Whatever the case, I find the concept behind them creepy as hell and reading this novel has not helped one bit. Their exact purpose is still unknown, though everything from decorative use to security application by making potential burglars think someone is home has been floated by historians. Among them are a couple diaries dated from the 1600s, as well as a painted wooden figure of a little girl that looks so disturbingly lifelike that at first glance she could have been mistaken for the real thing.Īfter finishing this book, I went and did some googling, finding out tons of interesting information about these flat wooden oil-painted trompe l’oeil figures, known as “silent companions” or “dummy boards”, which were all the rage among aristocrats from the 17 th through to the 19 th century. At night, a strange hissing sound comes from the garret behind a closed door that won’t unlock to any key, but one day it suddenly opens to Elsie, revealing Bainbridge relics that have sat hidden for generations. The village is unwelcoming, her servants are rude and untrained, and the place is practically falling apart. Now instead of looking forward to a new life with Rupert, Elsie arrives at The Bridge grieving and pregnant, accompanied by Sarah, her husband’s peculiar cousin. It was where the couple had hoped to welcome their first child. Mere months after the wedding, however, her husband Rupert dies under mysterious circumstances while making preparations at The Bridge, his family’s deteriorating estate out in the country. While her engagement to the heir of the distinguished Bainbridge family did cause a mild stir among the members of the gentry who felt she was marrying above her station, Elsie didn’t care-she was happy, in love, and relieved to be saved from the fate of spinsterhood.
Set in 1865, the novel follows protagonist Elsie Bainbridge, owner of a London-based match factory that she co-manages with her younger brother. This is most definitely a story you’ll want to read in the light of day, when there are no shadows in which the things that go bump in the night can hide. Soon after snaking its chilly tendrils down your collar and sending shivers down your spine, it’ll send you scurrying under the covers and make you want to stay there until the sun is up and the house is bright and warm and safe again. The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell is the kind of book that sneaks up on you like a cold draft. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.įor fans of atmospheric Gothic horror, it doesn’t get much better than this. I received a review copy from the publisher.
Book Review: The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell
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