Spanish House Secrets by Susan Gray – Book Review

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England 2019. Grace’s childhood memories are stirred by the sound of a familiar melody. Her home in 1950’s England was a Spanish house. An unusual house. A house with secrets. She begins to wonder…who built it and why?

England 1921. Loveable, likeable, Simon receives a letter on the eve of his twenty first birthday – a letter that will change the course of his life. News of an unexpected inheritance uncovers secrets surrounding his birth, which spark sibling jealousy. Viewing his property in Spain he is wowed by it’s design and decides to build a replica in his hometown. As he embraces business life in two countries, he unwittingly becomes English Simon and Spanish Simon – spurred on by his love for two women.

Spain 1922. Elise has experienced many harsh blows in her young life. Returning to her home near Madrid she knows she must pick herself up and move on. Can she continue to live in this Spanish house? The arrival of a visitor creates a new dimension for her.

In 1920’s England, dainty, demure Olivia has much to be thankful for: a beautiful house, a thriving business, a deep love…but a nagging doubt. In the last years of the Roaring Twenties this doubt is compounded by the discovery of a discarded item.

Spanning forty years, Spanish House Secrets is a tale of enduring love, painful loss and surprising secrets.

When Simon, living in England in 1921, receives an unexpected letter on the eve of his twenty-first birthday, he finds out that he’s received a surprise inheritance. As a result of this strange occurrence, secrets come to the forefront, setting the stage for this immersive novel. The reader is then transported to Spain, 1922. There, we meet Elise, who has fallen on hard times, and is returning to her home on the outskirts of Madrid, where the arrival of a visitor sets the wheels in motion, leading to a dramatic change in her life circumstances.

What I enjoyed about this book was the theme of love, and the exploration of the complexities of the heart. The sweeping narrative transported me through space and time. There was mystery, romance, and family drama, all spanning different time periods, which created a uniquely immersive story. The theme of the complicated nature of love was explored through Simon’s conflicting feelings towards Olivia and Elise. Simon’s internal conflict really came through, and it was clear how torn he felt.

I enjoyed the unique setting of the Spanish house, which took on a life of its own, affecting and influencing the characters who inhabited it, shaping and changing their lives. The house was so atmospheric that, in the end, it became a sort of background character in the book.

The plot progresses at a steady pace, being set in both England and Spain. Timelines are juggled throughout, and I had to concentrate at the beginning of the book to follow these shifts in time and perspective. Everything eventually came together, though, with tension built throughout. Despite spanning a forty-year timeline, the author managed to hold my attention, which was quite a feat. The characters were believable and well-crafted.

There is pain, heartache, and loss in this book, romance and mystery too. It’s a heart-warming novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

‘Never to old to follow your dreams’ has become Susan Gray’s mantra since beginning to write novels after celebrating a significant birthday. Susan endeavours to entwine the genres of mystery and romance and sets her novels in the early Twentieth Century.

She lives with her husband in northeast England, setting her books in this picturesque area. She has a son and daughter, both married, two granddaughters and a grand dog. When not writing she loves to spend time reading, puzzling, walking and catching up with friends over a coffee. She enjoys travelling and tries to include many of the places she has visited in her books.

Her plots are inspired by ‘life’ and how her characters navigate the waters. She loves to ‘people watch’ and creates her characters based on the many strangers she has observed. She has written six novels. SPANISH HOUSE SECRETS was her debut novel and is now joined by another standalone novel BLOSSOMING OF TRUTH.

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