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Read by Candlelight #9
The Collector
No one escapes the Collector.All Gideon Lawes has left is his scrupulous honesty. Employed to investigate a supposedly haunted house, Gideon vows to uncover the secrets of 32 Belcairn Road. But he gets more than he bargains for in the form of the Collector, a spirit relentlessly pursuing an unpaid debt.Drawn by chance into the lives of cheerfully generous Fairweather and darkly ironic Holford, Gideon discovers things about himself he never imagined. But with the Collector closing in, Gideon must choose between destroying the friendship he values most or sacrificing his self-respect for a lie. Whatever Gideon chooses, the Collector will claim another victim.The Collector is book nine in the Read by Candlelight series of gothic novellas wearing paranormal suspense and mystery around an evolving ensemble cast. Pour yourself a strong cup of tea and pick up The Collector today.
192 pages, Paperback
First published July 11, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 8, 2020
Really enjoyed this, not necessarily a romance but an intriquing read of supernatural twists and old friends grown up.
One very big suprise in the early pages, young Westways is an interesting adult and darling Pip's energies never fade. Lawes our new recruit is a stalwart; poor, honorable, honest and innocent. The story is a triksy one that makes you wonder along the way. Quite a few things didn't go as I expected, one of the things I love about this little series is that's it's never the obvious trope. Quite hard to review without spoiling.
It ends on a note of amused contentment, and the tease of further interesting things yet to come.
ARC received with no obligations
One very big suprise in the early pages, young Westways is an interesting adult and darling Pip's energies never fade. Lawes our new recruit is a stalwart; poor, honorable, honest and innocent. The story is a triksy one that makes you wonder along the way. Quite a few things didn't go as I expected, one of the things I love about this little series is that's it's never the obvious trope. Quite hard to review without spoiling.
It ends on a note of amused contentment, and the tease of further interesting things yet to come.
ARC received with no obligations
June 23, 2021
This one is so sweetly spooky! I had to stop myself from crying when Lord Cross was mentioned...I'm glad she's been writing these out of order and I don't have to say goodbye to him for good yet. Although, since these are so short, once the series is finished, I'll probably go back and read all of them in chronological order. Provided I can actually figure out exactly what that order would be, of course.
July 12, 2020
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
~
The Collector (Read by Candlelight, Book 9), by Gillian St. Kevern
★★★★★
182 Pages
POV: 3rd person
The Collector is...a bittersweet romance, heart-rending strength, edge-of-the-seat mystery, and characters who shred your heart and glue the pieces back together...a journey of self-discovery, acceptance and overcoming the boxes we unwittingly place ourselves into, by habit. It's a marvel of carefully constructed plotting, character driven mystery, and a chance to revisit familiar faces that feel so much like family it makes you ache.
I don't want to say too much about the plot for The Collector, because there is a lot I would need to leave vague, unqualified, or that would require a spoiler warning.
What I can say is this...
Pip, Julian, *and* Patrick are all back in this adventure. Wiremu is mentioned, and Cross is...to my immense grief...dead, at this point in the timeline. As Pip is an old man (not far from how he appears at the end of Well-Dressed Werewolf) this is understandable, as Cross was much older than him when they met. Pip is, as always, trying to prove the existence of ghosts – but for a far more intimate and heartbreaking reason than his first intentions, back in Book 1: The Secretary and the Ghost.
Honestly, there is nothing quite as refreshing as Pip being his usual unpredictable, curious self, and Julian being a break of fresh air with his breezy calm composure, and unflappable nature. To see them together is a joy I can't even begin to explain. The way Julian leaves our main character, Gideon, stumbling over his own adorable feet, is an unexpected delight. To see Julian finding a friend! *happy sigh* There's nothing sweeter than someone managing to slither past Julian's defenses.
As for new characters, we have a few – Gideon, our main character; Fairweather and Holford; Dr Harris; and the odious Rupert Pettifog, who is infatuated with Julian. While Pettifog was annoying, he was also a good resource, well utilised to introduce interesting results. Holford was an intrigue, but Fairweather won my heart from the first, as did Gideon. Together, they were a bright spark in the darkness.
