Behind The Veil by E.J. Dawson #BlogTour #BookReview #Gothic #Ghosts #Horror #Thriller #Romance @BlackthornTours @ejdawsonauthor — Rain’n’books
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
YAY….Today is my day on the blog tour for Behind The Veil by E J Dawson.
It was the cover image that drew me to this book in the beginning and then realizing that it had all the elements that I am partial to made me doubly glad.
E J Dawson’s Behind The Veil introduces its protagonist Letitia Hawkins inside the final moments of a father’s mind who is regretting leaving his children. She uses a scrying bowl to provide comfort to those who have lost their loved ones but as the author brings in Alasdair Driscoll in the very first chapter with a silent specter looming over his shoulder, we get to see the price she has to pay for this incredible gift. It was a brilliant piece of writing by E J Dawson in getting the reader to experience the trauma of Letitia’s struggle.
Letitia is a character one could easily relate to, the past has shaped her into what she is and no amount of money would sway her to go against the lines she has drawn for accepting cases that she is uncomfortable with. She is soft with all her clients but unyielding to the rude and obnoxious ones. I loved how the author then clearly shows her compassionate nature by her acceptance to do things for a young girl going against her principles. E J Dawson also shows her character’s preference to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and it was interesting to see a similar style of conversation being used in the story. The author is BANG ON in capturing that style of polite bollocking which thrilled me to the core. There was a peculiar charm to the evolving romance between Alasdair and Letitia because of the author’s nuanced writing technique.
The unhurried pacing of the story is another outstanding aspect. There is a gradual tightening of the screws as the true horror show begins with Nola’s nightmares. E J Dawson lures the reader in by showing Letiita’s encounter with the specter haunting Nola and when that is done, I was left with a false belief that there is another mystery waiting to be unraveled. But the story then explodes into missing children and a serial predator, Letitia being accused of being party to the crime, and the final culmination scene that had me gripping my kindle barely taking a breath.
It is not just the thrilling horror but equally, laudable is the author’s subtle manner in bringing Letitia’s traumatic past to light. Using flashbacks and then confessions to Driscoll, the reader is made aware of the sacrifice she is undertaking in helping Nola and again I thought this was commendable as the author doesn’t say anything point blank, one is made to deduce the added pressure that Letitia is under in facing her worst fears. The romantic declaration needn’t have stretched to an additional scene, it surely could have been accomplished at the train station itself which is just a minor point in this well-crafted story.
If you are a fan of horror without gore then I do highly recommend reading E J Dawson’s Behind The Veil coz just like the heroine in this story, the author balances the fine line of horror and chills perfectly.
Riveting and unputdownable, Behind The Veil is a must read for all fans of this genre.
CONTENT WARNING (as provided by the author): This book contains adult themes including miscarriage, suicide, pedophilia, death, murder, rape, and possession.
Many thanks to BlackThorn BookTours and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.
Can she keep the secrets of her past to rescue a girl tormented by a ghost?
In 1920s Los Angeles, Letitia Hawking reads the veil between life and death. A scrying bowl allows her to experience the final moments of the deceased. She brings closure to grief-stricken war widows and mourning families.
For Letitia, it is a penance. She knows no such peace.
For Alasdair Driscoll, it may be the only way to save his niece, Finola, from her growing night terrors. But when Letitia sees a shadowy figure attached to the household, it rouses old fears of her unspeakable past in England.
When a man comes to her about his missing daughter, the third girl to go missing in as many months, Letitia can’t help him when she can’t see who’s taken them.
As a darkness haunts Letitia’s vision, she may not be given a choice in helping the determined Mr Driscoll, or stop herself falling in love with him. But to do so risks a part of herself she locked away, and to release it may cost Letitia her sanity and her heart.
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Originally published at https://rainnbooks.com on January 15, 2022.
