Diane Setterfield - The Thirteenth Tale Reviews

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Don't worry, I won't give away any secrets!

Margaret, the main character of the story, is a book lover who works with her Father in the family owned book store.  She is also an new biographer who likes to research the dead.  Imagine her surprise when she received a letter from one of the world's most famous Authors, who is still alive.  Decade after decade, Vida Winter had made up stories about her past and was finally ready to set the story straight, before dying, and she wanted Margaret to write her biography.

This book is filled with a haunted (or is...

The book "The Thirteenth Tale" by Dianne Setterfield kept me interested through two readings--I needed to re-read it for a book club meeting.  I found the second time around that it was even more intriguing (less confusing in retrospect).  This book reminded me of old gothic mysteries written by authors like Victoria Holt and Phyllis Whitney--the creepy and haunted houses, the evil relatives, the elusive family secrets, hidden clues, etc.

A troubled and somewhat reclusive book store owner is summoned to write the official biography of a beloved and dying writer, Vida Winter.  Ms Winter has...