Oh, and let's not forget Cleo and *ahem* Caesar. *giggles* Without that little terrier dog and Caesar the “wolf” I think the story would have lacked something vitally human and warm and lovely.
The Collector was a beautiful story, with a wonderful cast and an exciting adventure. It made me laugh, cry, and it broke my heart in a million places. The ending was both bittersweet and perfect, the Epilogue was touching and promising of more in the future, and a revisit from Gideon, I hope.
Knowing The Disturbance at Foxwood Court is next makes my fingers twitch. I couldn't be more excited to see that Julian's origin story – in terms of beginning a family with Pip and Cross – is next. I've wondered for so long how that came about and what madness Pip got himself embroiled in to make it possible, that the wait will be interminable, but I've pre-ordered my copy and can't wait to delve in. I just know it's going to be one heck of an adventure.
~
The Series:
It's been a while since I remarked on it, within this series, but the one thing Kevern manages that few other authors do, is being able to surprise me. The plots are never predictable or obvious, people don't react as anticipated and there are no cliched misunderstandings, falling outs, or ridiculous behaviour. Everyone is quite proper and well mannered, if a little eccentric and that combination allows them to do things that most other characters wouldn't.
The other remarkable ability Kevern has is being able to get straight down to business. Each book doesn't bother lolly-gagging around, either. By the end of Chapter 1, Julian has resolved Gideon's problem and told us of their history together, putting his proposition forward about the house. By the end of Chapter 2, we have our first ghostly encounter. No matter how long the book takes to reach the main crux of the story, there are always hints or suggestions of what's to come early on, just as within all the other books of the series. It's a skill I envy and rejoice in, every time I open a book in this series. To know that the journey is just as exciting as the destination is the reason I love mystery books. The fact these combine a romance with a mystery, with the paranormal, only means that they tick all the boxes of all my favourite genres at once.
Every book in this series begins a new story, a new piece of the overall puzzle. They're not all told in chronological order, but they're told in the order that best showcases the mysteries and events of their lives. The order they're written in prevents unwitting spoilers.
~
They say money can't buy you happiness, but I disagree. As long as books like this are out there in the world, money will always buy me a few hours of happiness, for as long as the book (or series!) lasts.
P.S. Thanks for the Book Rec at the end! I bought Shades of Sepia and can't wait to dig in.
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Favourite Quotes
“Gideon was no longer surprised that Westaway was as hard to decipher as he was. With Leighton as his father, the odds were against him from the start.”
“The dog nestled further into the blankets Gideon had occupied.
“Shameless.” Gideon tugged his tie straight and pulled his jacket sleeves down. “Don’t even have the grace to be embarrassed of the way you acted last night. Creeping in uninvited.””
July 11, 2020
Gideon Lawes is in financial trouble and can't even get a job as a janitor or servant. Too smart, too educated or not well dressed or gentlemanly or experienced enough you see. Julian Westaway comes into the employment office at the same time that Gideon is there looking for a valet. Gideon and Julian go way back to their college days when they were competing with each other more often than not. Now Gideon is embarrassed to be seen at the office and hearing what the agent says to him. In the late Victorian times appearance can mean everything. Westaway however is glad to see Gideon as he needs someone to check a house out for ghosts his father wants to buy. Gideon is sure Julian is just feeling sorry for him but he can't pass up the job because he needs a place to stay and money as he is down to his last penny. Unable to get a job after the circumstances he lost his job in the first place, he is overwhelmed at the generosity of Julian and his father, Leighton. Gideon moves into the house expecting nothing...but is there nothing strange about the house? He finds getting pushed on the stairs obnoxious and just a little unnerving, but he can explain that away, but what about the rest? This is a story that gets you all twisted up as to what is going on and the mystery of the Collector keeps the reader in suspense until the end. Even the ending is a surprise as Gideon finds his place in life...for the moment. Leighton and Julian throw their own little eccentricities into the picture that has you hoping that the ending isn't an ending and an HFN can be turned into a HEA, but who knows? This author has a knack for keeping one in suspense and new characters show up in every book to fill in spaces we didn't know were there. Excellent book. I voluntarily read and reviewed this ARC book.
