Book Review - "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield

I really enjoyed The Thirteenth Tale, a great Gothic thriller, in the tradition of "Rebecca", "Jane Eyre" and "Wuthering Heights", even though it was written in 2007.

There are lots of plot twists and surprises, so I don't want to spoil anything. Basically it tells the story of Margaret, a young woman who in addition to working in her father's used book store is also a biographer. As the story begins Margaret has been commissioned by a famous author named Vida Winter, known for making up different stories about her life. However, Ms. Winters tells Margaret that this time she will tell the complete truth.

Margaret has her own issues to deal with, but frankly, I think Margaret's story takes away from the main plot and serves as a needless distraction. It is Vida Winters' story that captured my imagination and had me speculating and guessing as clues were revealed.

This is a story with two narrators, Margaret and Vida, and Vida is revealed early to be an unreliable narrator. Due to the nature of the story character development is difficult, but despite this, you definitely see Margaret's growth.

I definitely recommend the book.