Eva Is Waiting by Romola Farr .

Eva Is Waiting

 by Romola Farr 

Eva Is Waiting by Romola Farr was published by Wildmoor Press. My thanks to the author and the publisher for sending me a copy to review and to Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me onto the tour.

Synopsis

Following the death of her mother, Lily is sent to a remote girls' boarding school, tearing her away from all the excitement of London in the Swingin’ Sixties. Bereft, she develops a relationship with Rainer, the husband of Sylvia, the headmistress.

One day, Bella, the school Collie, goes missing whilst playing on the shore below sheer cliffs. Despite a rising tide, Lily is determined to find the beautiful dog and discovers her trapped between rocks in a cave. Deepening water swirls around them as her fingertips dig into the sand and touch the smooth surface of what she believes to be an animal skull. From that moment on, she is haunted by a young girl pleading for help.

Lily speaks to her headmistress and learns that eleven years previously a pupil went missing. Eva was a refugee from Hungary, and it was assumed by the police that she had run away.

Forced to stay on at school during the Christmas holiday, Lily is caught between those who know what really happened and wish to silence her, and her determination to end Eva’s wait for justice.

But is history about to repeat itself?

My Review

Eva is waiting was a very emotive and chilling read on so many different levels. I don’t think there was any point in the book where I felt I could completely relax as I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next and what it was related to.

The characters are all very different and the links between them are at times tenuous and at others welded together because of various things that have happened. The main character Lily, has a heart breaking family life , which doesn’t improve as the story progresses. I felt myself drawn to Lily and why she acts in the way she does as I developed an understanding of her character and the life she had led compared to the one she was now leading. 

There are many parts of this novel that I found difficult to read on an emotional level , however, you do need to persevere as this is an incredibly well written chilling thriller that will unnerve you at times through what you have learnt and through wondering where it is going to go next. 

At times some aspects of the plot seem to be glossed over , whilst others draw you into their depths which creates an uneven balance in certain chapters. However, this doesn’t detract from what is a compelling read and I would highly recommend it.

About Romola

Romola Farr first trod the boards on the West End stage aged sixteen and continued to work for the next eighteen years in theatre, TV and film - and as a photographic model. A trip to Hollywood led to the sale of her first screenplay and a successful change of direction as a screenwriter and playwright. Bridge To Eternity was her debut novel, and Breaking Through the Shadows and Where the Water Flows are standalone sequels. All are contemporary stories located in the fictional town of Hawksmead. Eva is Waiting is set in a remote girls’ boarding school in 1965.

Romola Farr is a nom de plume.