August 7, 2020
You can read these Candlelight books as standalones and I hesitate advising sequential reading of this series because the books do not come in chronological order (they flip back and forth in time as recurring MCs appear youthful in one and aged/deceased in the next!) Having said that, I find a deeper enjoyment in each new release, relishing each re-encounter with Pip, Julian, Patrick, Frank, Lord Cross as the author continues providing more color/detail to my favorite characters.
In this book, MC Gideon is recruited by his University arch-rival Westaway (Julian), who is currently aged in his late twenties? and thereby placing this book after The Worst Behaved Werewolf but before The Well-Dressed Werewolf, to investigate the possibility that his newly acquired Belcairn Road house is haunted. The author is very good at creating spine-tingling moments, and the ghostly mystery plot engaged my full attention well into the wee-hours of the night! 4 stars.
In this book, MC Gideon is recruited by his University arch-rival Westaway (Julian), who is currently aged in his late twenties? and thereby placing this book after The Worst Behaved Werewolf but before The Well-Dressed Werewolf, to investigate the possibility that his newly acquired Belcairn Road house is haunted. The author is very good at creating spine-tingling moments, and the ghostly mystery plot engaged my full attention well into the wee-hours of the night! 4 stars.
February 12, 2023
Another outstanding spooky Gothic tale from Gillian St. Kevern which was a seriously scary read! I loved the complex plot strands surrounding 32 Belcairn Road and the slow, careful reveal of its dark and sad secrets.
In Gideon, we have another outstanding MC, whose moral foibles won't allow him to deviate from the truth, even when that results in him losing his job and hopes for future employment, which is why he is picked as the perfect subject for one of Pip's haunted house projects. As a former student rival to Julian Westaway, Gideon is a wonderful foil to the enigma that is Julian and I felt we learned so much about them both through their interactions.
This was an edge-of-the-seat read with great characters and managed to be both poignant, dark and eventually uplifting. Haunting in the best possible way!
In Gideon, we have another outstanding MC, whose moral foibles won't allow him to deviate from the truth, even when that results in him losing his job and hopes for future employment, which is why he is picked as the perfect subject for one of Pip's haunted house projects. As a former student rival to Julian Westaway, Gideon is a wonderful foil to the enigma that is Julian and I felt we learned so much about them both through their interactions.
This was an edge-of-the-seat read with great characters and managed to be both poignant, dark and eventually uplifting. Haunting in the best possible way!
July 14, 2020
Oh my heart
This book broke my heart no less than three times. First, I’m glad to see Pip, O’Connor, Harris, and Julian back. You will notice a name missing. Lawes I feel like I know briefly in passing from another book but I can’t remember. This is his story. The Collector makes sense at the end and my heart wept for Fairweather and Lawes but the ending was a little sweet. Perhaps bittersweet, but still sweet.
Thank god there is another book. I look forward to reading the origins of Julian!
This book broke my heart no less than three times. First, I’m glad to see Pip, O’Connor, Harris, and Julian back. You will notice a name missing. Lawes I feel like I know briefly in passing from another book but I can’t remember. This is his story. The Collector makes sense at the end and my heart wept for Fairweather and Lawes but the ending was a little sweet. Perhaps bittersweet, but still sweet.
Thank god there is another book. I look forward to reading the origins of Julian!
July 26, 2020
Starting with the Secretary and the Ghost this author has created a gothic world that leaves me wanting with the end of every book and The Collector is no different. Following along with Gideon on his investigation had me reading well into the night. I enjoyed getting to see Pip and the others from the previous books, this was another wonderfully spooky tale in this highly entertaining series.
*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book*
*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book*
August 18, 2020
A fun read with a logical twist
An honest man is falsely accused and down on his luck. His old friend/rival needs a house sitter for a haunted house. I really like this m/m paranormal regency. The ghosts are full of surprises and thanks to them, the obvious love interest is not necessarily the right one. A good book with delightful characters!
An honest man is falsely accused and down on his luck. His old friend/rival needs a house sitter for a haunted house. I really like this m/m paranormal regency. The ghosts are full of surprises and thanks to them, the obvious love interest is not necessarily the right one. A good book with delightful characters!
August 17, 2020
** 3.5 Strs **
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews