The Stopped Heart by Julie Myerson (Review by Jennifer Boksman)

This is a 10 out of 5-star rating!!!

I have read hundreds of books in my time (I wish I had kept accurate track) and this is in the top pile. It grabbed my interest and set my imagination on fire. This story is part ghost story and part love story. It is cruel, menacing, heart-wrenching and absolutely spectacular all at once.

Mary and Graham have moved into their new cottage (new to them), very rundown and abandoned to everyone else. They had to make a move after everything that had happened. They couldn’t have stayed where they were. How could they? The looks, the whispers, it was too much to face after what happened to their girls. What happened, gets told throughout the chapters in the book. Both Mary and Graham are struggling to hold onto each other while struggling with the grief that has swallowed them whole. Mary is not sure she wants to continue living. She likes the new cottage, but she senses the house has it’s own sad story. She starts to hear doors slam, footfalls on the stairs, then there is the red-haired guy she sees at the gate, who upon second glance, disappears. Her stepdaughter Ruby has seen him too.

Ruby is a moody teenager with troubles of her own.  Her friend Lisa who tags along all the time is equally troubled. They too have their own part in this tale.

Eliza a major character appears in the first chapter of the book. We quickly discover she lived in the cottage 150 years ago. Through her, we learn about her family, her many siblings, and the strange man who appears the night of the storm. She doesn’t like him and neither does the family dog. Eliza’s story is one of hard work, daily struggles with life, village gossip, and murder.

There are stories within the story, in this well written, brilliant book. From the first sentence, it grabbed me and kept me turning the pages as fast as I could. Julie Myerson has written an exceptional page-turner. I could tell you more, but I do not want to ruin it for you. But I know you will love it!

Review by Jennifer Boksman