This week’s covetable cover is ‘The Silent Companions’ by Laura Purcell, a hauntingly Gothic story that will stay with you for days after you read it. It is said to have been inspired by the works of Susan Hill. I devoured this book when I first got my hands on it, atmospheric and menacing, it is one of the best ghost stories I have read in years and has become one of my favourite books, I would read it again and again. It’s hard to explain the plot of this book without giving away spoilers but it masterfully weaves a story that entices and enthralls with a haunted house, an asylum, a crumbling majestic estate, paintings who’s eyes follow menacingly, and a vulnerable main character who must make sense of her new life whilst questioning her own sanity as events unravel around her.
The cover itself is gorgeous and has an extremely clever design. The key hole has been cut out of the cover and the painting behind is in the book peeking out at you. It gives the reader an unsettling feeling of being stalked and watched in a sinister manner. There are many motifs on the cover which also echo important items, themes and events in the book, all done in a Victorian Gothic style which evokes the time period in which the story is set. The two seemingly innocent and child-like silhouettes at the bottom hinting at the menacing wooden painted figures featured in the story. The stag’s head and fountain also echoing the setting of a grand estate. There are so many ‘Easter Eggs’ in this cover it is almost impossible to explain what they represent without spoiling the story and this is definitely one I would recommend to everyone. However, I entreat everyone to keep the cover design in mind as they are reading this book. Seemingly innocuous cover items will eventually hold an unsettling meaning as you reach them throughout the book. Excuse me for a second there seems to be a strange scraping noise behind me….
“You could not explain fear; you could only feel it, roaring through the silence and striking your heart still.”
The Silent Companions – Laura Purcell
Leave a comment on what you love about this cover, whether you’ve read the book or would like to. I’d also love to hear about the book covers you love!
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A Cup Of Tea And A Biscuit 