The Thirteenth Tale

by Diane Setterfield

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield is the perfect mix of mystery and suspense. I first picked up this novel back in 2011 and zipped right through it. It’s a novel about two authors—both with secrets. And in September, I was in bit of a reading slump and decided to check out the audiobook from the library.

Is is possible that the audiobook was better than actually picking up the book and reading it? Granted, after a bit of research, I discover the MP3 version of the book my library had was the abridged version, which explains the bit of confusion I had when the Adeline and Emmeline’s mother was suddenly NOT around anymore. But that was the only time I noticed a skip in the story, something out of place. Despite being the abridged version, it was pieced together quite well.

Ruthie Henshall and Lynn Redgrave did a stellar job capturing Margaret and Ms. Winter. The story flowed back and forth between them as if we were sipping tea together in Ms. Winter’s cozy library. I was whisked to Angelfield watching Adeline and Emmeline grow up as Ms. Winter (Redgrave) revealed her story. When the story was told from Margaret’s point of view, I could feel the curiosity, hurt and longing in Ms. Henshall’s voice. Their narration went far in conveying the emotions and motivations behind the stories being told.

On this second reading, the reveal seemed a little hastily tied together at the end. I’m not sure if that was because certain aspects of the novel were taken out, or this was my second read and as a result, I pieced things together faster than the characters. Either way, I did enjoy the novel on this second read through. The story is wrought with suspense and for a brief time, you’re left wondering if Adeline and Emmeline will survive and if ghosts are real.


This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews