The Darkling Bride: A Novel

Carragh Ryan has been hired to catalog the books in the historic library of Deeprath Castle, located in the Wicklow Mountains of Ireland. This castle has belonged to the Gallaghers for over seven hundred years. The current Viscount, Aidan, has decided to give it to the National Trust because his parents were murdered there twenty years earlier and it holds nothing but bad memories. Tragedy seems to surround the Gallaghers, dating back to the tale of the Darkling Bride, a tormented woman who seems to haunt the castle. Because of the castle being given to the Trust, there is one last chance to solve the murders of Aidan’s parents. Carragh might just be who Aidan needs to put his past behind him.

Ghosts, romance, murder, mystery, legends, castles, and Ireland. This book has it all. I would have given it that last half star if the author had actually come up with a story of the Darkling Bride, like what even happened to her that she was haunting the castle. That was never made very clear. The book was mostly build-up leading to the discovery of who murdered Aidan’s parents. It was still a great read that I couldn’t put down. Carragh was a great character, and I also liked Jenny Gallagher, who you meet through diary entries and flashback chapters told from the point of view of her husband. Just the premise of Carragh’s job drew me in–you get to live in an ancient castle, going through their extensive library acquired over seven hundred years. Plus the castle is supposed to be haunted? Yes, please! Anyway, it was a fun way to live vicariously through her. That’s the great thing about books, right? They take you to places and let you experience things you would otherwise probably not get the chance to.