Secrets of the Lighthouse

Montefiore (The Summer House) has penned a lyrical novel rich with ghostly beings, love, and loss set along the idyllic Connemara coastline of Ireland. Ellen Trawton escapes her very proper London life and fiancé to visit her Aunt Peg in Ballymaldoon, Ireland. She becomes enchanted with the town and meets her mother’s siblings for the first time. Yet it is the lure of an old lighthouse that beckons most to Ellen, who is an aspiring author hoping to find inspiration in Ireland. When Ellen meets the elusive Conor Macausland, she is instantly smitten with him. As Ellen and Conor spend time together, a subtle but intense attraction springs up between them. Despite the mystery surrounding the death of Conor’s first wife, Ellen is caught in the lure of his promising sensuality. Unbeknownst to the lovers, Conor’s first wife, though a ghostly figure, is jealous of their blossoming love. Ellen discovers the truth behind her mother’s abrupt departure from Ballymaldoon decades before, even as she learns to cope with those she left behind in London. (Aug.)