BLOG TOUR: The Temple House Vanishing by Rachel Donohue

 I am excited to be a part of the Blog Tour today for The Temple House Vanishing by Rachel Donohue. I received a free copy for honest review from the publisher. Thanks so much to Algonquin Books and Rachel Donohue for letting me be a part of the tour!

Title: The Temple House Vanishing

Author: Rachel Donohue

Published by: Algonquin Books

Released: July 6, 2021

Source: Review Copy from Publisher

Goodreads     Amazon

 

Synopsis: An Irish Bestseller
Finalist for the Irish Book Awards’ Newcomer of the Year 

Perched high atop a seaside cliff in Ireland, a lonely Victorian mansion is home to Temple House School. And at Temple House, nothing is ever as it seems.

Louisa is the new, brilliant scholarship student. Finding most of the other students at the all-girls Catholic boarding school as icy and unfamiliar as the drafty mansion, she forms a fierce bond with the intense and compelling Victoria, an outlier and student provocateur.

Their close bond is soon unsettled by the young, charismatic art teacher, Mr. Lavelle—igniting tension and obsession in the cloistered world of the school. Then one day, Louisa and Mr. Lavelle disappear.

There is no trace of either one. It’s the unsolved mystery that captivates the whole country. Year after year, the media revisit it, and the conspiracy theories persist. Now, on the twenty-fifth anniversary, a journalist—a woman who grew up on the same street as Louisa—delves into the past to write a series of articles and uncover the truth. She finds stories of jealousy and revenge, power and class. But will she find Louisa and Mr. Lavelle, too?

Because remember—at Temple House, nothing is ever as it seems.

Told through alternating points of view, Rachel Donohue’s debut novel skillfully, gradually, lets the reader into the hearts and minds of both Louisa and the determined reporter. This page-turner is perfect for fans of Elisabeth Thomas’s Catherine House or Kate Elizabeth Russell’s My Dark Vanessa. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

 

My Thoughts: I was drawn to this the moment I laid eyes on it. I really liked the feel of the cover, and the synopsis really intrigued me. This book had a mystery that I just wanted to dive into and discover. Not only did it have a mystery, but it had that more compelling kind of mystery of a case that has long since gone cold. An old mystery is an even bigger draw then a new one to me, because it just makes you wonder why no one has been able to solve it. This book was jam packed with secrets and intrigue, I enjoyed every minute of uncovering the truth.

I was definitely captured by this book. I liked the pacing of how everything unwound. It's a perfect page turner. It just has this feel to it that won't let you put it down.

I really liked the setting of this Temple House. It had all the perfect tones of what makes gothic novels so compelling. There were also so many secrets when it came to these characters. There was so much to discover and unravel.

I am very impressed by Rachel Donohue. This being her first novel, I can't wait to see what she comes out with next. I'd definitely recommend picking this one up and giving it a read. I hope it captures you like it captured me.

Rachel Donohue lives in Dublin, Ireland, where she works in communication and media relations. In 2017 she won the Hennessy New Irish Writer of the Year Award for her short fiction. The Temple House Vanishing is her first novel.

Thanks so much for checking out my Blog Tour Stop for The Temple House Vanishing by Rachel Donohue. Thanks so much to Algonquin Books and Rachel Donohue for letting me be a part of the tour. I think you should check this one out.