Title: Decay of Sorrow
Author: Jacqueline Garcia
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1664166196
Pages: 166
Genre: Fiction
Reviewed by: Susan Brown
Hollywood Book Reviews
Mystery and fear; Supernatural activity; Romance; A Villain; Emotional distress; Nightmares. And a damsel in distress. Put these elements all together and you have the essentials of a gothic novel. Author Jacqueline Garcia, with engaging writing, has woven these elements together into a spellbinding tale.
The plot revolves around Esme Porcher, the “damsel” in distress. She, recently, married the widowed husband, Bill the “villain,” of her dead twin sister, Joanna. Bill moves her to the house, Meadoways, where he had previously lived with Joanna. Upon arriving, Bill’s mood swings from pleasant to disagreeable. Esme, rattled by his behavior, reflects on her situation, “She knew it was too quick for her to marry Bill so soon after Joanna’s untimely death.” But she loves her new husband and is committed to him.
Add to the mix, a former love of Bill’s, the ghost of Joanna warning her sister about Bill, a potential hero who lives nearby, a domestic environment that is oppressive and ruled by an autocratic and malevolent husband and our heroine who is slowly slipping away from reality … thanks to Bill. Well, you can just imagine the happenings that unfold.
Jacqueline Garcia keeps the story moving along with writing that, in true gothic romance style, is full of suspense, a smattering of creepiness and a little bit of supernatural interference thrown into the mix. Her characters are well-formed, easily identifiable by strong narrative prose which underscores each personality — a despicable husband, suffering new wife, determined ghost, over-the-top crazed lover and an infatuated sweet man waiting in the wings for Esme.
I am a lover of mysteries. I like trying to figure out the villain’s end game. I was intrigued by Decay of Sorrow because the author does not put that piece of the puzzle into play too soon in the story, keeping readers in suspense as to the point behind Joanna’s death and, perhaps, quite possibly Esme’s. It would be slightly unfair to both the author and readers to reveal too much of the plot. That would undermine the joy of reading a mystery. What I will say is that Jacqueline Garcia creates enough tension and uncertainty among all of the characters to keep this thriller a riveting read until the story’s conclusion.
Reading Decay of Sorrow is a little grittier than the average romance novel which makes it a great way to while away an afternoon or as a way to take a small step out of your own day-to-day reality and into a duplicitous ensemble of some truly conniving characters. The storyline is gorgeous, carefully planned, and written in a way that can be deemed perfect.