The Secret Hours

by Santa Montefiore

The enchanting novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Santa Montefiore

‘Let the wind take me and the soft rain settle me into the Irish soil from where I came. And may my sins be forgiven.’
 
Arethusa Clayton has always been formidable, used to getting her own way.   On her death, she leaves unexpected instructions.   Instead of being buried in America, on the wealthy East Coast where she and her late husband raised their two children, Arethusa has decreed that her ashes be scattered in a remote corner of Ireland, on the hills overlooking the sea.
 
All  Arethusa ever told Faye was that she grew up in a poor farming family and left Ireland, alone, to start a new life in America as did so many in those times of hardship and famine. But who were her family in Ireland and where are they now?  What was the real reason that she turned away from them?  And who is the mysterious benefactor of a significant share of Arethusa’s estate?  
 
Arethusa is gone. There is no one left to tell her story.  Faye feels bereft, as if her mother’s whole family has died with her.  Leaving her own husband and children behind, she travels to the picturesque village of Ballinakelly, determined to fulfil her mother’s last wish and to find out the reason for Arethusa’s insistence on being laid to rest in this faraway land.

'AN ATMOSPHERIC, MESMERISING READ' My Weekly

'PASSIONATE AND INTRIGUING' Woman's Weekly

***PRAISE FOR SANTA MONTEFIORE***
 
‘Nobody does epic romance like Santa Montefiore’ JOJO MOYES
 
‘An enchanting read overflowing with deliciously poignant moments’ DINAH JEFFERIES on Songs of Love and War
 
‘Santa Montefiore hits the spot for my like few other writers’ SARRA MANNING
 
‘One of our personal favourites’ THE TIMES on The Last Secret of the Deverills

‘Accomplished and poetic’ Daily Mail

‘Santa Montefiore is a marvel’ Sunday Express

'One of our personal favourites' The Times

• ISBN10: 1471169626
• ISBN13: 9781471169625
• Publish Date: 11 July 2019
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 30 August 2023
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster Ltd
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 512
• Language: English

Reviews

[Lynn]

Enthralling, I fell head-first into this captivating, standalone fourth book in the Deverill Chronicles. 

Bostonian Faye Langton has spent her life living and doing as others expect her to do; firstly as a daughter and now as a wife and mother. When her mother Arethusa Clayton dies, the reading of the will acts as a catalyst for Faye to embark on a journey to her Mom's homeland, Ireland. Knowing she will come up against opposition, Faye manages to convince her husband to let her go to Ballinakelly, to see if any of her Mom's family are still alive. On arrival, everything she thought she knew about Arethusa is a lie as she discovers secrets from the past, a large extended family she never knew existed as well as unlocking her own repressed passions and desires.

Written to reflect the past (early twentieth century) and the present (1961) we find out how and why Arethusa left her family in Ireland and moved to America without a backward glance. The missing elements are pieced together from extracts in a diary she bequeathed to her daughter, Faye. In Ireland, Faye's assisted by her newly found, lookalike cousin, Kitty Deverill and local 'Jack of all trades', Cormac O'Farrell. What they uncover is shocking however it allows both sides of the family to finally lay to rest the memory of the formidable Arethusa 'Tussy' Deverill. 

Exquisitely written, the narrative blends together captivating stories, heightened with historical events of the time. Set against a stunning County Cork backdrop, it's easy to visualise the scenery of this South Eastern part of Ireland along with the character of the communities within. Together, they create a delightful, page-turning experience for the reader.

I picked up this title simply because it's written by Santa Montefiore. I've only read one book by her in the past and it left a lasting impression. This second time around, I'm filled with the same feeling of satisfaction and a longing to read more from this author, starting with the other novels in the Deverill Chronicles.

Whether you are familiar with the Deverill's or not, The Secret Hours is a wonderful way to escape and pass away many hours whether as a holiday read or curled up next to a fire.

***arc generously received courtesy of Simon and Schuster UK Fiction via NetGalley***