Chloe by Connie Briscoe

Last night, I dreamt I ....didn't read this book.

Rebecca is one of my top three books of all time. I love it so deeply that I should have known a 'retelling' would be unsatisfying. Boy, was I correct.

Connie Briscoe has taken Daphne du Maurier's classic and moved it away from Manderley and into the American South. In modern times, Angel is a private chef for a powerful family on Martha's Vineyard. The family throws an annual summer party full of wealthy guests, including Everett Bruce, a powerful billionaire and recent widower.

As expected, Everett is taken with Angel and invites her to come to Riverwild (i.e., Manderley) to be his private chef. The two connect and quickly marry. The house is ruled by the head housekeeper, Ida (Mrs Danvers), who rules over Angel with an iron fist. She—and Everett—can not let Chloe, the former wife and Riverwild mistress, go. Her spirit and power remain long after her tragic suicide.

Angel starts to question Everett, who becomes more and more withdrawn. Angel is slowly learning that Everett is not the man that she thought she married...and Chloe may not have died by suicide.

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Where to start?

There is a reason that Rebecca is a classic gothic novel. The setting and the mystery of the new Mrs. de Winter (and the lack of knowing her first name) and the former Mrs. de Winter. When you have a character like Mrs Danvers - and turn her into Ida, you are swimming in shark-infested waters, and...baby, those sharks are hungry. Mrs Danvers is one of the scariest characters in literature.

Maybe this is my own issue. Maybe I should just refuse to read retellings of books that are ingrained in my heart. Maybe Daphne du Maurier was a genius, and Rebecca is a perfect book, so anything that tries to retell it will always fall short for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.