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Rape of the
Soul
by Dawn Thompson
Mystery, murder, lies, and evil all lie
within the Cragmoor mansion. Jane Maitland was searching for the
truth of her ancestory, and when she met the good vicar Marshall,
she was about to discover more than she bargained for.
Colin Chapin was a young forgotten child when his father sent the
vicar Elliott Marshall to stay with he and his sister while a new
chapel was being built. Elliott witnessed much more than his heart
could take while staying at Cragmoor and watching Colin and his
sister Mary grow. Elliott was enamored with Mary although she
practiced witchcraft, and for the rest of his life he would regret
not telling her of his feelings.
One evening Mary was accosted and raped, leaving her mind unsettled
as well as with child. The child Malcolm, was the devil himself.
From the day of his birth he was doomed to darkness and as he grew,
so did his hatred for his Uncle Colin and the good vicar as well as
anyone else that got in his way. A number of unspeakable acts
alongside of setting a chapel on fire were only the tip of the cliff
when it came to Malcolm’s darkness. When he returns after being sent
to the states, he would bring with him something that will bring
devastation and death to all.
There are still mys teries and secrets hidden inside of Cragmoor
mansion, and with Jane and the vicar Marshall some truth long ago
buried is about to resurface. Would Colin really sign that document
that could seal his fate? What was Malcolm’s dirty plan once he
discovered the child growing in his wife’s womb?
Dawn Thompson’s Rape of the Soul is a historical suspense that will
make you sit on the edge of your seat, you are enthralled in the
story and once you start reading it is impossible to stop. This
story was written over 20 years ago, and was thought to never be
published, well world… HERE IT IS, GO AND GET IT!! I swear this was
a page turner that I will Never forget! Ms. Thompson may no longer
be with us, but with her written word, she will always be here in
spirit.
5 Hearts
Crystal Adkins
www.bookreviewsbycrystal.blogspot.com
"Thompson delivers on all levels"
Jean Maitland comes to England searching
for answers. She wants to know what happened to her ancestor, Jean
Fowler Chapin. The man with the answers wants the past to stay
buried, but Jean is determined. She has no idea the evil that she
will unleash when she enters the abandoned mansion on the cliffs,
how in opening the door to the past, she conjures and evil into the
present. Legend says Jean Chapin was murdered, along with her
husband, Malcolm, by her husband's uncle, Colin. Only, Jean feels
there is more to the story. She has no idea the menace from the past
hadn't ended, but has been waiting for someone to set it free.
20 years ago the late Dawn Thompson
began writing an epic saga, about the struggle between good and
evil. Thompson went on to produce the story as a play in New York;
her sister Diane, even starred as the heroine, Jean Fowler Chapin.
This story is that 'book of the heart.' Thompson is widely known for
her amazingly detailed Regency Historical Romances and her
Paranormal stories that ranged from Vampires to shapeshifters to the
erotic fantasy world- building Lord of the Deep and Lord of the
Dark. This book will be a departure to her fans, but they will get
to see Dawn Thompson at her very best. The book was written when
authors had a bit more freedom in length, when the style of
storytelling was given to wonderful sagas. During the years when her
books were selling so strongly, she could have cut this book and
sold it. Instead, she held on to it, determined to see it printed as
she originally intended it to be told. It's actually two books in
one, but the point where the book would break would see one small
book and one large one, so this is printed as she wanted¯in a single
volume.
From page one, I was hooked. Thompson
clearly shows just what an amazing talent she was by instantly
giving you a dark, suspenseful tale of horror. She described the
book as "Anya Seton meets Stephen King" and that is a fair
assessment of its style. I would also say she added a touch of
Daphne du Maurier and Arthur Quiller-Couch. Rape of the Soul is one
of those books that will linger on bookshelves, and be read again
and again.
Thompson delivers on all levels. When
Jean Maitland enters the abandoned glass house of Craigmoor, you
have a Hitchcock style, 'dark at the top of the stairs' foreboding
that pure evil can exist and can reach from the past to destroy the
future. Thompson delivers with this spellbinding tour de force, her
legacy to her fans. It's a keeper. This is one I fully expect to see
made into a movie.
