Winterbay Abbey

‘'Men drowned by the score for over three hundred years. Winter storms drove them there, that's where the name comes from. Winterbay. Cold,desolate place.''This is such a striking quote that perfectly describes not only the setting but the heart of the story. Cold, isolation and death...I was immediately won by the title and the cover and it didn't take me long to start reading. I confess I initially thought that this wasn't going to be anything original, but I didn't mind.After all, the majority of ghost stories are awfully similar to each other and still they manage to frighten us even though we tell them time and time again.My impression was correct. The premise isn't original but I found the novel to be a rather pleasing Gothic experience.Will is an architect with a whole load of problems on his back, both work-related and marital. He struggles to please all and meet expectations, while Emily, his expecting wife,is still trying to recover from past traumas.The renovation of Winterbay Abbey presents a good opportunity for Will to establish himself as a professional. On his first day, he sees a nun walking into the water. (There is probably a reason why I've always been a little bit afraid of nuns...)The story takes place after Halloween and I can definitely say that it is a great read for the spookiest time of the year. Winterbay Abbey certainly lives up to its name. The word ‘'Abbey'' always brings certain images to mind and abbeys have been consistent staples in Gothic Fiction for a long time. Here, there are many Gothic elements and familiar tropes of Horror Fiction, like birds, faces in dusty windows, rocking chairs and sudden cracks. They are skillfully used to create the necessary mood and with respect to the genre. However, there are many similarities to Susan Hill's [b:The Woman in Black 37034 The Woman in Black Susan Hill https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327869942s/37034.jpg 2127172]. In fact, it seemed to me that the heart of the whole plot echoes the much-loved novella directly. As a result, the story becomes a little too predictable and unoriginal. After all, there can only be one Jeanette Humphrey and one Arthur Kipps, right?The characters are what make the story suffer a bit, though.Will and Emily are nothing to write home about. It seemed to me that Will isn't exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer and although he must be talented, he has a knack of running away from responsibilities, deadlines and obligations. Emily is overreacting, self-centered, full of self-pity, borderline dramatic and frankly, I think that the writers created an inconsistent character in her. She doesn't really know what she wants either of herself or of Will. But, I guess that in a horror story characters are not the focal point...The impact of the story is based on psychology and the fear of the unknown and there is no violence or bloody spectacles just for the sake of shock value. The atmosphere is built page by page and this is how a well-written mystery is made.