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Elizabeth@Silver's Reviews
Elizabeth@Silver's Reviews - A marvelous Gothic-style read with undercurrents of menace.
How could a mansion with such a beautiful name - Marbrisa - be the scene of murders?
Peacocks screaming and dying and then construction workers and guests found dead.
1918 - Robert and Anna came from New York to Florida after the Great War, built an outlandish mansion, but it didn’t make them happy.
A drowning at their lavish party didn’t help with things. But was it an accident or murder?
1940 - Years later Carolina and Asher bought the house, fixed it up, and Carolina’s sister, Carmen, came to live with them after their parents died.
Another death happens and Carmen worries about her safety, especially since Asher
…more controls her estate until she’s 21.
We follow both storylines as the mansion seems to be the center of attention and drama and as we meet characters that keep and tell secrets.
A marvelous Gothic-style read with undercurrents of menace that you can’t figure out if the menace is coming from a person, place, or thing.
Don't miss this one!! 5/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own. (less)A wonderful book to get lost in. Dual time lines in 1918 and 1941 set the stage for an engrossing story. The gothic elements of this book will make for an interesting comparison to discuss in book groups.
Lisa O. (Brewster, NY)
The House on Biscayne Bay by Chanel Cleeton
This is the seventh novel by Chanel Cleeton that I have read and it did not disappoint. I enjoyed this Gothic mystery with the estate, Mabrisa as a character in the novel. While the timeline involving Anna and Robert Barnes was more interesting, I enjoyed Carmen's as well. Although, I don't know that killing Carmen's sister, Carolina, was necessary, but it does add add to Carmen's isolation. And, I did not even guess the ending. While it did drag a little in the middle, overall I really enjoyed this novel.
The History Mom
Step into an Agatha Christie novel
Another stellar historical mystery from one of my favorite authors, Chanel Cleeton. The House on Biscayne Bay focuses on a mysterious mansion in Miami during the Roaring 20s as well as the more subdued pre-WWII year of 1941. Anna and Carmen are beautiful women in danger as the wild nature of the newly inhabited Miami overtakes law and order. As people die and lives are ruined, who is the culprit, the cursed house set in the midst of savage wildlife or the ones they love the most?
Unraveling the threads of betrayal and intrigue through the decades as the house watches, Cleeton does a masterful job at keeping the
…more reader guessing until the end. I loved learning more about the history of Miami during these challenging years and always enjoy the historical details that Cleeton shares. I highly recommend it for any historical fiction fan who wants to feel as if they've stepped into an Agatha Christie novel. (less)Chanel Cleeton's new novel, The House on Biscayne Bay, was a 5-star read for me. Already a fan of this author's previous works, I was intrigued to see that she had written a gothic tale. The House on Biscayne Bay is perfectly done, just the right amount of atmosphere, great character development, and Cleeton's strong historical elements woven throughout.
The House on Biscayne Bay is a well-researched period piece of fiction that I did not want to put down. I highly recommend this novel for Cleeton fans and for those who love a good gothic and/or historical read. This novel would also appeal to book clubs as
…more there is much to discuss and enjoy here. Thank you to BookBrowse, NetGalley, Chanel Cleeton, and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review an e-galley of this novel. (less)The House on Biscayne Bay was written in the style of a gothic mystery. It is about two families who live in the magnolia estate of Marbrisa decades apart. They both experience unexplained mysterious deaths, love, infidelity, and greed. I have read other selections by this author and have enjoy them as I did this one. I would like to thank BookBrowse for the ARC.
Mary S. (Bow, NH)
History, mystery & intrigue
If you like mystery, a little history, and a lot of intrigue you will love this book. Set in Miami in the 1920s, we first see the mansion on Biscayne Bay through the eyes of Anna, the wife of the builder. Anna and her husband, Robert, already live on Park Avenue in NYC and summer in Newport but Robert builds this house to surprise on Anna on her 40th birthday. Unfortunately the surprise is on him because she hates it (the house is too grandiose, Miami is too hot). However, resigned to living there, Anna works with the architect to design the grounds so that they complement the house and are appealing to her.
…more Anna and Robert throw a huge party and someone falls in the bay and drowns - which is the start of the intrigue.
Fast forward 10 years and the house now belongs to a different family, and the house is said to be cursed, haunted and full of secrets. We meet Carmen who moves to the house to live with her sister and brother-in-law. It is up to Carmen to sort out the mystery and secrets as she, herself, is in danger.
Cleeton is a skilled author. She keeps the pace going at a good clip, provides luscious descriptions of people and places, and throws in a few spectacular shifts that you do not see coming. I loved this book! (less)Filled with a gothic atmosphere and a mystery to unravel, this one has two storylines that flow easily, keeping my interest throughout the book.
A gorgeous Florida mansion, Marbrisa, takes center stage. The house seems to be cursed or haunted, or maybe both! Peacocks and alligators rule the grounds.
One storyline features Anna and her husband, Robert, in 1918. Glamour is all the rage with people moving into Miami.
The second storyline features a young Carmen joining her sister at Marbrisa in 1940. Carmen is uneasy at the house, and strange things keep happening with the wildlife and noises in the walls. Another
…more tragedy occurs, and Carmen is desperate to escape.
I loved how this one ended, but I'm not sure I'd like to be a guest at Marbrisa! (less)
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