Tina’s review of The Qualities of Wood by Mary Vensel White
A haunting and beautifully written debut novel by an exciting and new author.
When Betty Gardiner dies, leaving behind an unkempt country home, her grandson and his young wife take a break from city life to prepare the house for sale. Nowell Gardiner leaves first to begin work on his second mystery novel. By the time his wife Vivian joins him, a real mystery has begun: a local girl has been found dead in the woods behind the house. Even after the death is ruled an accident, Vivian can’t forget the girl, can’t ignore the strange behaviour of her neighbours, or her husband. As Vivian attempts to put the house in order, all around her things begin to fall apart.
‘The Qualities of Wood’ is a stunning novel from an exciting new writer. Perfect for readers of Anne Tyler and Anita Shreve.
The Qualities of Wood is a magnificently written debut novel by Mary Vensel White.
Nowell Gardiner’s grandmother has recently died, and he has inherited her old, neglected house in the country. He and his wife Vivian decide to leave the city for awhile to get the house ready to be sold. Nowell, who is a writer, arrives first so he can work on his new novel without interruption. Vivian arrives a month later, and the day after she gets there, the dead body of a girl is found in the woods on the property.
The death is ruled as an accident, but Vivian feels like something isn’t right about it. As she tries to acclimate herself to her new surroundings, she can’t help but notice the weird behavior of the neighbors, and that of her husband as well. The town seems to be full of secrets and has a vast array of strange inhabitants. And to top it off, Vivian discovers there are things about her husband’s family that she was never made aware of.
This atmosphere of the book was pretty creepy, and the characters were well-developed and thought out. The author’s descriptive writing created a foreboding atmosphere that keep the suspense going until the end.
I really enjoyed this book. The story held my interest the entire time, and the story flowed effortlessly until the end. What a great debut! I was totally impressed and would definitely recommend it. For anyone who enjoys good suspense, make sure to pick this one up!
I give this one a 4.0 rating.
This book is available from Harper Collins Authonomy. You can purchase it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.