The whole world of mediums and charlatans is very well evoked. There is romance here, and excitement and even though the story is for younger readers, Elliott doesn't gloss over the nastier side of Victorian exploitation of the bereaved. Shortly after that, a young woman called Ida turns up looking for a housemaid's job at Alfred Place West.is she the real Ida, miraculously restored, or is she an imposter, after the fortune that awaits her? Dorothea is bereft and the story begins when she visits a medium in order to get in touch with her dead daughter. Ida, Dorothea's daughter, disappeared when she was very small and is assumed to be dead. There's a tragedy in the background here.
Her horrible step-uncle is Up to No Good.we suspect this almost from the beginning, but it takes Connie some time to reveal the depths of his nastiness, in a climax which is most satisfying and exciting. Connie wants to be an archaeologist and is forever trying to visit the British Museum. We start with a plan of the house in Alfred Place West, where Connie lives with her aunts Dorothea and Sylvie and her horrible step-uncle, Harold Thurston. This first story is enjoyable from beginning to end. If there's one thing that avid young readers like, it's the idea that the books they enjoy are part of a series of stories which isn't going to run out any time soon. Because I'm passionate about introducing younger readers to historical fiction and because I'm convinced that reading historical fiction at an early age can have nothing but good effects, I'm happy to be able to welcome Connie Carew, our intrepid heroine, who will, if the promise of the title is fulfilled, be having lots of mysterious adventures in the future. Any good reader of about eight and up would love it and there are not enough books being written for this age group. It's what the Americans call Middle Grade.
In HOUSE OF EYES, the intended audience is younger. Even back then, and it was a long time ago, Patricia was obviously going to be a successful writer and since then, she has gone on to produce many wonderful books, my favourites of which are MURKMERE and THE DEVIL IN THE CORNER. I first met Patricia when she was a student on a Ty Newydd writing course which I taught jointly with the much-missed Jan Mark. When I review a book, I often have to confess to knowing the writer.
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