A love that seems lost, may still yet be found, for real love always endures.
1890. One summer evening changes everything for Sidney and Leonard Bellingham when their beloved mother disappears from the family home, Halesham Hall. Left with their bitter father, they are taught to trust no one but themselves, with brother pitted against brother to see who is worthy of inheriting the Bellingham Board Games company. But the series of twisted games they are forced to play will have far reaching consequences.
1920. Phoebe Bellingham arrives at Halesham Hall determined to solve the puzzles that will allow her to claim back the Bellingham inheritance. But this legacy involves more than one secret, and soon Phoebe realises that the stakes are higher than she ever could have imagined.
The Legacy of Halesham Hall by Jenni Keer Review
A Dual Timeline Full of Mystery and Intrigue
Have you ever considered the legacy you will leave behind? Has it ever occurred to you that your life and how you live it may impact those in that come after you?
In this fabulous dual timeline, Jenni Keer creates a story that tugs at the heartstrings while unravelling the threads of secrets from the past.
Told as a story of two halves, cast within a house that holds a strong character and secrets of its own.
In the 1890’s, the Bellingham family have fallen apart. One summer will change everything for this family in turmoil. Clement Bellingham is a nasty man, with a fiery temper. When his wife finally leaves him, his two sons are left behind to deal with the cruelty their father dishes out. With his wife now gone, Clement pits the boys against each other and raises them to have a deep mistrust of women. Despite being the owner of the board game company, Bellingham Games, this will not be the only legacy Clement will leave behind. His actions will trickle down through the generations.
Years later, in the 1920’s, the daughter of one of the sons has returned to Halesham Hall, the death of her parents see her return to fight for the legacy of her own father, but returning to the house sees her face her uncle. A bitter and twisted old man still living with the ghosts of his past.
About the Author:
Jenni Keer is a history graduate who embarked on a career in contract flooring before settling in the middle of the Suffolk countryside with her antique furniture restorer husband. She has valiantly attempted to master the ancient art of housework but with four teenage boys in the house it remains a mystery. Instead, she spends her time at the keyboard writing commercial women’s fiction to combat the testosterone-fuelled atmosphere, with her number one fan #Blindcat by her side. Much younger in her head than she is on paper, she adores any excuse for fancy-dress and is part of a disco formation dance team.
This is an easy book to love, but not an easy book to put down.
Jenni Keer has a real talent when it comes to creating amazing characters on the page, and although the Phoebe and Sidney really do draw you in, so too does the character that is built within Halesham Hall itself. Jenni is so very accomplished when it comes to weaving this amazing story through two timelines with beautiful and historical details threaded throughout the pages like fine gold thread, making the pages and the characters sparkle.
Secrets never stay buried for long, and the twists and turns will keep your head spinning, with puzzles to solve and mysteries to unlock.
Jenni is a master of description, and I turned the last page, desperate to one day visit Halesham Hall myself and walk the corridors that live true in my mind.
I put this book down with a slightly heavy heart, full with love but a question lingering behind. What legacy we will leave behind for our own families? How are we shaping the futures of our own children with the actions we choose today?
In my opinion, it is the mark of a truly remarkable author when a book that leaves you thinking about the true core theme of the novel, long after you have finished the book.
The Legacy of Halesham Hall is not the first of Jenni’s books I have read, The Secrets of Hawthorn Place was just as magical – however, I can honestly say that Jenni consistently raises the bar, and this is by far my favourite of all her novels to date. I very much look forward, in anticipation, for her next book.
If you would like to know more about Jenni Keer and her fabulous books, you can find her on Facebook: Jenni Keer Author or Twitter: @JenniKeer
If this review of The Legacy of Halesham Hall has piqued your interest, why not take a look at some of Jenni’s other novels – all available on Amazon.
The Legacy of Halesham Hall is published by: Headline
ISBN: 978-1472294845
