There are whispers of the Brontes all the way down the shadowy corridors of this novel, surprisingly Setterfield's first. Gothic, oppressive, disturbing, it is beautifully written, and completely gripping. The heroine is suitably solitary and questioning, the main protagonist, Vida Winter, decidedly peculiar, telling a story that twists, repels and misleads wonderfully. But the strength for me of this book is that the author understands, how good books catch at one's vitals, and how bereft one feels when one is finished. As an encouragement for total immersion, I have not found a better. Start reading and you will find it hard to stop, and when you have to, you will mind. What better reason to begin?