The Secrets of Rochester Place: Unravel this spellbinding tale of family drama, love and betrayal

Product Information

But it’s up to them to find out what happened at Rochester Place and what exactly happened to Mary and Teresa. Was it an accident or something more? And is she calling from behind the grave? While it is a heartwarming story about the bonds of love and family it also explores darker themes including the toll of war, bigotry and racism.

It's clear from the way the book is written and the detail contained in the story that the author has done a lot of research into the events that took place in 1937 to the Second World War. The author has bought to the attention of readers the experiences faced by the Basque children when they were evacuated. One of my favourite things about this book is the way Costello underlies the modern strand of the story with a whisper of the supernatural, and how the lives that have come before can seep into the fabric of the buildings left behind. There is something of the ghost story about this that gives it an enchanting extra dimension, and she plays with this very cleverly in how those ghosts are laid to rest at the conclusion of the tale. Mary, is an Irish immigrant trying to seek a better life for herself despite the prejudice of the times, her conflicted love for her homeland and the country she has built a new life in. The story is told from three points of view- Corrine, a first responder in the present day, Theresa, a child evacuated to England from Spain in the 1930’s and 40’s and Mary, an Irish immigrant to England in the 1920’s (through her journal).The various threads are united by themes of love, conflict, and the divisions of race and belief. Teresa’s sister is battling for her cause in Guernica, Mary’s Brother is killed in the Easter Rising in Ireland…In the present Nidra’s cafe receives racist threats; in the past Luca and his Father are rounded up and interned .. Although this is an intriguing read, I'll be honest, the first half of the book isn't as gripping and is a little tiresome to read. However, once the second half starts, you won't be able to put down this book until all the secrets of Rochester Place are revealed. The narration of the story alternates between different time periods and different narrators. I was extremely surprised with the twist in the story even though it seemed a bit too convenient. I guessed some of the plot points way ahead of time but unlike other books I’ve read, i wasn’t certain, other things would surprise or enchant me that when it was revealed it was excited rather than feeling like I had read the rest of the book for nothing (as the rest of the writing was to solely build up to this big reveal). I enjoyed deducing and getting things right and wrong, it made it all the more interesting. In the Spring of 1937 eight-year-old Teresa is evacuated to London following the bombing of Guernica. She is placed with Mary and Ronald Davidson at Rochester Place, an elegant Georgian house in South London. Yet her troubles are far from over. The present weaves in with the past and the book jumps from different parts of the past to the present in a way that keeps it interesting.

A beautiful story of love and survival, going on beyond the time. Just the location stays the same, Rochester Place.Surely the Mary who called me in the early hours of the morning is not the woman commemorated on this plaque - a woman who died eighty years ago to this day.’

Reading about the plaque definitely gave me some chills and I found myself invested in the mystery surrounding Rochester Place and in Mary and Teresa’s story. The Secrets of Rochester Place’ by Iris Costello is a historical mystery-drama that unfolds over three timelines and chronicles the lives of three women. A wonderful dual timeline story, beginning with what appears to be a telephone call from a woman who died in 1940. Corinne receives the call on her personal mobile when she is on a break during her job as a first responder, answering ‘999’ calls. Firstly, Teresa’s writing in the diary during the air raid. I can’tRochester Place is a magical experience a beautiful journey into a historic world, I absolutely loved this book from start to finish, it was beautifully written and plotted with characters that you will take to your heart, once I was hit with the first twist I literally cried and didn't stop till the end. Through Mary’s diary and the dual timeline we learn about her past and difficult times she faced which could be heart wrenching to read. Mary seemed like a kind soul who left Ireland to seek a better life in London but is sadly met with prejudice. And similar to Mary, Teresa was seeking a life in London away from the War that ravaged in Spain. Mary and Teresa lived during a time when World War I was looming over their heads and bigotry was especially rife. The writer shows just how much of a tough time it was for them but they believed in trying to do their bit to help those in need. There are two other timelines. One is Mary’s diary and the other is that of Teresa, an 8 year old girl fleeing the Spanish Civil War and the bombing of Guernica in 1937. The latter storyline is by far the more detailed and is the stronger of the three, but I did enjoy Corinne’s and Mary’s stories and the way they all became more and more entwined as the book progressed. Teresa is a Basque girl who arrived in England in 1937 from war torn Spain. She was put on a boat by her sister, a political activist, who recognised that Spain wasn’t the safest of places for children. Teresa is a 10 year old who is evacuated to London from Spain after the horrific bombing of Guernica leaving behind her only family; her elder sister.

The story begins with 8 year old Teresa, sent to an orphanage in England in 1937 to escape the Spanish Civil War in Guernica. She is soon adopted by a volunteer called Mary Davidson and goes to live in Rochester Place. Things continue to be difficult for Teresa however with the onset of World War Two. Spring 1937 : Teresa is evacuated to London in the wake of the Guernica bombing. She thinks she's found safety in the soothing arms of Mary Davidson and the lofty halls of Rochester Place, but trouble pursues her wherever she goes.

Corrine decides to investigate Rochester Place and where the house used to be, she finds a memorial bench in memory of Mary Davidson and Teresa Garro, who both died on 15/10/1940. Corrine is an emergency services operator. One day at work, she receives a strange phone call on her mobile. At the other end, she hears a woman pleading for help: a child is trapped at Rochester Place. When help arrives at the scene, the house doesn’t exist. Was this a prank call? I’m so happy to have had the chance to read an advanced reader copy of this book! Although I did not finish it prior to its publication, but rather a month later, I am happy that I took my time with reading, because I really felt I had the chance to enjoy this fully, without rushing to finish books before the end of 2022.