The House On Biscayne Bay by Chanel Cleeton

 

My thoughts

I've found a new author for me. Though she has written a few books I've not read any until now. This book was great. Part history, thriller, mystery, love story, and a touch gothic. 

I enjoyed this book from the very start. 

You meet Anna shortly after her husband brings her to Biscayne Bay to show her a mansion he's building for her. Marbrisa is it's name. For her birthday. Not exactly what she wanted but she doesn't say much. It's like he is obsessed with it. Making sure everything is perfect. From the house itself to the things inside. He hired Michael Harrison as the architect. It's the first big project Michael has and he puts his whole into it.  The setting if shortly after the Great War. It's 1918 and this couple are madly in love. Or are they? Could one be hiding a few secrets?

When you meet Carmen she is new to the US. She's come to Florida, to Marbrisa, to live with her sister and brother in law after the death of her and Carolina's parents in Cuba. Carmen is only 18 and is a bit afraid of what is in store for her. Her and her sister have not seen each other in a few years. Things don't seem right to Carmen. Her sister is a bit aloof. Like she doesn't want Carmen there. Things seem strained between Carolina and her husband Asher. 

There are many secrets in both couple's lives. Things that set in motion many events. Things are not always as they seem and in part things are exactly as they seem. This book will take you through two stories simultaneously. From a couple of chapters in one era to the next being the other era. You'll get to know these characters very well. Most of their secrets will come to light. A few surprises along the way. One I figured out but it sure didn't take away from this book. 

I enjoyed this book so much and will be looking for more by this author. Well done.

Thank you @NetGalley, @ChanelCleeton, #Berkley, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five big stars and a very high recommendation. Grab it. Devour it as I did. It was a fast read for me.

About

As death stalks a gothic mansion in Miami, the lives of two women intertwine as the past and present collide in New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton’s atmospheric new novel.

With the Great War finally behind them, thousands of civilians and business moguls alike flock to South Florida with their sights set on making a fortune. When wealthy industrialist Robert Barnes and his wife, Anna, build Marbrisa, a glamorous estate on Biscayne Bay, they become the toast of the newly burgeoning society. Anna and Robert appear to have it all, but in a town like Miami, appearances can be deceiving, and one scandal can change everything.

Years later following the tragic death of her parents in Havana, Carmen Acosta journeys to Marbrisa, the grand home of her estranged older sister, Carolina, and her husband, Asher Wyatt. On the surface, the gilded estate looks like paradise, but Carmen quickly learns that nothing at Marbrisa is as it seems. The house has a treacherous legacy, and Carmen’s own life is soon in jeopardy . . . unless she can unravel the secrets buried beneath the mansion’s facade and stop history from repeating itself.