabs you from page one. Very enjoyable.