The Lantern (2011) (edit title/settings)

• Rated 2 stars

“Mystery and romance. I did enjoy the descriptions of the beautiful countryside around the hamlet. It did not remind me of Rebecca as some readers suggested.”

• Rated 0 stars

“a seductive mixture of a gothic ghost story & modern romance that unfolds in a marvelous, crubling Provencal farmhouse in France.
An alluring dark novel.. it sure is catching me. (9/1/12)
An intense young passion of love..all that we do when love is young and wanting to make impressions. all that we overlook in young love!”

• Rated 4 stars

“I enjoyed this lavender saturated novel. The author had so much opportunity to write a hackneyed gothic romance, and even cited "Rebbeca" herself in the text! Bold. Anyway, it is a stalwartly faithful and interesting mystery.

We have narrators from the past and the present, telling things as they see them, and the voices work. The contrast between the morals of yesterday and today were rather depressingly clear - although, as we sadly see, the morals of yesterday sometimes compelled people to cover their tracks by doing evil.

The author apparently lives in a crumbing mansion in the South of France, which is not fair, and she does a terrific job of translating the colors, smells and ambiance of what seems such an idyllic part of the world.”

• Rated 3 stars

“Like Rebecca in ways. Had hoped it would be better.”

• Rated 4 stars

“very atmospheric story reiniscent of Joanne Harris”

• Rated 3 stars

“I found the comparison "Rebecca" misleading and did not think it was as well written. I found this book to be confusing in some places. I was not really "hooked" on this book until well into it, probably more than half way through at which point I could not put the book down until I was finished. ”

• Rated 5 stars

“Fabulous story told through two narratives, Elise & Bendicte.
both ghost story & mystery it always has you wondering what will happen next. Elise & Dom meet in the south of France and buy a farmstead intending to restore it. They discover many mysteries both about the house and themselves. Benedicte was the previous owner and her story is told through narrative of the past. She is longer alive, and contributes to the myerious sense the homestead has.”

• Rated 5 stars

“What a wonderful surprise. I had been reading some stinkers and this book revived my love of reading. Beautiful descriptions and tons of suspense. Well done.”

• Rated 0 stars

“I was fortunate enough to read this gripping tale of suspenseful romance and history, set in the lavender fields of Provence, France, while sitting outside on my patio in the foothills of the Rockies. As I eagerly turned the pages, the scent of our blooming lilacs wafting over the meadow thoroughly complemented the intense olfactory scenes in this fascinating story which weaves alternately betwixt contemporary times and the Second World War era. In addition to learning much marvelous lore regarding the development of the twentieth-century lavender industry in the Provence region, I was charmed by the author’s craft. During one fraught scene, the main protagonist appropriately compares her situation to that of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, plus there are a couple of very surprising twists in the plot. Lawrenson’s evocative descriptions of the land, society, and culture of Provence create a mesmerizing backdrop for this engaging work of fiction.
-Lavinia, Reference
”

• Rated 4 stars

“Gothic novel.....the south of France, ghosts, murder. I can't put it down!”