Reviewed by: Deborah Macgillivray,
author
ParanormalRomance.org
Reviewed by Deborah Macgillivray
Posted July 2, 2008
5 STARS!
Present Day: Jean Fowler Maitland travels from Maine, USA, to
Cornwall, England, in hope of learning whatever happened to her
grandfather's sister, Jean Fowler Chapin. The Fowler family believed
the woman had married Malcolm Chapin, in 1885, and fled with him to
the Cragmoor Estate in Cornwall even though she had just been
notified her father had died and the funeral was imminent. The
Fowler family turned their back on Jean Chapin and never knew the
truth. But Jean Maitland is determined to find out if her namesake
had really been so horrid. To this end, she locates the owner of
Cragmoor at St. Michael's church. His name is Vicar "Edward"
Marshall, Esq. The vicar still has the journals of his
great-grandfather, Vicar "Elliot" Marshall, in his possession.
Elliot dutifully kept his journal up-to-date. However, the ending to
the tragic tale the lady has come to learn is still unknown. Elliot
died before he could put pen to paper. Edward decides the American
has the right to know what is written within the journals. Jean
Maitland would spend the next twenty-four hours as his guest and
hear the tale.
London, 1863: Reverend Elliot Marshall's trap overturns on the lawn
of Ramsey House, the resident of the magistrate, Sir John Chapin.
Elliot remains with Sir John until his collarbone hears from three
breaks. During this time he two become friends. Elliot learns about
Sir John's nineteen-year-old daughter, Mary (his pride and joy), as
well as the fifteen-year-old son, Colin (to whom he cannot tolerate
because his wife died giving birth to the boy). Recently Sir John
has received word from Amy Croft, the housekeeper at Cragmoor that
Mary is dabbling with the occult and gypsies. The end result is that
Sir John would build St. Michael's Church in Cornwall, near Cragmoor,
and Elliot would be its first vicar. While the church is under
construction, Elliot would reside at Cragmoor with Mary and Colin
(when the boy was not away at school) to straighten Mary out by any
means necessary.
Elliot falls in love with Mary on sight, but she has become a witch
in all but name. As for Colin, Elliot sees something of himself
within the teen. Since Sir John refuses to be a father to Colin,
Elliot becomes one in his stead. Mary dies giving birth to Malcolm,
the result of a violent assault. From this first breath, Malcolm
seems evil. Malcolm's birth kills more than one person at Cragmoor
that night and Colin becomes master of the estate before he is
ready.
***** I can neither write a short review of the book, due to the
length, nor give a full synopsis without ruining the story for you.
The birth of Malcolm is where the real start of the gothic tragedy
begins. I now stress to you that this novel was written over twenty
years ago. Back then books, especially those with a gothic flavor,
did not always have "happily-ever-after" endings and violence was
not always glossed over. If you cannot deal with reading some scenes
of cruelty, then this novel of suspense is not for you. Enough said
on the matter. You have been warned.
For those of us bold enough to read it, this story is non-stop
drama. There are a few typos, but seldom have I read a book without
any. The paperback version is oversized (6X9) and the font is
smaller than most books. Therefore, you will find this a long novel.
(More for your money.) Most of the characters are well developed.
"Present Day" characters are not seen often, so even though I know
WHO they are in relation to the historical characters, I never came
to care for them. On the plus side, not seeing the "Present Day"
characters often also means the historical story is not interrupted
at pivotal moments. I suspect there will be mixed feelings on the
ending and can say no more bout it without ruining it.
In case there are people reading this review who like to collect
rare items, let me say that this title is the very first in the new
Highland Press Legacy line. These will be books in which the
publisher believes will still be talked about many years from now.
All-in-all, this is a very haunting story that I doubt I will ever
forget. Very memorable.
HUNTRESS REVIEWS
Reviewed by Detra Fitch
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