Arc Review: The Devil in the Corner by Patricia Elliott

Devil in the Corner 
by Patricia Elliott 
Edition: Ebook (400 Pages)
Expected publication: March 6th 2014 by Hachette Children's Books
Source: NetGalley
GoodReads Page

A gorgeously gothic historical tale from the author of THE PIMPERNELLES

Penniless, and escaping the horrors of life as a governess to brutal households, Maud seeks refuge with the cousin-by-marriage she never knew. But Juliana quashes Maud's emerging friendships with the staff and locals - especially John, the artist commissioned to restore the sinister Doom in the local church. John, however, is smitten with Maud and makes every effort to woo her.

Maud, isolated and thwarted at every turn, continues to take the laudanum which was her only solace in London. Soon she becomes dependent on the drug - so is this the cause of her fresh anxieties? Or is someone - or something - plotting her demise?

Is the devil in the corner of the Doom a reality, or a figment of her imagination?

 Review:

(Although I received this book for review my review is still 100% honest.)

This book drove me crazy, in a good way. It is set in Victorian times and is a romance, mystery. It is dark and suspenseful. At first you don't really know anything about the main character's past.
This was a great way to keep you turning those pages. The plot thickens in this book so much that I really didn't want it to end.

The main character is Maud Greenwood, I would say she is rather normal for her circumstances within this book. She lost both of her parents and is slowly running out of money. She has to take up jobs as a governess which during those times wasn't the best job for a lady. Soon enough she gets a letter from her cousin asking her to live with her in her mansion. I thought that Maud was reasonable with a lot of her feelings though out this book. She wasn't a drama queen or over reacted. But I can understand some of the out bursts she had within the book. I really liked reading from her perspective.

The next character to be introduced shortly after Maud is John Shawcross. John is a penniless painter working for Maud's cousin. He works in the tiny town at which Maud will soon call home. As soon as John sees Maud he can easily say he has really deep feelings for her. She is a mystery to him and that makes him want to get to know her more. His character was a good way to see Maud in a different light. I really enjoyed reading from his perspective because of all the sweet things he though of Maud.

So Maud and John's romance through out this book only helps push the book forward. They have to keep there love for each other hidden because he is poor and she will one day be rich. Their love story is really a sad one because it almost seems like they are not meant to be together. This made me cry a lot because I just wanted them to be together for once and not have to hide it.

This book was hard for me to put down because of the suspense within the book. I was not expecting how much of mystery this book would be. It had very dark parts that could even be lead to murder. This book was really great and it should be read if you think that this book is for you.





I gave this book 4 out of 5 bats.

About the Author:
Patricia Elliott was born in London and grew up in Europe and the Far East. She has worked in publishing in London and in a children's bookshop in New York. She now teaches a course in children's literature at an adult education college. She lives in London with her husband, two sons, and a yellow labrodor named Finagal.