A Morning in Eden

by Anna Gilbert

Following the death of her beloved Aunt Belle, Lorna Kent abandons her life in the city to move to a small country town. Once an ancient valley settlement, Canterlow's surrounding countryside remains, even in 1919, virtually untouched by the passage of time. Immediately welcomed by her new community, Lorna soon finds herself helping at the local school and befriending its well-respected headmaster, Adam Ushart. Enchanted by its beauty, and enraptured by her first experience of love, Lorna is unprepared for the dark undercurrent of violence and betrayal lying beneath the smooth surface of life in Canterlow. When the mysterious death of a beautiful young girl named Alice captures her imagination, Lorna soon finds herself entangled in a web of dangerous secrets. Alice had also been in love, and by discovering the identity of the young girl's seducer, Lorna finds herself involved in the lives of more than one person with something to hide.

Genres: Mystery

341 pages, Hardcover

First published December 12, 2001

About the author

Marguerite Jackson Lazarus
aka Marguerite J. Gascoigne, Anna Gilbert

Marguerite Jackson was born on 1 May 1916 in Durham, England, UK, daughter of Hannah, and John Jackson, an inspector of schools. On 1937, she obtained a BA with honours and on 1957 a MA at Durham University. She worked as Grammar school English teacher from 1938 to 1973. On 5 April 1956, she married Jacob "Jack" Lazarus.

She published Children's fiction as Marguerite J. Gascoigne, and later gothic romance novels as Anna Gilbert. Marguerite died at 88, on 24 September 2004 in North Yorkshire, England.

Reviews

[Deborah Necessary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspenseful. How you can be so taken in by folks!

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Besides the other reviews, I loved this book. I could picture it all in my mind, the country town, the characters. I look forward to reading more works by the author.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh, I didn't much care for it. I found the main character inconsistent, the other characters realatively unlikable, and the plot dull and slow. Now, I don't need a fast moving plot-really I don't. I've read and enjoyed Jane Austen, Leo Tolstoy, and Charlotte Bronte. But they had something this author does not-characters that I can connect with. However, this author did an excellent job of comparing the main character's inner connection with the world around her, specifically on walks in the woods or around the countryside. I did connect with that- and maybe that's why I held on longer than I should have. I feel like this story should have been in the works for a little bit longer, it has the potential to be excellent, but it's really just not there yet.

[Arlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found two of Ms Gilbert's novels while browsing my library's shelves. I was unfamiliar with the author but any book about an English village will lure me in!! A Morning in Eden focuses on a young woman, raised by her aunt and suddenly flung from city life to village life. While she has visited her Aunt Mabel in the tiny village, she finds living there to be quite different. The people of the village have a clannish mindset that comes from years of living in the area as well as the fact that most are related in some way or another. There have been two deaths in the village, one an accident and the other a suicide Or at least that is what the village has concluded. A cozy mystery set in bygone times that you will enjoy on a rainy afternoon.

[CLM]

A talented author of low key suspense

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this was okay but I still felt the need to read it to the end. It was just a book on saw on the shelf in the library.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't finish the book. Read 3/4 of it and it never grabbed me.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a tiny country village, there were some shady events happening. It took me a while to get into it, but I did eventually.

[riddhi · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was the worst book ever. never recommend. It was so boring, please never pick it up.

[Deb]

Constance, sounds as if it is right up my alley...

Deb