Jungle Rumble

Setterfield, Diane.  The Thirteenth Tale.  New York, NY:  Washington Square Press, 2006.

This ghost story might not be for everyone.  At first I didn’t think it would be for me.  I’m a huge fan of books, but not of “classic” literature.  I like eerie settings and mysteries, but I don’t like to be scared.  So, opening this book I wasn’t expecting to finish it.  Much to my surprise I devoured it!

Reclusive author Vida Winter, famous for her collection of twelve enchanting stories, has spent the past six decades telling fictional accounts of her life and past.  Now sick and near death, she is ready to tell the truth about her extraordinary life and the violent and tragic past she has kept secret for so long. Vida calls on Margaret Lea, a young biographer, to hear and write her life story. Margaret is mesmerized by the author’s tale of gothic strangeness — featuring the beautiful and willful Isabelle, the crazy twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess,a topiary garden and a devastating fire.

The plot twists and turns with surprises around every corner.  Just when you think you have unlocked the mystery, another one crops up.  Give it a try, just like me you might be surprised to find you loved it too!